VALTHERMO RAIL RAIL
Overhead Contact Line Products
VALTHERMO - THE ECONOMICAL ALTERNATIVE
FOR CU-ETP AND CUAg0,1 IN YOUR OVERHEAD CONTACT LINE SYSTEM
° The heat-resistant copper-tin alloy CuSn0,1 VALTHERMO is one of the innovative materials from Elcowire Rail GmbH. With VALTHERMO you use an economical alternative for copper and copper-silver contact wires as well as for conventional copper stranded conductors.
VALTHERMO products can be used in AC and DC systems in local and mainline traffic for speeds of up to 250 km/h. Other fields of application can be found, for example, in trolley bus systems, port railways or in mining.
The conformity of VALTHERMO products with regard to the relevant international standards for contact wires (EN 50149 or IEC 62917) and catenary wires (IEC 63190) is fully given and thus ensures conformity with the regulations for overhead contact line systems (EN 50119 or IEC 60913), but also TSI conformity (Technical Specifications for Interoperability).
CONTACT WIRE MADE OF VALTHERMO CuSn0,1 ACCORDING TO EN 50149 AND IEC 62917
Values for VALTHERMO CuSn0,1 alloy (high tensile strength)
1) Calculated with minimum cross section.
2) Different tensile strength on request.
3) Calculated at wind 1 m/s, sun radiation 1000 W/m², 35°C ambient teperature, max. permanent operating temperature 100°C, new contact wire.
All values refer to new unworn contact wires.
Valthermo products are available for all common contact wire profiles and cable configurations. For non-standard products, please inquire about technical and commercial availability.
OVERVIEW THERMORESISTANT STRANDED CONDUCTORS
VALTHERMO MAINLY ACCORDING TO DIN 48201
1) Guide values for ampacity calculated at wind 1 m/s, sun radiation 1000 W/m², 35°C ambient teperature, max. permanent operating temperature 100°C.
Calculation for other conditions on request.
All values refer to new stranded conductor.
Other specifications according to international standards and customer requirements on request.
VALTHERMO - PROPERTIES AND ADVANTAGES:
MECHANICAL
- high-strength CuSn0,1 alloy with the same properties as high-strength CuAg0,1 contact wire
- full compatibility with all Cu-ETP and CuAg0,1 contact wires
- significantly lower wear compared to copper and copper-silver contact wires
- at least 50% lower creep strain than Cu-ETP
ELECTRICAL
- same high conductivity as technically pure copper
- higher permissible permanent operating temperature (100 °C instead of 80 °C for Cu-ETP) and temperature peaks (EN 50119 /IEC 60913)
- higher energy transmission capacity than Cu-ETP
SERVICE LIFE
- savings in contact wires changes over the systems’ service life due to lower wear
- significantly higher availability for the overhead contact line resulting from the longer service life and the reduced maintenance effort
- LCC and CO2 savings potential (proven in a joint study with the Chair of Elektrische Bahnen at the Technical University of Dresden)
INSTALLATION
- reduced or no need for adjustment due to less creep compared to pure copper
- same handling during installation as with Cu-ETP and CuAg0,1
VALTHERMO - OVERHEAD CONTACT LINE PRODUCTS
USED COMMERCIALLY SINCE 2012
» over 6.500 tons of contact wires and stranded conductors supplied
» approx. 100 customers in more than 10 countries
» local and mainline transportation, trolleybus applications and overhead conductor rail applications
Since its commercial market launch in 2012, VALTHERMO has contributed to the electrification of a wide variety of railway applications and is now internationally established.
VALTHERMO has been used in the following projects in recent years:
» GZU Freight train bypass of St. Pölten in Lower Austria on the western line of ÖBB Infrastruktur, Austria
» Electrification of Graz-Köflacher-Bahn, Austria
» SBB-PROJEKT FFWF - Contact wire renewal Frauenfeld-Weinfelden, Switzerland
» Alp-Transit-Gotthard AG used in Ceneri-base tunnel; usage for overhead conductor rail, Schweiz
» Elektrification of the “Südbahn Ulm-FriedrichshafenLindau“, Germany
» New line of Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe AG from Radebeul-West to Weinböhla, Germany
» Tallina Linnatranspordi AS, expansion of the largest tram network in Estonia
» VALTHERMO for the light rail in Edmonton / Alberta, Canada
» Various uses in France in Grenoble local transport network, Strasbourg, Saint-Etienne and Lyon
MILESTONES SO FAR
SEPTEMBER 2012
Field testing in the DB Netz area (VALTHERMO compared with Cu, CuAg0,1 und CuMg0,2)
SINCE JANUARY 2013
Component compatibility testing (system-specific)
MAY 2014
First comparative wear measurement as part of field testing at DB Netz, Germany
AUGUST 2014
Approval by DB Netz, inclusion of contact wire CuSn0,1 AC-100 mm² in the Deutsche Bahn Ebs-Zeichnungswerk
JANUARY 2015
1st Deutsche Bahn project delivery
MARCH 2015
Approval by ÖBB-Infrastruktur for catenary wire CuMg0,2 Tragseil 70 mm²
FEBRUARY 2016
Approval by ÖBB-Infrastruktur for CuSn0,1 contact wires Profilfahrdrähte 100 mm² and 120 mm²
SEPTEMBER 2016
VALTHERMO considered for the Deutsche Bahn Innovation Award (VALTHERMO positioned in the top 10 innovations at the InnoTrans trade fair 2016)
» Australien Canberra Light Rail
» Renewal and new construction of the Waldenburger Bahn (WB), Switzerland
» Project new high-tech tram network in Cochabamba, Bolivia
» TEC Charleroi, Belgium
» Renewal of the Isle of Man Tram Line
JULY 2017
Grenoble‘s public transport system switches from Cu-ETP to VALTHERMO for maintenance
AUGUST 2017
First deliveries of 95 mm² VALTHERMO catenary wire for various railway operators in Switzerland
NOVEMBER 2017
Approval by SBB-Infrastruktur for contact wire CuSn0,1 AC-107 mm²
NOVEMBER 2018
Infrabel in Belgium and SNCF France agreed on performing field trials
JUNE 2019
First installation of VALTHERMO contact wire AC-100 mm² and VALTHERMO catenary wire 150 mm²-37x2,25 mm in DC application at Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe AG
JULY 2021
Second comparative wear measurement as part of field testing at DB Netz and publication of eb- Elektrische Bahnen - Statistical evaluation of the wear of contact wires made of different materials after 5,5 years of service
MAY 2022
Approval by DB Netz, inclusion of contact wire CuSn0,1 AC-120 mm² in the Deutsche Bahn Ebs-Zeichnungswerk
THE MOST IMPORTANT ARGUMENTS FOR VALTHERMO
The VALTHERMO contact wire has been used commercially by DB Netz since 2014 as an alternative to other materials and is now also used commercially by many other railway operators.
This results in significant advantages for VALTHERMO contact wires and catenary wires compared to Cu-ETP:
» at least twice the expected service life for contact wires
» approx. 20% higher ampacity than Cu-ETP
» a creep strain that is lower in a ratio of around 1:3 to 1:2
LIFETIME IN COMPARISON TO CU-ETP [%] LOCATIONS OF MAX. WEAR
Source: E. Helwig, A. Stephan, F. Pupke; Lebenszykluskosten von Fahrdrähten – neue Erkenntnisse aus mehrjährigen Betriebserprobungen; eb Elektrische Bahnen 115, Heft 2-3 (2017), S. 60 - 68
CREEP STRAIN OF AC-100 after 90 D WITH 10kN LOAD [‰]
LIFETIME IN COMPARISON TO CU-ETP [%] MEAN VALUE OF 5 LOCATIONS WITH CRITICAL WEAR
Source: Elcowire Rail GmbH Cu-ETP CuAg0,1 VALTHERMO Cu-ETP CuAg0,1 VALTHERMO
Source: T. Bregulla, F. Aufschläger, A. Stephan, F. Pupke, T. Nickel; Statistische Auswertung des Verschleißes von Fahrdrähten unterschiedlicher Werkstoffe; eb Elektrische Bahnen 119, Heft 7-8 (2021), S. 282 - 290
SUSTAINABILITY - THE ECOVADIS ASSESSMENT OF ELCOWIRE RAIL GMBH WAS SUCCESSFULLY CARRIED OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2023. THE AIM IS TO CONTINUE THIS SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT.
Please contact us if you would like to receive a special print of the eb publications.
CONTACT
Elcowire Group AB Elektrogatan 20, 251 09 Helsingborg, Sweden
Elcowire Group | LinkedIn elcowire.com
