Rechargeable Ni-Cd battery for onboard rail use
A
Saft Industrial Batteries product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Jan 25, 2002
A new battery has been purpose designed to provide the perfect high performance on-board battery system for LRV, metro, EMU, locomotive and high speed rail systems
The new Saft Matrics (Mass Transit Integrated Compact Rail System) MRX battery has been purpose designed to provide the perfect high performance on-board battery solution for LRV, metro, EMU, locomotive and high speed rail systems.
It provides the low maintenance and long service life benefits of sintered/pbe technology within a slim, light-weight block battery package which shows a 40 percent size and volume advantage compared with conventional batteries and also includes an integrated water filling system.
Saft has a wealth of experience in providing rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries for rail applications such as emergency lighting, air conditioning, computing systems, door opening controls and back-up power for electric traction.
The Saft Matrics MRX battery has been developed in response to customers seeking even smaller, lighter battery packages optimised for maximum performance, reduced maintenance and low life cycle cost.
The key feature of the Saft Matrics MRX design is the way it combines sintered/pbe and wrapped plate stack technologies with the membrane seperators developed for Saft's range of aviation batteries.
This provides the MRX battery with superior gravimetric and volumetric energy density which enables it to offer the same performance as a conventional nickel-cadmium battery in a compact light-weight package with a 40 percent size and volume advantage.
Acquisition of a railway battery is a long-term investment and Saft recommends that cost comparisons should not be based just on initial outlay, but should consider overall running costs over a complete life-cycle, which in the case of lead-acid batteries will include significant ongoing maintenance and replacement costs.
It is in this life cycle cost (LCC) analysis that the advantages of the Saft Matrics battery, with its 15-year plus life become apparent.
After only five years, at which time a lead-acid battery will probably need replacing, the Saft Matrics will show clear cost advantages.
After 30 years in operation the Saft Matrics will have provided total reliability at a substantially lower cost than a lead-acid battery.
Reliability is an essential requirement for on-board batteries, so the Saft Matrics battery has been engineered to tolerate the heavy vibration, wide fluctuations in temperature (-40C to +70C) and physical and electrical abuses that frequently cause lead acid batteries to suffer 'sudden death' failure in service.
Saft Matrics batteries require minimal maintenance - on average, only every 18 months.
The sintered positive and plastic-bonded negative electrode construction benefits from extremely low water consumption, and when topping-up with distilled water is required it is carried out quickly and efficiently with Saft's centralised filling system integrated within the battery block.
For customers wishing to further enhance the compact size and weight advantages of Saft Matrics batteries, Saft is able to supply fully integrated, turn-key battery systems in bespoke trays or battery boxes complete with isolators, fuses and connectors which are fully vibration and shock tested to the appropriate rail standards.
The Saft Matrics battery displays an excellent charging capability within a constrained voltage window.
After five hours at low charging voltage (1.45 V per cell), over 85 percent of capacity is available.
By using a lower derating factor for the charge a smaller battery can be specified, reducing the need for oversizing.
Saft Matrics batteries are available in blocks of three to 10 cells, running in parallel or series, with rated capacities from 70 Ah up to 260 Ah.
Saft holds a leading position in the worldwide marketplace for self-contained energy solutions.
Saft's product range includes portable power sources, industrial and advanced technology batteries for industry worldwide".
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Contact Saft Industrial Batteries
Tel +33 1 49 93 1807
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