PROTECTION OF ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE TRACTION MOTOR COLLECTOR AGAINST DAMAGE BY ARC DISCHARGE

Abstract

High requirements are imposed on railway transport in terms of its safety and reliability. The failure of an electric locomotive can jeopardize traffic safety, as well as lead to material and economic costs. One of the most vulnerable elements of the electric rolling stock of railways are traction electric motors, which on many electric locomotives have a significant service life. Due to significant depletion of the resource and due to difficult operating conditions, the likelihood of malfunctions in both the mechanical and electrical parts of the engine increases. Particular attention should be paid to malfunctions associated with the brush-commutator assembly of the traction electric motor. Having considered the causes of the failure of collector electric motors of various series of electric locomotives, it is clear that a significant percentage of failures is associated with damage to the brush-commutator assembly. The main reason for this pattern is the physical interaction of two contacts that move relative to each other, which creates the possibility of an electric arc between them. This paper examines the causes of arc discharge in the brush-commutator assembly of the traction electric motor of an electric locomotive, which can lead to serious damage and failures. Existing methods of diagnosing traction motors are analyzed, their advantages and disadvantages are determined. A method for detecting arc formation in the brush-commutator assembly based on measuring the intensity of ultraviolet radiation is developed. An engine protection system based on a programmable logic controller is developed. The feasibility and effectiveness of implementing such a system on electric locomotives to increase the reliability of traction electric motors and reduce operating costs is substantiated. Since on locomotives operated in Ukraine, DC electric machines are used not only to generate traction force, but also to generate excitation current, voltage for their own needs and for the operation of other units, a logical development of the topic described in the paper can be the improvement of the system for protecting auxiliary machines of electric locomotives. In the future, this would further increase the reliability and productivity of electric railway rolling stock.