China's three generations of trains in one frame! See China's railway speed counterattack

Produced by: Science Popularization China

Author: Shi Chang (PhD in Physical Chemistry)

Producer: China Science Expo

According to the official Weibo of "CCTV News", some netizens recently took a rare picture of three generations of trains, namely conventional trains, "Harmony" trains and "Fuxing" trains, running on the rails at the same time in Qingdao, Shandong. The trains of different development forms appeared in the same frame, like a real version of "parallel time and space".

China's three generations of trains in the same frame

(Photo source: CCTV News Weibo Video Account)

From "Chinese temperature" to "Chinese speed", the appearance of three generations of trains is not only a shocking picture of the progress of the times, but also a brilliant testimony to China's independent innovation capabilities and scientific and technological progress. From ordinary trains to the current Fuxing trains, what changes have Chinese trains experienced over the years?

Conventional trains: the hum of time

"Beer, drinks, mineral water, peanuts, melon seeds, eight-treasure porridge, and keep your arms and legs together." If you have taken a conventional train, you must be familiar with this sentence. Before the advent of high-speed trains and EMUs, conventional trains have always been the "dominant force" on the rails. Whether you are a wanderer in a foreign land or a traveler yearning for poetry and distant places, the "green train" can always take you to where you want to go. Today, conventional trains are not just a means of transportation, but also a carrier of nostalgia and memories of the times for countless people.

The full name of ordinary speed train is ordinary speed train, which refers to passenger trains with lower running speed. Under normal circumstances, the normal speed is only about 120km/h, and some express trains can reach 160km/h, including fast passenger trains starting with the letter K, special fast passenger trains starting with the letter T, and direct special fast passenger trains starting with the letter Z.

Green train

(Photo source: veer photo gallery)

In addition to the familiar hawking, the most impressive thing about ordinary trains is the white steam or black smoke from the front of the train in the early days. Why does the front of ordinary trains have steam or black smoke? The white steam from the locomotive is actually water vapor. Initially, the power of ordinary trains mainly came from coal-fired steam boilers. Coal and other fuels burned in the boiler, heated water to produce steam, pushed the piston to move, and thus drove the train forward.

With the development of science and technology, diesel locomotives have gradually replaced steam locomotives and become the main power source for ordinary trains. Diesel locomotives use diesel as fuel, and the diesel engine drives the generator to run, which in turn drives the train. In this process, incomplete combustion of fuel will produce black smoke.

diesel locomotive

(Photo source: veer photo gallery)

In modern times, electric locomotives have become the mainstream of ordinary speed trains. They rely on power grids to convert high voltage electricity into low voltage electricity for driving motors through transformers to achieve stable operation of trains. At the same time, from an environmental protection perspective, electric locomotives are more environmentally friendly.

Harmony: The strong voice of the times

Back in 2004, in order to meet the demand for train speed increase, my country successively introduced high-speed EMU technology from foreign countries and started several years of research and development and manufacturing. In 2007, China Railway's sixth railway speed increase officially began, and China's Harmony EMU train was officially put into operation, filling the gap in China's high-speed train field.

Although the strategy of introducing multiple technologies and overtaking on curves has won time for the development of China's high-speed trains, it has also brought about the problem of technical compatibility. For example, the operating platforms and related parts of models developed based on different technical platforms are difficult to communicate with each other, which brings great challenges to actual operation and maintenance. Based on this, many Chinese research and development units have broken through the blockade of foreign technology and gradually realized the independent development of technologies such as car bodies and bogies, and realized the independence of hardware and software of the network control system of China's standard EMU trains, installing a "Chinese brain" on the trains.

The emergence of Harmony has brought a qualitative leap in everyone's travel, not only shortening the travel time, but also greatly improving the comfort of the ride. Generally speaking, the speed of Harmony EMU trains starting with D is 200-250km/h, and those starting with G represent faster high-speed EMU trains, which can reach speeds of 300-350km/h. Why can Harmony trains have higher speeds?

High-speed trains

(Photo source: veer photo gallery)

Advanced power system: The Harmony train uses advanced electric traction technology. Each carriage of the entire train is equipped with a drive motor, which can provide greater traction while improving the stability and safety of the train.

Lower air resistance: The front of the Harmony train adopts a streamlined design, similar to a "bullet head", which can not only reduce the air resistance of the train at high speed, but also increase the force between the train and the track to prevent the train from derailing. At the same time, the body structure and suspension system of the train have also been carefully designed to ensure the stability and comfort of the train at high speed.

Complete infrastructure: China's high-speed railway infrastructure is very complete, including seamless steel rails, ballastless tracks, elevated bridges and tunnels, etc. These facilities provide a solid guarantee for the high-speed operation of Harmony trains.

High-speed railway bridge

(Photo source: veer photo gallery)

Fuxing: Prelude to the Future

Fuxing is a new generation of high-speed train independently developed by China with complete intellectual property rights. It is truly a "Chinese baby". The maximum operating speed can reach about 350km/h. The development of Fuxing integrates a large number of domestic high-tech technologies and has achieved breakthroughs in key technologies such as traction, braking, network, bogies, and axles. In this process, the Chinese railway scientific research team has overcome many technical difficulties and formed a high-speed train technology system with independent intellectual property rights.

Compared with the Harmony train, the Fuxing train adopts a more advanced low-resistance streamlined front end, the overall body is also smoother, and the energy consumption during operation is lower.

Fuxing Train

(Photo source: veer photo gallery)

Fuxing trains also provide passengers with a better riding experience. Unlike the crowded scenes in ordinary trains, the interior of Fuxing trains is particularly spacious, with a seat spacing of more than 1 meter. In addition, the trains are fully covered by Wi-Fi, which is free throughout the journey. Every detail can demonstrate the strength of Made in China.

The interior of Fuxing train

(Photo source: veer photo gallery)

What other technological breakthroughs will future trains achieve?

Ultra-high-speed train technology: High-temperature superconducting magnetic levitation technology relies on the innovative application of high-temperature superconducting materials to achieve contactless suspension and efficient propulsion of trains, greatly reducing friction resistance. The application of this technology in trains is expected to achieve further breakthroughs in high-speed rail speeds.

Speeding train

(Photo source: veer photo gallery)

Environmental protection and energy-saving technology: Use renewable energy or clean energy such as solar energy and wind energy as a power source to reduce the use of fossil fuels and reduce carbon emissions. For example, fuel cells provide electricity for trains, which not only has the advantage of environmental protection, but also can provide power for trains in severe weather such as snowfall.

Lightweight design and material application: By adopting lighter and stronger materials, such as carbon fiber composite materials, the weight of the train can be reduced, thereby reducing energy consumption and improving the operating efficiency of the train.

Conclusion

Three trains running in parallel are a sign of the times. From ordinary speed to harmony, and then to rejuvenation, China's railways have witnessed the great leap forward of the country. This is not only a technological advancement, but also a reflection of the people's struggle and innovative spirit. In the future, train technology will also make a series of technological breakthroughs, and we also look forward to a more efficient, convenient and environmentally friendly way of travel.

References:

1.Raghunathan RS, Kim HD, Setoguchi T. Aerodynamics of high-speed railway train[J].Progress in Aerospace Sciences, 2002.

2. Sun Zhang. “Fuxing” opens a new era for China’s railways[J]. Science, 2017.

3. Xue Chun, Fang Ming. China Harmony CRH EMU [J]. China Science and Technology Investment, 2008.

4.Xu Renhua. Dongfeng 8B diesel locomotive[J]. Railway Locomotives and EMUs, 1998.