Three-Phase AC Traction Technology
for Diesel-Electric Locomotive WDG4 of Indian Railways
Te c h n i c a l I n f o r m a t i o n
In 1999 Indian Railways introduced
its first diesel-electric freight
locomotive with three-phase
AC traction technology; the WDG4
locomotive.
The state-of-the-art AC traction
system, consisting of 2 inverters and
6 AC motors, is based on the
well-proven Siemens design already
in operation on more than 1500
US-locomotives of EMD.
Pulse-width modulated (PWM)
inverters with GTO thyristors are
driving brushless three-phase
induction traction motors in axle-hung,
nose-suspended design.
Traction control by Siemens SIBAS® 16
microcomputers.
The microcomputer controlled AC
traction system provides:
Wheel arrangement
Co’Co’
0-6-6-0
1676 mm
66 in
126 t
278 000 lbs
21 244 mm
836 in
1092 mm
43 in
90 : 17
5.29 : 1
100 km/h
62.5 mph
EMD
16-710 G3B
4 000 HP/2985 kW
at 900 rpm
3350 HP
2500 kW
Starting tractive effort
540 kN
121 400 lbs
Continuous tractive effort
400 kN
90 000 lbs
Braking effort
270 kN
60 698 lbs
Track gauge
Weight
Length over couplers
Wheel diameter
Gear ratio
Maximum service speed
Diesel engine Type
Diesel engine Rating
Power at wheel
• High starting and continuous tractive
efforts
• Dynamic braking
• Effective wheel slip and slide control
• Long maintenance intervals
• Fault monitoring and diagnostic
functions
• Overload protection
Design of WDG4* Locomotive:
Electro-Motive Division of General
Motors Corp. (EMD) La Grange,
Illinois, USA
*Based on GT46MAC locomotive of EMD, USA
Manufacturing of WDG4 in India:
Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW)
Indian Railways, Varanasi, India
Development and supply
of AC traction equipment:
Siemens AG, Germany and Siemens
Ltd. India
7
3896
8
640
8
2743
640
19964
6
4, 5
2,3
1
General view
3
3~
5
=
G
3~ 2
1
M
3~
4
3
6
6
7
7
6
6
=
M
3~
3~
8
M
3~
1 Diesel engine
2 Generator
3 Rectifier
4 Traction inverter
5 DC link capacitor
6 Braking contactors
7 Braking resistors
8 Traction motors
M
3~
4
=
3~
5
=
M
3~
3~
8
M
3~
Main circuit diagram
Tractive and braking effort diagrams
High starting and continuous tractive efforts achieved by system optimization of the traction inverter and motors.
High dynamic braking capability within a wide speed range.
EMD GT46 MAC IR – TE diagram (throttle 8)
EMD GT46 MAC IR – BE diagram
600
0
0
20
40
60
80
550
500
–50
braking effort [kN]
tractive effort [kN]
450
400
350
300
250
200
–100
–150
–200
150
100
–250
50
0
0
20
40
60
80
speed [km/h]
100
120
140
–300
speed [km/h]
100
120
140
Locomotive
and traction control
G
3~
Diesel
engine
Traction
inverter
Driving
Central control unit
Braking
Diesel engine
M
3~
Generator
Direction
Auxiliaries
Diagnostics
Multipliunit
traction
M
3~
Traction
inverter
M
3~
Traction control unit
SIBAS 16
Traction control
Slip and slide control
Inverter protection
Diagnostics
Traction control
Slip and slide control
Inverter protection
Diagnostics
The Traction Control Cabinet (TCC) contains the traction
inverter with control computer and is the three-phase AC
power supply for the traction motors of one locomotive
truck. A TCC consists of the following main components:
• 3 phase modules including gate drive units
• 1 DC-link capacitor set
• 1 set of current and voltage transformers
• 1 snubber resistor
• 1 fan
• 1 SIBAS® 16 traction control computer
• 1 inverter protection circuit
Each phase module contains the power semiconductors for
one inverter phase (two GTO thyristors 4,5 kV/3,0 kA and
two antiparallel diodes) as well as the snubber circuit diodes
and capacitors. The GTO gate drive units are mounted
outside on the module cover.
The heat losses of the electrical components arranged in
the module are dissipated by evaporation bath cooling, a
method long proven in rail vehicles.
The traction control computer is housed in a separate
compartment of the traction control cabinet.
Doors and latches provided in the cabinet afford easy and
direct access to all components.
The fan installed in the traction control cabinet draws air
across the phase modules. Air is exhausted across the
snubber circuit resistor on the opposite side of the cabinet.
The electronic components, such as GTO gate drive units,
are cooled by means of fine filtered air. They are pressurized
to extensively rule out contamination. A noteworthy feature
of the design is that the traction control cabinet forms an
integral part of the locomotive hood.
Technical Data
Input
Rated current
300 V to 2 600 V DC variable
580 A
Output
Voltage range
0 V to 2000 V 3-phase AC variable
Rated Current
900 A
Frequency range
M
3~
Traction control unit
SIBAS 16
Traction Control Cabinet
Nominal voltage range
M
3~
0 Hz to 110 Hz variable
M
3~
The control system of the entire locomotive is based on microcomputer
technology. It comprises a SIBAS® 16
traction control computer for each
inverter and a locomotive control unit.
The central locomotive control unit,
EM 2000 of EMD, processes the
commands from the driver’s desk or
trainlines to form the reference values
for traction control.
SIBAS® 16
traction control computer
The inverter for each truck is controlled
by a traction control unit SIBAS 16
which contains the microcomputer
control, I/O modules, communication
module as well as the necessary
microcomputer power supplies. The
control unit performs such functions
as traction control, wheel slip and
slide control, inverter protection and
diagnostics.
Traction motor 1TB2622
Traction motor 1TB2622 is a four pole three-phase induction
motor designed to deliver very high torques required for the
high starting tractive effort of the locomotive.
The motor is of an extreme robust design suitable for
challenging operation conditions, e.g. highly dusty environment and vibrations experienced on the tracks. The rotor is
of a squirrel-cage design. The stator is a laminated frame
construction with no housing. Laminations are held together
by sturdy end plates and welded tie-rods. The forcedventilated motor is designed for axle-hung roller-bearing
installation.
Technical Data
Weight
2120 kg
Starting torque
9 471 Nm
Nominal power
425 kW
Nominal insulation voltage
2300 V
Nominal speed
Maximum speed
600 rpm
3320 rpm
The stator winding is insulated according to insulation class
200.
Siemens AG
Transportation Systems Group
Locomotives
P.O. Box 32 40
D-91050 Erlangen
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
M o b i l i t y for a moving world.
Siemens Transportation Systems
Reg. No. 2234
Order No. A19100-V600-B434-X-7600
Printed in the Fed. Rep. of Germany
141D6215 174652 DB 9001.
Subject to change without prior notice