Linear eddy current brake for railway vehicles using dynamic braking

One type of braking system for railway vehicles is the eddy current brake. Because this type of brake has the problem of rail heating, it has not been put to practical use in Japan. Therefore we proposed using a linear induction motor (LIM) for dynamic braking in eddy current brake systems. It reduces rail heating and uses an inverter for the self-excitation function. In this paper, we estimated the performance of an LIM from experimental results of a fundamental test machine and confirmed that the LIM under constant current excitation has an approximately constant braking force regardless of frequency for relatively low frequencies, and the reduction ratio of rail heating is approximately proportional to the frequency. These characteristics are convenient for the realization of the LIM rail brake system.