A new concept for improved

railway feeder systems

by
Bertil Klerfors
ASEA/ABB 1965-2006

Traditional Way of Implementing the SVC

3-ph 50Hz
132 kV

Balancing
SVC
1-ph 50Hz
25 kV

1-ph feeder transformer for railway load

and balancing SVC with dedicated 3-ph
step-down transformer
2

Types of electric railway feeder systems

DC systems
low frequency AC systems
public grid frequency AC systems.

Schematic line diagram of a simple railway feeder system

3-phase
grid

Feeder
transformer

Neutral
section

Catenary

Rail
Earth current

Schematic diagram of BT system

(Booster Transformer)
3-phase
grid

Feeder
transformer
Booster
transformer

Return

Catenary
Rail

Autotransformer system
(AT system)
3-phase
grid

Feeder
transformer

i1+i2/2

(i1+i2)/2
i1/2

Catenary

i2/2
i1+i2

Rail

i2

i1
Feeder

i2/2

(i1+i2)/2

i1/2

i2/2

i2/2

Voltage unbalance caused by a single-phase load

U NPS
S
u = 100 *
100 * %
U PPS
Sf

Detrimental effects of NPS voltage

Additional heating in rotating machines
Generation of non-characteristic harmonics by converters

Permissible levels of NPS voltage

Engineering Recommendation P.24
Criterion

Maximum NPS voltage level

Operating conditions for which criterion

must be met

2.0 % for any 1 minute period

Worst BR and/or EI single or two-circuit

outage

1.0 % averaged over any half hour

period

Intact system

1.0 % averaged over 24 hour period

Worst BR and/or EI single circuit outage

Feeder Stations with two Feeder Transformers

Feeder
Station no 1

Feeder
Station no 2

3-ph R
50 Hz S
132 kV T

1-ph Feeder
Transformers
132/27.5 kV

Catenary

Neutral section

Rail

Balancing a single phase railway load

IR
R

Railway load

Balancer

IRS
GL

-jBL

IS

-jGL/3

ITR

jBL
IST
jGL/3

IT

UT

-IST

IRS

URS

ITR
IT=ITR-IST
IST
IR=IRS-ITR
-IRS

-ITR
UR

IS=-IRS +IST
IST
US
10

Classical SVC of TCR/FC type

11

SVC of Voltage Source type

+UC/2
IGBT

~
~
~

+
UC
_

-UC/2

12

The new concept

3-ph 50Hz
132 kV

Common 3-ph transformer for

railway load and balancing SVC

Balancing
SVC

1-ph 50Hz
25 kV

13

Features of the new concept

1-ph feeder transformer not needed
The load on the common step-down transformer will
be balanced and with a power factor close to unity.
Rating of the common step-down transformer
rating of the 1-ph feeder transformer.
Rating of the common step-down transformer <
rating of the dedicated SVC step-down transformer.

14

Apparent Power of SVC dedicated step-down

transformer
IR
R

Railway load

Balancer

IRS
P

jQ

-jQ

ITR

IS
S

jP/3
IST

IT

-jP/3

Balancer Apparent Power = Q+2P/3

15

p.u.
1,6
1,5

Apparent Power of transformers

Dedicated SVC step-down

1,4
1,3
1,2
1,1

Single phase feeder transformer

1
0,9
0,8
0,7

Common step-down transformer

0,6
0,7

0,72 0,74 0,76 0,78

0,8

0,82 0,84 0,86 0,88

0,9

0,92 0,94 0,96 0,98

Power factor

16

Features of the new concept

More stable output voltage from the feeder
station than when a separate single-phase
feeder transformer is used
More stable traction voltage from the feeder
station without increasing the fault currents in
the railway overhead system

17

Features of the new concept

Interconnection of the catenary system without
sectioning may be possible. Co-phase.
Trains between two feeder stations will then be
supplied from both the adjacent feeder stations.
More stable voltage to the trains compared to, if
they were fed from just one station.
The load on each feeder station will be less peaky.
Reduced power losses?
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Simulations of the new concept

Description of the model

Main parts:

3-ph 60 Hz 138 kV grid

Common 3-ph Transformer for railway and SVC
Balancing SVC of TCR/FC type
Control system for the SVC
27.6 kV catenary system
Model of locomotive (type Rc2) with simplified
control system
19

Sudden increase of locomotive current

One Feeder Station

20

Sudden increase of locomotive current

21

Sudden increase of the current drawn by the locomotives

22

Limitations of the new concept

Control of Feeder Station Output Voltage
1. Control of the output voltage by the SVC is associated with reactive
power exchange with the 3-ph grid.

Frequency and phase angle of the Feeder Station output

voltage are locked to the 3-ph grid.
Possibility of Interconnecting the catenary system (Cophase operation) can be questioned.
1. The interconnected catenary will be a parallel line to the 3-ph grid,
which the grid owner may not allow.
2. 3-ph grid power can run through the parallel path set up by the
catenary.
3. Phase Angle of Feeder Station output voltage is locked to the phase
angle of the 3-ph grid feeding the station
4. Load-flow in the railway system will be affected by the load-flow in
the 3-ph grid in case of parallel connection of feeder stations.

23

Schematic diagram of Meishan co-phase traction system

YNvd connected
Feeder Transformer

1-ph

DC
DC

1-ph

1-ph
Converters
Co-phase catenary

Rail
24

Completing the new concept with a DC to 1ph converter

3-ph 50Hz
132 kV

3-ph 50Hz
132 kV

3ph 50Hz

3ph 50Hz

DC

DC

DC
1ph 50Hz

1-ph 50Hz
25 kV

1-ph 50Hz
25 kV

Common 3-ph transformer for railway

load and balancing SVC

Full 3-ph to 1-ph Converter

feeding the railway

25

Optimal solution
3-ph 60Hz
138 kV

3-ph 50Hz
132 kV

3ph 50Hz

3ph 50Hz

DC

DC
1ph 50Hz

3ph 60Hz

DC

DC
1ph 50Hz

DC

DC
1ph 50Hz

1-ph 50Hz
25 kV

26

Summary

The new concept indicates a step forward

Limitations of operation
Application limited to special cases
Completion with DC to 1-ph converter
Full converter alternative
General solution due to operation flexibility

27