Korea Unveils Wireless Energy Transmission Technology To The Mass Transit World

[realizm 4,456]

Now this is ground breaking news in the world of mass transit, literally electrifying..... 

 

A new scientific breakthrough has recently been developed in energy transmission technology that shifts away from current electricity transfer systems to power trains by use of mere third rails or complex networks of overhead power wires to wireless energy transmission. The way the technology works is by use of inductive coupling methods to wirelessly transmit electricity from cables that is embedded in the roadbeds into pick-up coils that is installed on the chassis of the trains thereby supplying electricity to the traction motors remotely. No third rails or traction shoes required! 

 

On top of that, this same technology can also be applied to buses as well in the same way. Currently KAIST is giving some buses a retrofit with this technology and giving them a test drive.

 

So while us New Yorkers are bickering and boasting over our 80+ years late Second Avenue Subway, countdown clocks and our out of date CBTC technology while foamistically awaiting the day the R188's hits the road, South Korea is going into the next dimension of mass transit with this new technology by making this a reality with this new technology!

 

Can one only imagine how far it will propel us in terms of mass transit worldwide? The father of Inter-borough Rapid Transit, August Belmont himself, might practically rise from the grave on this one!

 

Link: http://txchnologist.com/post/43160353907/wireless-electricity-transmission-being-deployed-to

 

 

Wireless Electricity Transmission Being Deployed to Power Korean Mass Transit

February 15th, 2013 | by Michael Keller

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Korean trams and buses are moving away from overhead power wires and high-voltage third rails—literally.

 

Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have made major advances in wireless power transfer for mass transit systems. The fruits of their labor, systems called On-line Electric Vehicles (OLEV), are already being road tested around Korea.

 

At it’s heart, the technology uses inductive coupling to wirelessly transmit electricity from power cables embedded in roadways to pick-up coils installed under the floor of electric vehicles.

 

The work was hailed as one of the year’s top 10 emerging technologies by the World Economic Forum this week.

 

Engineers say the transmitting technology supplies 180 kW of stable, constant power at 60 kHz to passing vehicles that are equipped with receivers. The initial OLEV modelsabove received 100 kW of power at 20 kHz through an almost eight-inch air gap. They have recorded 85 percent transmission efficiency through testing so far.

 

(A concept drawing for an OLEV tram. Courtesy KAIST.)

 

The wireless electricity that powers the vehicle’s motors and systems is also used to charge an on-board battery that supplies energy to the vehicle when it is away from the power line.

 

KAIST plans to start deploying the OLEV technology to tramlines in May and high-speed trains in September.

 

“We have greatly improved the OLEV technology from the early development stage by increasing its power transmission density by more than three times,” said Dong-Ho Cho, the director of KAIST’s Center for Wireless Power Transfer Technology Business Development, in a release. “The size and weight of the power pickup modules have been reduced as well. We were able to cut down the production costs for major OLEV components, the power supply, and the pickup system, and in turn, OLEV is one step closer to being commercialized.”

 

The institute announced that buses equipped with the wireless power transfer technology are already used daily by students on the KAIST campus in Daejeon, while others are undergoing road tests in Seoul. Two more OLEV buses will begin trial operations in the city of Gumi in July.

 

Proponents say that the technology banishes overhead power lines and rails for electric trams and buses, dramatically lowers the costs of railway wear and tear and allows smaller tunnels to be built for electric vehicle infrastructure, lowering construction costs.

 

(An OLEV shuttle bus that provides rides to students and faculty on the  KAIST campus in Daejeon. Courtesy Hyung-Joon Jeon/KAIST.)

 

Top Image: KAIST and Korea Railroad Research Institute displayed wireless power transfer technology to the public on Feb. 13 by testing it on railroad tracks at Osong Station in Korea. Photo courtesy Hyung-Joon Juen/KAIST.

 

Edited February 17, 2013 by realizm

[qjtransitmaster 216]

Looks like when this goes worldwide say bye bye to diesel!!! Looks like diesel fuel's days are numbered.

[Quill Depot 1,570]

The only problem... it costs MONEY. Use what exists.

[JubaionBx12+SBS 417]

Congrats to the folks in South Korea!!!! When the MTA finally gets around to this they'll be teleporting. lol

[mtattrain 1,185]

Congrats to the folks in South Korea!!!! When the MTA finally gets around to this they'll be teleporting. lol

Thanks lol.

 

 

On a side note, I do remember Bombardier proposing a very similar (or identical) technology for buses.

[HenryB 116]

The only problem... it costs MONEY. Use what exists.

Everything costs MONEY. So...we should use steam engines...

[Vistausss 678]

Since when is this a new thing? We have been using this for several years here in The Netherlands already on one bus route in Rotterdam.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 17, 2013 by Vistausss

[realizm 4,456]

Looks like when this goes worldwide say bye bye to diesel!!! Looks like diesel fuel's days are numbered.

 

Right. That's one of the benefits of this technology where it applies to bus transportation, and possibly in the future, commercial trucks. It will contribute to the cutting down of carbon fuel emissions in very densely populated cities. All they have to do is run power lines under the street and the buses can draw it's power. Ditto on commercial trucks. 

 

In terms of rapid rail transit, it will greatly cut down on future maintenance costs as there will be no need to maintain an existing grid of third rails or overhead power lines, will substantially reduce the wear and tear on tracks, reducing costs as they will not have to replace rails as often, also it will prevent less wear and tear on the light rail or subway cars themselves as the methods of drawing electricity is remote without contact to overhead power line or third rail.

 

Furthermore, it will reduce the costs of new construction in terms of materials used, as the engineers and architects can now design smaller tunnels by reducing the circumferential dimensions of such tunnels as there will be no need to add into these tunnels third rails or overhead power wires.

 

 

Thanks lol.

 

 

On a side note, I do remember Bombardier proposing a very similar (or identical) technology for buses.

 

 

Since when is this a new thing? We have been using this for several years here in The Netherlands already on one bus route in Rotterdam.

 

True, The Canadian Transportation form Bombardiar apparently pioneered in this technology already back in 2009 under the initiative called "Primove". If I'm correct they started testing in Germany, then in Finland. However KAIST is really taking off in this by perfecting the technology. They will formally implement this technology into rapid transit lines in May and finally high speed rail this September. 

 

Congrats to the folks in South Korea!!!! When the MTA finally gets around to this they'll be teleporting. lol

 

Who knows? If the MTA even exists by that time, the technological firms in the United States could have already have perfected the technology even further. 

Edited February 17, 2013 by realizm

[Kamen Rider 1,846]

I had this idea ages ago, but when I mention it, will D over in subchat, card carrying member of the catinary fan club, decides it's an affront to his religion and starts using it to attack me. Guess the eggs on his stupid face...