TransEnergy - a tool for energy storage optimization, peak power and energy consumption reduction in DC electric railway systems

Electrified railways are large users of electrical power at a time when grid supply conversion to renewable energy production is making supply to the grid less predictable and environmental concerns demand reduction in energy use. These developments make it desirable to control and reduce both total energy usage and peak power demand of railway systems. While AC systems have a well-developed ability to regenerate power to the grid, high transmission losses in DC systems make local storage of energy a more attractive option. A model has been created integrating a versatile and configurable database-driven generic rail network model with a power supply network representative of DC electric railways. The work is intended as a high-level design tool to explore system wide behaviors prior to detailed final design modelling of specific technologies. To validate our method, predictions of train motion and power demand have been compared with data from the Merseyrail network in the UK. Simulating a full day of traffic for the Wirral Line of Merseyrail (237 services on two routes) with the assumption of energy storage being available at each electrical sub-station revealed the dependence of storage effectiveness on the timetable and traffic density at specific locations. The model is combined with a genetic algorithm to optimise system parameters (storage size, charge/discharge power limits, timetable, train driving style/trajectory) and also enables identification of cases in which poorly specified storage technology would have little impact on peak power and energy consumption

Control of Energy Storage

Energy storage can provide numerous beneficial services and cost savings within the electricity grid, especially when facing future challenges like renewable and electric vehicle (EV) integration. Public bodies, private companies and individuals are deploying storage facilities for several purposes, including arbitrage, grid support, renewable generation, and demand-side management. Storage deployment can therefore yield benefits like reduced frequency fluctuation, better asset utilisation and more predictable power profiles. Such uses of energy storage can reduce the cost of energy, reduce the strain on the grid, reduce the environmental impact of energy use, and prepare the network for future challenges. This Special Issue of Energies explore the latest developments in the control of energy storage in support of the wider energy network, and focus on the control of storage rather than the storage technology itself

Energy storage systems to exploit regenerative braking in DC railway systems: Different approaches to improve efficiency of modern high-speed trains

The growing attention to environmental sustainability of transport systems made necessary to investigate the possibility of energy optimization even in sectors typically characterised by an already high level of sustainability, as in particular the railway system. One of the most promising opportunity is the optimization of the braking energy recovery, which has been already considered in tramway systems, while it is traditionally overlooked for high-speed railway systems. In this research work, the authors have developed two simulation models able to reproduce the behavior of high-speed trains when entering in a railway node, and to analyze the impact of regenerative braking in DC railway systems, including usage of energy storage systems. These models, developed respectively in the Matlab-Simscape environment and in the open source Modelica language, have been experimentally validated considering an Italian high-speed train. After validation, the authors have performed a feasibility analysis considering the use of stationary and on-board storage systems, also by taking into account capital costs of the investment and annual energy saving, to evaluate cost-effectiveness of the different solutions. The analysis has shown the possibility to improve the efficiency of high-speed railway systems, by improving braking energy recovery through the installation of such storage systems

Energy management and control strategies for the use of supercapacitors storage technologies in urban railway traction systems

In recent years the need to reduce global energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the environment, has been involved even in the railways sector, aimed at the highly competitive concept of new vehicles/transportation systems. The requirements hoped by the operating companies, particularly as concerns tramway and metro-train systems, are increasingly focused on products with so far advanced features in terms of energy and environmental impact. In order to accomplish this possible scenario, this could be put into effects in technological subsystems and critical components, which are able to fulfill not only functional and performance requirements, but also regarding the new canons of energy saving. On the other hand, the regional and national energetic political strategies impose a continuous effort in the eco-sustainability and energy saving direction both for the vehicles and for the infrastructure management. In this scenario, the thesis aims to fill the gap in the technical literature and deals with improving the energy efficiency of urban rail transport systems by proposing both design methodologies and effective control strategies for supercapacitor-based energy storage systems, to be installed on-board urban rail vehicles or along the rail track. Firstly, a deep, rigorous and comprehensive study on the factors which affect energy issues in a DC-electrified urban transit railway system is carried out. Then a widespread overview of the currently available strategies and technologies for recovery and management of braking energy in urban rail is presented, also by providing an assessment of their main advantages and disadvantages alongside a list of the most relevant scientific studies and well established commercial solutions. Afterwards, some effective control strategies for the optimal energy management of the supercapacitor-based energy storage system have been studied. Extensive simulations have been performed with the aim of validating the proposed techniques by employing a methodology which is based on tests carried out by means of scale models of the real systems. A wide range of experimental tests has been developed and carried out on a laboratory-scale simulator for a typical urban service railway vehicle, in order to fully confirm the theoretical performances, validity, and feasibility of the studied controls, and quantify the technical and economic advantages obtained in terms of global energy saving, voltage regulation, power compensation and infrastructure power loss reduction. The overall goal of this study is to gain an understanding of the methods and approaches for assessing the use of supercapacitor storage systems in urban rail transit oriented to the optimization of the energy saving and the reduction of the vehicle energy consumption, for whatever technological solutions are adopted

Optimizing speed profiles for sustainable train operation with wayside energy storage systems

Large hauling capability and low rolling resistance has put rail transit at the forefront of mass transportation mode sustainability in terms of congestion mitigation and energy conservation. As such, rail vehicles are one of the least energy-intensive modes of transportation and least environmentally polluting. Despite, these positives, improper driving habits and wastage of the braking energy through dissipation in braking resistors result in unnecessary consumption, extra costs to the operator and increased atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions. This study presents an intelligent method for the optimization of the number and locations of wayside energy storage system (WESS) units that maximize the net benefits of the operation of a rail line. First, the optimized speed profiles with and without WESS is determined for a single alignment segment. Then, using the speed profiles obtained as an input, the number and locations of the WESS units that maximize the net benefit is determined for an entire rail line. The energy recovery methods used comprise optimal coasting, regenerative braking, and positioning of the energy storage devices to achieve maximum receptivity. Coasting saves energy by maintaining motion with propulsion disabled, but this increases the total travel time. Regenerative braking converts the kinetic energy of the train into electrical energy for the powering of subsequent acceleration cycles and although it does not affect travel time, it reduces the time available for coasting, indicative of a tradeoff. The study entails the design of a model that simulates the movement of the train over an existing alignment section while considering alignment topography, speed limits, and train schedule. Since on-time performance is the priority of railroad operations, the simulator instructs the driver to operate according to several motion regimes to optimize the energy consumption while maintaining schedule. The model consists of several time-varying inputs which add increased levels of complexity to the problem. This, in addition to its combinatorial nature, necessitates a heuristic algorithm to solve it, because traditional analytical solution methods are deficient. The optimization problem is solved by applying Genetic Algorithms (GA) because of their ability to search for a global solution in a complex multi-dimensional space. This strategy adds sustainability and reduces the carbon footprint of the operator. A case study is conducted on a single segment of a commuter rail line and yields a 34% energy reduction. The case study is extended to an entire line with multiple segments where the aim is to optimize the locations of wayside energy storage devices (WESS) for maximum economic benefit. It was found that out of the 10 alignment segments in the study, a maximized benefit of over $600,000 was achieved with WESS units installed on only three of those segments. The methods derived in this study can be used to generate speed profiles for planning purposes, to assist in recovery from service disruptions, to plan for infrastructural upgrades related to energy harvesting or to assist in the development of Driver Advisory Systems (DAS)

Hybrid Energy Storage System Taking Advantage of Electric Vehicle Batteries for Recovering Regenerative Braking Energy in Railway Station

Nowadays, nations are moving toward the electrification of the transportation section, and the widespread development of EV charging stations and their infrastructures supplied by the grid would strain the power grid and lead to overload issues in the network. To address this challenge, this paper presents a method for utilizing the braking energy of trains in railway stations to charge EVs located in strategic areas like park-and-ride regions close to railway stations improving energy efficiency and preventing grid overload. To validate the feasibility of the proposed system, a metro substation in Milan city is considered as a case study located in outskirts of the city and contains large number of parking space for vehicles. Three different scenarios are evaluated including DC fast charging station, AC low charging station and collaborative hybrid energy storage based AC charging station as EV charging station type. The results are studied for different EV population number, charging rate and the contractual power grid. Meanwhile, the possibility of proposed system in participating as V2G technology and taking advantage of the EV’s batteries to provide ancillary support to accelerating trains is investigated regarding peak shaving objective. The results indicated that the suggested interconnected system operates effectively when a significant quantity of EVs are parked at the station. However, the results revealed that the performance of the proposed system is notably influenced by other factors and a limited number of EVs during the early morning and late evening periods. Overall, this study confirms the feasibility of energy transfer between two types of transportation means in intermodal areas

Design of a Stationary Energy Recovery System in Rail Transport

Although rail is one of the most sustainable transport systems, there is still room to reduce its energy demand. In particular, during the braking of DC powered trains, a significant amount of energy is wasted. The recent developments in energy storage system technologies, combined with the widely used technique of regenerative braking, can considerably increase energy saving. This paper explores this theme, quantifying the amount of braking energy that can be potentially recovered in a real case study, starting from the experimental data measured on-board train. A simplified numerical model of the recovery process has been implemented. Adopting it, the energy that can be saved, with one or two energy storage systems, has been quantified for each possible position along the track. The procedure allows to determine the optimal position. Further findings about the impact of voltage level on the efficiency of the recovery process have been reported. The optimal level of voltage has been determined, also considering the additional losses in the catenary, both during the traction and braking phase of the train. Moreover, it allows dimensioning of stationary storage systems considering two different energy management strategies and their impact on the peak of stored energy. The proposed approach will be presented with reference to the concrete case of a specific route on the Italian rail network, analyzing a train in normal commuter service and the obtained results will be discussed. In the best situation, about the 73% of the braking energy can be recovered

Electric Mobility: Smart Transportation in Smart Cities

2014 - 2015One of the mega trends over the past century has been humanity’s move towards cities. Public Administration and Municipalities are facing a challenging task, to harmonize a sustainable urban development offering to people in city the best living conditions. Smart cities are now considered a winning urban strategy able to increase the quality of life by using technology in urban space, both improving the environmental quality and delivering better services to the citizens. Mobility is a key element to support this new approach in the growth of the cities. In fact, transport produces several negative impacts and problems for the quality of life in cities, such as, pollution, traffic and congestion. Therefore, Sustainable Mobility is one of the most promising topics in smart city, as it could produce high benefits for the quality of life of almost all the city stakeholders. The boldest and imminent challenge awaiting mobility in smart cities is the introduction of the electricity as energy vector instead of fossil fuels, concerning both the collective and the private transports. Electric public transport include electric city buses, trolleybuses, trams (or light rail), passenger trains and rapid transit (metro/subways/undergrounds, etc.). Even though railway systems are the most energy efficient than other transport modes, the enhancement of energy efficiency is an important issue to reduce their contributions to climate change further as well as to save and enlarge competition advantages involved. One key means for improving energy efficiency is to deploy advanced systems and innovative technologies. Additionally, electrification of the private road transport has emerged as a trend to support energy efficiency and CO2 emissions reduction targets. According to the International Energy Agency, in order to limit average global temperature increases to 2°C - the critical threshold that scientists say will prevent dangerous climate change -, by 2050, 21% of carbon reductions must come from the transport sector. Full electric vehicles (EVs) use electric motor and battery energy for propulsion, which has higher efficiency and lower operating cost compared to the conventional internal combustion engine vehicle. Today, there are more than 20 models offered by different brands covering different range of sizes, styles, prices and powertrains to suit the wider range of consumers as possible. The continuous development of lithium ion battery and of fast charging technology will be the major facilitators for EVs roll out in the very near future. However, the present EVs industry meets many technical limitations, such as high initial price, long battery recharge time, limited charging facilities and driving range. Although it is desirable a fast development from the start of electric mobility, its impact on the existing power grid must be assessed beforehand to see if it is necessary prior an adjustment of power infrastructure or/and the introduction of new services in the power grid. In fact, the interconnection of EVs on the power grid for charging their batteries potentially introduces negative impacts on grid operation: uncontrolled charging can significantly increase average load in the existing power systems, with problems in terms of reliability and overloads. If uncontrolled EV charging is added to the system, this can have effects both at the distribution and at the generation level. Controlled or smart charging will allow a much greater number of cars in the cities, avoiding local overload and allowing a faster EVs penetration without requiring an imminent improvement of the electricity generating and grid capacity. Smart charging might also allow load balancing both at sub-station and at the grid level, particularly with charging at peak wind supply times. This kind of use of EV battery capacity for storing electric energy may ease the integration of large scale intermittent electricity sources such as renewable energy sources. The proposed PhD Dissertation is developed in the context just described, mainly focusing the attention on the impact that electric mobility will have on the power systems and the effectiveness of solutions aimed to increase the reliability and resilience in the smart grid. In particular, it is addressed a scenario analysis regarding the electric vehicles charging management and some innovative solutions to increase energy efficiency in electrified transport systems. The first chapter emphasizes on the key aspects related to the sustainable mobility in the smart cities of the future. It provides a brief overview on the transport sector energy consumption expected in the next years. In particular, the chapter shows the significant contribution that the electrification of urban transport may provide to the sustainable mobility, and the serious concerns related to its impact on existing power systems. Chapter 2 proposes a solution method for an optimal generation rescheduling and load-shedding (GRLS) problem in microgrids in order to determine a stable equilibrium state following unexpected outages of generation or sudden increase in demand. The chapter mainly focuses on the mathematical formulation of the GRLS problem and the proposed solution algorithm. Finally, simulations results carried out by using a real case study data are presented and discussed. In Chapter 3, a simple and effective methodology is proposed to analyze data acquired during the fulfillment of the COSMO research project, and to identify typical load pattern for the EVs charging. The chapter also presents a novel scheduling problem formulation, flattening the demand load profile and minimizing the EVs charging costs, according to the electricity prices during the day. Finally, some simulations results are discussed, showing the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. Chapter 4 introduces some innovative solutions for energy efficiency in urban railway systems focusing, in particular, on energy storage systems and eco-drive operations in metro networks. The mathematical formulation of these optimization problems and the proposed solution algorithms are illustrated and discussed. The obtained results are part of the activity carried out in the SFERE research project. Finally, Chapter 5 ends the Dissertation with some concluding remarks and further developments of the proposed research activity. [edited by author]Una delle grandi tendenze nel corso del secolo scorso è stata la concentrazione della popolazione nelle città. Attualmente, le Pubbliche Amministrazioni e i Comuni si trovano ad affrontare un compito impegnativo per armonizzare uno sviluppo urbano sostenibile e offrire agli abitanti delle città le migliori condizioni di vita. Le smart cities sono ormai considerate una strategia urbana vincente in grado di aumentare la qualità della vita utilizzando la tecnologia, sia per il miglioramento della qualità ambientale che per fornire servizi migliori ai cittadini. A tale scopo, la mobilità risulta essere un elemento chiave per sostenere questo nuovo approccio nella crescita delle città. Infatti, i sistemi di trasporto urbano producono diversi effetti negativi sulla qualità della vita urbana, come ad esempio, inquinamento, traffico e congestione. Pertanto, la mobilità sostenibile è uno degli argomenti più interessanti per le smart cities, in quanto in grado produrre elevati benefici per la qualità della vita di quasi tutte le parti interessate degli agglomerati urbani. La sfida più audace e imminente per la mobilità nelle smart cities del futuro è l'introduzione dell'elettricità come vettore energetico al posto dei combustibili fossili, per quanto riguarda sia il trasporto collettivo che quello privato. I mezzi per il trasporto pubblico comprendono autobus elettrici, filobus, tram, treni passeggeri e trasporto rapido (metropolitane, etc.). Anche se i sistemi di trasporto su ferro sono più efficienti rispetto ad altri modi di trasporto, l’incremento dell'efficienza energetica è un tema importante per ridurre ulteriormente il loro contributo alle emissioni inquinanti e al consumo di energia. Le più promettenti soluzioni per migliorarne l'efficienza energetica consistono nell’implementazione di sistemi avanzati per il recupero dell’energia di frenata e tecnologie di controllo innovative. D’altro canto, l'elettrificazione del trasporto individuale su strada è emersa come una tendenza finalizzata a sostenere gli obiettivi di efficienza energetica e di riduzione delle emissioni di CO2. Secondo l'Agenzia Internazionale per l'Energia, al fine di limitare, entro il 2050, l'aumento della temperatura media globale a 2 °C - la soglia critica che gli scienziati suggeriscono di non superare per evitare pericolosi cambiamenti climatici -, il 21% delle riduzioni di biossido di carbonio deve provenire dal settore trasporti. I veicoli elettrici (EV) utilizzano un motore elettrico e l'energia accumulata nelle batterie per la propulsione, in modo da avere una maggiore efficienza e minori costi operativi rispetto ai veicoli convenzionali con motore a combustione interna. Oggi, esistono in commercio più di 20 modelli offerti da diverse case produttrici che coprono una ampia gamma di modelli che differiscono per dimensione, stile, prezzo e motorizzazione in modo da soddisfare il maggior numero di consumatori possibile. Il continuo sviluppo delle batterie al litio e delle tecnologie di ricarica rapida saranno i principali fattori abilitanti per la diffusione degli EV in un futuro molto prossimo. Tuttavia, l'attuale industria dei veicoli elettrici incontra molte limitazioni tecnico-economiche, come elevati costi, autonomia e tempi di ricarica della batteria, capillarità delle infrastrutture di ricarica. Sebbene sia auspicabile un rapido sviluppo della mobilità elettrica, il suo impatto sulla rete elettrica esistente deve essere investigato a fondo per verificare la necessità di potenziamenti delle infrastrutture e/o l'introduzione di nuovi servizi nella rete elettrica. Infatti, l'interconnessione dei veicoli elettrici con la rete di distribuzione dell’energia necessaria per la ricarica delle batterie può causare effetti negativi sul normale funzionamento del sistema elettrico: una ricarica degli EV non controllata può aumentare significativamente il carico medio negli impianti esistenti, introducendo problemi di affidabilità e sovraccarico. La ricarica intelligente o controllata degli EV consente, invece, di gestire un numero molto maggiore di autovetture elettriche nelle città, riducendo le possibilità di sovraccarico locale e di velocizzare la penetrazione della mobilità elettrica senza che rendere necessari imminenti potenziamenti dei sistemi di produzione di energia elettrica e incrementi della capacità di rete. La ricarica intelligente, inoltre, può anche influire sul bilanciamento del carico sia a livello della sottostazione elettrica che a livello di rete di distribuzione, in particolare quando si verificano molte sessioni di ricarica nelle ore di punta. Infatti, l’utilizzo della capacità della batteria degli EV per l’accumulo di energia elettrica può facilitare l'integrazione su larga scala delle fonti di energia non programmabili, come quelle rinnovabili. Il lavoro di tesi si sviluppa nel contesto di riferimento appena descritto, focalizzando l'attenzione soprattutto sull'impatto che la mobilità elettrica ha sui sistemi elettrici e sull'efficacia di nuove soluzioni finalizzate all’incremento dell'affidabilità nelle smart grids. In particolare, viene proposta un'analisi di scenario per quanto riguarda la gestione intelligente delle ricariche dei veicoli elettrici e alcune soluzioni innovative per aumentare l'efficienza energetica nei sistemi di trasporto elettrificati. Il primo capitolo sottolinea gli aspetti chiave relativi alla mobilità sostenibile nelle smart cities del futuro e fornisce una breve panoramica sul consumo energetico del settore trasporti previsto nel prossimo futuro. In particolare, vengono evidenziate da un lato il significativo contributo che l'elettrificazione dei trasporti urbani può fornire alla causa della mobilità sostenibile, e dall’altro, le gravi preoccupazioni legate all’impatto sui sistemi elettrici esistenti di un notevole incremento della domanda. Il Capitolo 2 propone un metodo per la soluzione del problema congiunto di scheduling dei generatori e load shedding (GRLS) all’interno di microgrids portando in conto l’incertezza sia sulla domanda che lato generazione. Il fine è determinare un nuovo stato di equilibrio stabile in seguito a guasti, riduzione della generazione da fonte rinnovabile o improvviso aumento della domanda. Il capitolo si concentra principalmente sulla formulazione matematica del problema GRLS e sull'algoritmo di soluzione proposto. Infine, sono presentati e commentati i risultati di simulazione basati su un caso studio reale. Nel Capitolo 3, è proposta una metodologia semplice ed efficace per identificare profili di carico tipico relativi alla ricarica di veicoli elettrici: in particolare, l’analisi condotta si basa sull’analisi dei dati acquisiti durante lo svolgimento del progetto di ricerca COSMO. Il capitolo, inoltre, introduce una formulazione matematica del problema dello scheduling delle ricariche dei veicoli elettrici, che garantisce un appiattimento del profilo di carico e riduce allo stesso tempo il costo della ricarica per gli utenti. Infine, sono commentati i risultati delle simulazioni eseguite dimostrando l'efficacia della metodologia proposta. Il Capitolo 4 introduce alcune soluzioni innovative per l'efficienza energetica nei sistemi di trasporto urbani: l’attenzione viene posta, in particolare, sui sistemi di accumulo dell’energia e sulla condotta di guida Eco-Drive in reti metropolitane. In dettaglio, nel capitolo, vengono introdotti e commentati la formulazione matematica dei problemi di ottimizzazione proposti e i rispettivi algoritmi di soluzione. I risultati ottenuti fanno parte delle attività svolte nell’ambito del progetto di ricerca SFERE. Infine, il Capitolo 5 conclude la tesi con alcune osservazioni finali e con i possibili sviluppi dell'attività di ricerca proposta. [a cura dell'autore]XIV n.s