Effect of regenerative braking on energy-efficient train control
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Abstract
An important topic to reduce the energy consumption in railways is the use of energy-efficient train control (EETC). Modern trains allow regen-erative braking where the released kinetic energy can be reused. This regener-ative braking has an effect on the optimal driving regimes compared to trains which can only use mechanical braking. This paper compares the impact of regenerative braking on the optimal train control strategy on level track. The energy-efficient train control problem is modelled as an optimal control problem over distance and solved using a Pseudospectral Method. Three different braking strategies are compared: mechanical braking only, a combination of mechanical and regenerative braking, and regenerative braking only. The result of a case study show that energy savings of at least 28% are possible by including regenerative braking.