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In the past, high-speed rail, a scientific and technological masterpiece that the country is proud of, has long been regarded as not only a symbol of scientific and technological innovation, but even a microcosm of its scientific and technological achievements. However, with the growing awareness of global environmental protection, this new type of transportation, which was once widely favored by people, has begun to bear all kinds of criticism and doubts.
"You see, only one line of the Kunming-Shanghai high-speed railway needs to consume nearly 100,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity in a single operation, how can this be tolerated?" An environmental expert said indignantly, his frown revealing his inner concern: "You know, this is just one of the many high-speed rail lines on the mainland, and if you add up the hundreds of high-speed rail lines across the country, the energy consumption will undoubtedly be jaw-dropping!" We cannot ignore the enormous pressures on the environment in pursuit of economic development.
It is true that the huge energy consumption of high-speed rail has aroused great concern among the general public. According to relevant reports, when the EMU train travels at a high speed of 350 kilometers per hour, its power consumption is as high as a staggering 9,600 kilowatt-hours, which is enough to make the world stunned. Even if the speed of the vehicle is controlled at 250 kilometers per hour in daily operation, it still consumes 4,800 kWh of electricity in a single operation, which is undoubtedly an unimaginable energy consumption level for most people.
Faced with the urgent need for energy conservation and emission reduction, the high-speed rail technical team began to conduct research and exploration day and night, hoping to find a solution. "At the beginning of the design of the high-speed railway, we estimated that the energy consumption was much higher than the actual situation today, but fortunately, after years of unremitting research on core technologies, we have been able to achieve today's brilliant achievements."
Despite the remarkable results, high-speed rail practitioners are not complacent. They are well aware that as a new mode of transportation, high-speed rail can only win wide recognition and promotion from all walks of life if it continues to make breakthroughs and innovations in energy efficiency. Achieving environmental friendliness is the cornerstone of the survival and development of high-speed rail, and the task is arduous and long.
Looking back on the development process of China's high-speed rail, what is presented in front of us is a magnificent picture of shocking people. The Shanghai-Hangzhou high-speed railway is speeding at an astonishing speed of 350 kilometers per hour, setting a new record in the history of world railways and amazed the world.
"At that time, we deployed a lot of speed measurement equipment in order to surpass the existing records abroad." One witness proudly recalled, with the joy of the victory on his face, "Even though it was only a test run, it was undoubtedly the crowning moment of life for all involved."
However, this magnificent and glorious achievement is not easy to achieve, and the people of the high-speed rail have gone through countless hardships and hard work, and some even sacrificed their precious lives for it. "That sad memory is like yesterday, Xu Qinzhi's death is like a thunderbolt from the sky to us, like a heavy iron fist, smashing deep into our hearts." The old engineer who was full of vicissitudes of life choked up as he spoke, revealing his indomitable eyes, "It was she who fought with her life and illuminated the way forward with the brilliance of life."
Driven by this strong and unyielding spirit, the EMUs developed by the mainland have finally achieved independent innovation and mastered complete independent intellectual property rights. When the CR400AF-type Fuxing EMU successfully rolled off the assembly line, the scene applauded thunderously, and laughter and laughter came one after another. A young worker cheers loudly and wafs his arms vigorously as if celebrating a major victory in his life.
The historical responsibility once fell on their shoulders, but with unwavering will, they finally turned their dreams into reality and created a miracle that attracted the attention of the world with their own hands. In the field of high-speed rail power design, the traditional concept has always been to concentrate power in a few carriages of the locomotive. While this approach works, there are limitations.
"When the train is facing a steep hill, the power of the front of the locomotive often seems to be insufficient, so we have to add an auxiliary power car in an emergency, which not only causes a waste of resources, but also affects the driving efficiency." An experienced train driver frowned, seemingly dissatisfied with the cumbersome operation, "If the power can be distributed to the various carriages, it will undoubtedly greatly enhance its maneuverability and endurance."
Inspired by this concept, the high-speed rail EMU adopts a new decentralized power distribution design. The strong traction force is evenly distributed to the individual carriages, so that the overall power of the whole train is significantly improved, and it has the advantage of flexible scheduling.
"Even if a single power car fails, it will not affect the normal operation of the entire train, we only need to switch to the power of other cars." One train driver confidently stated, detailing the distribution of the carriages: "In contrast, with the traditional model, if there is a breakdown, the entire train will have to stop. "
One of the significant advantages of the decentralized power system is that it can realize flexible marshalling, and according to the change of passenger flow at different times, the high-speed rail can quickly switch between the two marshalling modes of 8 and 16 cars!
"When the number of passengers is small, we usually use an eight-car group; However, during busy periods such as major holidays, we decided to switch to the 16-section mode. ”
Up to now, decentralized power design has become the core concept of high-speed rail, which not only successfully solves many problems faced by traditional bullet trains, but also gives unprecedented flexibility and adaptability to high-speed rail.
Rapid technological progress often stems from dissatisfaction with the current situation and endless hopes for a better future.
In order for such a huge train machine to run stably at speeds of more than 250 kilometers per hour, the logistical power supply system undoubtedly assumes a crucial responsibility. The power supply personnel along the line have always maintained a tense and orderly working state.
"The power required by the train is provided by the high-voltage wires erected on the tracks." One technician expertly navigated the computer as he patiently explained, his fingers sliding quickly across the keyboard, "but note that the wires are not continuous, but have breaks at intervals, which we call 'power supply units.'" ”
On the one hand, this segmented power supply method aims to ensure safety and avoid the occurrence of circuit overload; On the other hand, in order to improve efficiency, each unit can be supplied independently according to the actual demand, without the need for the entire long line to be synchronized.
However, the segmented power supply also presents new challenges for wiring operations. "We had to manually insulate the two adjacent sections of wires and take strict safety measures, otherwise the consequences would be devastating if the high-voltage current seeped in." A cable worker said frankly, with a serious expression on his face.
In order to efficiently transmit electricity to high-speed trains, we also need a key piece of equipment – the pantograph. The movable slide on the roof of the car acts like a "drinking pipe", absorbing the current on the wires at all times.
"If the pantograph fails, the train will not be able to continue to operate normally." An experienced driver explains, reaching for the roof of the car, "That's why we often open the roof to make sure the bow is intact and maintain it regularly." ”
In this era of energy efficiency, this is not only an academic topic that requires in-depth research, but also a constant challenge and struggle. In order to save power resources more, countless high-speed rail elites are still tirelessly exploring and innovating. A young and promising scientific researcher confidently said: "The energy generated during braking is undoubtedly a huge waste. If you can store it effectively and make the most of it, that would be the ideal solution! ”。
As a high-speed rail operator, passengers taking trains and paying for tickets are undoubtedly its main source of income. However, the huge cost of electricity has always been a major problem for them. Taking the Kunming-Shanghai high-speed railway as an example, the electricity consumption required for a single trip is as high as 100,000 kWh, and the electricity bill is as high as 100,000 yuan according to the standard of 1 yuan per kWh. A senior financial expert couldn't help but have a headache and said, while fiddling with the abacus, he frowned, "This is only the most basic electricity bill, if you add other operating costs, the book expenses will be even larger."
There is no doubt that the operating costs of high-speed rail companies can be described as a heavy burden. In addition, it also includes the labor cost of driving personnel, the maintenance cost of vehicles, the depreciation of fixed assets such as stations, etc., which require a lot of investment. "Theoretically, assuming that the number of people fully loaded is close to 1,000 people, and the one-way income is about 2 million yuan, the profit after deducting various costs is still considerable." The financial expert continued to dig deeper, scribbling on the statements, "However, this is not the case.
Due to the pandemic, the number of passengers has continued to decline, and we have had to go all out to operate."
He spread his hands helplessly and sighed. Indeed, public transport should not be suspended due to a decrease in passenger traffic, but must be maintained at a high level during periods of low passenger traffic. As a result, revenues will inevitably shrink dramatically, but costs will not be reduced, and the business situation will be in trouble.
"So from a business perspective, high-speed rail doesn't seem to be that worth the investment." An experienced old general manager said with emotion, but then added seriously, "However, it is an important pillar of our country and is related to the overall interests of the country!" Without high-speed rail, the transportation links of the whole country will be seriously affected, and the efficiency of the flow of people and materials will be greatly reduced, which will have a profound impact on the country's development process.
In his eloquent rhetoric, he can deeply understand the vital importance of high-speed rail. It is not only a convenient way to get around, but also regarded as a strategic treasure of the country! With its strong traction, high-speed railway closely connects the entire Chinese mainland, and then shoulders the heavy responsibility of leading domestic economic development; At the same time, it also promotes the free flow of talents and realizes the optimal allocation of resources with a very dynamic attitude.
There is no doubt that high-speed railways have become an indispensable and important pillar in the process of mainland modernization!