Improving Traction Characteristics of a Diesel Locomotive with a Hybrid Power Plant

Abstract

The expediency of using a hybrid power system with the use of traction batteries on a diesel locomotive is substantiated since the relevance of the problem being solved lies in the possibility of increasing the weight norm of the train without reducing the performance of the main power equipment of the diesel locomotive, which is of great importance for improving the efficiency of railways.To predict the effectiveness of introduction of autonomous locomotives with a combined power source, traction properties of a diesel locomotive equipped with a set of traction batteries are estimated by mathematical modelling. The basis of the method is a dynamic model of train movement, in which the locomotive is represented as an electromechanical system with a direct current electric drive, where a diesel power generator and a lithium-ion battery are used as the primary energy source. It is shown that the use of a hybrid power source with a storage device with capacity of 1300 ampere-hours on a diesel locomotive makes it possible to increase the weight rate of a train by 18 % when moving along a typical profile. Particular attention is paid to the requirements for operation of traction electric machines to prevent their premature failure. It was found that during movement of a locomotive with a hybrid power plant with a train of the calculated weight and under normal environmental conditions (20°C and normal barometric pressure), an increase in the load current of traction motors does not lead to overheating of their windings at the calculated upward slope.The model suggested is universal and allows calculating the efficiency of a diesel locomotive with a hybrid power plant under any driving conditions.