Recent developments and applications of energy storage devices in electrified railways

Abstract

This study presents the recent application of energy storage devices in electrified railways, especially batteries, flywheels, electric double layer capacitors and hybrid energy storage devices. The storage and reuse of regenerative braking energy is managed by energy storage devices depending on the purpose of each system. The advantages resulting from the use of energy storage devices are presented by observing the results of both verification tests and practical applications in passenger services. Several real installations of energy storage for railways are shown and compared by using the Ragone plot. The effect of the use of energy storage devices on electrified railways of the future is discussed. Finally, a discussion on the recent applications and developments of energy storage devices is presented in this study. The effective use of energy storage devices is characterised on the basis of the specific applications and current trends of the research undertaken by public bodies and manufacturers.