Abstract: A sustainable industrial metabolism, integrating technical and ecological aspects should be one of the greatest challenges of humanity within the present industrial world. Starting from the observation that Nature built ordered structures and human beings are only one component in the complex web of the ecological interactions, we just happen to be a part of the huge evolution process of Nature, the focus of this presentation is to enhance the way of thinking that human activities cannot be separated from the functioning of the entire system. Learning from the Nature means to accept that the technical systems processes involving energy conversion and matter transformation need to be linked to environment engineering. In this context, the presentation is an overview of environmental problems associated to electric train braking processes. The merit of an electric transportation system is based not only on technical performance, safety, energy efficiency, economics and societal acceptance, but also on environmental impact and exergy efficiency. From the viewpoint of exergy and environment, the braking regime, particularly electric braking, is a special aspect of railway vehicles using electric traction. Since electric drive systems are used with static converters and traction induction motors, these machines with appropriate control can realize both traction and electric braking regimes for electric traction vehicles. Concerns regarding mechanical braking are associated with unrecovered energy and material utilization. Also, for underground electric trains during mechanical braking, the abnormal but frequent situation involving the unequal charge of the traction induction motors is a concern. These aspects of the electric railway vehicles, particularly the underground electric trains are analyzed so as to assist in improving environmental performance.

Brief Biography of the Speaker:
Cornelia Aida Bulucea is currently an Associate Professor in Electrotechnics, Electrical Machines and Environment Electrical Equipments in the Faculty of Electromechanical and Environmental Engineering, University of Craiova, Romania. She is graduate from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering Craiova and she received the Ph.D degree from Bucharest Polytechnic Institute. In Publishing House she is author of four books in electrical engineering area. Research work is focused on improved solutions for electrical networks on basis of new electric equipments and environmental impact of energy and electric transportation systems. She has extensive experience in both experimental and theoretical research work, certified by over 50 journal and conference research papers and 13 research projects from industry. She has held in the Association for Environment Protection OLTENIA and she is a regular invited keynote lecture for environmental engineering symposia organized by Chamber of Commerce and Industry OLTENIA. Due to WSEAS recognition as huge scientific Forum she participated in five WSEAS International Conferences, presenting papers and chairing sessions. She was Plenary Lecturer in the WSEAS International Conference on POWER SYSTEMS, held by the University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain, September 23-25, 2008. She is very proud of her 10 papers published in the WSEAS Conferences Books and 3 papers published in WSEAS TRANSACTIONS ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT, and in WSEAS TRANSACTIONS ON ADVANCES IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION.