Simulation of an ac electric locomotive operation in the regenerative braking mode
Regenerative braking is one of the most important energy-saving resources on electric rolling stock (EPS) of railways and feasibility of its use is confirmed by a rich half-century history. The development of the recovery mode begins with the release of the experimental AC electric locomotive of the VL61 series № 012 and continues with the release of the modern series of electric locomotives 2 (3, 4) ES5K and EP1v/i. The use of recuperation allows you to achieve significant energy savings, to ensure the safety of driving heavy trains on the track profile with long descents. In the regenerative braking mode, the EPS has rigid braking characteristics, ensuring maintenance of constant train speed, increasing the technical speed of the train and capacity of the railway section. This article presents the results of mathematical modeling of operation of an AC electric locomotive in the regenerative braking mode using a standard rectifier-inverter converter (RIC) and presence of ballast resistor blocks (BRB) in the power circuit, and using a promising RIC based on IGBT transistors, for which a method for implementing regenerative braking on AC electric locomotives without the use of BRB in the anchor circuit of traction electric motors is developed, with the help of which it is possible to increase the amount of electricity given to the contact network, as well as to expand the area of braking characteristics of the electric locomotive.