Most rail fans are specifically made to comply with customer specifications and the expected harshness of rolling stock railway environments. Others are simply upgraded versions of standard fans such as the Ecofit GRF single inlet forward curved centrifugal fan.

The GRF was primarily designed for operating with HEPA filters for pharmaceutical applications and toxic environment filtration systems. It consists of a high power external rotor motor fitted in a standard single inlet scroll assembly.

In order to provide extra stability for the over-sized motor, Ecofit adapted a double shaft motor (normally found in a double inlet configuration) and added an air inlet guard and double shafts to hold the motor on the scroll. The result is a rather odd-looking but very efficient assembly, which even with a standard power of over 400Watts still complies with the forthcoming Energy Related Products ErP 2015 directive (only applicable for the standard ref).

The railway version is an upgrade from this assembly. The standard design is already suited to resist the vibrations that are generated on railway applications; the upgrade benefits from improved environmental protection, increased from IP54 to IP56, for humidity, dust and water ingress protection, as well as a polyzinc black finish on the motor, impeller, scroll, guard and back plate.

The fan motor has been lowered to 250Watts, and accommodates a 2 speed control by winding, depending on the wiring (delta or star connection). The unit is electrically resistant to voltages peaks, with the fan cable compliant to railway applications standards.

For more information, see our Fans For Railway Applications page, see how we help keep trains on track or contact one of our engineers today.

Schaltbau Transportation UK are a mechanical and electrical engineering company that provide a full overhaul package to bring rolling stock HVAC systems and products back to day one condition. Their dedicated HVAC team are available to support all maintenance requirements at their facility in Milton Keynes or via their mobile service team at customers’ sites. They will provide analysis of the systems, make recommendations for improved performance and reliability and will handle obsolescence issues.

Schaltbau approached Axair looking for costs to replace the bearings on three different fan references for a HVAC rolling stock refurbishment project for their end customer. Axair offers solutions to a wide range of rail and rolling stock applications including cab and passenger compartment cooling, component cooling of the drive and braking system and switch cabinet ventilation. In this case, passenger compartment ventilation was the focus.

After a period of consultation in conjunction with Axair’s supplier partner Rosenberg GmbH, Schaltbau were presented with two distinct options; replacement of the bearings as originally requested or the complete replacement of the old units with brand new units built in Germany. In the end, the preferred solution was to go ahead with brand new stock.

One of the issues that was solved with opting for a new unit, rather than rebearing the old unit, was the relatively high failure rate of the motor during the operation of replacing the old bearings. Secondly, lead times could be handled much better as fans did not have to travel twice across Europe before being refitted to the HVAC units they came from.

DKHR rolling stock fanThe fan specified was the DKHR 500 which manages the necessary operating points reliably and with minimum space requirements. The impeller is made of aluminium (AlMg3) with 7 backward curved blades and efficiency optimised circumferential diffusor with pressure orientated behaviour. The motorised impeller is statically and dynamically balanced according to DIN ISO 1940 G6.3 maintenance-free ball bearings, closed on both sides with long-term lubrication. The motor is protected via thermal contacts, which are inlaid into the motor windings. These contacts protect the motor from being overloaded through phase failure, too high medium temperature or locked rotor.

For more information on fans for rail and rolling stock, call us on 01782 349 430, email [email protected] or see our dedicated rail applications page.

Manchester Metrolink is a light rail tram system in Greater Manchester. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and operated and maintained under contract by RATP Group.

The rail network consists of seven lines which radiate from Manchester City Centre to terminals at Altrincham, Ashton-under-Lyne, Bury, East Didsbury, Eccles, Manchester Airport and Rochdale. Metrolink has 93 stops along 57 miles of track making it the largest light rail system in the United Kingdom. It consists of a mixture of on-street track shared with other traffic and reserved track, segregated from other traffic, often running alongside the roadway or in the central reservation, and converted former railway lines. The network is operated by a fleet of Bombardier Flexity Swift M5000s.

Axair Fans has been approached several times over the networks 20+ year lifetime to aid with the fleet’s minor and major overhauls.

Fans are replaced with every minor and major service as they are placed in a particularly harsh part of the train and are subject to a large amount of dust intake during the summer and salt atmosphere from road maintenance during the winter months.

Axair AC Fan Models:
Two models of fan are fitted from French manufacturer Ecofit both are protected by an IP55 rating and salt spray protective finishes.

Z36-04 2 VRE 45 250V Axial fan (230v Single Phase) IP55 Salt spray protected.

Z36-03 2 GRE 45 160x62R Forward curved centrifugal fan (230V single phase), single inlet, IP55 Salt Spray protected.

The IP 55 rating is obtained by encapsulating the motor windings in an epoxy resin under a vacuum which not only encases the motor windings keeping the elements out but also provides extremely high grade insulation between motor winding phases. This insulation provides a low failure rate and enables the small motors to withstand the harsh electrical supply provided by the networks transformer and inverter controlled power line.

The salt spray protection is a type of paint finish added to the scroll, motor rotor and axial blades of the fans to protect the metal parts from corrosion.

For more information about Axair’s expertise and capability in supplying Rail Fans, please contact us on 01782 349 430 or click here to see our applications page.