The carbon fiber metro train CETROVO 1.0, that CRRC developed for Qingdao Metro Line 1, was launched in Qingdao. First presented at InnoTrans 2018, it is the world’s first carbon fiber metro train for commercial operation. 11% lighter than traditional metro trains, it offers significant advantages such as lighter weight and higher energy efficiency, leading metro trains in green development.
The metro train’s body, bogie frame and other main bearing structures are made of carbon fiber composite materials, realizing a new upgrade of vehicle performance, with lighter and more energy-efficient, higher strength, stronger environmental resilience, lower whole life cycle operation and maintenance costs and other technical advantages.
Made of carbon fiber composites, the trains deliver significant weight reduction. Compared to their traditional metal-based counterparts, their body is 25% lighter, bogie 50%, overall 11%, and their operating energy consumption is cut down by 7%, the company claims.
For each train carbon dioxide emissions can be cut by about 130 tons per year. Traditional metro trains are mainly made of metal materials such as steel and aluminum alloys, which cause light-weighting bottlenecks due to their nature.
Carbon fiber, however, is known as the “king of new materials” as it is light, strong, resistant to fatigue and corrosion. In fact, its strength is more than 5 times that of steel, but its weight is less than 1/4, making it ideal for light-weighting of rail vehicles.
In the field of rail transit technology, lightweighting refers to minimizing the weight of the vehicle body and reducing the operating energy consumption, while maintaining the performance. It is a key technology for green and low-carbon rail vehicles.
At present, the carbon fiber metro train has completed the factory type test. According to the plan, it is expected to soon begin passenger demonstration operation in Qingdao Metro Line 1.
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