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2. Power semiconductors
In rail traction, the weight and volume of on-board equipment must be kept to a minimum. Depending on installation constraints and the traction performance to be ensured, rolling stock manufacturers ask semiconductor manufacturers to specialize certain features in order to limit the number of components to be combined in series and/or parallel. Frequently, these components are at the limits of current technological know-how.
2.1 Component performance
In the railway sector, static converters are designed for a transfer power limited to a few megawatts, and semiconductors are subject to voltage stresses of up to 4 kV DC: this is the case for trains running under catenary with a nominal voltage of 3 kV DC, for example on the Belgian network.
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Power semiconductors
Continuous catenary input converter
