Toshiba's Hybrid Propulsion System to Power Twilight Express Mizukaze, West Japan Railway Company's Luxurious Sleeper Train
16/06/2017
Mizukaze is a new superluxury sleeper train that elegantly captures the concept of a hotel rolling through the beautiful Japanese landscape superior quality with a touch of nostalgia. It will run in West Japan, a region offering a wealth of tradition and unspoiled Japanese landscape, including the rich history and culture of Kyoto, Matsue, Izumo and Miyajima. It will also run on both electrified track and non-electrified tracks; on the latter thanks to a hybrid propulsion system that supplies electricity generated by a diesel generator and battery.
Train propulsion systems are generally located under the floor. As Mizukaze also has to fit in a water tank to serve the showers installed on the train, the propulsion system had to be compact. Toshiba and JR West together developed the system. Instead of the usual semiconductors used in trains, they adopted low-voltage power semiconductors found in cars, etc., in the main converters that control the motor and battery, achieving a smaller, lighter system, including a water cooling system without the large external cooling fins of conventional systems. As the propulsion system is smaller, the main converters can be installed on the roof of the train, contributing to realization of high quality design without affecting the overall lines of the train design.
Toshiba's SCiB lithium-ion rechargeable battery cells, which charge during braking and supply energy during acceleration, realize efficiently energy use and improve fuel economy and environmental performance. The motor is a totally enclosed design that eliminates the need for cleaning throughout the service life, while minimizing maintenance and reducing noise.
Toshiba will develop railway equipment and systems that meet concepts defined by individual railways and that deliver safety and convenience.
Twilight Express Mizukaze
*Photo courtesy of JR West
Toshiba's Hybrid Propulsion System
*Photo courtesy of JR West
Toshiba's SCiB lithium-ion rechargeable battery cells
Toshiba's Motor
More from Toshiba
22/03/2021
Toshiba Executes Strategic Alliance Agreement and Invests in Counter-Drone Security Company Fortem Technologies, Inc.
Toshiba Corporation Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation TOK...
16/03/2021
Toshiba and Midtown Clinic Have Signed a Joint Research Agreement on microRNA Detection Technology for Early Detection of Cancer
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) has executed a joint research agreement...
09/03/2021
Establishment of a Carbon Neutral LNG Buyers Alliance
Toshiba Corporation Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. Isuzu Motors Ltd. Olympus Corporation Sakai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Duskin Co., Ltd...
24/02/2021
Toshiba a Clarivate Top 100 Global Innovators 2021 for Tenth Consecutive Year
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation's (TOKYO: 6502) long-standing dedication to driving forward technological innovation has once again secured its selection for the ...
19/02/2021
Toshiba Appoints Executive Officers for Each Region, Establishes Sustainability Management Division
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced that it has appointed ex...
19/02/2021
Toshiba Recognized by CDP as Supplier Engagement Leader in Efforts to Counter Climate Change throughout Value Chain
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) has been recognized as a Supplier Engag...
14/01/2021
Toshiba Group Publishes English Edition of Sustainability Report 2020
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today published the English edition of Toshiba Group Sustainability Report 2020, which outlines the Groups sustainabili...
16/12/2020
Toshiba Receives Rating from JCR and Withdraws from Rating by Moody's
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced that it has received the rating detailed below from Japan Credit Rating Agency, Ltd. (JCR), and that it...
10/12/2020
Toshiba Awarded Highest Rating in CDP Climate Change Report 2020
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) has been selected for the prestigious A List in the Climate Change Report 2020 released by CDP, the international non-...
04/12/2020
Toshiba Group Holds FY2020 Technology Strategy Briefing
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today held the Toshiba Group FY2020 Technology Strategy Briefing, where it unveiled the strategy and technologies that ...
04/12/2020
Launch of IIoT Service Portal Site TOSHIBA SPINEX Marketplace
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today opened the TOSHIBA SPINEX brand (*1) industrial IoT (IIoT) service (*2) portal site TOSHIBA SPINEX Marketplace (*...
30/10/2020
Toshiba Honored with Five Accolades at GOOD DESIGN AWARD 2020
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) has clinched five*1 distinctions at the Japan's Good Design Award 2020. This annual awards sponsored by the Japan ...
19/10/2020
Toshiba launches Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) System Business
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO:6502) today announced it will start providing quantum key distribution (QKD) platforms and commence deployment of a system inte...
15/10/2020
Toshiba to Participate in Preparatory Group for Japan Hydrogen Association
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced that the company has participated in the preparatory group for the launch of the Japan Hydrogen Associat...
23/09/2020
Toshiba Establishes a New Project Team to Secure Further Growth as an Infrastructure Services Company
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced that Infrastructure Serv...
19/09/2020
Toshiba Submits Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Targets to Science Based Targets initiative for Validation
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502), in its June 5 announcement, The Toshib...
04/09/2020
Toshiba Publishes English Edition of Cyber Security Report 2020
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) has published the English edition of Toshiba Group Cyber Security Report 2020, a report of cyber security policy, meas...
13/08/2020
Toshibas New R&D Complex be an Incubator for Cutting Edge Technologies, and a New Landmark for Kawasaki
TOKYO--Thanks to Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502), the Komukai district of Kawa...
07/08/2020
Toshiba a Derwent Top 100 Global Innovators 2020 for Ninth Consecutive Year
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation's (TOKYO: 6502) long-standing dedication to driving forward technological innovation has once again secured its selection for the ...
07/08/2020
Toshiba Transfers Shares in Dynabook to Sharp
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) hereby announces that it has transferred the 19.9% of the outstanding shares in Dynabook Inc. that it held to Sharp Corp...
27/07/2020
Toshiba Published Brand Video to Introduce the Essence of Toshiba
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) has released a new brand video, We are Toshiba 2020, that shines a spotlight on Toshiba Group employees around the wor...
17/07/2020
Glass Lewis Joins ISS in Recommending Toshiba Shareholders Vote FOR the Election of All 12 Toshiba Director Nominees
Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced that Glass Lewis & Co. ( Glass...
17/07/2020
Leading Independent Proxy Advisory Firm ISS Recommends Toshiba Shareholders Vote FOR the Election of All 12 Toshiba Director Nominees
Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced that Institutional Shareholder...
08/07/2020
Toshiba Establishes Compliance Advisory Meeting
TOKYO Following on from its June 5 announcement of comprehensive measures to bolster internal controls, Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today established a Co...
19/06/2020
Toshiba Groups Response to COVID-19
Toshiba Group is responding to the global coronavirus pandemic with measures that prioritize the safety of our employees and their families, and of our customer...
11/06/2020
The new factory for the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) antigen test kit
Miraca Holdings Inc. President and Group CEO Shigekazu Takeuchi Toshiba Corporation President & CEO Nobuaki Kurumatani Hitachi, Ltd. President & CEO Toshia...
29/05/2020
Toshiba's New Subsidiary to Advance Process Reforms of Toshiba Next Plan
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced that it will establish a new wholly owned subsidiary dedicated to developing a next-generation core sys...
27/05/2020
Toshiba to Transfer Logistics Services Business to SBS Holdings, Inc.
SBS Holdings, Inc. Toshiba Corporation TOKYO SBS Holdings, Inc. (TOKYO: 2384, hereinafter SBSHD ) and Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today signed a share ...
16/04/2020
Reduction of Business Days in April at Toshiba Corporation and Toshiba Group Companies in Japan
In response to the Japanese government's strong request to people to observe...
30/03/2020
User Experience with New DIY style IoT ifLink Open Community
Toshiba Corporation Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation TOKYO--Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) and Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation (hereinafter TDS...
23/03/2020
Toshibas SCiBTM Rechargeable Battery Selected for Mitsubishi Motors New Super Height Kei Wagon eK X space and eK space
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced that Mitsubishi Motors C...
23/03/2020
Toshibas SCiBTM Rechargeable Battery Selected for Nissans ROOX
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced that Nissan Motor Corporation has selected its innovative SCiB lithium-ion rechargeable battery for the...
04/03/2020
Toshiba Data Joins Smart City Aizu
Tokyo Toshiba Data Corporation (hereinafter Toshiba Data ) today announced the opening of a new branch office from this month in Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima ...
03/03/2020
Toshiba Names Taro Shimada to Head its Digital Solutions Business
Toshiba Corporation Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) and Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation (hereinafter TDSL...
08/02/2020
Toshiba to Reorganize Subsidiaries Providing Corporate Staff Services
TOKYO--Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today announced that it will unify two companies that are part of its corporate staff function into a single company. T...
03/02/2020
Toshiba's New Company will Co-create an Ecosystem through Cyber Physical Systems Technology Where Everyone Can Enjoy the Benefits of Data
Tokyo Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502, hereinafter Toshiba ) today established...
19/01/2020
Toshiba Reinforces Strategy Planning Function for Strategic Transformation to CPS Technology Company
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) announced today that Masaharu Kamo, a f...
17/01/2020
Toshiba Publishes English Edition of CSR Report 2019
TOKYO--Toshiba Corporation (Tokyo: 6502) today announced that the English edition of the Toshiba Group Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2019 (hereinafter ...
28/11/2019
Toshiba Group Holds FY2019 Technology Strategy Briefing
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) today held the Toshiba Group FY2019 Technology Strategy Briefing, where it unveiled the strategy and technologies that w...
06/11/2019
The New ifLink Open Community Will Bring IoT Solutions to More Services and Products
Toshiba Corporation Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation Toshiba Corporation ...
06/11/2019
Toshiba Group Joins Open Invention Network Community
Tokyo Toshiba Corporation (Tokyo: 6502) announced today that Toshiba Group has joined Open Invention Network (OIN) as a community member. OIN is a community th...
29/10/2019
Toshiba Group Develops Inspection Technology for Plant Facilities and Equipment in High Inaccessible Places [video]
Toshiba Corporation Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation TOKYO Toshi...
26/09/2019
Toshiba Group to Reorganize Management Structure of Companies Offering Corporate Staff Services
TOKYO Toshiba Group (TOKYO: 6502) has announced that it will unify four companie...
09/09/2019
Toshiba and transcosmos Agree to Share Transfer of Company Established for Business Split From Toshiba Human Asset Service Corporation
Toshiba Corporation transcosmos inc. TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) a...
30/08/2019
Kanazawa University, Toshiba and Toshiba Digital Solutions Start Joint Research Applying AI to Treatment of Aggravated Diabetic Nephropathy
Kanazawa University Toshiba Corporation Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation ...
28/08/2019
Toshiba Publishes English Edition of Cyber Security Report 2019
TOKYO Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) has published the English edition of its Cyber Security Report 2019, the company's first publication focusing on Tos...
28/08/2019
Basic Agreement to Discuss Potential Collaboration for Nuclear Energy Business (Boiling Water Reactors)
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. Chubu Electric Power Co.,Inc. Hita...
21/08/2019
Toshiba to Propose Solutions Supporting Africas Growth and Development at TICAD7
Toshiba Corporation Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation Yokohama, Japan Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) and Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Co...
09/08/2019
Notice on Media Coverage Related to Alliance in Nuclear Power Business
Tokyo A certain online publication this morning carried a report on plans for Higashidori Nuclear Power Station in Aomori prefecture, Japan, stating that Tokyo ...