Analysis and design of ultracapacitor-boosted back-up power supply for tramcars

The back-up power supply of a tramcar can be boosted and/or redimensioned by refurnishing the existing batteries with peak power storage elements such as ultracapacitors. As a result, the primary battery's lifetime increases and overall reliability is improved, which is essential regarding passengers' safety in some critical circumstances like emergency braking. The current paper points out existing problems and presents some ultracapacitor calculation examples and brings simulation results for better illustration.