A Potential 15 KVdc Catenary-Fed Rail Induction Motor Drive at 780 kW, 1.5-3 krpm: Preliminary Design and Key Fem Validation

Apart from the three types of rail power supplies in use <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$-16.66 ~\text{Hz}, 15 \text{kV}$</tex> single phase a.c., <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$50(60) \text{Hz}, 25$</tex> (27) kV single phase a.c. and <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$0.5-3 \text{kVdc}$</tex> we hereby suggest, for interurban trains a 15 kVdc power supply in order to increase performance and reduce initial power electronics costs. In essence a <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$132 \text{kV}-15 \text{kV} 3$</tex> phase transformer and a fully controlled rectifier will directly supply the 15 kVdc catenary on ground to reduce power electronics costs while solving the existent input a.c. phase asymmetries, harmonics at unity input power factor. On the vehicle 1 (or multiple) voltage self-boosting inverter supplied directly from the 15 kVdc an induction motors for traction in units at <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$780 ~\text{kW}, 1.5-3 \text{krpm}$</tex> are suggested, while for auxiliary a 15 kVdc to <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$500 / 300 \text{Vdc}$</tex> insulated d.c.-d.c. converter is suggested. The present paper presents the above suggested scheme and the preliminary electromagnetic design of the proposed 780 kW, 1.5-3 krpm induction motor for traction with key FEM validation. Developments on the proposed system will be approached in subsequent papers.