Rheostatic & Regenerative Brake: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:50, 11 March 2025

Rheostatic and regenerative braking are alternative ways of slowing down a motorized rail vehicle , without wearing and overheating the brake shoes . They are a type of dynamic braking on electric vehicles, including diesel-electric .

For the rheostatic or regenerative brakes to be operational, throttle should be disengaged and reverser set to the direction the vehicle is moving. The brake is usually operated by a lever that causes electrical circuits in the vehicle to reconfigure, such that they turn traction motors into generators. Motion of the vehicle is then converted into electricity.

The way rheostatic and regenerative systems differ, is that rheostatic braking passes the generated electricity through powerful resistors (rheostats), which slows down the vehicle at the cost of creating heat, dissipated into the atmosphere by powerful fans. Regenerative braking, instead of turning electricity into heat, slows down the vehicle by feeding the electricity back to the grid , or recharges onboard batteries .

Rheostatic and regenerative braking, both featured only on some motorized vehicles, do not provide a very powerful braking force for large trains , but can slow them down over time if used tactfully . The effect of this braking type peaks at modest speeds, around 35 km/h. The further the speed from the peak, the weaker the braking force. To bring a vehicle to a complete stop, use braking methods that rely on brake shoes.

To operate the throttle and reverser again, disengage the rheostatic or regenerative brake.

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-Rheostatic braking is an alternative way of {{pll|Braking Overview|slowing down}} a motorized {{pll|Rail Vehicle Types|rail vehicle}}, without {{pll|Wheels & Brakes Damage|wearing and overheating}} the {{pll|Brake Shoes|brake shoes}}. It is a {{pll|Dynamic Brake|dynamic braking}} feature of electric vehicles, including {{pll|Powertrains Overview|diesel-electric}}.
+Rheostatic and regenerative braking are alternative ways of {{pll|Braking Overview|slowing down}} a {{pll|Rail Vehicle Types|motorized rail vehicle}}, without {{pll|Wheels & Brakes Damage|wearing}} and {{pll|Brake Shoes|overheating the brake shoes}}. They are a type of {{pll|Dynamic Brake|dynamic braking}} on {{pll|Traction Motors|electric}} vehicles, including {{pll|Powertrains Overview|diesel-electric}}.
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-To make the rheostatic brake operational, the driver needs to disengage the {{pll|Throttle|throttle}} and have the {{pll|Reverser|reverser}} set to the direction the vehicle is moving. The brake is usually operated by a lever that turns {{pll|Traction Motors|TMs}} into generators, when applied. The electrical circuits in the vehicle get reconfigured, so that the current generated by the TMs is passed through resistors. This slows down the vehicle at the cost of creating heat, dissipated into the atmosphere by powerful fans.
+For the rheostatic or regenerative brakes to be operational, {{pll|Throttle|throttle}} should be disengaged and {{pll|Reverser|reverser}} set to the direction the vehicle is moving. The brake is usually operated by a lever that causes electrical circuits in the vehicle to reconfigure, such that they turn {{pll|Traction Motors|traction motors}} into generators. Motion of the vehicle is then converted into electricity.
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-On electric vehicles, instead of being turned into heat, the generated current may be recouped to the {{pll|Electricity|grid or the onboard batteries}}. This is called regenerative braking. Nevertheless, the working principles of the two braking systems are quite similar.
+The way rheostatic and regenerative systems differ, is that rheostatic braking passes the generated electricity through powerful resistors (rheostats), which slows down the vehicle at the cost of creating heat, dissipated into the atmosphere by powerful fans. Regenerative braking, instead of turning electricity into heat, slows down the vehicle by feeding the electricity back to the {{pll|Electric Powersource|grid}}, or recharges {{pll|Electric Powersource|onboard batteries}}.
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-Rheostatic and regenerative braking, both featured only on some motorized vehicles, do not provide a very powerful braking force for large trains, but can slow them down over time if {{pll|Driving Efficiency|used tactfully}}. The effect of this braking type peaks at modest speeds, around 35 km/h. The further the speed from the peak, the weaker the braking force. To bring a vehicle to a complete stop, the driver must use braking methods that rely on brake shoes.
+Rheostatic and regenerative braking, both featured only on some motorized vehicles, do not provide a very powerful braking force for large {{pll|Rail Vehicle Types|trains}}, but can slow them down over time if used {{pll|Driving Efficiency|tactfully}}. The effect of this braking type peaks at modest speeds, around 35 km/h. The further the speed from the peak, the weaker the braking force. To bring a vehicle to a complete stop, use {{pll|Braking Overview|braking methods}} that rely on brake shoes.
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-The driver needs to disengage the rheostatic or regenerative brake before being able to operate the throttle and reverser again.
+To operate the throttle and reverser again, disengage the rheostatic or regenerative brake.
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-{{See also|Hydrodynamic Brake|Engine & Compression Brake|Train Brake|Electric & Diesel-Electric|Throttle|Reverser|Powertrain Overheating|Brake Shoes|Weather}}
 [[Category:Electric & Diesel-Electric|3]]