Smart rail power systems: From the local to the centralised control operating paradigm

Despite extensive scientific literature on the smart grid concept for buildings, neighbourhoods, and cities, the concept of Smart Railway Systems (SRSs) remains only partially explored. As a result, this work lays the foundation for implementing the smart paradigm in traction power systems for urban applications (i.e., metro and light rail transit systems). It introduces a modern control paradigm where the supervisor exchanges data with the sub-systems (i.e., trains, energy storage systems, and substations) and defines local controllers’ set points according to optimisation strategies. Depending on the system’s configuration, two control strategies, framed as optimal power flow problems, are proposed. The effectiveness of these strategies is assessed through a comprehensive numerical analysis, where real data from Naples Line 1 metro serve as a case study. • Local control for railway systems. • Centralised control for railway systems. • Improving the energy efficiency of DC railway systems. • Improving the network receptivity of DC railway systems. • Smart railway system: optimal traction power flow operations.