USSR DIESEL-ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600360341-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 22, 2011
• Sequence Number: 341
• Publication Date: November 27, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO,
COUNTRY USSR
HOW
PUBLISHED Monthly periodical
WHERE
PUBLISHED Moscow
DATE
PUBLISHED Feb l95')
LANGUAGE
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE YIANIMO OF ISPIOMA09 ACT SO
U. S. C.. 21
AIIO S[, AS 0500300. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION
0! ITS COOTINri IN AMT MANNER TO AN UMAUTN ORI[ID PERSON I! FAO?
NISIT0D ET LAW. REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM IS FROHIIITIO.
DATE OF
INFORMATION 1950
DATE DIST.al Nov 1950
NO. OF PAGES 4
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
USSR DIESEL-ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES
Ye. Ya. Gakkel'
Cand Tech Sci, Doc Leningrad
figures referred to are appended
During the past 25 yearg'many types of diesel locomotives with electric
drive have been produced'in the USSR and abroad, as a result of the initial de-
velopment work in our country.
In most cases the electric drive consists of an independently excited do '
generator and a series traction motor. The traction motors usually have individ-
ual drive and streetcar system of suspension. The chief difference in principle
between the various electric circuits lies in the system and methods used to reg-
ulate the voltage at the generator terminals. We give below a brief survey of
some of the electric circuits of USSR diesel locomotives which are interesting
as examples showing the lines along which the electric drive has developed.
The circuit of the Ge-1 (Shch-EL-1) locomotive was influenced by the fact
that the manufacturing facilities available made it necessary to split the power
between two generators. However, this fact was utilized by designers Ya. M. Gak-
kel' and V. F. Mitkevich to improve the regulation. The generators run in paral-
lel and in series, while the traction motors are permanently connected in paral-
lel. Provision is made for one generator to feed five motors. The voltage at
the generator terminals is controlled by a rheostat in the excitation circuit..
One generator is used as a motor to start the internal-combustion engine, during
which process it is fed from a storage battery.
The circuit of t':a E-EL-2 locomotive, in contrast to that of the Shch-EL-1,
is a quadratic generator-motor system.' This gives 26 voltage regulation steps,
with'a small controller. However, due to generator switching, acceleration is
not as smooth as'that of the Shch-EL-1. No provision is made for using a generator
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CONFIDENTIAL
as a starting motor. The exciter group is driven by a separate auxiliary
internal-combustion engine. As can be seen, this locomotive aas more electri-
cal equipment than the Shch-EL-1, without any improvement in regulation and
with poorer utilization of the possibilities of electric drive. The five
traction motors are permanently connected in parallel; the streetcar system
of suspension is used.
The :first automatic regulation system for a heavy-duty locomotive i.s
that of the Ge-19 (Figure 1), which was the first locomotive to have group-
driven traction motors. In contrast to previous schemes, the voltage at the
generator terminals is altered by varying the speed of the diesel. Power is
automatically kept constant at a given diesel speed when the generator load
current varies by means of the exciter, which operates as a voltage-dropping
device since one of its windings is fed from part of the generator load cur-
rent. The designer, Prof Ya. M. Gakkel', took cut a patent in 1928 under the
title "Automatic Regulation of DC Generators for the Purpose of Maintaining
Constant Power," including three varients of the scheme. (Patent No 6396
published 19 September 1928 in accordance with Application No 9012 of 11 June
1926). This was no deterrent to foreign firms who suggested similar schemes
more than 10 years later and claimed world priority in this field.
The plans for the Ge-19 diesel locomotive drawn up by the Bureau for
Constructing Ya. M. Gakkel' Diesel Locomotives were approved by the People's
Commissariat for Railroad Communications under the designation E-EL-4. Un-
fortunately, this locomotive was not built because the "Krasnyy Putilovets"
plant which took the work in hand ceased building locomotives in 1928.
The circuit (Figure 2)and general arrangement of the electric drive of
the DEGAT "DizelI," "Elektrosila," Gakkel', Alekseyev, Teplovoz 1,900-hp die-
sel locomotive are of interest. The project placed first tt the International
Competition for Diesel Locomotive Projects held in Moscow in 1928. It was de-
signed by Ya. M. Gakkel', A. Ye. Alekseyev, and engineers of the "Elektrosila,"
and "Russkiy Dizell" plants. The traction motors are of the vertical, double
support-frame type located at the two ends of the locomotive frame with a shaft
drive to three of the six coupled axles from each double motor. The voltage
at the generator terminals is altered by a rheostat in the excitation circuit
of the exciter. The traction motors are usually connected in parallel. In
the freight model only, it is possible to connect pairs of motors in series
so as to avoid overheating the generator when there is a heavy load of rolling
stock on the drawbars.
C O 'FIDEN TM
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The diesel locomotives built by the Kolomenskiy plant in 1929 - 1937 -- the
serially produced 1,050-hp main line E-EL train locomotive, the experimental
600-hp 0-EL switching engine, and also the first segmented, two-unit diesel lo-
comotive, the 2 x 1,050-hp type VM -- have the'same circuit in principle. The
chief differences are in the load circuit of the generator, as the number of
traction motors varies according to type. One of the two 0-EL type locomotives
has a group drive from one support-frame motor; all the others have individual
drive and streetcar motor suspension. In the control system of the locomotives
of the Kolomenskiy plant, there is a tendency toward unified control of the en-
tire power equipment of the locomotive. This is done through two controllers --
a drive controller, whose purpose is to alter the voltage at the generator ter-
minals by introducing a rheostat into its excitation circuit, and an excitation
controller, whose purpose is to maintain constant voltage at the exciter termin-
als. The excitation controller shaft is mechanically connected with the dri-:e
of the fuel regulator. When the shaft turns, the supply of fuel to the engine
cylinders is increased at the same time as the resistance in the excitation cir-
cuit of the exciter is increased. As a result, the voltage at the exciter ter-
minals is kept constant at all diesel speeds.
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CO FIDE T !
Since 1947, the Kharkov Diesel Locomotive-Building Plant, in conjunction
with the Kharkov Electromechanical Plant and the "Dinamo" Plant, has been carry-
ing out serial production of 1,000-hp TE-1 diesel locomotives. These locomotives
were the first to vary the generator voltage over a wide r&.nge by altering the
diesel speed. Control is from the engineer's cab through an electropneumatic sys-
tem connected to the fuel equipment. The controller has eight positions, corre-
sponding tc, diesel speeds of 270-740 rpm and, consequently, to different generator
voltages. Automatic regulation of the generator for the purpose of maintaining
constant power at constant speed while the load current varies, is accomplished
by differential-compound excitation of the exciter by the load current of the
generator. To improve regulation of the locomotive, the circuit (Figure 3) pro-
vides for series and series-parallel connection of the traction motors and also
for weakening their excitation. The corresponding connections take place auto-
matically when the locomotive attains the specified motor speeds. Great atten-
tion has been paid to automatic protection -- there is a maximum current relay,
an. ir. 'rlocking relay, a relay for shutting off engine fuel in the event of in-
sufficient lubrication, etc. The TE-1 locomotive has many of the features of
the Shch-EL-1. These include the use of a generator as a starting motor for the
diesel, individual drive for the traction motors, and flat tubular coolers.
This confirms the correctness of the trend of USSR technology, from the be-
ginning, of diesel locomotive construction. It also spotlights the fact that the
multiplicity of diesel-electric locomotives abroad, particularly in the USA, is
due in many cases, not to the discovery of better systems, but to the personal
enrichment of the industrialists who hold the patents.
The orderly development of all branches of USSR technology is reflected in
many improvements to the diesel locomotive. The TE-1 diesel is supercharged,
the energy in the exhaust gases being used for this purpose. This increases the
engine's power by more than 25%. Moreover, the diesel is very flexible, which
characteristic, in conjunction with the use of a regulai-or effective over the
full range, enables generator voltage to be regulated by altering diesel speed.
The diesel-generator group has a common shaft which increases the over-all ef-
ficiency of the unit. The traction motors have forced cooling which increases
their overload capacity. Extensive use of modern relays and contactors ensures
protection for the power circuit elements and automatic switching in its electri-
cal circuit. Automatic generator regulation is of great importance in regard to
the most advantageous utilization of all the power elements, i.e., diesel engine,
generator, and traction motors. As a result of all the improvements, the ef-
ficiency of the diesel locomotive has already reached the value 29-30%, and fuel
consumption has been reduced to 40-45 kg per 10,000 ton-km gross.
At the beginning of 1949 the Kharkov plant produced the first new TE-2
segmented (two-unit) diesel locomotive, which is a combination of two 1,000-hp
units controlled from one position by means of a multiple unit system. The power
equipment of each unit is similar to that of the TE-1. There is a difference in
the traction motor circuit; there are only four motors instead of six. Since
there Is a corresponding reduction in the number of axles, the construction of the
frame is lighter in order to maintain the axle loading within the permitted limits.
As a result of all the changes, the weight of the locomotive is ver,,' low--84 kg/hp.
Thus, it is apparent that the new type of traction started 25 years ago is
being successfully developed and all the premises on which its design was based
are fully justified.
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CONFIDENTIAL
Figure 1
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