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10/5/2016

ABB: Effilight® traction transformer

ABB has unveiled Effilight®, its next-generation traction transformer aimed at reducing the weight of on-board components and ensuring more energy-efficient rail networks. The company introduced the product for the first time at InnoTrans, the global rail industry conference held in Berlin in September.

Effilight can potentially reduce the total weight of a train's traction component by up to 20 percent, equivalent to the weight of around 20 passengers, ABB officials said. This weight optimization can help train carriages attain the maximum load per wheel set and reduces wear.

Traction transformers feed power at safe voltages to essential train functions like traction, lighting, heating and ventilation, passenger information, brakes, and signaling and communication. They are a critical element in the traction chain, affecting train performance and operator services, ABB officials said.

Traditionally made of iron and copper, these transformers are among the heavier components on a train. They use oil for insulation and cooling due to its electrical insulating properties and high reliability; however, this also contributes to a significant proportion of the transformer's total weight.

ABB's Effilight transformer uses a unique, patented high-technology cell design that reduces the amount of oil needed by up to 70 percent without compromising functionality, according to the company. The technology enables significant weight reduction and energy savings for train manufacturers and rail operators.

With the weight savings achieved through the innovative design, higher quantities of energy-efficient materials like copper can be used in the transformer, resulting in reduced energy losses by up to 50 percent, compared with standard solutions of similar weight. This helps optimize energy consumption and total cost of ownership.

"ABB's new modular traction transformer provides a competitive edge for customers in the key areas of weight and energy efficiency," said Claudio Facchin, president of ABB’s Power Grids division. "Effilight presents new opportunities in line with our Next Level strategy focus on technology and innovation and supports ABB’s vision of sustainable mobility for a better world."

A "pioneer in traction transformer technology since the early 1900s," ABB has an estimated installed base of more than 40,000 traction transformers, according to the company.