A Review and Comparison of Transformer and Static Frequency Converter Traction Supply Architectures for AC Electrified Railways

Abstract

Electrification of the U.K. railway network will play a critical role in achieving targets of net-zero CO2 emissions while providing major benefits to train operators, passengers, and industry. In the drive to make electrification a more cost-effective prospect, this paper intends to complete a comparison of the common feeding arrangements and the novel Static Frequency Converter for use in AC electrification using PSCAD EMTDC simulations. The findings illustrate the performance of two classic architectures and autotransformer feeding compared to a proposed classic SFC arrangement and provide recommendations for SFC implementation with separations between feeder stations of up to 60 kilometres using a parallel feeding arrangement, along with demonstrating SFCs exhibiting more robust performance in the event of faults.