Pune Metro Line 3 to implement state-of-the-art ‘Regenerative Braking System’
une : 26 August 2023: The construction of the Pune Metro Line 3 project connecting the IT hub of Hinjewadi with the central business district of Shivajinagar is progressing quickly.
Nicknamed ‘Puneri Metro’, this metro project Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar route will not only provide a convenient and easy travel experience to the passengers but will also complement the environment. The 23.3 km Puneri Metro, which is entirely ‘overhead’, will use the state-of-the-art ‘regenerative braking system’.
The hallmark of this pioneering system lies in its ability to harness and maximize the frictional energy generated during braking maneuvers of the ‘Puneri Metro.’ Each application of the brakes throughout its journey will lead to the accumulation of kinetic energy, efficiently transformed into electricity. This accrued electricity will be intelligently repurposed to fuel the metro, embodying a sustainable closed-loop energy cycle.
The work of Pune Metro Line 3 on the Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar route has been undertaken by Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) on Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis and Tata Group has established Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited as a special purpose vehicle (SPV) company for its implementation.
“Pune Metro Line 3 is committed to complementing the city’s environment while providing a pleasant experience to its passengers. Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar Metro is in the process of developing various initiatives under the Clean Development Mechanism. Under this, emphasis will be placed on controlling and reducing potential carbon dioxide emissions from metro operations. A pivotal cornerstone of this approach is energy regeneration, facilitated by the avant-garde ‘Regenerative Braking Technology’ (RBT),” Informed Alok Kapoor, CEO, Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited.
What is the Regenerative Braking system?
Regenerative braking is an energy recovery mechanism that slows a vehicle or object by converting its kinetic energy into a form that can be either used immediately or stored until needed. In the process of the metro train when the train applies a brake, kinetic energy is released and the current in the motors is reversed, acting as a generator. While running backward, the motor also acts as an electric generator by creating electricity that’s delivered to the Metro train’s batteries. It is also called an energy-saving process because the regenerated electrical energy that is supplied back can be used by other accelerating trains on the same line.
How will the Puneri Metro Braking System work?
Each bogie of Pune Metro Line 3 aka Puneri Metro running between Hinjawadi to Shivajinagar will be equipped with electric braking plus an electro-pneumatic braking system. Where the motors of the train will act as brakes cum power generators. At a usual speed train will apply electric breaking however when the speed of the train comes down to 10kmph or less electro-pneumatic braking system will be applied. Each bogie of Puneri Metro will have two independent electro-pneumatic circuits: a service circuit and an auxiliary circuit. An electro-pneumatic module (EPM) mounted under the metro body will perform simultaneously. The electro-pneumatic module will contain the entire pneumatic brake activation equipment, consisting of pneumatic pressure generation, pressure regulation, And electric brake control. All components will be electro-pneumatically controlled and monitored via independent brake control units.
About Pune Metro line 3:
The Pune Metro Line III is a ~23 Km elevated Metro rail project connecting the IT hub of Hinjawadi to the Central business district of Shivajinagar. It is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) project awarded by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) to a consortium consisting of Tata Group’s TRIL Urban Transport Private Limited (TUTPL) and Siemens Project Ventures GmbH. The Project would be developed and operated on a Design, build, finance, operate & transfer (DBFOT) basis by a special purpose vehicle (SPV), Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited (PITCMRL) for a Concession Period of 35 years including the construction period.
Shreyas Vange
