400 kilometers per hour!The multinational Connectivity high-speed emu rolls off the production line in Tangshan

On October 21, China’s 400 kilometers per hour cross-border interconnection high-speed EMU rolled off the assembly line at CRRC Tangshan. Adopting the world's first high-speed variable gauge bogie with a speed of 400 kilometers per hour and a built-in axle box bogie, the train can realize automatic track change on different railway gauge lines in countries such as Asia, Europe and Africa, and can continuously operate at a speed of 400km/h from -25℃ to 50℃. Characterized by high speed, low energy consumption, good comfort and strong environmental adaptability, EMU meets the requirements of different countries’ gauges, different power supply systems and different operating environments. It provides strong technical support for China’s Railway's “Go Global” and “Transportation Power” Strategy.

According to reports, the cross-border interconnection high-speed EMUs with a speed of 400 kilometers per hour is a key special project of the Ministry of Science and Technology in the 13^th Five-Year Plan. This project is organized by CRRC, and CRRC Tangshan is responsible for such researches as the adaptability of wheel-rail relationship, bow-network relationship and cross-border interconnection, variable-gauge bogies and multi-standard traction of the 400 km/h high-speed EMU under complex conditions.

Since the official launch of the project in November 2016, CRRC Tangshan has successfully developed a 400-kilometer-per-hour cross-border interconnected high-speed EMU after four years of technical research and development with a number of domestic enterprises, universities, and scientific research institutes, relying on the national high-speed train innovation technology platform, and CRRC Tangshan had mastered more than 10 core key technologies. At present, CRRC Tangshan has completed the static test and dynamic test in the factory, and the train has qualified the conditions for delivery.

 

The white main tone on the outer surface of the 400 kilometers per hour cross-border interconnection high-speed EMU, in combination with the Chinese red and yellow decorative lines, highlights the nobility and elegance and demonstrates the national confidence. The painting graphic style is extracted and originated from the morphological characteristics of flowers and Ruyi (scepter), wave-like symbols and awe-inspiring posture, condensing the vitality of train movement, implying that China's railways are vigorously moving forward and creating new glory auspiciously.

According to Guo Yao, the project manager and deputy director of the General Development Department of CRRC Tangshan Product R&D Center, the 400 kilometers per hour cross-border interconnection high-speed EMU has presented many “innovative points”. In terms of utilization efficiency, the EMU is designed with 8-car (4-motor vehicle, 4-trailer) marshalling structure, with business seats, first-class seats and second-class seats, with a total of 576 passenger places, which is consistent with the passenger capacity of the existing “Fuxing” EMU.

Although the train is “wide and fat” and has a large passenger capacity, its “weight” has been successfully reduced because of the large number of applications of advanced lightweight materials such as aluminum-magnesium alloy and carbon fiber on the train, Guo said. The greatly reduced weight of train body makes it possible to expand the volume in a more energy-saving and environmental friendly way, while making passengers more comfortable.

Compared with the existing EMUs, the train can save energy consumption more than 10% and have greatly reduced unit energy consumption when running at a high speed of 400km/h. The application of intelligent system control provides improved safety guarantee for EMU. With the application of Ethernet technology to the high-speed train network control, the intelligent automatic driver assistance system controls the operation status in real time, calculates the optimum operation plan, and guides the driver in a scientific manner. By developing an active operation and maintenance application platform, CRRC Tangshan can implement real-time monitoring of the operation and health status of train, and based on big data analysis, realize health management of key components, guarantees safe and reliable operation with lower maintenance costs.

 

“At present, the fastest commercial high-speed rail in the world is the “Fuxing” Train operating on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail and the Beijing-Tianjin intercity railway. The 400 km/h cross-border interconnected high-speed EMU has the test speed reached 440km/h when it maintains a continuous operation speed of 400 km/h”, Guo Yao said, “It has energized the national “One Belt and One Road Initiative” by supporting the supply-side reform of transportation equipment.

Before the intercontinental freight train runs from China to another country, according to information, it is necessary to stop the train and replace the bogie with another one that adapts to the gauge of the destination country, which is time-consuming, labor-intensive and costly process. Very high. In addition to increasing the speed, the cross-border interconnection high-speed EMUs with a speed of 400 kilometers per hour has also improved in terms of cross-border interconnection.

Chen Yanhong, director of the Bogie Technology Center of CRRC Tangshan, introduced that, the 400 km/h high-speed variable gauge bogie applied on the train can cover 100% of the rail change demands of different gauges in the range of 600-1886mm, and can be used for free conversion between meter gauge and standard gauge, between standard gauge and wide gauge. CRRC Tangshan takes the lead in using the high-speed (400 kilometers per hour) built-in axle box bogie in EMU in China, which is small in size and light in weight, more conducive to adapting to smaller limit requirements during cross-line operation. All bench tests have been completed for the high-speed built-in axle box bogie, hitting the highest test record of 609.6km/h on the rolling vibration test bench, and the test results superior than standard requirements have demonstrated the excellent performance of the bogie, Chen added.

As the speed continues to increase, the aerodynamic noise of high-speed trains will increase significantly, and when the speed reached 300 kilometers, the aerodynamic noise becomes the main noise source instead of the wheel-rail noise. The noise accompanied by high speed is an important factor affecting the passenger experience.

In order to create a quiet and comfortable environment for passengers, CRRC Tangshan has overcome the challenge of noise control of high-speed trains and optimized the vibration and noise reduction design when developing 400 km/h cross-border interconnection high-speed EMU. System analysis and comprehensive management covers noise control from sound source, vibration source, transmission path to attenuation suppression. New materials such as magnesium alloy and carbon fiber are used for the apron board, locomotive pilots and other components to cut off the route of sound propagation and reduce the noise in the car. The noise inside train compartment is controlled at 62 decibels, and the train has passed computer simulation experiments with excellent noise level, and remains quite even when it is running at a high speed of 400 kilometers per hour.

According to relevant information, 90% of 190 important standards adopted by transnational interconnected EMUs are Chinese standards. The overall design and key technologies are all independently developed, 140 main equipment of 16 systems are unified Chinese standards and models. The important achievement of China railway equipment meeting the needs of global market will strongly promote China’s “Go Global” Strategy and promote the integrated development of international economy and culture.