Voith Turbo’s rail division has announced details of further innovative systems solutions for railcars. Now, with the Voith DIWApack, a complete drive package has come on to the market, which should provide growth in the power class of up to 390kW. Voith Turbo believes that the drive package is particularly suitable for light local transport railcars.
The core element of the new package is the DIWA.5 transmission, of which Voith Turbo has sold over 13,000 to bus manufacturers worldwide. The reliability of the transmission, its precise gear shifts and the gear-shifting points that are controlled electronically depending on the load conditions have already proven themselves in thousands of buses. Based on this success story, as well as on a wealth of experience gained from the most frequently approved DMU rail driveline of recent years, the RS 1, the DIWA.5 transmission has been developed further for rail applications.
Apart from increasing the transmission input power to 320kW, which is ideal for drive systems with a total input power of 350kW to 390kW, the DIWA.5 has also been upgraded with a reversing mechanism. A reversing mechanism in the bogie can therefore be omitted, which is generally beneficial to travelling comfort and reliability. It also represents a less complex drive solution in the event of retrofits.
In addition to the DIWA.5 transmission and diesel engine, the new DIWApack consists of an underfloor cooling system with charge air cooling, air compressor and silencer. It also includes the corresponding peripherals containing pipes, fresh air and fuel systems.
Everything is integrated into a supporting frame unit and the well–known Voith Turbo Drive Control (VTDC) is responsible for control and communication between the components and the vehicle controller. The DIWApack is mounted elastically on the vehicle body using Voith key bearings. Universal joint shafts and axle turning gears complete the driveline.
When it comes to choosing the diesel engine to be integrated, Voith Turbo focuses on specific customer requirements. The first standard version features a six cylinder MAN 2876 engine that meets the Stage IIIA emissions standard.
With the DIWApack, Voith is expanding its role as systems supplier for the rail industry and at the same time it is responding to customer requirements for a drive unit in the lower power range for new purchases, and for remotorising light local transport railcars. Further advantages of the DIWApack include its short and flat design, the easy to handle diagnostic options in the gearbox software, as well as extensive storage of operating data.
The service–friendly design of the drive package, the ease of access to the gearbox, an integrated monitoring function to ensure that transmission overhauls are based on the condition of the transmission, as well as the wide range of approved oil types that can be selected, mean that operators will benefit in terms of their future maintenance costs. In addition to the standard version, individual customer requirements, such as a roof cooling system, larger generator, an optimised air conditioning compressor or a particulate filter can also be met.
The DIWApack rounds off the range of Voith Powerpacks in the lower power sector. Using its series production bus components, Voith Turbo can now offer a drive system for rail vehicles in the lower power class at a very attractive price.