Concepts Of EMU

CONCEPTS OF EMU 1
 Introduction

Railway is the largest means of transportation in India and it is ranked in the world as
fourth largest railway network. Railway works under the Indian railway which is a state-
owned organisation of the Ministry of Railway.MUs are the type of trains which are used
by railways, BUs are of two types electric multiple unit (EMU) and diesel multiple unit
(DMU).An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train which consist of self-
propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate
locomotive as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the
carriages. In India most common means of transportation is railway. Most of the railway
line is electrified, which increases the demand for electricity.

Power Supply Voltage of EMU

Electric multiple unit requires high acceleration as well as high deceleration to stop the
train. Power supply of 25Kv is used in EMUs.To use this power effectively EMU consists
of a traction system , a traction system is a system installed on the roof or underneath the
train.A traction system converts the electrical energy into mechanical energy, thus
enabling the wheels to turn and, therefore, the train to accelerate and brake.The detailed
traction system of EMU can be described by dividing it into three sections such as three
phase supply system, traction substation and locomotive system which is described as
follows:

A. Three phase supply system

The generated power from generating station is transmitted to the grid substation via three
phase distribution system.As Indian railway accepted the 25 Kv system therefore the
available three phase voltage has to be step down to 25 Kv. The step down transformer is
connected to any of two phases of normal three phase lines to step down the 220/132 Kv
to 25Kv.This causes imbalance and dip in voltage in three phase system. For balancing of
the load on the power system, the OHE contact wires are supplied from A-B, B-C, C-A at
regular
intervals
(about 40-
60Km) at

traction
substation .If one phase is
fed from A-B then the
next substation is fed from b-c
phase. This type of combination of phases does not
change the phase sequence of the system.

Above figure shows, two substations are fed from different

phases and in between this bridge interrupter is shown. The
bridge interrupter is for loco to switch over safely from A-B phase to
B-C phase.

B. Traction substation

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At traction substation 220/132 kV is step down to 25 kV through single phase transformer.
The 25 kV AC voltage is drawn as single phase system from a three phase systems. One
connection of transformer is permanently solidly earthed which work as return. The
traction substation not only consists of transformer but also various protective devices. It

includes lightning arrestor, circuit breaker, transformer protection etc. This 25 Kv is then
supplied to the feeder then to the OHE line.

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 Above figure shows a arrangement at traction substation

C. Locomotive Subsystem
The power required for propulsion of loco is taken from OHE via pantograph. The AC or
DC drives are used for loco. The traction motors used are DC series motor, three phase
induction motor.The induction traction motor has many advantages over dc series motor
like high power at low speed, absence of commutator, VVVF control and regenerative
breaking system.VVVF stands for Variable Voltage Variable Frequency. VVVF Speed
Control method is widely used method for induction motor.If we can change the frequency
f then it is possible to change the speed of induction motor. Now frequency of power

supply can easily be varied using power electronics devices like inverter.

Figure below shows block diagram of AC locomotive

Electrification of railways and long distance transmission are done by Extra high voltages
this decreases the current and the power loss by a substantially larger extent.there are
reasons for transmitting voltage at 25 kV:
• Possibility of carrying increased power for a given conductor size in case of long
distance transmission system.
• Improvement of power factor under moderate and heavy load conditions.
• Availability of the steady voltages at all loads at line terminals.
• To transmit the same power if the voltage is raised, there is a corresponding
decrease in the current and the heat produced is decreased by a factor that is
equal to the square of the factor by which the voltage is raised.

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In conclusion:-In electrical power transmission over long distances around 7% of energy is
wasted as heat produced in the cables due to the inherent resistance of the cables.

Wheel Arrangement of EMU

Wheel are the part of trains which roll on tracks as the train moves, this why trains are
known as rolling stock.As we know with the help of traction system electrical energy is
converted into mechanical energy which cause the wheels to roll.These wheel have a
special arrangement which supports them to carry the load of trains.The wheels on each
side of a train car are connected with a metal rod called an axle. This axle keeps the two
train wheels moving together, both turning at the same speed when the train is moving.
This construction is great for straight tracks. But when a train needs to go around a bend
the fact that both wheels are always rotating at the same rate can become a problem. The
outside of a curve is slightly longer than the inside, so the wheel on the outside rail
actually needs to cover more distance than the wheel on the inside rail.

To help the wheels stay on the track their shape is usually slightly conical. This means
that the inside of the wheel has a larger circumference than the outside of the wheel.When
a train with slanted wheels turns, centrifugal force
pushes the outside wheel to the larger part of the
cone and pushes the inside wheel to the
smaller part of the cone. As a result when a
train is turning it is momentarily running on
wheels that are effectively two different
sizes.

In rolling stock, a wheel arrangement or wheel configuration is a system of classifying the

way in which wheels are distributed under a locomotive.Within a given country, different
notations may also be employed for different kinds of locomotives, such as steam, electric,

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and diesel.Diesel and electric locos wheel arrangements are described using a system
where the axles of a loco are counted, with powered axles being described using letters
and the unpowered axles indicated by digits. A set of two independently powered axles on
a bogie is indicated by ‘Bo’, and a set of three independently powered axles on a bogie is
indicated by ‘Co’.Hence, a loco with two bogies, each having two separately powered
axles is classified ‘Bo-Bo’; with three such bogies it would be ‘Bo-Bo-Bo’; with two bogies
each with three powered axles it would be ‘Co-Co’. Sometimes locos have some leading
or trailing unpowered axles too, so for instance a loco with two bogies, each having three
powered axles and one unpowered one is indicated ‘1-Co-Co-1’

Number of wheels in a 12 car EMU

Each coach of EMU has same number of wheels. Wheels are attached to the axel on both
the sides of axel. Each coach of a EMU has 4 wheel-axle sets.Now if there are 4 axel sets
this means there are 4*2 wheels in each coach i.e 8.

So a 12 car EMU will have 12*8 wheels

12*8=96

Number of wheels in a 12 car EMU is 96.

Gauge and types of gauges

The gauge of a railway track is defined as the clear minimum perpendicular distance
between the inner faces of the two rails i.e. the distance between the two tracks on any
railway route is known as gauge.
Types of gauges depends on range of distance between two tracks.There are mainly four
types of gauges used by the Indian Railways according to the ranges:

• Broad Gauge: width 1676 mm to 1524 mm or 5’6” to 5’0”

This type of gauge is now found all over in the country, all the major passenger, EMUs,
freight carriers etc. are now broad garage.Broad gauge railway is also used on ports for
crane etc. This gives better stability and they are even better than thinner gauges.
• Standard Gauge: width 1435 mm and 1451 mm or 4’-8⅟2”
In India, standard gauge is used only for urban rail transit systems like Metro, Monorail
and Tram. All metro lines coming in urban areas will be made only in the standard gauge,
because it is easy to get rolling stock for the standard gauge as compared to the Indian
gauge.
• Metre Gauge: width 1067 mm, 1000 mm and 915 mm or 3’-6”, 3’-33/8” and 3’-0”

CONCEPTS OF EMU 6
The distance between the two tracks is 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3/8 in). The metre gauge lines
were made to reduce the cost.All meter gauge lines except the Nilgiri Mountain Railway
which is a legacy run on a meter gauge in India will be converted into broad gauge under
project Unigauge.
• Narrow Gauge: width 762 mm and 610 mm or 2’-6” and 2’-0”.

The small gauge is called as Narrow gauge or a small line. The narrow gauge railway is
the railway track, in which distance between two tracks is 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) and 2 ft (610
mm). In 2015, there was a 1,500 km narrow gauge rail route, which is considered to be
about 2% of the total Indian rail network.

CONCEPTS OF EMU 7
Following are the factors affecting the choice of a gauge:
• Traffic Condition: If the intensity of traffic on the track is likely to be more, a gauge wider
than the standard gauge is suitable.
• Cost of Track:
A. The cost of railway track is directly proportional to the width of its gauge.
B. If the fund available is not sufficient to construct a standard gauge, a metre gauge
or a narrow gauge is preferred rather than to have no railways at all.
• Speed of Movement:
A. The speed of a train is a function of the diameter of wheel which in turn is limited
by the gauge.
C. If higher speeds are to be attained, the broad gauge track is preferred to the metre
gauge or narrow gauge track.

Acceleration Rate
Acceleration is a measure of how fast velocity changes. Acceleration is the change of
velocity divided by the change of time. The Electrical Multiple Unit (EMU) is a set of cars
which are independently powered and driven without a traditional locomotive. The whole
rake/train is set of 2, 3, or 4 EMUs and each EMU is made up of 3 to 6 cars.
The cars types are the known as DTC, MC and TC. DTC is the driving trailer car. it
contains the driver's (pilot or motorman) cabin in front with rest for passengers. The MC
coach is the Motored Car that has the pantograph and motors attached to each pair of
wheels in the bogie (bogie is the set of wheels upon which the coach shell is attached).
The MC also carries passengers.The TC is the Trailer Car or a coach is a pure passenger
carrying coach.EMU trains or local trains are much faster in acceleration because they are
using "Pull and Push" technique.This fast acceleration is because of the multiple drives.
Consider a 4 wheel drive car for example. In a 4WD, when you push the accelerator hard,
the car will quickly take off. Do that in a 2WD, the wheels will slip and spin. The same
principle applies to trains. To accelerate quickly, we need to power to more wheels. This is
easy with the EMU but if the locomotive tried to do that, the loco wheels would spin and
can even derail. The more the MC type cars are there in the EMU, the faster it will
accelerate. This explains why EMUs can accelerate faster.In the case of Express trains
the locomotive uses only one Pantograph although it has two attached. The reasons for
slow acceleration in Express trains are
1. Weight of the train
2. Lack of Power delivery at initial run or start.
3. It uses only one locomotive therefore one Pantograph.
4. It uses only Pull technique.
So, it needs to run 5-6 km to gain speed and express trains are good in mid acceleration. I
hope I answered to the question somewhat.
Acceleration of Siemens EMU is
• 0.8 metre per second square till it obtain 50 kmph speed
• 0.6 metre per second square till it obtain 80 kmph speed
• 0.2 metre per second square till its top speed

Retardation Rate

CONCEPTS OF EMU 8
When train model enters the deceleration section, the speed of the train model gradually
decreases because of the braking force of the magnetic braking device on the bottom of
the train model and the steel plates fixed on the floor of this device. The dissipation of
kinetic energy of the trailer is also based on a similar principle.
Deceleration:
•0.8 metre per second square till it slow down at 50 km/h
•1 metre per second square from 50 km/h to 0 km/h
3.6 km/h = 1 metre per second

Brake System
A moving train contains energy, known as kinetic energy, which needs to be removed
from the train in order to cause it to stop. The simplest way of doing this is to convert the
energy into heat. The conversion is usually done by applying a contact material to the
rotating wheels or to discs attached to the axles. The material creates friction and
converts the kinetic energy into heat. The wheels slow down and eventually the train
stops. The material used for braking is normally in the form of a block or pad.
The vast majority of the world's trains are equipped with braking systems which use
compressed air as the force to push blocks on to wheels or pads on to discs. These
systems are known as "air brakes" or "pneumatic brakes".

Air Brake
The air brake is the standard, fail-safe, train brake used by railways all over the world. In
spite of what you might think, there is no mystery to it. It is based on the simple physical
properties of compressed air.Schematic of air brake system. The air is drawn into a
compressor and stored in a main reservoir at 7-10 bar (100-140 lbs/sq.in). Compressed
air from the main reservoir is distributed along the train through the main reservoir pipe.
On each vehicle, the pipe is connected through a triple valve to an auxiliary reservoir
which stores air for use on that vehicle's brake system. The flow of air between the
auxiliary reservoir and the brake cylinders is controlled through the triple valve or
distributor. The control of the distributor is achieved by varying the pressure in a second
pipe called the brake pipe, which is connected to a brake valve in the drivers cab.
Increasing the pressure in the brake pipe causes the brakes to release, while decreasing
the pressure causes the brakes to apply.

• This system is operated by electro pneumatically EMU is provided with air brake
system.
• This system is operated by electro pneumatically(EP brake system) and through
direct reduction of BP also (auto brake system).
• BP pipe is also running throughout the formation and all the Angle cocks in
between the coaches are to be kept open for the BP continuity.
• BP charging is done from the leading motor coach by turning on BIV key.

• Underneath of each driving cab, an equalising reservoir is fitted and under each
coach, an auxiliary reservoir for storing 5 kg/cm² of BP pressure for application of Auto
Brake is also fitted.

CONCEPTS OF EMU 9
• All coaches are fitted with an EP unit under the bogie frame for brake application
When BP charged in the whole system BP pressure will charge in all EP unit and auxiliary
reservoirs and kept ready for EP and Auto brake application.
• Each motor coach and Trailer coach is provided with eight brake cylinders in EMU
and each trailer coach is provided with four brake cylinders in MEMU.
• Brake cylinder pressure is set at 1.5kg/cm² for motor coaches and 1.8 kg/cm² for
trailer coaches.
• All trailer coaches are provided with brake cylinder pressure gauge under the bogie
frame.
• In every coach one EP isolating cock (EPIC), one auto isolating cock (AIC), and
two bogies isolating cock (BIC) one for each bogie are provided.
• For manual releasing of the brake, each coach is provided with a release valve,
which can be operated from either side of the formation ( BRH ).
• In every driving cab, a duplex gauge indicating MR and BP pressure one brake

cylinder gauge and a BP pressure gauge for the guard are also provided.An emergency
brake valve guard is provided in every driving cab.
• Braking of EMU is effected by the brake rigging arrangement by wheel clasping or
gripping by brake blocks both sides.

Basic Unit

CONCEPTS OF EMU 10
A basic unit is a unit which comprises of three car. So 3 car units are together known as

basic unit.One unit generally consists of three coaches of which one motor coach and
shown by nomenclature like 1 (MC) +2 (TC). These are multiplied as two, three or four.\
The three coaches in a
EMU is one motor
coach and
two
trailer

coaches.So a 9 car EMU will consist 3 basic units

similarly, 12 car EMU will have 4 basic units.
Figure below shows how basic units are connected to form a 12 car train.
Types of Communication in EMU trains
The railways uses some “traditional” methods as well new methods to ensure that
communication between trains and the stations are possible.For communication between
the train and the stations, the train loco pilot and the guard of the train are provided with
VHF walkie-talkie sets which are functioning through VHF towers.The loco pilot and the
guard in the train can contact the station master in their  range.

Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) is a railway signaling system that

makes use of the telecommunications between the train and track equipment for the traffic
management and infrastructure control. By means of the CBTC systems, the exact
position of a train is known more accurately than with the traditional signaling systems.
This results in a more efficient and safe way to manage the railway traffic.In the modern

CONCEPTS OF EMU 11
CBTC systems the trains continuously calculate and communicate their status via radio to
the wayside equipment distributed along the line. This status includes, among other
parameters, the exact position, speed, travel direction and braking distance. This
information allows calculation of the area potentially occupied by the train on the track.

fixed block:
the first figure shows the total occupancy of the leading train by including the
whole blocks which the train is located on. This is due to the fact that it is impossible for
the system to know exactly where the train actually is within these blocks. Therefore,
the fixed block system only allows the following train to move up to the last
unoccupied block’s border.

moving block:
In a moving block system as shown in the second figure, the train position and its braking
curve is continuously calculated by the trains, and then communicated via radio to the
wayside equipment. Thus, the wayside equipment is able to establish protected areas,
each one called Limit of Movement Authority

The typical architecture of a modern CBTC system comprises the following main
subsystems:
Wayside equipment, which includes the interlocking and the subsystems controlling every
zone in the line or network (typically containing the wayside ATP and ATO functionalities).
Depending on the suppliers, the architectures may be centralised or distributed. The
control of the system is performed from a central command ATS, though local control
subsystems may be also included as a fallback.
CBTC onboard equipment, including ATP and ATO subsystems in the vehicles.

CONCEPTS OF EMU 12
Onboard ATP system: This subsystem is in charge of the continuous control of the train
speed according to the safety profile, and applying the brake if it is necessary. It is also in
charge of the communication with the wayside ATP subsystem in order to exchange the
information needed for a safe operation

Onboard ATO system: It is responsible for the automatic control of the traction and
braking effort in order to keep the train under the threshold established by the ATP
subsystem. Its main task is either to facilitate the driver or attendant functions, or even to
operate the train in a fully automatic mode while maintaining the traffic regulation targets
and passenger comfort.

Wayside ATP system: This subsystem undertakes the management of all the
communications with the trains in its area. Additionally, it calculates the limits of
movement authority that every train must respect while operating in the mentioned area.
This task is therefore critical for the operation safety

Wayside ATO system: It is in charge of controlling the destination and regulation targets
of every train. The wayside ATO functionality provides all the trains in the system with
their destination as well as with other data such as the dwell time in the stations.

Communication system: The CBTC systems integrate a digital networked radio system

by means of antennas or leaky feeder cable for the bi-directional communication between
the track equipment and the trains.

CONCEPTS OF EMU 13
 Auxiliary warning system
The Automatic Warning System (AWS) was introduced in the 1950s in the United
Kingdom to provide a train driver with an audible warning and visual reminder that they
were approaching a distant signal at caution.AWS or the Auxiliary Warning System is a
system of providing some advance notification of upcoming signal aspects to the
motorman via a display panel in the driving cab of the EMU.Information is conveyed by
electromagnetic induction to the moving train through equipment fixed in the middle of the
track, known as an AWS magnet.The system works by the train detecting sequences and
polarities of magnetic fields passing between the track equipment and the train equipment
via a receiver under the train. This was originally introduced by Western Railway in India
for its Mumbai EMUs in the early 1980s. Central Railway introduced AWS somewhat later.
Initially there were many teething problems with technology, including problems of
pilferage of the trackside equipment, but these were mostly resolved by the 1990s. CR's
implementation of AWS was initially incompatible with WR's, which meant that each
railway's EMUs could run on the other's tracks but without the benefit of the AWS system.
More recently, the systems have been made compatible and the two railway's EMUs can
run on each other's tracks at speeds up to 100km/h taking full advantage of AWS.

At high level , the AWS can be thought of as having three different principal states for

responding :-
• Signal aspect is Red : Speed is limited to 15km/h
• Signal aspect is Yellow : Speed is limited to 38km/h
• Signal aspect is Green : Speed is limited to 70km/h

The AWS panel in the driving cab has an alarm buzzer, a vigilance button, and can show
indicator lights in red, yellow, or blue. When the buzzer alarm goes off, the motorman
must press the vigilance button with 4 seconds, otherwise the brakes (emergency

CONCEPTS OF EMU 14
pneumatic) will be applied and the motorman will not be able to release them until the rake
comes to a complete halt.

Following possible conditions arise with AWS and different signal aspects:

• Signal blank, in Auto mode: AWS shows steady red indication. Motorman must stop
100m before signal, and press the vigilance button within 4 seconds when the buzzer
alarm sounds. After waiting for the signal to change aspect, if the signal remains blank,
the motorman can proceed cautiously at 15km/h up to the next signal.
• Signal blank, in Manual mode: AWS shows a fast flashing red indication. Motorman
must stop 100m before signal, and press the vigilance button within 4 seconds when the
buzzer alarm sounds. He can only proceed past the signal after receiving authority to
proceed from the section controller (written or telephonic).
• Signal Red, in Auto mode (permissive red): AWS shows steady red indication.
Motorman must stop 100m before signal, and press the vigilance button within 4
seconds when the buzzer alarm sounds. After waiting for the signal to change aspect, if
the signal remains blank, the motorman can proceed cautiously at 15km/h up to the
next signal.
• Signal Red, in Manual mode (absolute red): Motorman must stop 100m before signal,
and press the vigilance button within 4 seconds when the buzzer alarm sounds. He can
only proceed past the signal after receiving authority to proceed from the section
controller (written or telephonic).
• Signal Yellow: AWS shows steady yellow or flashing yellow indication depending on
whether the next signal in the route is connected with the same circuit as the present
one. The yellow signal should not be approached faster than 60km/h when 700m before
the signal. Speed must be reduced to 38km/h when passing the signal. The motorman
must press the vigilance button within 4 seconds when the buzzer alarm sounds.
Further speed restrictions may be in effect if the route is set for a diverting line.

CONCEPTS OF EMU 15
• Signal Green or Double Yellow: AWS shows a steady blue indication that shuts off after
4 seconds. The motorman does not have to carry out any specific actions, except to
regulate the speed to below 70km/h.

CONCEPTS OF EMU 16