Energy management system for trains with flexible formations incorporating regenerative braking

摘要

A flexible energy management system is disclosed, which can be applied to trains having a wide variety of formations. The invention uses a special recycling vehicle incorporating regenerative braking and energy storage such as a battery, together with a power conversion system to supply electricity in the standard form for train services such as lighting and air conditioning. A control system arranges the supply of electricity for train services to coaches from either the recycling vehicle or the locomotive depending on the level of charge in the battery. This improves the overall energy efficiency of the train without requiring special electrical bus connections between vehicles. Further embodiments of the system include facilities for boost traction and shunting, with arrangements for the automatic control of power distribution when train formations are changed, as illustrated in Figure 5.