2010
author
Michal Smoleňák (SK)
title
Tram Design
degree
M.A. project
school
Technical University in Košice
supervisor
doc. Ing., ArtD Peter Wohlfahrt
The sleek design of this vehicle is marked by a clear interior arrangement. The sliding doors with illuminated edges (also marking the entry clearance) are an innovation here. The designer has not utilized an overhead power supply, judging that this method cluttered the city space with a tangle of wires. The “third rail” system was preferentially used (this option is only available under appropriate climate conditions). The vehicle uses the Sitras HES Siemens system – a hybrid system of storing energy for rail vehicles, by which battery power allows the vehicle to travel 2.5 km with no power supply (when a segment of rail has shut down, for example). The batteries can be charged while braking, or at tram stops. The system is located on the roof of the vehicle, which means the low-floor interiors can be arranged on a single level. As the designer writes, the system conserves 30 percent energy, and thus a single vehicle would reduce CO2 emissions by 80 tons over the course of one year. Another energy-saving solution is the use of LED lighting.