A Review on Different Aspects of Traction Motor Design for Railway Applications

This article presents a review in three parts on the current traction motor topologies available in the railway market. In the first part, essential aspects of the electromagnetic design of railway traction motors, e.g., motor sizing and rotor configurations, are discussed. Different topologies are compared considering the wide range of applications. The pros and cons of each topology in specific applications are highlighted based on the corresponding performance requirements. In the second part, different cooling configurations of traction motors common in railway are reviewed, focusing on the solutions based on air cooling. The third part presents a review of the available insulation systems for traction motors. Two primary insulation systems used in traction applications with thermal classes of H and N are discussed. The focus in this article is placed on the main applications in railway including light rail vehicles, metros, electric multiple units, high-speed trains, and locomotives. Additionally, trends in traction motors development in the coming years are reported separately for electromagnetic, cooling, and insulation designs.