Knorr Bremse was back at AusRAIL PLUS to showcase its popular HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) technology, which combines eco-friendly features with the next level in passenger comfort.
And apart from ensuring quiet systems and smart pressure wave compensation that ensure passengers enjoy a smooth and peaceful journey, its active air purification system has proven to eliminate a range of viruses, including COVID, throughout the train interior.
Knorr Bremse HVAC rail director Joe Schembri said visitor response at AusRAIL had been excellent, in particular from operators who were very interested in the solutions to make trains a lot healthier to ride.
“We ensure sterile air, as opposed to just filtered air,” he said. “Our sanitisation devices clean the air inside trains, killing pathogens such as COVID and influenza.
“COVID may be easing, but you still have other viruses, you still have people packed on trains and our system actually kills the pathogens at the passenger level as opposed to the air conditioning system itself.”
Schembri said Knorr Bremse was “doing a lot of work” on energy efficiency as well.
“We are making our systems a lot greener. New refrigerants are starting to come on board, replacing traditional refrigerants; so there are more natural envronmentally-friendly refrigerants, CO2, propane, these types of things which are we are now introducing into the Australian market,” he said.
Another product on show was a water-cooling system for locomotive batteries.
“Many electric locomotives now require batteries, and these batteries need to be cooled, in particular in high ambient temperatures,” Schembri said.
“So we’ve developed a water cooling system that can be either retrofitted onto existing or new rolling stock, which cools the batteries.
“It’s a brand new product. We’re currently working with a number of companies to introduce it not only in Australia but around the world.
“This is leading edge. Some of the companies that we’re working with are looking at adopting this type of technology.”
