Viridity Energy awarded Key Patent for Energy Storage used with Rail Systems

29 Jun, 2016  in Eco Friendly Rail Systems & Green Railway concept / Energy Efficiency Practices & Green Energy concepts in Rail Operations / Rail Enterprise, Industry and OEMs by rail

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Philadelphia: Viridity Energy, Inc., announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded it a patent for systems and methods used to generate an operating schedule for energy storage assets, such as batteries, used in connection with transportation systems, such as rail operations, and with electric vehicles.

The patent reflects the value stacking capabilities of Viridity software, which maximizes the value of flexible load, energy assets and energy storage. It is the latest in a series of patents awarded to Viridity, including patents related to data center operations and battery/solar asset-combined operations.

The new patent addresses a variety of functions, including optimizing use of the storage asset to maximize the combined market revenue derived from integration of storage into regional markets, with cost savings associated with the capture of regenerative braking power from rail systems or electric vehicles.

Viridity President Raj Chudgar commented: “Since 2012, Viridity has operated two award-winning energy storage systems in partnership with the SouthEastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. The intellectual property inherent in our systems relates to the parallel functions for savings and market revenue and system support for voltage management and power assist. It’s a unique combination of regenerative braking capture and reuse, coupled with revenue-generating, market-based services. Indeed, the value is so compelling that the project has expanded from a single battery installation to a fleet of nine batteries that will be operational in the coming months.”

Chudgar continued: “We are in discussions with several U.S. and international transportation agencies regarding the opportunity to take a similar approach. Our patented and market-proven solutions can help large metropolitan transit system operators better manage the power dynamics on their third rail systems, and reduce the cost of operations.”

About Viridity EnergyViridity Energy is a leading demand response, demand management, and battery storage solutions provider. Through its flexible and turnkey VPower™ software and services platform, Viridity maximizes energy revenue and savings for customers. Viridity empowers customers to cut their electricity prices through best-in-class proprietary peak-shaving algorithms, and maximize cash revenue per unit of load through proactive, automated real-time sales of load flexibility across a comprehensive interface with the wholesale electric power markets. Viridity’s efficient channel partner distribution model facilitates a cooperative relationship among Viridity, electricity service providers, and customers, enabling the company to focus its resources on maintaining technology leadership, rather than sales. Viridity recently announced an $8.5 million round of financing from AltEnergy, the initial investor in Viridity. For more information, please visit www.viridityenergy.com

About AltEnergyAltEnergy is an investment firm that focuses on identifying and developing early-stage opportunities in the power and energy sectors. In addition to Viridity Energy, AltEnergy’s portfolio includes Eos Energy Storage, Tres Amigas, and several renewable energy projects.

Country will soon get Diamond Quadrilateral: MoSR

29 Jun, 2016  in MOSR by rail

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Mhow: The country will soon have the Diamond Quadrilateral for high-speed trains which will shorten travel time to a great extent and make the journey extremely comfortable for the passengers, Minister of State for Railway Manoj Sinha said here today.

He said this after inaugurating Indore-Mhow railway line, that has been converted from metre gauge to broad gauge, and a Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) train at Mhow station in Indore district.

The Diamond Quadrilateral is a project of the Indian Railway to establish high-speed rail network, which will connect the four metros, namely Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai.

“Currently the whole emphasis is given on the timing of passenger trains and nobody cares about the delay in running of goods trains. The government is working to ensure that good trains run on right time,” he added.

Sinha informed that Railways has signed an MoU with the Surface Transport Ministry for construction of Railway Over Bridges (ROBs) across the country.

“Following this, almost all the railway crossings will have over bridges and this is bound to bring down the number of accidents drastically,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said, “After gauge conversion of Indore-Mhow railway line, Mhow will get one more gift as electrification work of the track between Indore-Mhow will be taken up and completed by March 2017.”

The cost of Indore-Manmad railway line swelled from Rs 300 crore to Rs 3,000 crore due to “failure” of previous Congress-led UPA government in completing the project, she alleged.

“Looking at the strategic importance of Mhow cantonment, I will work for introduction a train between Mhow to Guwahati,” the Indore MP said.

KRCL & CONCOR to set up Multi Modal Logistics Park at Balli Railway station

20 Jun, 2016  in Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) / Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL), Mumbai by rail

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Multi-modal logistics park to come up in south Goa. CONCOR will invest Rs. 30 crore while KRCL will make available vacant land at Balli for the project for nominal fees, on a revenue sharing basis.

Balli: The Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) and Container Corporation of India Ltd.(CONCOR) will enter into a memorandum of understandings(MoU) to set up a multi modal logistics park (MMLP) at Balli railway station in south Goa.

CONCOR will invest Rs. 30 crore while KRCL will make available vacant land at Balli for the project for nominal fees, on a revenue sharing basis.

Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu declared this after laying a foundation stone for the MMLP project at Balli.

The Minister also inaugurated Coach Intermediate Overhauling Depot at Madgaon, Sawantwadi Terminal (PHASE-I), and commissioned a Hand Held Ticketing Device(HHTD) for issuing platform tickets and ticket checking receipts, as well as upgraded a mango pack house at Jamsande, Devgad, all through remote control in a function held at Madgaon in south Goa on Sunday.

The MMLP facility will be initially spread over 94,000 square meters with a scope for expansion as the traffic may grow in future. This logistics park will be able to handle both domestic and export-import container traffic. In addition to container traffic, commodities transported by both open and covered wagons can also be handled from here.

A spokesperson of KRCL said that 5000 square meters of Custom Bonded Warehousing space is being created in the first phase and a host of value-added services like stuffing, repackaging, etc., will be available to its users.

Both, trade and industry in Goa will greatly benefit from the economic transport solutions the state-of-the-art facilities that CONCOR will provide in partnership with KRCL.

In the first year of operations itself, the facility could handle 15 rakes per month.

A coach care centre (CCC), Madgaon is a major coaching depot of KRCL, having total coach holding of 178 coaches which are being sent to carriage workshop, Hubli, South Western Railway for periodical overhauling (POH) once in 18 months.

At present, IOH coaches are required to be moved from Madgaon to Verna. With the commissioning of this intermediate overhauling depot at Madgaon, the timely placement and attention to the coaches can be undertaken efficiently, thereby improving the safety, amenities and comfort to passengers. The IOH shed will cost around Rs. 3 crore.

Sawantwadi Terminal in Konkan region of Maharashtra

The work of new platform with shed, new FOB, terminus line and one stabling line was completed with a total cost of Rs. 11.42 crore. The trains originating from Sawantwadi will be starting from this new terminus line. The terminal platform has been provided with tea stall, water posts, announcement system and CCTV surveillance.

Subsequently, the construction of Phase–II is also in progress comprising of construction of washable apron, train watering arrangement, terminal building and approach road. This will be completed at a total cost of another Rs. 9.05 crore.

Hand Held Ticketing Device for TTEs

A HHTD for TTEs will facilitate extension of tickets, upgradation of class of journey, fare change difference, issuing excess fare ticket (EFT) for untraveled journey or non-functioning AC, for allotting lower class certificate, issuing higher class travel penalty / without ticket penalty / penalties for spitting, smoking, alcohol drinking, issuing platform tickets as also regular UTS (mobile ticketing application) and Roll On–Roll Off ticketing.

Mango Pack House at Jamsandh at Jamsande, Devgad is being upgraded so that the consignment can be exported and supplied to various parts of the country in a proper packing without causing any damage to the fruit, said the spokesperson.

Railways installs 2000 Digital Axle Counters in Mumbai stations

17 Jun, 2016  in Central Railway, Mumbai Division / Safety / Western Railway, Mumbai Central Division by rail

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Mumbai: To surpass disruption of services during monsoon due to rising waters, the Central Railway installed 2000 Digital Axle Counters (DAC) at stations in Mumbai.

A senior railway official said “Almost 2000 DACs have been installed between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) and Kurla on the central line and CST-Chembur on the harbour line. These will help in understanding movements on the tracks, which will help us to send proper signals. This will avoid inconvenience to commuters.”

A DAC is a sensor installed on railway tracks. It indicates to the signalling department to study the movement of trains. The CR has provided more of these DACs, which were previously installed only at some stations in the city.

The CR claimed it has identified primary locations vulnerable to inundation. Along with this, the railway has said, it has added plastic sheets to signalling units and other auxiliary working systems to avoid water retention during the monsoon. Officials claimed they have put silica gel and tapes on such units to prevent any leakage.

DACs are fail-safe 2/2 microcontroller based axle counting system for section proving in Railways. DACs can be configured to various versions using fool-proof method thus prevents wrong configuration at site, ensures highest degree of safety. Operating mode like preparatory, clear and occupied, configuration status, wheel counts and error messages are constantly displayed on the system LCD status panel and interactive Reset box.

Magnetic sensors detects the axle counts and direction of train movements that is transmitted to the other end of the system to verify and clear the block. Wheel sensed at one DP will cleared at any DP. The section status can be fed directly to further controlling systems through vital relay contacts. Each section has two or three detection points based on configurations. System unit is housed near the track with its DP placed at a variable distance of 15 Mts.

Reliable communication between systems with a cable loss of 30dB using V.23 FSK modem at 1200bps, assured by CRC check with redundant messages. Fixed pair communication along with interlocked addressing between units ensures fail-safety. Built-in event logger logs normal and error data that can be downloaded on to a PC using RS232 serial port. Additional FSK modem available in event logger card connected to interactive Rest Box at station (requires extra pair in quad cable). User-friendly GUI aids to print reports. The device works on 24 VDC power supply, integrated with lightening surge protectors. Stable operation could be witnessed even at adverse environmental conditions from –10°C to 70°C and reliable train detection by sensors exposed to water clogging due to heavy rains could be achieved.

DFC to be be equipped with TPWS to make it Accident-free Track: Aadesh Sharma, MD/DFCC

8 Jun, 2016  in DFCCIL / Headlines by rail

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New Delhi: The entire dedicated freight corridor (DFC) network will be free from level crossings for seamless movement of both rail and road traffic.

Besides with the maximum permissible speed of 100 km per hour, the exclusive freight corridors will be equipped with the modern safety device – train protection warning system (TPWS) – to enhance safety for train operation, at an estimated cost of Rs 1100 crore.

“There will be no level crossings in the entire DFC and total of 1003 level crossings are planned to be eliminated to ensure unhindered movement of traffic,” DFCC Managing Director Aadesh Sharma said here today.

DFC has a total 3342 km long track for goods train movement comprising Eastern and Western corridors.

There will be 689 rail overbridges (ROB) and 314 rail underbridges (RUB) being constructed to eliminate level crossings, he said.

Describing the DFC as “game changer”, Sharma said, “Multi-modal logistic hubs and private freight terminals are expected to come up along the DFC which will help generating jobs and economic growth in the country.

Besides, the proposed Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor and Amristasr-Delhi-Kolkata Industrial Corridor will also get benefits from the DFC.”

DFC envisages to transport goods in shortest possible time.

“Our aim is to transport goods to Mumbai within 24 hours from Delhi so that those goods with less shelf life like fruits and vegetables can also be transported.”

On safety, he said, we will be spending Rs 600 crore in the Western Corridor and Rs 500 crore in the Eastern Corridor for installing TPWS to ensure accident-free run for freight trains.

High capacity locomotives of will be pressed into service in the DFC to haul heavily loaded freight trains.

As per plan, 12,000 horse power (HP) locomotives will be operational in the Eastern Corridor and 9000 HP loco will be running on Western DFC.

Once DFC is operational we expect the goods movement on road will be shifted to rail which will result in curbing pollution and decongest the roads, he said.

Railways to seek Cabinet approval for funds for 3 new DFC lines

Firming up plans for expansion of the dedicated freight corridor (DFC) network, railways will seek Cabinet approval for arranging fund and acquiring land for the new three dedicated corridors.

Railway Budget 2016-17 has proposed the total 5769 kilometer (km) long track comprising three more dedicated freight corridors in the Country to ensure faster movement of goods.

RITES has undertaken the preliminary engineering and traffic system study of the proposed three new routes to ascertain the traffic projection and the report has been submitted to railways, DFCC Managing Director Aadesh Sharma said recently.

The proposed new routes are the 2327 km long East – West Corridor connecting Kolkata to Mumbai, the 2328 km long North – South Corridor linking Delhi with Chennai and the 1114 km long East Coast Corridor from Kharagpur to Vijaywada.

He said that Railways will go to Cabinet for approval of arranging funds and beginning the process of acquiring land for the new corridors.

Railways is expected to go up to 50% from the current 18% with the operation of DFC. While railways will earn revenue from freight movement on the dedicated corridors, DFCC will earn access charge which is about 35% to 40% of the revenue earnings.