Load Sharing and Wayside Battery Storage for Improving AC Railway Network Performance, With Generic Model for Capacity Estimation, Part 1

Load sharing between feeder stations has the ability to significantly improve the performance of ac electric railways by reducing the number of traction power network grid connections and minimizing losses and plant size. In this paper, the existing rail power conditioner technology, traditionally used for load balancing, is investigated from the new perspective of providing reactive voltage support and active power sharing between stations. The concept is validated through a feasibility study conducted for a heavy haul ac railway network.