HEMU-400X
Encyclopedia
HEMU-400X is an in-construction South Korean experimental high-speed train
intended for tests between 2011 and 2014 at up to 400 km/h (249 mph). The main new feature of the train compared to older South Korean high-speed trains is distributed traction. The foreseen commercial version of the train, tentatively named KTX-III, would enter regular service in 2015 with a top speed of 350–370 km/h (217.5–229.9 mph).
(KTX) high-speed rail system foresaw an operating speed of 350 km/h (217 mph) to enable a travel time under two hours between Seoul
in the northwest and Busan
in the southeast of South Korea, the terminuses of the first line. Later, planned top speed was reduced to the 300 km/h (186 mph) maximum of existing high-speed trains on the market. Korail then ordered high-speed trains on the basis of Alstom
's TGV Réseau
, the KTX-I
, which started KTX service on April 1, 2004, and operate at a top speed increased slightly to 305 km/h (190 mph) in November 2007.
In a project South Korean government research institutes and rail industry companies launched in 1996 to fully localise high-speed rail technology, the know-how gained in the technology transfer for the KTX-I was used as the basis to develop the experimental train HSR-350x
, which was to be tested at up to 385 km/h (239 mph) so that the commercial version can have a top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph). However, the maximum sped achieved in the HSR-350x tests was 352.4 km/h (219 mph) on December 16, 2004; and the design and top speeds of the commercial version, the KTX-II
(KTX-Sancheon) were set to be the same as those for the KTX-I.
The aim to develop commercial trains with a top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph) was taken up again in the project to build another experimental train, the HEMU-400X (High-speed Electric Multiple Unit - 400 km/h eXperiment), which was launched in July 2007. The six-year project schedule was originally set to last until July 2013, and involved 100000 km (62,137.3 mi) of test runs with speeds reaching 400 km/h (249 mph). The project is led by the Korean Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) and Hyundai Rotem, and also involves the Korea Institute of Construction & Transportation Evaluation and Planning (KICTEP), 20 other companies, 13 universities, and one other organisation. The project budget was set at 97.11 billion won
, with a government contribution of 69.2 billion won.
Following a call by Nam-Hee Chae, the president of the Korea Railroad Research Institute, for proposals for a generic name for Korean-made high-speed trains, on April 5, 2007, Chae announced the name Hanvit (Hangul
: 한빛), which means a streak of intense light in Korean
. Under the new naming scheme, TTX
is also called Hanvit 400.
The preliminary design was presented to the public in May 2009. A full-scale mock-up of an end car was first shown in June 2009 at the RailLog 2009 exhibition in Busan. Detailed designs were presented in October 2010, when the prototype was expected to be completed in 2011 and start line tests in 2012.
programme, the plan is to develop and test both asynchronous induction motor
s and permanent magnet synchronous motor
s in the train.
Research in the G7 programme showed that the bulk of the longitudinal aerodynamic resistance (drag
) of the pantograph
and the largest component of vertical aerodynamic forces (lift
) acting on it derive from the contact shoe. For the HEMU-400X, researchers developed an aerodynamically optimised contact shoe cross section that reduced drag by about 40% and lift amplitude by about 25% in comparison to the contact shoe of the KTX-II pantographs.
The train is designed with active suspension for increased ride comfort. To save weight, in addition to aluminum, composite materials are to be used in the carbody. The development of new transformers, batteries and a number of other electric system components also focuses on reducing weight and size. The train is also intended as basis for Rotem to compete in high-speed train tenders abroad, and is designed to conform with European high-speed rail standards.
Nose styling was designed using a genetic algorithm
, starting with the hybridization of the nose shapes of existing French TGV
, Japanese Shinkansen
and German ICE high-speed trains. A double-deck configuration was also considered.
In the experimental train, the first two cars will test first class seating, the fourth car will be fitted out with a bar and special passenger compartments, the fifth car will test standard class seating. Data acquisition equipment for the on-board measurements are foreseen in the third and sixth cars.
s, each connected to inverter groups on the neighbouring third, fifth, respective sixth car. The end cars will house the batteries, pantographs will be installed on the extreme intermediate cars.
The goal for maximum operating speed was originally 350 km/h (217 mph), which was expected to enable Seoul-Busan travel times of 1 hour 50 minutes. In plans released on October 2010, planned service speed was raised to 370 km/h (230 mph). In the default configuration, the first two cars will be first class with 2+1 seating, the third car will house a bar and special passenger compartments with facing pairs of 3 or 2 seats, the fourth to eighth cars will be standard class with "3" seating, with foldable seats offering altogether 378 seats.
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
intended for tests between 2011 and 2014 at up to 400 km/h (249 mph). The main new feature of the train compared to older South Korean high-speed trains is distributed traction. The foreseen commercial version of the train, tentatively named KTX-III, would enter regular service in 2015 with a top speed of 350–370 km/h (217.5–229.9 mph).
History
The original 1991 plan for the Korea Train ExpressKorea Train Express
Korea Train eXpress is South Korea's high-speed rail system, operated by Korail. Construction began on the first section of the high-speed line from Seoul to Busan in 1992. The project was later split into two phases and combined with conventional line upgrades, adding a second route from Seoul to...
(KTX) high-speed rail system foresaw an operating speed of 350 km/h (217 mph) to enable a travel time under two hours between Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
in the northwest and Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
in the southeast of South Korea, the terminuses of the first line. Later, planned top speed was reduced to the 300 km/h (186 mph) maximum of existing high-speed trains on the market. Korail then ordered high-speed trains on the basis of Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
's TGV Réseau
SNCF TGV Réseau
The SNCF TGV Réseau trains were built by Alstom between 1992 and 1996. These TGV trainsets are based on the earlier TGV Atlantique.The first Réseau sets entered service in 1993. Fifty dual-voltage trainsets were built in 1992-1994, numbered 501-550. A further 40 triple-voltage trainsets, numbered...
, the KTX-I
KTX-I
The KTX-I or simply KTX, also known as TGV-K, is a South Korean high speed train class based on the French TGV Réseau. The 20-car formation of the trainsets without restaurant car is optimized for high capacity...
, which started KTX service on April 1, 2004, and operate at a top speed increased slightly to 305 km/h (190 mph) in November 2007.
In a project South Korean government research institutes and rail industry companies launched in 1996 to fully localise high-speed rail technology, the know-how gained in the technology transfer for the KTX-I was used as the basis to develop the experimental train HSR-350x
HSR-350x
HSR-350x, alternatively called G7, KHST or NG-KTX, and later officially re-named Hanvit 350, is a South Korean experimental high-speed train. It was developed and built in a joint project of government research institutes, universities and private companies that started in 1996, which aimed to...
, which was to be tested at up to 385 km/h (239 mph) so that the commercial version can have a top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph). However, the maximum sped achieved in the HSR-350x tests was 352.4 km/h (219 mph) on December 16, 2004; and the design and top speeds of the commercial version, the KTX-II
KTX-II
KTX-II, or KTX-Sancheon, is a South Korean high-speed train built by Hyundai Rotem in the second half of the 2000s and operated by Korail since March 2009...
(KTX-Sancheon) were set to be the same as those for the KTX-I.
The aim to develop commercial trains with a top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph) was taken up again in the project to build another experimental train, the HEMU-400X (High-speed Electric Multiple Unit - 400 km/h eXperiment), which was launched in July 2007. The six-year project schedule was originally set to last until July 2013, and involved 100000 km (62,137.3 mi) of test runs with speeds reaching 400 km/h (249 mph). The project is led by the Korean Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) and Hyundai Rotem, and also involves the Korea Institute of Construction & Transportation Evaluation and Planning (KICTEP), 20 other companies, 13 universities, and one other organisation. The project budget was set at 97.11 billion won
South Korean won
The won is the currency of South Korea. A single won is divided into 100 jeon, the monetary subunit. The jeon is no longer used for everyday transactions, and appears only in foreign exchange rates...
, with a government contribution of 69.2 billion won.
Following a call by Nam-Hee Chae, the president of the Korea Railroad Research Institute, for proposals for a generic name for Korean-made high-speed trains, on April 5, 2007, Chae announced the name Hanvit (Hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 한빛), which means a streak of intense light in Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
. Under the new naming scheme, TTX
Tilting Train Express
Tilting Train Express or Hanvit 200 is a South Korean experimental high-speed tilting train, which is currently being tested by the Korea Railroad Research Institute .-Technical details:...
is also called Hanvit 400.
The preliminary design was presented to the public in May 2009. A full-scale mock-up of an end car was first shown in June 2009 at the RailLog 2009 exhibition in Busan. Detailed designs were presented in October 2010, when the prototype was expected to be completed in 2011 and start line tests in 2012.
Technical details
In contrast to the articulated passenger coaches between traction heads configuration of thee KTX-I, HSR-350x and KTX-II trains, the 6-car HEMU-400X is fitted with distributed traction: traction equipment is underfloor and all axles of all four intermediate cars are powered. The detailed plans released in October 2010 changed the trailing end driving trailer of the experimental train into a powered car, deviating from the planned commercial version. The new high-power configuration is to provide for higher acceleration: the 8-car commercial configuration was calculated to reach 300 km/h (186 mph) in less than four minutes and less than 12 kilometres (7.5 mi); the top test speed of 400 km/h (249 mph) is to be reached in 673 seconds and 56.98 kilometres (35.4 mi). Similarly to JR East's Fastech 360FASTECH 360
Fastech 360 is the name given to a pair of former experimental high-speed trains developed by East Japan Railway Company to test technology for the next-generation Shinkansen rolling stock. The name is a portmanteau of Fast, Technology, and 360 km/h , the target operational speed for production...
programme, the plan is to develop and test both asynchronous induction motor
Induction motor
An induction or asynchronous motor is a type of AC motor where power is supplied to the rotor by means of electromagnetic induction. These motors are widely used in industrial drives, particularly polyphase induction motors, because they are robust and have no brushes...
s and permanent magnet synchronous motor
Synchronous motor
A synchronous electric motor is an AC motor distinguished by a rotor spinning with coils passing magnets at the same rate as the power supply frequency and resulting rotating magnetic field which drives it....
s in the train.
Research in the G7 programme showed that the bulk of the longitudinal aerodynamic resistance (drag
Drag (physics)
In fluid dynamics, drag refers to forces which act on a solid object in the direction of the relative fluid flow velocity...
) of the pantograph
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
and the largest component of vertical aerodynamic forces (lift
Lift (force)
A fluid flowing past the surface of a body exerts a surface force on it. Lift is the component of this force that is perpendicular to the oncoming flow direction. It contrasts with the drag force, which is the component of the surface force parallel to the flow direction...
) acting on it derive from the contact shoe. For the HEMU-400X, researchers developed an aerodynamically optimised contact shoe cross section that reduced drag by about 40% and lift amplitude by about 25% in comparison to the contact shoe of the KTX-II pantographs.
The train is designed with active suspension for increased ride comfort. To save weight, in addition to aluminum, composite materials are to be used in the carbody. The development of new transformers, batteries and a number of other electric system components also focuses on reducing weight and size. The train is also intended as basis for Rotem to compete in high-speed train tenders abroad, and is designed to conform with European high-speed rail standards.
Nose styling was designed using a genetic algorithm
Genetic algorithm
A genetic algorithm is a search heuristic that mimics the process of natural evolution. This heuristic is routinely used to generate useful solutions to optimization and search problems...
, starting with the hybridization of the nose shapes of existing French TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
, Japanese Shinkansen
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
and German ICE high-speed trains. A double-deck configuration was also considered.
In the experimental train, the first two cars will test first class seating, the fourth car will be fitted out with a bar and special passenger compartments, the fifth car will test standard class seating. Data acquisition equipment for the on-board measurements are foreseen in the third and sixth cars.
Commercial version
KTX-III, the commercial derivative of HEMU-400X, is expected to enter service in 2015. In normal 8-car, 197.6 m (648.3 ft) configuration, KTX-III would consist of two driving trailers at either end and six motorized intermediate cars giving 9.84 MW of power, with an option of extension to 10 cars. The second, fourth and seventh cars will house transformerTransformer
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a varying magnetic field...
s, each connected to inverter groups on the neighbouring third, fifth, respective sixth car. The end cars will house the batteries, pantographs will be installed on the extreme intermediate cars.
The goal for maximum operating speed was originally 350 km/h (217 mph), which was expected to enable Seoul-Busan travel times of 1 hour 50 minutes. In plans released on October 2010, planned service speed was raised to 370 km/h (230 mph). In the default configuration, the first two cars will be first class with 2+1 seating, the third car will house a bar and special passenger compartments with facing pairs of 3 or 2 seats, the fourth to eighth cars will be standard class with "3" seating, with foldable seats offering altogether 378 seats.