Development of induction motor-generator set for traction system

A propulsion system apparatus is needed for a railroad vehicle to test and estimate propulsion performance. In general, a flywheel type testing method is widely used in the equipment. However, the mechanical inertia generated by the flywheel can not be varied (or controlled) and cannot represent actual running resistance. In this study, the authors have focused on the development of variable vehicle load generation. Therefore, they have proposed a method which uses a variable vehicle load controlled by a vector motor to obtain the characteristics of a real vehicle load. They confirmed the results with those of computer simulations.