Route Profile Dependent Tram Regenerative Braking Algorithm with Reduced Impact on the Supply Network

• Published in: Energies (Basel) Vol. 14; no. 9; p. 2411
• Main Authors: Radaš, Ivan, Župan, Ivan, Šunde, Viktor, Ban, Željko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.05.2021
• Subjects: Braking systems; Control algorithms; Electricity distribution; Energy consumption; energy control algorithm; Energy efficiency; Energy storage; energy storage system; Optimization algorithms; Power supply; regenerative braking; supercapacitor; track elevation profile; Vehicles
• ISSN: 1996-1073; 1996-1073
• DOI: 10.3390/en14092411

Electric trams are one of the standard forms of public transport. They are characterized by large amounts of electric current and electric current gradient from the power grid, especially during acceleration. For this reason, a regenerative braking system is considered with the aim of reducing electric current peaks and increasing energy efficiency by reducing the total energy consumption of the power grid. A supercapacitor module is used as a storage device for storing and utilizing the braking energy. The supercapacitor module and the power grid constitute a hybrid energy system, for which a control algorithm has been developed. The control algorithm takes into account the influence of the elevation profile and the slope of the vehicle route in storing and using the braking energy. The operation of the algorithm was simulated and analyzed using the MATLAB/Simulink software package for tram lines with different elevation profiles.