Energy storage system in traction vehicle

The paper compares three different types of energy storage system (ESS) in a tramway. It was assumed that the tram has to travel without catenary for 5 km. Two homogeneous energy storage systems were designed to provide energy for the ride: the first made of lithium-ion batteries and the second made of supercapacitors. The third solution is a hybrid ESS (HESS) composed of both of the aforementioned technologies. The comparison was made in terms of weight, price and power consumption when driving with and without a catenary. Using a well-fitted energy management strategy, 50% lower HESS mass was achieved compared to the homogeneous ESSes. The estimated price of the HESS is 29% lower than the battery ESS and 59% from the supercapacitor ESS. A comparison of the energy consumption of the tram with and without the ESS is also presented, depending on the amount of energy absorbed by other vehicles on the same power section. It follows that the use of the ESS allows for significant energy savings for driving with the catenary.