Technical solutions and dévelopment permitted by power electronics applied to the Energy transition in French Railways
by Christian Courtois, SNCF - Direction ingénierie, France
Abstract - For 30 years, in order to optimize the traction power supply fixed installations, research has been done to implement power electronic devices on the French rail network (RFF). This corresponds to a permanent increased need of energy, which is the combined result of an evolution of traffic and increased power of traction units. In this frame, improved performance and cost management are high level requirements. Semi conductor power converters are installed, for ten years, on the French electric rail infrastructure. Examples are:
• to guaranty power supply quality in 25kV ac (High Voltage Booster),
• to reduce the harmonic level in 1,5 kV dc (24 pulse rectifiers),
• to compensate the unbalance due to single phase traction power in 25kV ac.
Today, within the SNCF, a reduction of traction energy by 15% until year 2022 is foreseen as target in the frame of the energy transition. New electricity production such as regenerative braking of the trains, renewable energy operation and energy storage are solutions for a better energy efficiency of the network. Power electronics will be a major actor in the panel of solutions to connect these converters to the 1,5kV dc and 25kV ac power systems, with the help of the so called smart grids.