System energy optimisation strategies for metros with regeneration

Energy and environmental sustainability in transportation are becoming ever more important. In Europe, the transportation sector is responsible for about 30% of the final end use of energy. Electrified railway systems play an important role in contributing to the reduction of energy usage and CO₂ emissions compared with other transport modes. For metro-transit systems with frequently motoring and braking trains, the effective use of regenerated braking energy is a significant way to reduce the net energy consumption. Although eco-driving strategies have been studied for some time, a comprehensive understanding of how regeneration affects the overall system energy consumption has not been developed. This paper proposes a multi-train traction power network modelling method to determine the system energy flow of the railway system with regenerating braking trains. The initial results show that minimising traction energy use is not the same as minimising the system energy usage in a metro system. An integrated optimisation method is proposed to solve the system energy-saving problem, which takes train movement and electrical power flow into consideration. The results of a study of the Beijing Yizhuang metro line indicate that optimised operation could reduce the energy consumption at the substations by nearly 38.6% compared to that used with the existing ATO operation.     

The symbolism of ‘eco cars’ across national cultures: Potential implications for policy formulation and transfer

Transport choices are not merely practical decisions but steeped in cultural and societal perceptions. Understanding these latent drivers of behaviour will allow countries to develop and import policies to more successfully promote sustainable transport. Transport symbolism – what people believe their ownership or use of a mode connotes to others about their societal position – has been shown to be one such, non-trivial, hidden motivator. In the case of hybrid and electric cars (‘eco cars’), studies have demonstrated how their symbolic value varies within a society among different social groups. As yet, however, there has been scant research into comparing how the symbolism of a mode varies across national cultures, horizontally, between individuals with similar socio-demographic characteristics. Through qualitative thematic analysis, this study utilises two of Hofstede’s cross-cultural indices – power differential and individualism versus collectivism – to develop and strengthen theory on how the differing symbolism of eco cars currently varies between four cultural clusters – Anglo, Nordic, Confucian and South Asian. It also deliberates how observed symbolic qualitative differences may influence an individual or group choice to procure eco cars. Finally, it discusses how policy development, transfer and marketing, within the context of eco cars, may need to be modified by national governments, in the Confucian and South Asian cultures, so as to encourage uptake and modal shift.     

基于DSP的船舶电力推进系统滤波装置控制器设计

小型船舶电力系统中非线性负载多、谐波污染严重.针对这一情况,本文设计一款基于DSP的电力系统滤波装置控制器,该控制器结构简单,稳定性好,实验证明该控制器能有效降低谐波污染,具有一定实用价值.     

Eco-driving behaviors of electric vehicle users: A survey study

Previous research has shown that electric vehicle (EV) users could behave differently compared to internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) drivers due to their consciousness or practices of eco-driving, but very limited research has fully investigated this assumption. This research explores this topic through investigating EV drivers’ eco-driving behaviors and motivations. We first conducted a questionnaire survey on EV drivers’ driving behavior and some hypothetical decisions of their driving. It indicates various characteristics between EV and ICEV commuters, including self-reported daily driving habits, preferences of route choices, tradeoff between travel time and energy saving, and adoption of in-vehicle display (IVD) technologies. Then, through statistical analysis with Fisher’s exact test and Mann-Whitney U test, this research reveals that, compared to ICEV drivers, EV drivers possess significantly calmer driving maneuvers and more fuel-efficient driving habits such as trip chaining. The survey data also show that EV drivers are much more willing to save energy in compensation of travel time. Furthermore, the survey data indicate that EV drivers are more willing to adopt eco-friendly IVD technologies. All these findings are expected to improve the understanding of some unique behavior found in EV drivers.     

Optimal design of electric vehicle public charging system in an urban network for Greenhouse Gas Emission and cost minimization

In this paper, we address the optimization problem of allocation of Electric Vehicle (EV) public fast charging stations over an urban grid network. The objective is to minimize Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) under multiple constraints including a limited agency budget, accessibility of charging stations in every possible charging request and charging demands during peak hours. Additionally, we address bi-criteria problems to consider user costs as the second objective. A convex parsimonious model that depends on relatively few assumptions and input parameters is proposed and it is shown to be useful for obtaining conceptual insights for high-level planning. In a parametric study using a hypothetical urban network model generated based on realistic parameters, we show that GHG emissions decrease with agency budget, and that the reductions vary depending on multiple factors related to EV market and EV technologies. The optimal solutions found from the bi-criteria problems are shown to be close to the solution minimizing GHG emissions only, meaning that the emission minimizing policy can also minimize user costs.     

A driver advisory system with dynamic losses for passenger electric multiple units

Driver advisory systems, instructing the driver how to control the train in an energy efficient manner, is one the main tools for minimizing energy consumption in the railway sector. There are many driver advisory systems already available in the market, together with significant literature on the mathematical formulation of the problem. However, much less is published on the development of such mathematical formulations, their implementation in real systems, and on the empirical data from their deployment. Moreover, nearly all the designed driver advisory systems are designed as an additional hardware to be added in drivers’ cabin. This paper discusses the design of a mathematical formulation and optimization approach for such a system, together with its implementation into an Android-based prototype, the results from on-board practical experiments, and experiences from the implementation. The system is based on a more realistic train model where energy calculations take into account dynamic losses in different components of the propulsion system, contrary to previous approaches. The experimental evaluation shows a significant increase in accuracy, as compared to a previous approach. Tests on a double-track section of the Mälaren line in Sweden demonstrates a significant potential for energy saving.     

地铁供电系统中压开关柜电流分析理论和方法

通过分析地铁供电系统不同电压等级的设备电流特征,确定35 kV电压等级设备电流可构造标准曲线,采用机器智能学习算法分析、测算地铁供电系统中各类开关峰谷时段运行电流,以均值-方差方法确定电流的高度异常偏离点,实现异常点数据周期内统计以及实时提醒功能。应用电流实测值分析电流在工作日、节假日的不同曲线,为负荷预测和非正常运行方式下的负荷叠加风险提供预测和评估依据,保障供电系统的安全运行,提高负荷管控效率。     

汉巴南铁路兰渝联络线电分相设置方案研究

联络线电分相设置方案影响因素众多,且其设置与否对工程和运营的影响也较大。本文对汉巴南铁路兰渝联络线电分相设置方案进行研究,提出高速铁路设置关节式电分相联络线最短长度;对联络线电分相不同设置方案进行比选研究,并结合各方案的土建工程、信号系统、供电系统及限制因素提出布局优化措施,以期为联络线电分相合理设置与优化布局提供新思路。     

A cost-competitiveness analysis of charging infrastructure for electric bus operations

This study investigates the cost competitiveness of different types of charging infrastructure, including charging stations, charging lanes (via charging-while-driving technologies) and battery swapping stations, in support of an electric public transit system. To this end, we first establish mathematical models to investigate the optimal deployment of various charging facilities along the transit line and determine the optimal size of the electric bus fleet, as well as their batteries, to minimize total infrastructure and fleet costs while guaranteeing service frequency and satisfying the charging needs of the transit system. We then conduct an empirical analysis utilizing available real-world data. The results suggest that: (1) the service frequency, circulation length, and operating speed of a transit system may have a great impact on the cost competitiveness of different charging infrastructure; (2) charging lanes enabled by currently available inductive wireless charging technology are cost competitive for most of the existing bus rapid transit corridors; (3) swapping stations can yield a lower total cost than charging lanes and charging stations for transit systems with high operating speed and low service frequency; (4) charging stations are cost competitive only for transit systems with very low service frequency and short circulation; and (5) the key to making charging lanes more competitive for transit systems with low service frequency and high operating speed is to reduce their unit-length construction cost or enhance their charging power.     

Electric vehicles and residential parking in an urban environment: Results from a stated preference experiment

This paper presents the results of a preference survey of 1545 respondents’ willingness to purchase electric vehicles (EVs) in Philadelphia. We pay particular attention to respondents’ willingness to pay for convenient charging systems and parking spaces. If the value of dedicated parking substantially outweighs the value of convenient charging systems, residential-based on-street charging systems are unlikely to ever be politically palatable. As expected, respondents are generally willing to pay for longer range, shorter charging times, lower operating costs, and shorter parking search times. For a typical respondent, a $100 per month parking charge decreases the odds of purchasing an EV by around 65%. Across mixed logit and latent class models, we find substantial variation in the willingness to pay for EV range, charge time, and ease of parking. Of note, we find two primary classes of respondents with substantially different EV preferences. The first class tends to live in multifamily housing units in central parts of the city and puts a high value on parking search time and the availability of on-street charging stations. The second class, whose members are likelier to be married, wealthy, conservative, and residing in single-family homes in more distant neighborhoods, are willing to pay more for EV range and charge time, but less for parking than the first group. They are also much likelier to consider purchasing EVs at all. We recommend that future research into EV adoption incorporate neighborhood-level features, like parking availability and average trip distances, which vary by neighborhood and almost certainly influence EV adoption.