Droop control operation strategy for advanced DC converter-based electrical railway power supply systems for high-speed lines

Abstract

Advanced DC converter-based electrical railway power supply systems are very promising power supply configurations for the electrification of high-speed lines. Their full controllable converter-based traction substations along with its continuous catenary, enable the reduction of power quality issues while providing an active power management. However, the power operation performance of these new configurations relies on the development of appropriate control systems. In this sense, this paper introduces a novel operation strategy based on a droop control scheme capable of adapting the power sharing between traction substations without any traffic information. The power operation performance of a simple and complex advanced DC converter-based system following the strategy proposed has been analyzed and compared with the conventional electrification approach. According to the results obtained, the operation strategy presented can adequately control the power flow in the railway grid for both scenarios.