OREANDA-NEWS. February 08, 2016. Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced that  it has received an order to provide train propulsion and other key electrical systems to Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co., Ltd. (Nishitetsu), the major operator of private rail services in Fukuoka, northern Kyushu. The equipment will be installed in 18 new Series 9000 trains that Nishitetsu will introduce on its main line, the 78-kilometer Tenjin Omuta Line between Fukuoka City and Omuta City, in March 2017. Toshiba will start to ship equipment in May this year.

The Nishitetsu order covers propulsion systems combining fully enclosed induction motors and variable-voltage, variable-frequency (VVVF) inverter systems, plus auxiliary power supply systems, air conditioners, the automatic train stop (ATS) system and other equipment. The new Series 9000 trains they will be used in will replace aging 5000 Series rolling stock, Nishitetsu's current workhorse on the Tenjin Omuta Line.

The fully enclosed IM is a highly efficient motor with superior energy saving performance; its fully enclosed structure eliminates the need for internal cleaning and minimizes maintenance. The VVVF inverter system employs Toshiba's unique triple-mode main circuit that integrates three inverters in a single system. In this configuration, two inverters control the propulsion system, while the third unit controls the auxiliary power supply system that supplies power for air-conditioning and other on-board equipment. The triple-mode design contributes to stable operation: if one unit fails, the other two provide backup, without any sacrifice in performance.

This triple mode main circuit also integrates a Toshiba-developed silicon-carbide (SiC) diode high designed for temperature operation. In addition to cutting energy consumption, it also secures a size reduction that makes it easier to install on new 9000 Series trains in two- and three-car configurations, where limited space is a concern. Maintenance of the new trains is also simplified, because the location of the control units is now the same for all train configurations.

Toshiba’s success in winning the orders indicates that Nishitetsu's current newest trains, 3000 Series trains with a propulsion system that adopts the SiC diode, are performing well, and underlines Toshiba's strong record in delivering electrical equipment for the trains.

Going forward, Toshiba aims to continue to develop high quality products for the global market that meet customer requirements for high levels of energy efficiency and safety and reduced lifecycle costs, and that contribute to train transportation that satisfies both environmental and reliability demands.