Mantena has developed and installed boxes with temperature sensors on the battery packs in Norske tog’s Type 93. This prevents overheating – thereby ensuring safer operations and improved punctuality.
The Type 93 trains have experienced challenges with heat generation in the battery packs, an issue that the train owner Norske tog, together with Mantena and others, has addressed and found several good solutions to.
Batteries that become overheated can disrupt train operations, cause delays, and in the worst case be a fire hazard. Preventing this has therefore been highly prioritized – and provides value for passengers, the train operator, and the train owner alike.
Alerting and Safeguarding
At Mantena in Marienborg, Trondheim, they have developed a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) – a box that is placed by each battery pack, at both ends of the trainsets. The box is equipped with temperature sensors that provide alerts if the batteries become too hot or are outside defined threshold values. In addition, it has fuses that disconnect the specific battery if it gets overheated.
– Whereas previously the temperature was measured on one out of three battery packs, now all are monitored for temperature. If the temperature becomes too high, an SMS alert is sent, says Vegar Røe, maintenance engineer at Mantena.
Together with colleague Torgrim Gjelsvik, he is responsible for the development and installation of the PLC boxes on the 15 trains. Type 93 is operated by SJ on the Raumabanen, Rørosbanen, Nordlandsbanen, Meråkerbanen, and Saltenpendelen lines.
– We have also reduced the charging voltage, and are to a greater extent avoiding that the batteries become fully discharged – which is also a risk factor for heat generation, explains Torgrim Gjelsvik.
In addition to the work taking place at Marienborg, Norske tog has carried out a major review of the status and maintenance program for the batteries and charging circuits, as well as a verification of the conditions under which the batteries operate. This work was also performed in cooperation with Mantena at their workshop in Hamar.
Striving for the Best for the Trains
Håkon Ellingsen, project manager at Norske tog, is pleased with the work Mantena has done and is currently doing.
– Mantena’s personnel in Trondheim and Hamar are pleasant to collaborate with, and they genuinely strive for the best for the trains. We now have several excellent measures in place that will help to minimize heat generation and should provide more stable operations, says Ellingsen.
Luca Cuppari, technical director at Norske tog, also praises the upgrade.
– We are experiencing a positive collaboration with Mantena. This modification on Type 93, which includes several improvements to the battery system, is a good example of that, says Cuppari.
He adds that they are currently in dialogue with Mantena about measures to improve punctuality.
– There are also ongoing discussions regarding revisions of diesel locomotives that we hope to clarify shortly. We are working together to find a common path forward.
Impressed by the Solution
Erik Suul Comerford, responsible for rolling stock follow-up at SJ Norge, is impressed by the solution Mantena has designed for Type 93.
– Mantena has developed a forward-looking solution that communicates with an older existing system in the train. With this solution implemented on all 93-sets, improvements will be seen in several areas. For passengers, this will mean an enhancement in availability and punctuality.
