State Key Laboratory of Traction Power
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| State Key Laboratory of Traction Power | |
|---|---|
| Name | State Key Laboratory of Traction Power |
| Established | 1990s |
| Location | Beijing, China |
| Type | Research laboratory |
State Key Laboratory of Traction Power The State Key Laboratory of Traction Power is a major national research laboratory specializing in traction systems, rail electrification, power electronics, and high-speed railway propulsion technologies. It serves as a hub linking universities, national institutes, industrial manufacturers, and rail operators for applied research on electric traction, energy efficiency, and reliability technologies. The laboratory engages with international partners, standards bodies, and domestic corporations to support rail network modernization and high-speed rail projects.
Overview
The laboratory focuses on advanced traction converters, electric motors, regenerative braking, and electromagnetic compatibility, collaborating with institutions such as Tsinghua University, Beihang University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Zhejiang University, Peking University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Southeast University, Northwestern Polytechnical University, China Academy of Railway Sciences, CRRC Corporation Limited, China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation, Ministry of Science and Technology (China), State Administration of Railway Inspection, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Electric Power Research Institute, China Southern Railway, China Railway Engineering Corporation, China Railway Construction Corporation, China National Heavy Duty Truck Group, General Electric Company, Siemens, Bombardier Transportation, Alstom, Mitsubishi Electric, Hitachi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, ABB Group, Schneider Electric, Thales Group, Hitachi Rail, Nippon Sharyo, Kawasaki Rail Car, Federal Railroad Administration, European Railway Agency, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, International Union of Railways, World Bank.
History and Development
The laboratory was formed during national science planning initiatives involving the Ministry of Education (China), the State Council of the People's Republic of China, and the Ministry of Railways (China), with early partnerships including Tsinghua University, Beijing Jiaotong University, Dalian University of Technology, Tongji University, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Chongqing University, Southwest Jiaotong University, Central South University, University of Science and Technology Beijing, China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, National Development and Reform Commission, China Railway, and CRRC Qishuyan Locomotive Co., Ltd.. Key development phases paralleled projects such as the Beijing–Guangzhou High-Speed Railway, Wuhan–Guangzhou High-Speed Railway, Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway, Zhengzhou–Xi'an High-Speed Railway, and initiatives tied to the Five-Year Plans of China.
Research Areas and Facilities
Research themes include power electronics for traction converters, permanent magnet synchronous motors, asynchronous induction motors, silicon carbide (SiC) devices, wide-bandgap semiconductors, thermal management, electromagnetic interference testing, and noise vibration harshness (NVH). Facilities comprise high-power dynamometer rigs, insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) testbeds, SiC wafer labs, anechoic chambers, electromagnetic compatibility ranges, battery energy storage systems, and hardware-in-the-loop simulators used by teams from National Supercomputing Center (Guangzhou), National Supercomputing Center (Tianjin), State Grid Corporation of China, China Southern Power Grid, Dongfang Electric Corporation, Harbin Electric Company, Caterpillar Inc., Toyota Motor Corporation, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, RWTH Aachen University, ETH Zurich, Politecnico di Milano, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, University of Tokyo, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Seoul National University, KAIST, Monash University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Georgia Institute of Technology, TU Delft, McGill University, University of Toronto.
Major Projects and Achievements
Major projects have included traction drive systems for high-speed trains used on the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway, energy-saving traction control algorithms adopted by CRRC Qishuyan, SiC-based inverter demonstrators in collaboration with ABB Group and Siemens, and regenerative braking integration trials with China Railway involving rolling stock suppliers such as Alstom and Bombardier Transportation. The laboratory contributed to national standards development with bodies like the Standardization Administration of China, participated in international benchmarking with the International Union of Railways, and received awards from organizations including the Chinese Academy of Engineering, National Science and Technology Progress Award (China), Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (China), and recognition from industrial partners such as CRRC Tangshan and CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive.
Collaborations and Partnerships
The laboratory maintains strategic partnerships with universities and industry, including joint laboratories with Tsinghua University, cooperative research centers with CRRC Corporation Limited, and technology transfer agreements with firms like Siemens, Alstom, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, ABB Group, Schneider Electric, General Electric Company, and regional operators such as China Railway Beijing Group, China Railway Shanghai Group, and China Railway Guangzhou Group. International collaborations include projects with the European Commission, bilateral programs with the United States Department of Transportation, joint research with Japan Railway Technical Research Institute, and exchanges with the Korea Railroad Research Institute and Transport Canada.
Organization and Funding
Governance involves stakeholders from Tsinghua University and municipal authorities, with funding from the Ministry of Science and Technology (China), the National Natural Science Foundation of China, provincial science agencies, industrial contracts with CRRC Corporation Limited and state-owned enterprises like State Grid Corporation of China, and competitive grants from entities such as the National Key Research and Development Program of China. The organizational structure includes principal investigators from Harbin Institute of Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Southeast University, technical staff seconded from CRRC Qishuyan and CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive, and advisory input from international experts affiliated with Imperial College London, ETH Zurich, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Education and Training Programs
The laboratory supports graduate and postgraduate programs in cooperation with Tsinghua University, Beijing Jiaotong University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Northeastern University (China), Southwest Jiaotong University, and Xi'an Jiaotong University, offering doctoral training, engineering internships with CRRC Corporation Limited and China Railway, short courses for engineers from State Grid Corporation of China and China Southern Power Grid, and international exchange fellowships involving Imperial College London, University of Tokyo, RWTH Aachen University, KAIST, and KTH Royal Institute of Technology.