Resumen de Calefacción eléctrica de trenes
Steam heating is going to disappear as this is substituted as locomotive traction means. In spite of having intended to continue with this heating system, it has been abandoned due to its high costs ad little guarantee.
Electric heating, fed by the energy coming from the catenary contact line has offered, from the beginning, a series of economical and technical advantages.
Initially, it was admitted for international traffic and later on, its installation became obligatory in all vehicles of the member companies of the U.I.C.
The problems of electrificated lines with different voltage were solved through the installation of automatic commutation switch system which adapts themselves to the corresponding voltages.
The adaptation of electric heating to diesel traction lines had two solutions. One employed electric energy convertors instead of generators, fed by the main locomotive group. The other consisted in the construction of cars with electrogenic groups which produce said electric energy.
The first system was adopted, being the second one abandoned actually. Its advantages are: the first installation, conservation, service and consumption of gas-oil.
For the construction of convertor prototypes condition sheets with previous studies were made out, resulting in four prototypes: three rotations and one static model, however, this latter was rejected due to certain irregularities during factory tests.
Thereafter, tests with these convertors were carried out in route with satisfactory results. All this leads to the conclusion that energy convertors which fed the heating of diesel locomotive trains of existing series are the ideal solution when compared with other energy production means.
