Topics Covered:
Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Head on Generation (HOG) technology
What to study?
For Prelims and mains: Features and significance of HOG and EOG technologies.
Context: Between April 2018 and November 2019 around 436 trains have been converted into HOG compliant.
What is Head on Generation (HOG) technology?
The system runs the train’s ‘hotel load’ (the load of air conditioning, lights, fans, and pantry, etc.) by drawing electricity from the overhead electric lines through the pantograph.
The power supply from the overhead cable is 750 volts at single-phase, and a transformer with a winding of 945 kVA converts it to a 750 Volts 50 Hz output at 3-phase. This energy is then provided to the compartments.
How is it different from the present EOG technology?
In the End on Generation (EOG) system, the ‘hotel load’ is provided with electricity from two large diesel generator sets.
The generator cars are attached to either end of the train, giving the system its name.
Benefits of HOG over EOG:
- HOG-fitted trains do not require power from diesel generators and need only one emergency generator car attached,instead of two regular generator cars.
- HOG system is free of air and noise pollution: It would bring down yearly CO2 and NOx emissions, which are currently at 1724.6 tonnes/annum and 7.48 tonnes/annum respectively, to zero.
- The reduction in emissions could also help the Railways accrue carbon credits, and trade them on the international market.
- With the noise-emitting generator sets gone, noise pollution would also drop.
Sources: pib.
