5. Tramwave is the innovative tramway catenary-free power supply system designed by
Ansaldo STS that doesn’t constraint urban vehicular and pedestrian circulation.
The contact line is composed of consecutive modules. Each module is made by 50 cm
long conductive steel plates (also called segments), that are insulated between each
others and release energy only when the train boogies are over them.
A mandatory condition for the contact line to release power is the presence, on the
segment, of the vehicle with the vehicle power collector released, that activate the line and
pick up the current.
Catenary free solution : TramWave
5
pick up the current.
The steel plates in contact with the power collector, are the only one energized the rest
of the contact line is not fed.
The safety of people and vehicles is
always guaranteed
7. TramWave ground-level line module
Steel plate
7
Module
Positive Feeder
Negative feeder
Internal contact
connected to the Positive
feeder Safety
negative
feederInternal contact
connected to Safety
negative feeder
8. Operating principle
8
Veichle body
Power collector
The steel plates in contact with
the power collector, are the only
one energized
Groud-level module’s steel contact
plate
Train boogie
9. Operating principles
Power Collector
9
When the bogie pantograph is retracted in rest position:
•The power collector in the upper position is unable to activate the power
line segments; the pulling force is not enough to lift up the belt.
•The vehicle can run over the line without activating the segments
•All the segments stay connected to ground.
10. Operating principles
Power Collector
10
When the bogie pantograph is released:
• The power collector is in contact with the segments and its magnetic power
attracts the flexible ferromagnetic belt, allowing the closing of the electric
circuit and so the power transmission from the segments in contact with the
power collector and the vehicle
21. Ansaldo STS has been a pioneer in the innovative power supply without catenaries
urban transit technology
TramTramWaveWave is today a product
• Developed for different types of transportation systems
• Based on a consolidated and tested “core technology” by Ansaldo STS
TramWave
21
•Widely tested since a year in a 400m ring test track circuit at Ansaldo STS in
Naples
•A first Tramwave line section of more than 600m in Naples will be soon in
operation
22. TramWave vs others ground-power supply solutions
- No need of electronics for segments activation -> less capital and maintenance costs
- Simple modular structure and easy module insertion -> less capital and maintenance costs
- No return current on running rails -> no stray currents -> less cost to prevent and maintain underground
pipes and wire from corrosion (no need of cathodic protection)
- Power consumption like a conventional tramway system
- No EMI
- Can be use to feed rubber tyred vehicles -> transportation system flexibility
- Patented and tested system
TramWave vs energy storage systems (batteries/ supercapacitors)
Why TramWave?
22
-No need to size the system and station stops distance based on batteries/SC capacity
-No need of long recharge time at stations stops
-No Increased costs due to increased fleet size
-Batteries and SC occupies a large amount of space that can reduce drastically the overall system
passenger capacity
-Batteries and SC weight impact heavily on system performance (speed, acceleration, power
consumption… ) with the only possibility to overcome this problem by adding further batteries/SC with
related impact on their weight, size, and recharge/stop times -> limited performance
- Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning is always guaranteed with TramWave, while with a batteries/SC
solution could require further capacity to manage particular situation (like traffic jam or car accident) and
weather conditions
- Batteries and SC disposal have an high environmental impact
- Batteries and SC have an high lifecycle and maintenance costs
23. TramWave vs conventional catenary power supply
Most of the times the overhead wires visual impact are the reason why cities don’t want to
invest in urban transport…
TramWave is the today feasible solution for cities that want to invest in an efficient and safe
transportation system preserving the cities beauties as they are... And even more…
- Eliminates the visual impact of overhead catenary
Why TramWave?
23
- No need to cut trees along the line or spoil building to install catenaries
- More resistant to particular weather conditions like tornados or storm than catenaries
- Eco-sustainable
- Cost-feasible compared to other catenary free solutions
- O&M costs could be the same or even less than a overhead catenary system
- a TramWave line could become the “backbone power line” for different vehicle fleets and/or
used as a static or mobile charging station for battery-powered vehicles
24. • The system has been conceived to be always in the total safety conditions (certified by TŰV Rhineland),
taking advantage of the gravity force.
• Absence of electronics.
• When the power collector is not completely or partially aligned with the ground-level contact line, the
ferromagnetic flexible belt remains in the rest condition (thanks to the safety negative feeder, the segments
remain connected to the electric earth).
• The system is safe even in the accidental and unlikely case, negligible in terms of probability, in which
the internal movable conductive contacts remains stuck to the upper part, maintaining the segment
energized despite the flexible ferromagnetic belt came back to rest position due to the gravity force
instant activation of protection switches.
Safety
24
• The system is safe even in the accidental and unlikely case, negligible in terms of probability, of water
infiltration and module flooding: minor seepage normal operation, module full of water instant
activation of protection switches.
• The diagnostics system recognize which are the segments not properly working for accidental reasons in
a quick and precise way.
• There’s no risk of being electrocuted as the active segments are always and only the ones that are in
contact with the power collector, moreover the return current is discharged on the module and not on the
rails, differently from what happens in conventional tramway lines, ensuring the maximum level of safety.
• Possibility to equip the modules with heating systems fed with low tension (<24 V) with the aim to ensure
and facilitate the operation even in case of frequent snow and/or ice.
25. • Facilitate the city development with low carbon emission
• Make the urban context more liveable, removing the visual impact of overhead catenaries and poles from
squares, buildings, monuments, historical areas, etc…
• Easy installation of the ground-level power supply contact line between the tracks for both new and
existing tramway systems.
• Power transmission from contact line to vehicles without any interruption/charging times (for both
traction and auxiliaries).
TramWave main benefits for sustainable urban mobility
25
• The closing of the traction electric circuit doesn’t foreseen the use of the tracks no more problem due to
the effects of stray currents, preserving the underground utilities (water and gas pipelines, electricity
network underground cables, etc…) and the rails from electrolysis effects minor maintenance costs.
• Possibility to have a mixed power-supply system, by mean having Tramwave and traditional catenaries
on the same tramway line (ex. Tramwave in the historical centres and catenaries in the suburbs), moreover
it’s possible to feed with Tramwave rubber tired vehicles like busses.
• Total absence of electromagnetic emissions inside and/or outside the vehicle.
• No need of big and heavy on-board energy storage systems
