Towards a unified low frequency Stability criterion for 15 kV / 16.7 Hz and 25 kV / 50 Hz railway power system

Inhalt:
Low frequency voltage instabilities of the AC railway networks are due to the interactions between modern traction vehicles and infrastructure. These instabilities can lead to a large amplitude modulation of the catenary voltage that can cause train power supply shut down or damage on traction equipment. This paper presents a straightforward method for determining the stability limit of a railway power system which is applicable to both 25 kV / 50 Hz and 15 kV / 16.7 Hz networks. This approach is the first step to define a unique stability criterion for both networks. The method is based on the stability limit curve of a traction chain plotted in the complex impedance plane (R, X). The validation of thismethod is performed through the use of a HIL (Hardware In the Loop) simulator.