Effectiveness of filters in 3 kV DC railway traction substations supplied by distorted voltage- measurements and diagnostics

Abstract

Electric energy quality criteria relating to a DC supply system concern the circuits from the rectifiers installed in traction substations till the vehicle's current collector. Energy Law and related implementing provisions unequivocally state that an electrified transport system as the energy recipient shall fulfil the requirements regarding energy consumption, which are defined in the agreement. It imposes certain requirements for the railway power supply company. Introduction into traffic of the traction vehicles that are equipped with converter power electronics drive systems increased requirements regarding voltage quality in a DC catenary. At the same time, increase in share of non-linear recipients causes the increase of distortion in AC voltage supplying traction substations, and they also transfer to the DC side. Both these factors caused a change in operational conditions of the resonance smoothing filters hitherto used in rectifier traction substations supplied by AC medium voltage power lines. This paper presents a research and a case study of the problem of effectiveness of functioning of the used filters, from measurements allowing for problem identification to results of the studies of the proposed new solution of a filter and the results of observed exploitation of a prototype with the application of digital monitoring and diagnostics system.

Input impedance of multi-drive traction vehicle

“…-traction substation (TS) [2] and a type of a DC side filter [3], -contact line (CL), -return circuit(RC),…”