VESA Vacuum Circuit Breaker for Electric Passenger Trains

The electrification of passenger trains is at the top of the agenda for public transportation around the world as demand increases for green technologies and efficiently engineered railway solutions. With a transition from pneumatic to electro-magnetic actuation, train manufacturers are provided with a lower overall cost solution due to reduced maintenance needs and minimised train energy consumption, further enhancing the economic benefit for the operator. TE is leading the VCB technology shift and is currently one of the few suppliers with a substantial quantity of electro-magnetically operated VCB´s in the field. A proven technology, the first unit was installed over five years ago and there are now more than 800 units in service on four continents.

Peter Van Loo, General Manager of TE Rail, emphasised TE's orientation towards the future and its customers: Through close co-operation with our customers, our research team has developed a system with breakthrough benefits for the railway sector. Providing the market with a solution exhibiting lower total installed cost while dispensing with bulky pneumatic systems makes this innovative TE solution an exciting and reliable product for both new designs and refurbishment programmes.

The VESA VCB not only eliminates the disadvantages of conventional mechanical pneumatic circuit breakers. It is lighter and easier to mount, safer to use as it utilizes an external drive approach, and more economical to operate. The VESA VCB is also more reliable as it needs less servicing than conventional systems. From the high-voltage along the train roof and throughout the train, TE has years of experience when it comes to securely and reliably transferring power, data and signals anywhere in the world.

The VESA Vacuum Circuit Breaker for electric trains will be featured at the 2012 InnoTrans in Berlin, Germany from September 18 to 21, at TE's main booth in hall 10.1, booth 204.