Energy-Efficient Induction Heating-Based Deicing System for Railway Turnouts Under Real Snowfall Conditions
Hyeong-Seok Oh,
Woo-Young Ji,
Hyung-Woo Lee,
Jae-Bum Lee and
Chan-Bae Park ()
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Hyeong-Seok Oh: Department of Railroad Operation Systems Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, 157, Cheoldobangmulgwan-ro, Uiwang-si 16106, Republic of Korea
Woo-Young Ji: Department of Electrical Engineering, Hanyang University, 222, Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Republic of Korea
Hyung-Woo Lee: Department of Railway Vehicle System Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, 157, Cheoldobangmulgwan-ro, Uiwang-si 16106, Republic of Korea
Jae-Bum Lee: Department of Railroad Electrical and Information Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, 157, Cheoldobangmulgwan-ro, Uiwang-si 16106, Republic of Korea
Chan-Bae Park: Department of Railroad Operation Systems Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, 157, Cheoldobangmulgwan-ro, Uiwang-si 16106, Republic of Korea
Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 19, 1-15
Abstract:
Railway turnouts are highly susceptible to snow and ice accumulation during winter, which can cause malfunctions, resulting in train delays or, in extreme cases, derailments with potential casualties. To mitigate these risks, resistive heating (RH) systems using nichrome wires have traditionally been employed. However, these systems suffer from slow heat transfer and high power consumption. To address these limitations, this article proposes an induction heating (IH) system designed for rapid thermal response and improved electrical and thermal efficiency. The proposed system comprises a power conversion unit featuring a boost power factor correction (PFC) stage and a high-frequency resonant inverter, along with an improved IH coil. An experiment in real snowfall demonstrates the IH system’s fast heat-up capability, effective snow cover removal, and enhanced energy efficiency compared to conventional methods.
Keywords: railway turnout deicing; induction heating; power conversion system; power factor correction; high-frequency resonant inverter (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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