Eaton has announced that its technology will be used to implement the low voltage main power distribution systems, including intelligent energy monitoring, required for the expansion of Düsseldorf’s city rail network.
Over the next two years, five new stations and a new subway line will be added to the existing network. In total, Eaton will supply eight low voltage power distribution systems for the stations of the new Wehrhahn line.
“For the city of Düsseldorf, energy efficiency and sustainability were decisive factors in the development of the project”, explained Christoph Schink, Eaton Power Distribution sales engineer. “The town planners were therefore not only looking for a solution that has been tried and tested in underground rail applications over many years, but also for an intelligent system that allowed the effective monitoring and evaluation of energy consumption and the switching of all loads. We are delighted that we were able to offer a suitable concept using our technologies.”
Eaton’s solution is based on the modular Ci mounting cabinet system that is particularly suitable for harsh environments involving extreme temperatures (-40°C to 80°C). The Ci insulated enclosures have been designed for fully insulated mounting and are type tested to IEC 60439-1. Each low voltage power distribution system will be designed with protection class 2 and IP65 protection, and for a maximum rated operational current i.e of 1,600A. NZM circuit breakers will be provided with an integrated motor operator for simple switching from the control centre between the mains supply and rail electricity.
Both the circuit breakers and all PKE motor protective circuit breakers, as well as the XMC energy measuring and communication module, are linked together using Eaton’s innovative SmartWire-DT connection and communication system.
This not only allows data exchange but also provides power to the connected components, the current consumption of the individual loads can be logged and evaluated easily. The XMC module makes the relevant measuring data available for calculating energy consumption (phase and N conductor currents, rms voltages, active, reactive and apparent power output, power factor).
The brains of the system are implemented in the XV200 HMI/PLC which serves as the PLC, visualisation device and operator unit. It evaluates the information and can monitor the operating states of escalators, ticket machines and station lighting systems. Functions can be activated or shut down selectively in the event of an emergency or in order to optimise consumption.
The building shells of the tunnel section and the stations are currently under construction and the installation of the first low voltage power distribution system is planned for the middle of the year. The expansion and integration of the stations with Eaton technology will be completed ready for the commissioning of the Wehrhahn line in 2015.
