What is a Tilting Electric Train concept?: Advanced control

In this article, we discuss what the tilting electric train is and how it works. Nowadays, many high-speed type trains like bullet trains are tilting type trains.

Force in a turning train

Whenever we travel in a vehicle, the vehicle takes turns. Then all passengers will feel a force (centrifugal force) towards the outside. If the vehicle is turning left, then we bend the right side. Refer to Figure 1.

This problem is more prevalent in the high-speed bullet train, as it turns very fast.

Whenever we did an adventure on the bicycle by turning it, say left at full and high speed. Then we tilt our bicycle to the left side to keep balance.

The same happens in the bullet train or tilting train. This tilt does not happen in a normal train.

What is a tilting electric train?

A tilting electric train is a train which tilts during turning. This tilting makes it possible for the train to take turns at high speed.

In the absence of the tilting arrangement, the train has to reduce its speed at every turn. So it will take more time to travel.

So, the tilting type concept is introduced in high-speed trains like bullet trains.

How a Tilting electric train works

Now, refer to Figure 2. As and when the train takes a turn at high speed. Its body tilts a little bit as shown in Figure 2.

The car body will only tilt. The bogie portion (the bottom portion of the compartment) will remain flat. This is done by changing the length of Part A and Part B as in Figure 2.

As shown, check that the height of the 2 supporting suspensions has become different. Part “B” is longer than part “A” as shown in Figure 2.

This is achieved by a complex control system. Control decides the difference between part A and part B, depending on the speed, the turning angle, etc.

The train can take a turn at high speed with the above control. As the train tilts during turning, we call it a tilting train.

The amount of tilt angle depends on the speed of the train and also the turning radius.

In the absence of the tilting arrangement, the train has to reduce its speed at every turn. So it will take more time to travel.

For more information, please watch the video on the tilting electric train. If you like

I hope that you enjoyed the article on “What is the tilting electric train concept and how it works”.

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