Overview of electric railway systems and the calculation of train performance

An appreciation of the requirements and operating principles of an electric traction system starts from an understanding of the basic physical mechanics. Despite the recent major advances in the capabilities of power electronic converters and microprocessor controllers, the overall drive characteristics are still much the same and subject to limitations such as adhesion and power limits. This lecture has attempted to provide a foundation in these basic factors, as well as surveying the wide range of implementations of electric traction which can be observed in operation. The detail design of the equipments involves experts in many branches of electrical, electronic, mechanical and software engineering and lectures in the course will attempt to give an introduction to at least some of these topics.It should already be apparent that the railway is a complex system and the different components all have to work together. The overwhelming need is for all those involved in engineering design of railway equipment should develop an overview of the full system so that they can practice the much-vaunted, but less often practiced, art of real system engineering.