In a bid to reduce manual intervention, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is all set to install state-of-the-art ‘health monitoring’ equipment in metro trains! The equipment will help detect faults in the major components of the rake and will generate an alarm. A DMRC official told Financial Express Online that the corporation is moving from a time-based maintenance of trains to condition-based maintenance. At present, different components of a metro train have a fixed schedule for maintenance, during which they are reviewed. However, Delhi Metro wants to come up with a system where components, which are at risk of developing a glitch could be detected as soon as possible and resolved.
According to DMRC, the special equipment will be installed in metro trains in order to monitor the health of systems, so that the maintenance can be optimized. Primarily, the equipment will monitor the major components such as bearings, springs, wheels, suspensions, etc. The equipment will also make sure that unnecessary maintenance is not carried out where it is not required.
At present, all Delhi Metro trains are micro-processor controlled and with the help of the new equipment, DMRC plans to make the whole system more state-of-the-art. Additionally, the system will also keep a constant check on different on-board systems as well as components. While stating an example, DMRC said that if some equipment is able to gauge overheating of a component, an alarm will be generated and if required, the train would be withdrawn from service. Also, the equipment will monitor the air-conditioning inside the rakes.
Interestingly, DMRC is also eyeing to be the first 100 per cent green energy rail network in the world. Recently, the corporation received 27 MW power from the Rewa Solar Power Project, Madhya Pradesh. Also, this is the first time for DMRC to receive power from an “offsite source”. Till now, the solar power generated by roof-top solar plants installed in the premises of DMRC was used for auxiliary requirements like air conditioning, lighting of metro stations, depots, etc. But, now the solar power coming from the solar power project would also be used to operate the Delhi Metro trains.