Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the second busiest in the United States, is building an Automated People Mover (APM), an electric train system to provide convenient, reliable, and timely connections to terminals for passengers and employees.
Los Angeles World Airports decided to adopt a traction energy storage system to provide backup power to the APM in the event of a power outage. Under a supply agreement with Rosendin Electric, the APM electrical contractor working for LINXS Constructors, ABB was awarded a contract to design and supply three Enviline™ ESS – Energy Storage System units with a combined power of 7MW and 2.1MWh of energy.
The 2.25-mile long APM will consist of six stations and has the capacity to carry up to 87 million passengers a year, resulting in 117,000 fewer vehicle miles traveled. By using ABB’s Enviline ESS – Energy Storage System, the traction energy storage technology further enhances energy redundancy and robustness.
Credit Los Angeles World Airports 
Credit Los Angeles World Airports 
Credit Los Angeles World Airports
By providing backup power for the trains, this technology will ensure reliable service and will bring passengers to the terminals even during an outage. The trains can be restarted in a staggered manner and will be able to run for 40 minutes in the event of an outage with this technology.
“As a global technology leader with innovation and sustainability at the core of our strategy, ABB remains committed to developing more reliable power supply solutions for a range of mobility solutions including electrified trains and airport people movers,” said Jose Dos Santos – Rail Infrastructure Segment Manager for AMERICAS.
For more information about railway energy management and ABB’s Enviline ESS, a wayside energy management system that stores and recycles the surplus braking energy, please see ABB Energy Management.
ABB (NYSE: ABB) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 110,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com
