Improvement of basic requirements for the system and devices of traction dc power supply

Abstract—“The Technical Maintenance Regulations of Russian Federation Railways” and “The Arrangement Regulations of the Russian Federation Railways Traction Power Supply System (TsE-462)” set out clear requirements to ensure minimum voltage in the aerial contact wire for freight and high-speed passenger train movement. These requirements are confirmed by the Norms of the European Electrotechnical Standard EN 50163 (1995). However, the voltage norms at traction substations (TsE-462) are in contradiction to the maximum continuous voltage in the aerial contact wire demanded by Railway Research Institute (VNIIZhT) and accepted by EN 50163 Standard. This paper proposes using continuous voltage at traction substations in the normal operating mode in the range of from 3600 (the minimum value) to 3700 V. The maximum voltage (3700 V) was obtained as a result of electrical calculation of the traction power supply system at the track sections with hard mountainous track profile while running trains with an increased weight of 6300–9000 t or two combined trains with a combined weight of 12000 t with powerful electric locomotives of 2ES6, 2ES10, and 3ES10 series. This voltage value was confirmed by long-term operation on a Tyumen–Yekaterinburg–Perm–Balezino track section of 923-km length with voltage stabilization at the level of 3650 V at the traction substations. The voltage levels at the traction substation buses are provided by a contactless automatic control system (CACS) with ±0.6% inaccuracy. The maximum voltage in the traction substation buses is acceptable and equal to maximum aerial contact wire voltage (4000 V) under the recuperation mode.