Chinese train can hit 310 mph, was inspired by ancient sword

For those of you business people who commute regularly by train, there is word from China about a new engine that is shattering speed records and promising to get you to your destination in considerably less time.

Pictured above is the modified CRH-380A train, built by Sifang Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co., that is shattering speed records set by its big brother, the CRH-380. Capable of speeds of 310 mph, the CRH-380A travels a neck-breaking 130 mph faster than the CRH-380 making it the fastest train in the world. What is fascinating is the fact that the engine doesn’t use some sort of special maglev track to accomplish these kinds of speeds, just the same old steel rails that have been used since the invention of the locomotive.

Said to have been inspired by the shape of an ancient Chinese sword, the CRH-380A achieves its incredible speed by using a power plant that has a maximum power draw of 22,800 kilowatts, double that of the engine in the 380. Along with the larger engine, Sifang engineers lightened the body of the train by creating it out of plastics that are reinforced with carbon fiber. While this doesn’t offer much protection in the case of a crash (not that trains crash often), it certainly cuts down on the weight of the vehicle.

Along with carbon fiber, the train was constructed with magnesium alloy and sound dampening materials to cut down on the wind noise for people riding inside of the cabins. The elongated bullet nose at the head of the six-car train also comes into play as it’s engineered to cut down on the total wind resistance of the train.

The CRH-380A has been approved by The Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Science and Technology in China for use in January of next year. It will be used for passenger transport as well as studies on the effects of high-speed travel on both the rails and train itself. This puts China well ahead (again) of the US in terms of rail-based transport. The Amtrak Acela, the fastest train in America, tops out at the pedestrian speed of 165 mph. To complete its daily run from Boston to Washington DC it takes the Acela seven hours — if the CRH-380A was placed on the same run, it could complete the trip in a little under three and a half hours. A run time like that would give a serious challenge to air-based shuttles between the two cities.

Read more at China Daily

Source: http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-pick/chinese-train-inspired-by-ancient-sword-achieves-speeds-of-310-mph-20111231/

International Business Machines (Ibm) Interdigital Communications Intel Insight Enterprises Ingram Micro Informatica Infocus