Basis for Local Methods of Insulation Hardening of Traction Rolling Stock Electrical Machines

The article concerns issues connected with improvement of traction rolling stock electrical machines (TRS EMs) reliability using local methods of insulation hardening by means of infrared (thermal) radiation during repair and manufacturing processes. Reasons for low reliability of advanced electric locomotives EMs with commutator traction electrical motors (TEMs) have been analyzed. The low reliability of electrical machines is associated with a low resource of winding insulation. The existing methods of restoration of insulation are not able to adequately provide high-quality hardening of insulation in the process of depot and factory repair. On the basis of Irkutsk state University of Railways has set up a scientific laboratory for the study of effective ways of hardening the insulation in the repair process based on the use of energy thermal (infrared) radiation. Laboratory and production researches confirming efficiency of the proposed methods have been carried out. Methods and industrial plants on hardening the insolation of TRS EMs of various types have been developed on the basis of experimental data. In conjunction with the company “Elinar” (the largest supplier of electrical insulating materials across the network of JSC “RZD”) has conducted studies on the effectiveness of the proposed methods in comparison with the currently used, based on the use of convection.