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número 5 - junio - 2018. Pág 49 - 69

Current situation and prospects of electric traction systems used in

High-Speed railways

Martínez Acevedo, José Conrado

Berrios Villalba, Antonio

Peregrín García, Eugenio

Adif 1

Abstract
For their operation High-Speed railways use electric power systems with very
specific characteristics and different from other electric consumers. The electric
traction currently used in High-Speed networks is characterized by being very
energy efficient. This is mainly due to the use of AC systems instead of DC systems.
On the other hand, the electrical systems used in High-Speed networks are a
source of disturbances, both for the railway system itself and for external power
supply networks (public grid). The traditional technologies developed in the past
continue to be used in the new railway lines, especially in the case of having a
sufficiently robust electrical network. On the other hand the expansion of the
High-Speed in zones in which this network is not sufficiently powerful, has begun to
introduce new solutions based on power electronics equipment. This technology,
very implanted in the railway vehicles, has hardly had implantation in the railway
infrastructure. The operational advantages of these equipments are several. In
addition to the use of lower quality power grids (lower short-circuit power), they
also introduce new improvements in traction energy collection. For example,
the catenary neutral zones can be removed, the electrical parameters can be
regulated and the system performance can be improved in case of operating in a
degraded scenario (a problem electrical substation). Although current catenary
power systems are quite efficient and operational, integrated operation with
these power electronic equipment means that the final conditions improve.

Keywords: Traction Power System, Disturbances, Grid, Unbalanced, Power Electronics, AC feeding systems.

1 Martínez Acevedo, José Conrado. Adif. Email: jcmartinez@adif.es
Berrios Villalba, Antonio. Adif. Email: aberrios@adif.es
Peregrín García, Eugenio. AdifF. Email: eugenioperegrin@adif.es

International Congress on High-speed Rail: Technologies and Long Term Impacts - Ciudad Real (Spain) - 25th anniversary Madrid-Sevilla corridor 49