Solar Energy for Traction of High Speed Rail Transportation: A Techno-economic Analysis

Abstract

To meet the growing expectation of traveling public, world railways are going ahead in a big way to introduce high speed trains Electric railways require huge amounts of energy. Many rail networks run their own dedicated power plants. With a view to augment the capacity of the rail networks grid connection so as to make the railway self-reliant, a grid tied PV solar plant with battery storage has been proposed. The present concept is based on installing solar panels along the length of a HS rail network so that the ballast-less tracks could be used as energy carriers. Ballast less tracks require little or no maintenance, and the space along the tracks provides a large surface area on which arrays of PV modules can be mounted to generate electricity from sunlight. An example demonstrates that a 330 MW grid connected PV solar plant with battery storage for the Mumbai–Ahmedabad high speed rail link, generates electricity at $1.67 106 /MW output and levelized electricity cost at 12.05 c/kWh. Net saving in tariff after payback period is about $ 58 million per annum.

Regenerative Organic Rankine Cycle as Bottoming Cycle of an Industrial Gas Engine: Traditional and Advanced Exergetic Analysis

“…ORC is a cost-effective waste-to-energy technology oriented to produce energy from various thermal sources such as biomass, solar [6,7], geothermal, or waste heat recovery (WHR) available from industrial processes or internal combustion engines (ICEs) [8,9]. In recent years, ORC technology has gained sufficient global attention because of its adaptability to different heat capacities and source temperatures, and currently, it is the most appropriate technology applied for obtaining thermal energy from external sources by conversion [10].…”

Research Directions of the Energy Transformation Impact on the Economy in the Aspect of Asset Analysis

“…The electrification of the transport sector is also reflected in the expansion of electric rail transport [14]. In the case of rail transport, greater synergies are possible-instead of sound-absorbing walls, vertical solar modules can be installed to provide energy to the railway system [15]. The reduction of pollution caused by industry and transport will essentially define the success of the energy system transformation process, since these sources of pollution have a particularly negative impact on the quality of the environment.…”

Offshore Electric Ship Charging Station: a Techno-Economic Analysis

“…Sectors such as energy production, storage, and motor vehicles, have realized the advantages of green technologies and renewable energy sources and this has led to their being used extensively, European Commission [10]. More recently, Nazir [11] has explored the possibility of using solar photovoltaic (PV) with battery energy storage systems for high-speed rail transportation.…”