Power electronics course for electric trains
Online course of 300 hours in power electronics for electric trains: 6 modules covering railway electrification systems, the railway traction chain, railway semiconductors and converters, energy storage and catenary-free trains and compatibility, safety and authorisation, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Describe railway electrification systems and their interaction with the train.
Analyse the railway traction chain from pantograph to motor.
Select semiconductors and converters for railway traction.
Evaluate energy storage solutions and catenary-free trains.
Apply European compatibility, safety and interoperability regulations.
Carry out RAMS analyses of traction equipment.
Design the traction chain of an electric train.
Who it's for
- Railway traction engineers.
- Railway power electronics engineers.
- Rolling stock engineers.
- Railway homologation engineers.
- RAMS engineers.
- Train maintenance engineers.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to move into rolling stock manufacturing.
What you'll work with
- EN 50155 (electronic equipment for rolling stock)
- EN 61287-1 (on-board power converters)
- EN 50121-3-2 (electromagnetic compatibility of rolling stock)
- EN 50163 (supply voltages of traction systems)
- EN 50124-1 (railway insulation coordination)
- EN 45545-2 (fire protection on railway vehicles)
- EN 50126-1 (RAMS specification and demonstration)
- Regulation (EU) No 1302/2014 (TSI for locomotives and passenger rolling stock)
- MATLAB/Simulink
- PLECS
- OpenTrack
- PSCAD
- Simscape Electrical
6 modules
1.1DC electrification: 600 V, 1.5 kV and 3 kV1.2AC electrification at 15 kV and 25 kV1.3Traction substations1.4Overhead catenary and third rail1.5Current collection by pantograph1.6Multi-system trains and voltage changeovers1.7Voltages on the Spanish rail network1.8Trams and light rail1.9Interaction between train and power supply network1.10Case study: power supply for a commuter rail line
2.1On-board main transformer2.2Four-quadrant rectifier2.3DC link and braking chopper2.4Railway traction inverters2.5Asynchronous and permanent-magnet motors in rail2.6Distributed versus concentrated traction2.7Wheel-rail adhesion control2.8Regenerative and rheostatic braking2.9Train auxiliary converters2.10Lab: 25 kV traction chain in simulation
3.13.3 kV and 6.5 kV IGBTs3.2Evolution from GTO thyristors3.3Silicon carbide in railway traction3.4Multilevel railway converters3.5Medium-frequency transformers3.6Cooling of on-board converters3.7Thermal cycling and in-service reliability3.8Maintenance of traction converters3.9Solutions from Talgo, Alstom and Siemens3.10Practical exercise: life estimation of an IGBT module
4.1Battery trains (BEMU)4.2Supercapacitors in trams4.3Energy recovery at substations4.4Hydrogen fuel cell trains4.5Catenary-free sections and charging at stations4.6On-board energy management4.7Sizing railway batteries4.8Battery safety in rolling stock4.9Diesel, batteries and hydrogen compared4.10Case study: replacing a diesel train with a BEMU
5.1Railway electromagnetic compatibility5.2Compatibility with track circuits5.3Insulation coordination5.4Environmental conditions for rolling stock5.5Fire protection in railway vehicles5.6Technical specifications for interoperability5.7Authorisation for placing on the market5.8Type tests for railway converters5.9Reliability, availability, maintainability and safety5.10Workshop: RAMS analysis of a traction converter
6.1Reference train and line6.2Tractive effort and running resistance6.3Proposed traction chain6.4Selected traction converters6.5The train's regenerative braking strategy6.6Run simulation on the line6.7Energy consumption per journey6.8Technical assessment of the proposal6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with your tutor
How you'll learn
100% online programme on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable materials, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so you can combine it with your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is MATLAB/Simulink, PLECS, OpenTrack, PSCAD and Simscape Electrical, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied on real procedures: sizing the traction chain of a commuter train, a study on replacing a diesel train with a battery train and a RAMS analysis of an on-board converter. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final capstone project.
Standards covered: EN 50155, EN 61287-1, EN 50121-3-2, EN 50163, EN 50124-1, EN 45545-2, EN 50126-1, Regulation (EU) No 1302/2014.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- An internet connection and a computer able to run the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with MATLAB/Simulink, PLECS, OpenTrack, PSCAD and Simscape Electrical, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required: you need an internet connection, a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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