NL1036741C2 - Solar system generating power over railway lines. - Google Patents

Description

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Solar system generating power over railway lines

The invention comprises a system generating sustainable power by solar systems [1] having been installed over railway lines. The systems may 5 consist of either solar panels or solar film. These can be railway lines for trains, above- ground parts of metros, of trolleys or of trams [2].

Solar systems may be installed over the full length and over the full width of a railway track (see Front look, figure 1), if desired continuing over the station roofs and railway yards, on or above the gantries of the railway 10 tracks for trains and railcars, trams and trolleys. Solar film or solar panels is/are installed above the existing structures for the overhead contact wire for trains [3], the supports of the existing steel gantries for the overhead contact wires [4] for the trains with the span wires for the de suspension thereof [5] and the facilities to take of current for the trains [6]. With extra 15 horizontal beams [7] above these existing steel granties or new built granties extra girders if needed can be made on which the solar system can be placed and/or the system's own supports may be used. Using additional steel girders, a bearing grid is constructed on which the solar systems are installed (see Top view, figure 2). Because generally the existing span 20 length is too great, it is anticipated that, where required, one or more additional columns [8] are erected between the existing columns to obtain sufficient bearing support for the solar system and snow loads, if any, laying thereon and to ensure adequate strength and rigidity in case of hurricanes.

25 Visually the design can look like as shown in the figures 3 (Front view) and 4 (View upwards).

This system is capable of generating a large volume of sustainable power (electricity and/or heat and/or cold). In addition, application of solar panels over all railway lines creates a high rate of employment.

30 Because the overhead contact wires for trains are high-voltage, they could create an interfering electromagnetic field that may adversely affect the yield of the solar systems. Although the steel structure operates like a Faraday cage [9], it is still anticipated that an additional layer will be constructed insulating the electromagnetic field, a thin steel grid, between 35 the overhead contact wires for the trains and the solar systems. This ensures that the layer with the solar system is protected from the electromagnetic effect of the high-voltage wires running underneath the gantries, counteracting the influence of such field.

Rainwater drain chutes, making it possible to catch rainwater and melting 1036741 2 snow and drain it in a controlled way or to use it, has been projected on both sides of the solar systems lengthwise [10]. These structures on both sides will also be designed so that the noise produced by trains can be reduced.

5 As thereby the railway tracks are provided with a roof, snow and rainwater, and probably leaves from trees as well, will no longer fall on the railway tracks or, if they do, their volume will be considerably reduced.

To cope with extreme weather conditions, the steel structure and the design will be capable of withstanding extreme wind force and of coping 10 with an excessively heavy snow load without any problem. Melting show can be discharged through the rainwater drain chutes that will be installed lengthwise on both sides. If required, additional supporting columns may be constructed sideways.

To enable staff to get derailed trains back on the track, certain openings 15 [11] are left in the solar system through which hoisting cables can be fed.

The solar segments are fitted so that, if required, each packet can be removed quickly.

Installation of the additional layer of steel girders above the existing railway gantries can be initiated from a shunting yard. These girder 20 segments can be transported over the track length for each track segment by means of roller wheels finding their support in the rainwater drain chutes that are installed first on both sides of the railway track and are made sufficiently strong for that purpose. Then each part and each subsequent part can be shifted lengthwise over the steel girder part 25 installed earlier from the shunting yard. When a track section has been provided with this additional layer of girders, then the solar panel segments can be rolled over it up to the end of this track section and fitted section by section. Subsequently, the next segment can be rolled backwards after it with continuous hauling cables up to the beginning of the section until the 30 whole railway track section has been covered. Then the wiring and tubing of the solar system is installed and connected to the power distribution grids.

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At suitable places, for instance at stations and in towns and villages the energy generated may be fed into the station's power grid and/or other energy grids such as heat grids and cooling grids [12], at feed-in stations near or in the village or near or in the relevant town district and be used for 5 any purpose.

This option is even more attractive in case of railway lines without overhead contact wires, where diesel trains are running now, if it is decided to electrify those lines for sustainability-related reasons. In that case installation of the solar systems over those lines to be electrified will be 10 considerably cheaper, because then part of the costs of the gantry structures will be for the account of the electrification. In those cases the additional costs of installing solar systems on them simultaneously will be lower because all operations are performed in one project.

1036741

Claims (1)

A device with the characteristic that it produces renewable energy from solar energy (electricity and / or heat and / or cold) above railway lines. Because the solar systems ensure that the rail lines are covered, less rain, snow and leaves will fall on the rails. This makes it possible to collect and reuse rainwater and the possibility that the noise from trains and subways and trams can be reduced. 1036741