Kawasaki Heavy Industries, a major Japanese heavy machinery manufacturer, announced on December 17, 2007 that it has successfully completed a verification test for reusing energy from regenerative brakes by employing a land storage battery system that uses the Kawasaki Gigacell, the company's nickel metal-hydride battery.

The Gigacell-driven system was tested at substations of the Osaka subway system, and Kawasaki verified that the energy generated by the train's brakes could be stored and reused to compensate for the voltage fall-offs that occur during startup, operation and congested rush hours. Kawasaki also conducted tests on emergency operations during power outages and confirmed that the battery system enables trains to reach the nearest station without compromising on air conditioning or lighting, though at a lower speed.

The system will thus allow the entire railway system to operate on less energy, reducing the volume of electricity contracts with power companies and lowering the costs associated with opening new substations. This advance is expected to contribute to energy savings and a reduction in the environmental impact of train lines.

The Gigacell has already been put to practical use in photovoltaic systems that have a power consumption control function. Kawasaki aims at expanding applications of the Gigacell to include smoothing wind power output fluctuations, in battery-powered light rail vehicles, as a power control aid in micro-grid distribution generation systems and as a back-up power supply for power failures and momentary voltage drops.

http://www.khi.co.jp/ba/2007data/ba_c3071217-1.html
- Kawasaki Heavy Industries to Test Battery-Powered Tram (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/db/1474-e

Posted: 2008/04/17 11:42:51 AM

TAG Energy , Manufacturing industry , Transportation