Smart Hybrid Electric Railway Grids: A Comparative Study of Architectures

During the last years, implementing the smart grid concept in railway networks has received more attention so experts are working on innovative solutions to increase energy efficiency and decrease air pollution in such a high-consumption system. One of these promising solutions is the integration of renewable energy sources and EV charging stations with existing railway networks. In this paper, the concept of smart hybrid electric railway grid (SHERG) is presented to improve power flow capabilities, and energy efficiency and mitigate power quality issues in existing traditional AC railway networks. Different architectures of SHERG based on joint DC bus are presented and studied for AC railway systems update taking advantage of interfacing static converters. The study can provide a road map and give a general view regarding the modernization and reconstruction of existing railway networks towards smart grid technologies.