Energies, Vol. 18, Pages 6050: Impact of Electric Motor Selection on the Efficiency and Reliability of Level Crossing Gate Drives in Polish Railway Infrastructure

Energies, Vol. 18, Pages 6050: Impact of Electric Motor Selection on the Efficiency and Reliability of Level Crossing Gate Drives in Polish Railway Infrastructure

Energies doi: 10.3390/en18226050

Authors:
Zbigniew Goryca
Paweł Strączyński
Sebastian Różowicz
Karol Suchenia
Bartosz Woszczyna

Railway barrier drives are key components of railway infrastructure and have a direct impact on traffic safety. Many of the commonly used drives are mechanical EEG-type barrier drives. EEG is a commercial designation of level-crossing gate drives produced by one of the Polish railway signalling equipment manufacturers, currently known as Alstom ZWUS Polska Sp. z o.o. (Katowice, Poland). These drives are characterized by their simple design and low cost, but limited efficiency and durability. Operational experience shows particular problems with the operation of this type of drive in winter conditions. This article presents an analysis of the impact of the selection of electric motors on the efficiency and reliability of level crossing drives. In addition to discussing the classic design with a PRMOa90-90 motor, commonly used in EEG drives, two proprietary solutions are presented: a commutator motor with rectangular neodymium magnets and a brushless DC motor (BLDC). Key operating parameters such as energy efficiency, starting torque, durability, maintenance requirements, and costs were compared. The results of the analyses indicate that the use of motors with neodymium magnets and BLDC solutions can significantly increase the efficiency and reliability of barrier drives, with each variant presenting a different profile of advantages and limitations.