Spring Festival travel is coming, unlock the safety of high-speed rail electricity use →

My dears, the Spring Festival travel rush is getting closer and closer, and high-speed rail will become a popular choice for everyone's travel! During that long and boring journey, mobile phones, computers, tablets and other electronic products are our "source of happiness". With them, time flies fast~ However, it would be embarrassing if there is no power. Fortunately, there are power sockets on the high-speed rail to "save the day" and extend the life of these devices. But many friends are full of doubts about the power supply on the high-speed rail. For example, where does the power of the high-speed rail come from? Will the power go out from time to time? Will charging with the high-speed rail socket damage our beloved chargers, mobile phones and tablets? Don't worry, today I will take you to understand these issues, and by the way, you can also hear some super interesting anecdotes about the high-speed rail power supply system!

1. Where does the electricity for high-speed rail come from?

High-speed trains in our country are basically powered by electricity, and the way they get electricity is very interesting! The thing on the roof that looks like a small arm is called a pantograph. It is like an "energy straw" for high-speed trains, "sucking" electricity from the power grid above. Along the high-speed rail line, there is a traction substation at intervals. This substation is like a super powerful "voltage magician". The high-voltage electricity sent by the power plant is "magically" converted into a suitable voltage when it arrives at the substation, and then the electricity is transmitted to the train through the "energy transmission belt" of the contact network. The pantograph of the train is tightly attached to the contact network, happily "drinking" the electricity into its stomach.

Part of this electricity directly becomes the power of the train, allowing the train to rush forward at lightning speed; the other part has to go through a series of complex "transformation" processes to meet the power needs of various equipment in the train. The electricity first enters the train's transformer, a "voltage regulator", to adjust the voltage to just the right level. Then, it passes through the AC/DC converter, a "current converter", which converts AC into DC, and then converts DC back to AC, and finally becomes the familiar single-phase AC with a voltage of 220 volts and a frequency of 50 Hz, which is transmitted to various power sockets in the train. In this way, we can use the socket to charge our mobile phones and computers. Isn't it amazing! This power supply method is so reliable that it can not only keep the train running steadily, but also meet the power needs of our passengers.

2. Will there be intermittent power outages on high-speed trains?

When riding on a high-speed train, have you ever noticed that sometimes the charging device suddenly fails to charge for a few seconds? You thought it was because the charging device was not in good contact, but in fact, the train was really out of power! Why is this? Because the high-speed train runs on electricity, there is a traction substation every 50 kilometers along the line to supply it with power. However, in order to prevent the power supply lines of adjacent substations from "fighting" and short-circuiting, there will be a 200-meter power-free area between them. Imagine that the high-speed train is like a super-fast "small rocket", which can pass through this 200-meter power-free area at a speed of 250 kilometers per hour, and it only takes about 3 seconds.

For those super important equipment on the train, such as control devices and lighting systems, in order to make them work normally during this short power outage, the train is equipped with a "spare small battery" or a "small emergency assistant" called micro-braking technology to temporarily power them. However, the sockets under the seats of the train, which are relatively unimportant electrical facilities, can only "rest obediently" in these 3 seconds. The power is really cut off. Moreover, every 50 kilometers, the train will pass through such an area without electricity, and the sockets will have to repeatedly experience the process of power outage and instant power on. The transient fluctuating voltage generated is like a naughty "little devil", which will cause certain damage to mobile phones and other electronic devices. But don't worry, if we use high-quality charging heads and charging cables, we can subdue this "little devil" to a certain extent and reduce the damage to the equipment.

3. Will charging on high-speed trains damage the charger and the phone or tablet?

There are indeed many friends who complained that when they charged their mobile phones on the high-speed train, the touch screen of the mobile phone failed to work, and even the charger was burned out. Isn’t it super depressing! This is because the electricity on the high-speed train is not the same as the electricity at home. The electric energy obtained by the pantograph of the high-speed train must be converted from AC to DC before powering the equipment on the train. This process is like putting a layer of "protective clothing" on the electric energy, which can ensure the voltage stability when the train is running and reduce the impact on the power grid. However, this also brings a small trouble. The output power will be accompanied by high-frequency pulses, just like there are some "small thorns" hidden in the electric energy.

A tech geek netizen conducted a series of experiments to explore the impact of high-speed rail charging on devices. He used chargers of different brands to charge the same mobile phone on the high-speed rail and recorded various data during the charging process. The results showed that when some low-quality chargers were charged on the high-speed rail, the mobile phone heated up severely and the power display was abnormal. However, high-quality chargers allowed the mobile phone to charge relatively stably.

When we use electricity with these "small thorns" to charge mobile phones and tablets, problems may occur. For example, the mobile phone screen may float like dancing, and some components inside the device are more likely to age and malfunction under the constant impact of these "small thorns". What should we do? At this time, high-quality charging equipment comes in handy! A high-quality charger is like a powerful "filter". It strengthens the voltage stabilization and filtering functions, can filter out the "small thorns" high-frequency pulses in the electric energy, and provide a safe and stable power supply environment for mobile phones and tablets. If it is matched with a data cable with anti-electromagnetic interference function, it will be more stable, just like putting on double "protective armor" for the device. On the contrary, a low-quality charger is like an "unreliable gatekeeper". Without effective voltage stabilization and filtering measures, it cannot block high-frequency pulses at all, and can only let the device directly withstand the attack of these "small thorns", and the risk of device damage is greatly increased.

IV. Other safety issues regarding electricity use in high-speed railways

1. Risk of electric shock

The power sockets under the seats of high-speed trains are the same as the sockets in our homes, with a voltage of 220 volts and a frequency of 50 Hz, and they look similar in appearance. So in essence, the risk of electric shock when using electricity on high-speed trains is similar to that of using electricity at home. However, when using sockets on high-speed trains, you still have to be careful with electricity! For example, never touch the inside of the socket directly with your hands, as that is very dangerous, like putting your hand into the mouth of an "electric tiger"; also avoid plugging and unplugging with wet hands, as wet hands are like a conductive "small antenna" that can easily cause electric shock accidents; and, be sure to prevent water from splashing into the socket, as once water enters, the socket may "lose its temper" and short-circuit.

Once, a child was curious and wanted to poke the socket with his finger on the high-speed train. Fortunately, his parents found out and stopped him in time. Since then, every time the parents take the high-speed train, they will teach their children about electricity safety in advance and prepare some interesting electricity safety toys to let the children understand the dangers of electricity.

In addition, the location of the high-speed rail sockets is cleverly designed. They are usually hidden and tricky, and are not easy for us to touch directly. This is like putting a layer of "invisibility cloak" on the sockets, which reduces the possibility of accidental electric shock to a certain extent. The location of the sockets has also been carefully arranged to avoid being splashed with water as much as possible, further ensuring the safety of electricity use. Therefore, as long as we follow the basic safety rules for electricity use, it is still safe to use the sockets on the high-speed rail, just like at home.

2. Risks of using high-power electrical appliances

High-speed trains are equipped with power sockets mainly to facilitate emergency charging of small low-power devices such as mobile phones and computers. The power of each of these devices generally does not exceed 100 watts, and the power sockets in a carriage can provide 2000 watts to 3000 watts of power, so it is no problem to charge multiple small devices at the same time.

Once, a passenger secretly used a high-power electric cooker to cook instant noodles on a high-speed train. As a result, the power supply system in the carriage was instantly overloaded, and some areas were out of power, causing considerable chaos. The train staff arrived in time to stop this dangerous behavior and gave the passengers a safety education. Since then, this passenger has actively reminded other passengers not to use high-power electrical appliances every time he takes a high-speed train.

However, if someone uses high-power electrical appliances on the high-speed train, such as a 600-watt rice cooker, a 1,000-watt heater, a 2,000-watt hair dryer, or uses a power strip to connect multiple devices for charging, it is equivalent to putting a "mountain" of pressure on the power supply system of the carriage. The power supply system may heat up and age, and in serious cases, it may even cause a fire. This is no joke and will endanger the safety of life and property of the train and all passengers! Therefore, in order for everyone to travel safely, please strictly abide by the regulations and do not use high-power electrical appliances on the high-speed train.

5. How to protect electronic devices during travel

1. Entry-level version: Carry a power bank

This is the simplest way to protect electronic devices! It's like bringing a "mobile energy station" to your electronic devices. Be careful when choosing a power bank. According to regulations, the rated energy of a single power bank cannot exceed 100Wh (or 27000mAh). This value can usually be found on the outer packaging or body of the power bank. If the journey is long and the power of one power bank is not enough, then bring two. With a power bank, even if there is a problem with the high-speed rail socket or it is inconvenient to use, it can still steadily power up electronic devices and keep them "full of energy".

(II) Advanced version: Use high-quality charger

Choosing a good quality charger is very important for protecting electronic devices! It is like finding a reliable "bodyguard" for electronic devices. When choosing a charger, you should focus on its voltage stabilization and filtering capabilities. Original chargers from large manufacturers are generally very powerful in this regard. They can filter out high-frequency pulses and transient fluctuations in electricity like a "super filter" to provide stable power to the device. If you want to pursue cost-effectiveness, you can also choose earlier original charger models from large manufacturers, which also have good voltage stabilization and filtering performance.

In addition, when charging your device on a high-speed train, you should always pay attention to the status of your electronic device. If you find that the device is abnormally hot, like a small hand warmer, or the touch screen is not sensitive, stop using the high-speed train socket to charge it immediately, otherwise it may cause greater damage to the device, just like letting the device "frantically test the edge of danger."

3. Lying flat version: Let nature take its course

If you think the previous methods are too troublesome, you can also choose to let nature take its course. Although charging on the high-speed rail may be a bit risky, electronic devices themselves have a certain "stress resistance". As long as they are used normally and not over-tortured, the devices can generally withstand some unstable factors in the charging process during a short high-speed rail journey. Even if there is a problem with the device during the journey, you can take it for repair or directly replace it with a new one after the trip. However, this method still has certain risks. If it is not handled properly, it will cause irreparable damage to the device, so you still have to be cautious when choosing, just like playing a slightly risky game.

My dears, when you travel by high-speed rail during the Spring Festival, it is very important to understand the knowledge of power supply on the high-speed rail to ensure the normal use of electronic equipment and our own electrical safety! Knowing where the power of the high-speed rail comes from, why there are intermittent power outages, what impact charging has on the equipment, and mastering the methods of protecting electronic equipment, we can enjoy the journey more at ease and let electronic equipment add more joy to the journey. I hope everyone will be fully prepared before traveling and spend a happy and safe Spring Festival travel!

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