Development of an Energy-Saving Light Rail Vehicle Powered by Large Lithium Ion Battery

摘要

A light rail vehicle (LRV) powered by a large Mn-type lithium ion battery (LIB) module was developed to run on a local railroad in Japan. A 60 kWh LIB module weighing 640 kg was used, and the relationship of running time with voltage, current, and consumed electric power was investigated in detail. The LRV was run while the LIB module was discharged between 660 V and 600 V. On a single charge, the LRV could run for 40 km by consuming around 40 kWh of energy. The running performance of the LRV with the LIB module was equivalent to that of an LRV powered electrically via an overhead contact wire. However, electrical power consumption of the LRV improved by 22% after charging the LIB with regenerative energy. The lifecycle of the LIB were examined by performing rechargeable tests. The initial capacity of the LIB was maintained at greater than 90% at 3 C (state of charge: 20%) after 3000 cycles.