A systems approach to reduce urban rail energy consumption

Abstract There is increasing interest in the potential of urban rail to reduce the impact of metropolitan transportation due to its high capacity, reliability and absence of local emissions. However, in a context characterised by increasing capacity demands and rising energy costs, and where other transport modes are considerably improving their environmental performance, urban rail must minimise its energy use without affecting its service quality. Urban rail energy consumption is defined by a wide range of interdependent factors; therefore, a system wide perspective is required, rather than focusing on energy savings at subsystem level. This paper contributes to the current literature by proposing an holistic approach to reduce the overall energy consumption of urban rail. Firstly, a general description of this transport mode is given, which includes an assessment of its typical energy breakdown. Secondly, a comprehensive appraisal of the main practices, strategies and technologies currently available to minimise its energy use is provided. These comprise: regenerative braking, energy-efficient driving, traction losses reduction, comfort functions optimisation, energy metering, smart power management and renewable energy micro-generation. Finally, a clear, logical methodology is described to optimally define and implement energy saving schemes in urban rail systems. This includes general guidelines for a qualitative assessment and comparison of measures alongside a discussion on the principal interdependences between them. As a hypothetical example of application, the paper concludes that the energy consumption in existing urban rail systems could be reduced by approximately 25–35% through the implementation of energy-optimised timetables, energy-efficient driving strategies, improved control of comfort functions in vehicles and wayside energy storage devices.

[1]  Chun-Liang Lin,et al.  Block-Layout Design Using MAX–MIN Ant System for Saving Energy on Mass Rapid Transit Systems , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems.

[2]  Koichi Matsuoka,et al.  Energy Saving Technologies for Railway Traction Motors , 2010 .

[3]  Ibrahim Dincer,et al.  Thermodynamic analysis of waste heat recovery for cooling systems in hybrid and electric vehicles , 2012 .

[4]  Graeme Maidment,et al.  Application of groundwater cooling scheme for London Underground network , 2011 .

[5]  Andrew J Gillespie,et al.  SEPTA Recycled Energy Optimization Project with Regenerative Braking Energy Storage , 2012 .

[6]  Gilbey The potential for heat recovery from London Underground stations and tunnels , 2011 .

[7]  Marc A. Rosen,et al.  Some Sustainability Aspects of Energy Conversion in Urban Electric Trains , 2010 .

[8]  Haidong Liu,et al.  A Two-level Optimization Model and Algorithm for Energy-Efficient Urban Train Operation , 2011 .

[9]  Philip C.H. Yu,et al.  Simulation on energy use for mechanical ventilation and air-conditioning (MVAC) systems in train compartments , 2000 .

[10]  Graeme Maidment,et al.  Modelling low-energy cooling strategies for underground railways , 2006 .

[11]  Martin Kozek,et al.  Energy efficient design and simulation of a demand controlled heating and ventilation unit in a metro vehicle , 2011, 2011 IEEE Forum on Integrated and Sustainable Transportation Systems.

[12]  Zhi Yang Yuan Construction Technology and Economic Analysis of Ground-Source Heat Pump System , 2012 .

[13]  B. R. Ke,et al.  Signalling blocklayout and strategy of train operation for saving energy in mass rapid transit systems , 2005 .

[14]  P. Barrade,et al.  Study and simulation of the energy balance of an urban transportation network , 2007, 2007 European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications.

[15]  Hossein Iman-Eini,et al.  Stationary super-capacitor energy storage system to save regenerative braking energy in a metro line , 2012 .

[16]  Dario Zaninelli,et al.  Automatic Distributed Voltage Control Algorithm in Smart Grids Applications , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid.

[17]  P. Barrade,et al.  A supercapacitor-based energy storage substation for voltage compensation in weak transportation networks , 2004, IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery.

[18]  Abdel Hameed A. Awad,et al.  Environmental Study in Subway Metro Stations in Cairo, Egypt , 2002 .

[19]  Won-Hwa Hong,et al.  A study on the energy consumption unit of subway stations in Korea , 2004 .

[20]  Takafumi Koseki Technologies for Saving Energy in Railway Operation : General Discussion on Energy Issues Concerning Railway Technology , 2010 .

[21]  Baoming Han,et al.  Simulation model of pedestrian interactive behavior , 2011 .

[22]  Chengyu Sun,et al.  Metro Station Pedestrian Organization Optimization through Space Analysis , 2011 .

[23]  Mehmet Turan Soylemez,et al.  Coasting point optimisation for mass rail transit lines using artificial neural networks and genetic algorithms , 2008 .

[24]  F. T. Alves,et al.  Energy saving strategy in São Paulo Metro , 2010 .

[25]  Roger M. Goodall,et al.  Mechatronic developments for railway vehicles of the future , 2000 .

[26]  Zdenek Peroutka,et al.  New generation of trams with gearless wheel PMSM drives: From simple diagnostics to sensorless control , 2010, Proceedings of 14th International Power Electronics and Motion Control Conference EPE-PEMC 2010.

[27]  L. Martirano,et al.  Challenges in energy systems for the smart-cities of the future , 2012, 2012 IEEE International Energy Conference and Exhibition (ENERGYCON).

[28]  Daniel Cornic Efficient recovery of braking energy through a reversible dc substation , 2010, Electrical Systems for Aircraft, Railway and Ship Propulsion.

[29]  Rongfang Rachel Liu,et al.  Energy-efficient operation of rail vehicles , 2003 .

[30]  Graeme Maidment,et al.  UNDERGROUND RAILWAY ENVIRONMENT IN THE UK, PART 3: METHODS OF DELIVERING COOLING , 2004 .

[31]  Kai Cui,et al.  Designs and practices of energy saving in Lhasa Railway Station , 2010 .

[32]  R.-L. Lin,et al.  Optimization of an MRT train schedule: reducing maximum traction power by using genetic algorithms , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Power Systems.

[33]  W. Gunselmann,et al.  Technologies for increased energy efficiency in railway systems , 2005, 2005 European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications.

[34]  Chung-Fu Chang,et al.  Optimising train movements through coast control using genetic algorithms , 1997 .

[35]  Kuan Chen,et al.  New developments in illumination, heating and cooling technologies for energy-efficient buildings , 2010 .

[36]  Flavio Ciccarelli,et al.  Stationary ultracapacitors storage device for improving energy saving and voltage profile of light transportation networks , 2012 .

[37]  Piotr Lukaszewicz,et al.  Optimal design of metro automatic train operation speed profiles for reducing energy consumption , 2011 .

[38]  Flavio Ciccarelli,et al.  Control of metro-trains equipped with onboard supercapacitors for energy saving and reduction of power peak demand , 2012 .

[39]  Kwang-Yong Kim,et al.  Effects of vent shaft location on the ventilation performance in a subway tunnel , 2009 .

[40]  Junya Kawamura,et al.  Development of Totally Enclosed Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor , 2008 .

[41]  Romano Giglioli,et al.  Demand Response of urban transport systems: a help for deploying the new Smart Grid paradigm , 2011 .

[42]  Essam E. Khalil,et al.  Flow Regimes and Thermal Patterns in a Subway Station , 2011 .

[43]  Marzio Grasso,et al.  Transport of DE-LIGHT: The Design and Prototyping of a Lightweight Crashworthy Rail Vehicle Driver's Cab , 2011 .

[44]  G Malavasi,et al.  Driving and operation strategies for traction-energy saving in mass rapid transit systems , 2011 .

[45]  P ? ? ? ? ? ? ? % ? ? ? ? , 1991 .

[46]  Chang Nyung Kim,et al.  A Numerical Study of the Train-Induced Unsteady Airflow in a Subway Tunnel with Natural Ventilation Ducts Using the Dynamic Layering Method , 2010 .

[47]  R. Faranda,et al.  Energetic sustainable development of railway stations , 2007, 2007 IEEE Power Engineering Society General Meeting.

[48]  Jj Carruthers,et al.  The application of a systematic approach to material selection for the lightweighting of metro vehicles , 2009 .

[49]  Graeme Maidment,et al.  Underground railway environment in the UK. Part 2: Investigation of heat load , 2004 .

[50]  C. C. Chan,et al.  The State of the Art of Electric, Hybrid, and Fuel Cell Vehicles , 2007, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[51]  N. Bianchi,et al.  Design procedure of IPM motor drive for railway traction , 2011, 2011 IEEE International Electric Machines & Drives Conference (IEMDC).

[52]  Keiichiro Kondo Recent Energy Saving Technologies on Railway Traction Systems , 2010 .

[53]  Tin Kin Ho,et al.  Dwell-time and run-time control for DC mass rapid transit railways , 2007 .

[54]  T Albrecht REDUCING POWER PEAKS AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEMS BY SIMULTANEOUS TRAIN RUNNING TIME CONTROL , 2004 .

[55]  Michael Meinert,et al.  New mobile energy storage system for rolling stock , 2009, 2009 13th European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications.

[56]  Hans Bernhoff,et al.  Flywheel energy and power storage systems , 2007 .

[57]  Kazuhiro Fukuyo,et al.  Application of computational fluid dynamics and pedestrian-behavior simulations to the design of task-ambient air-conditioning systems of a subway station , 2006 .

[58]  Flavio Ciccarelli,et al.  Wayside Ultracapacitors Storage Design for Light Transportation Systems: a Multiobjective Optimization Approach , 2013 .

[59]  Andreas Binder,et al.  Feasibility of a Group Drive with Two Permanent Magnet Synchronous Traction Motors for Commuter Trains , 2004 .

[60]  R. Barrero,et al.  Energy savings in public transport , 2008, IEEE Vehicular Technology Magazine.

[61]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  Platform screen doors on emergency evacuation in underground railway stations , 2012 .

[62]  Indra Narayan Kar,et al.  Design of Model-Based Optimizing Control Scheme for an Air-Conditioning System , 2010 .

[63]  M. Steiner,et al.  Energy storage on board of DC fed railway vehicles PESC 2004 conference in Aachen, Germany , 2004, 2004 IEEE 35th Annual Power Electronics Specialists Conference (IEEE Cat. No.04CH37551).

[64]  Jerome T. Tzeng,et al.  Composite flywheels for energy storage , 2006 .

[65]  Maite Pena-Alcaraz,et al.  Optimal underground timetable design based on power flow for maximizing the use of regenerative-braking energy , 2012 .

[66]  Wenhua Li,et al.  Numerical simulation and analysis of transport air conditioning system integrated with passenger compartment , 2013 .

[67]  G. G. Stokes "J." , 1890, The New Yale Book of Quotations.

[68]  Xiaoxin Wang,et al.  Reuse of condensed water to improve the performance of an air-cycle refrigeration system for transport applications , 2007 .

[69]  A. González-Gil,et al.  Experimental evaluation of a direct air-cooled lithium bromide-water absorption prototype for solar air conditioning , 2011 .

[70]  Graeme Maidment,et al.  Underground railway environment in the UK Part 1: Review of thermal comfort , 2004 .

[71]  A. E. Diez,et al.  Trolleybuses in Smart Grids as effective strategy to reduce greenhouse emissions , 2012, 2012 IEEE International Electric Vehicle Conference.

[72]  Michael P. Polis,et al.  Reducing energy consumption through trajectory optimization for a metro network , 1975 .

[73]  Chao-Shun Chen,et al.  Design of optimal coasting speed for saving social cost in Mass Rapid Transit systems , 2008, 2008 Third International Conference on Electric Utility Deregulation and Restructuring and Power Technologies.

[74]  Mohammad Jafari,et al.  Thermal comfort evaluation in Tehran metro using Relative Warmth Index , 2008 .

[75]  R Barrero,et al.  Stationary or onboard energy storage systems for energy consumption reduction in a metro network , 2010 .

[76]  Ursula Eicker,et al.  Heat rejection and primary energy efficiency of solar driven absorption cooling systems , 2012 .

[77]  Hanmin Lee,et al.  Capacity optimization of the supercapacitor energy storages on DC railway system using a railway powerflow algorithm , 2011 .

[78]  Marc A. Rosen,et al.  Geothermal heat pump systems: Status review and comparison with other heating options , 2013 .

[79]  Miquel Casals,et al.  Overcoming challenges for energy management in underground railway stations: The SEAM4US project , 2012 .

[80]  Chenn Q. Zhou,et al.  Research on the waiting time of passengers and escalator energy consumption at the railway station , 2009 .

[81]  E. Stefanakos,et al.  A REVIEW OF THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES AND WORKING FLUIDS FOR THE CONVERSION OF LOW-GRADE HEAT , 2010 .

[82]  Shijun You,et al.  CFD simulation and optimization of the ventilation for subway side-platform , 2007 .

[83]  Arild Gustavsen,et al.  Properties, Requirements and Possibilities of Smart Windows for Dynamic Daylight and Solar Energy Control in Buildings: A State-of-the-Art Review , 2010 .

[84]  Alberto Giretti,et al.  Environmental modeling for the optimal energy control of subway stations , 2012 .

[85]  Chang Nyung Kim,et al.  Effects of the ventilation duct arrangement and duct geometry on ventilation performance in a subway tunnel , 2011 .

[86]  D. Iannuzzi,et al.  Speed-Based State-of-Charge Tracking Control for Metro Trains With Onboard Supercapacitors , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.

[87]  Asier Romo,et al.  Kinetic energy recovery on railway systems with feedback to the grid , 2010, Proceedings of 14th International Power Electronics and Motion Control Conference EPE-PEMC 2010.

[88]  Neil C Greenham,et al.  Polymer solar cells , 2013, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences.

[89]  Jean-Paul Moskowitz,et al.  STEEM: ALSTOM and RATP experience of supercapacitors in tramway operation , 2010, 2010 IEEE Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conference.

[90]  Craig W. Hudson,et al.  Multiple objective optimisation of composite sandwich structures for rail vehicle floor panels , 2010 .

[92]  Masaru Tomita,et al.  Development of prototype DC superconducting cable for railway system , 2010 .

[93]  Rafat Kadhim,et al.  Driver Advisory Information for Energy Management and Regulation , 2011 .

[94]  T. Iwagami,et al.  Cost impacts of high efficiency power supply technologies in railway power supply - Traction and Station - , 2012, 2012 15th International Power Electronics and Motion Control Conference (EPE/PEMC).

[95]  H. J. Liao,et al.  The feasibility of using circulating groundwater as renewable energy sources for air-conditioning in Taipei basin , 2012 .

[96]  Shih-Cheng Hu,et al.  INFLUENCE OF PLATFORM SCREEN DOORS ON ENERGY CONSUMPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT CONTROL SYSTEM OF A MASS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM: CASE STUDY OF THE TAIPEI MRT SYSTEM , 2004 .

[97]  Duckshin Park,et al.  Measurement of Natural Ventilation Rate in Seoul Metropolitan Subway Cabin , 2010 .

[98]  Paul Batty,et al.  Sustainable urban rail systems: strategies and technologies for optimal management of regenerative braking energy , 2013 .

[99]  Daniel Cornic Efficient recovery of braking energy through a reversible dc substation , 2010 .

[100]  Srdjan M. Lukic,et al.  Energy Storage Systems for Transport and Grid Applications , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[101]  Krista Murray Raines Underground Passenger Comfort Rethinking the current thermal and lighting standards , 2009 .

[102]  Kazuya Nishimura,et al.  Test Results of a High Capacity Wayside Energy Storage System Using Ni-MH Batteries for DC Electric Railway at New York City Transit , 2011, 2011 IEEE Green Technologies Conference (IEEE-Green).

[103]  Luigi Martirano,et al.  From smart grids to Sustainable Energy Microsystems , 2011, 2011 10th International Conference on Environment and Electrical Engineering.

[104]  Regina Lamedica,et al.  Energy management in metro-transit systems: An innovative proposal toward an integrated and sustaina , 2011 .

[105]  Masamichi Ogasa,et al.  Application of Energy Storage Technologies for Electric Railway Vehicles—Examples with Hybrid Electric Railway Vehicles , 2010 .

[106]  Yew Khoy Chuah,et al.  A study on underground tunnel ventilation for piston effects influenced by draught relief shaft in subway system , 2008 .

[107]  K. F. Fong,et al.  HVAC system optimization for energy management by evolutionary programming , 2006 .

[108]  Ryo Takagi Energy Saving Techniques for the Power Feeding Network of Electric Railways , 2010 .

[109]  A Le Clech Heat extraction in underground railway tunnels , 2005 .

[110]  Clive Roberts,et al.  Optimal driving strategy for traction energy saving on DC suburban railways , 2007 .

[111]  Manuel A. Duarte,et al.  Minimum energy trajectories for subway systems , 1999 .

[112]  Péter Ordódy THERMAL COMFORT IN THE PASSENGER AREAS OF THE BUDAPEST METRO , 2000 .

[113]  Essam E. Khalil,et al.  Flow Regimes and Thermal Patterns in a Subway Station , 2013 .

[114]  A Nasri,et al.  Timetable optimization for maximum usage of regenerative energy of braking in electrical railway systems , 2010, SPEEDAM 2010.

[115]  Graeme Maidment,et al.  Geothermal cooling through enhancement of the natural heat sink effect – proof of concept , 2007 .

[116]  Shen Li,et al.  The Impacting Factors Discussions on the Thermal Environment and Energy Consumption of the Subway Tunnel and the Station Units , 2011, 2011 Third International Conference on Measuring Technology and Mechatronics Automation.

[117]  Wei-Song Lin,et al.  Automatic Train Regulation with energy saving using dual heuristic programming , 2011, 2011 IEEE International Conference on Control Applications (CCA).

[118]  Philippe Delarue,et al.  Energy Storage System With Supercapacitor for an Innovative Subway , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[119]  Wan Ki Chow,et al.  Ventilation of enclosed train compartments in Hong Kong , 2002 .

[120]  Yuri V. Vorobiev,et al.  About the Possibilities of Using the Renewable Energy Power Sources on Railway Transport , 2013 .

[121]  Graeme Maidment,et al.  Evaluation of an underground railway carriage operating with a sustainable groundwater cooling system , 2002 .

[122]  Eric Wai Ming Lee,et al.  Estimation of electrical power consumption in subway station design by intelligent approach , 2013 .

[123]  Masafumi Miyatake,et al.  Optimization of Train Speed Profile for Minimum Energy Consumption , 2010 .

[124]  Chun-Liang Lin,et al.  Optimisation of train energy-efficient operation for mass rapid transit systems , 2012 .

[125]  Jj Carruthers,et al.  Composites for lightweighting in mass transit applications , 2006 .

[126]  V. Mugica-Álvarez,et al.  Concentrations and properties of airborne particles in the Mexico City subway system , 2012 .

[127]  Vukan R Vuchic,et al.  Urban transit systems and technology , 2007 .

[128]  M. T. Ke,et al.  Numerical simulation for optimizing the design of subway environmental control system , 2002 .

[129]  Wei Ya Zhang,et al.  The Experimental Research on Beijing Subway Air-Conditioning System Energy-Saving , 2012 .

[130]  M. Steiner,et al.  Energy storage system with ultracaps on board of railway vehicles , 2007, 2007 European Conference on Power Electronics and Applications.

[131]  Franklin Farell Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area: Towards a competitive and resource efficient transport system , 2014 .

[132]  Yu-Chi Chung,et al.  From timetabling to train regulation - a new train operation model , 2005, Inf. Softw. Technol..