Mitsubishi Electric uses train brakes to generate power

• 12 years ago (2012-08-09)
• David Flin

Asia 892 North America 1021

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Mitsubishi Electric has announced that it will begin an experiment that will involve the generation of electricity from train carriages when their brakes are applied. The Japanese manufacturer said that the experiment will last for about two months, and will take place at the Nishi-Funabashi Station, located east of Tokyo in Chiba Prefecture. The company said that the goal is to reduce the amount of electricity used at the station by approximately 16 percent.

The power that is generated from the braking trains is intended to be used to power lighting systems and air conditioners in the station. Mitsubishi said that regenerative power from brakes has been used in the past to provide electricity to train carriages during peak rush hour times, but this will be one of the first instances when it is used to power appliances of a train station.

If this experiment is successful, and the means to generate power from braking trains can be used across the country, it has the potential to make a huge impact. Trains are by far the most used form of transportation in Japan. It is not yet clear how much electricity could be generated, but Mitsubishi said that it was confident that it could provide a significant contribution.