Energy Use Investigation Services

Most electric-powered railway transportation systems ineffectively recover electrical energy that has been lost through braking, nor do they provide for the effective reuse of energy from braking. Currently, the majority of subway and commuter rail vehicles brake by using a combination of electrical resistors and brake pads. These systems do not provide any method by which to capture or reuse this electrical energy, which is wasted as dissipated heat.

DTB has investigated the feasibility and application of on-train regenerative braking electrical storage systems. These systems could capture and reuse megawatt-hours (Mwh) of wasted braking energy on a daily basis.

DTB is a research partner with the New York City Transit (NYCT) and is currently performing research concerning energy usage and efficiency, as well as wheel/rail patch interaction. We have integrated, installed, and operated data acquisition on a revenue train, as well as analyzed energy utilization in other areas of interest.