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Content archived on 2024-06-20

Power reliability for traction electronics

Objective

To meet the exacting performance improvements identified in the business scenarios listed in the Strategic Rail Research Agenda of ERRAC, as overall transport growth and transport demand increase, reliable, affordable and attractive rolling stock must become the norm for use on European networks. To meet this target, set up by the ED White Paper, it is of paramount importance to develop reliable, affordable, attractive and even more energy efficient rail systems for use in Europe.

To offer a higher level of performance of the Railway System, the quality and reliability of equipment have to be drastically improved. PORTES Marie-Curie TOK programme, gathering one industrial, ALSTOM-Transport (F), and 3 RTD centres, ISEA (D), CNM (E) and IIS (CH), will focus on the particular aspect of reliability of power converters, which is the weakest part in the full chain of energy conversion of a traction drive. The weakest component of this assembly is the reliability of IGBT components.

To improve the reliability of power converters, researches activities have to focus on the semi-conductors, the packaging and the gate drive of IGBT components. On the three items, at least one expert in the field (2 for semiconductor, 1 for packaging and 1 for IGBT drive), will work at ALSTOM Transport Components/PEARL (Power Electronics Associated Laboratory). In addition, 1 person from ALSTOM will visit each laboratory for 3 months. From a technical point of view, the objective is to double the current MTBF, which is 150,000 hours on a lifetime of 20 years.

From a non-technical point of view, the objectives are
- to reinforce the relation between industry and academia;
- To edit a common book dedicated to "Design for Reliability";
- To implement courses with new knowledge acquired;
- To improve the competitiveness of a European leading sector: the railway transportation.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

Keywords

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

FP6-2002-MOBILITY-3
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

TOK - Marie Curie actions-Transfer of Knowledge

Coordinator

ALSTOM TRANSPORT SA
EU contribution
No data
Total cost
No data

Participants (3)