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Saft compact batteries meet demanding high power backup needs of Karlsruhe tram-trains
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Contact usBombardier Transportation’s new FLEXITY Swift tram-trains to rely on Saft MSX batteries for reliable dual-system operation, braking performance and emergency backup in all weathers.
Innovative new tram-trains that will serve the German city of Karlsruhe are being fitted with Saft MSX high-power, compact rail batteries to provide safety-critical onboard backup power.
Bombardier Transportation is supplying 30 ultra-modern, dual-system FLEXITY Swift tram-trains to the city – the first in Germany to link its street tramway (750 V DC supply) and the mainline railway (15 kV AC supply) by running urban trams on both networks.
The Saft battery systems provide the high-power backup power needed to:
The battery package comprises 19 Saft MSX 200 batteries with a nominal capacity of 200 Ah. Key features include:
The FLEXITY Swift tram-trains are being introduced in Karlsruhe to provide additional passenger capacity, to replace some of the older tram-train vehicles and to extend the route coverage of the existing network. The new 37 metre long vehicles consist of three modules, with the capacity to carry 244 passengers, and the interior is walkable throughout its entire length.
High power performance and optimizing the overall size and weight of the roof mounted battery package were critical factors and the Saft MSX nickel based batteries have proved to be the ideal solution in every respect. By switching from lead acid batteries we saved around 30 kg in weight and reduced the size by 25%, with complete confidence that the compact Saft batteries will deliver the very high braking loads we require even in winter temperatures that can fall as low as 25°C.
Uwe Donath, Bombardier Transportation’s Project Leader for Electrical Integration• 30% lighter and 40% smaller than conventional Ni-Cd batteries, offering significant increases in passenger-carrying capacity, while enabling OEMs and operators to specify the optimum battery system for the installation,
• robust, lightweight Sintered/Plastic Bonded Electrode (S/PBE) construction, resistant to shock and vibration,
• resistant to heavy cycling applications,
• wide operating temperatures range of – 30°C to + 50°C; resistant to extreme temperatures from – 50°C to + 70°C,
• topping-up with water only required at two-year intervals under normal conditions,
• centralized water filling system makes maintenance fast and easy.
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