A method for improving the energy efficiency of an alternating current electric locomotive in the regenerative braking mode

Resumo

A method for improving the power factor of an ac locomotive with the commutator motor operating in the regenerative braking mode is proposed. The method improves the control system algorithm of the power converter. The new switching method of inverter thyristors regulates the curve of the instantaneous power during the main switching. It allows reducing the period in which the energy flow passes to the locomotive, leading an increase in the average value of the instantaneous power. A “traction substation–electric traction network–locomotive in the regenerative braking mode” mathematical model is presented to verify efficiency of the method. The model consists of several interacting electric power substations, a section of electric traction grid, a locomotive power transformer, a four-zone inverter, a control system of reversible converter, and a dc circuit. The model is realized in the OrCAD software.