On choosing the optimal power value of an electric locomotive to minimize the consumption of electric energy

An analysis of the operation of electric locomotives on certain sections of railways shows that their power is used irrationally and electric locomotives are operated with low energy indicators, especially on long-distance flat stretches, which indicates that there are reserves for reducing the consumption of electric energy. The purpose of the work is to determine the optimal value of the rated power of electric locomotives by minimizing the electricity consumption on the site and to estimate the loss of electric energy from the non-optimal use of electric locomotives' power. To achieve this goal, an equation was drawn up for the dependence of the electric power consumption on the traction of an electric locomotive on the value of its rated power. To find the optimal value, this equation was differentiated by the value of the rated power of the electric locomotive and solved using the Cardano method. The expression allowed us to determine the minimum consumption of electric power is the rated power of the electric locomotive, depending on the required for a given traffic conditions and to evaluate the variation of energy consumption from non-optimal use of its structural capacity. The obtained equations allowed us to solve the problems of choosing the optimal value of the rated power of electric locomotives and evaluating the irrational consumption of electric energy from the non-optimal use of their power and can be used to determine the optimal parameters of electric locomotives. The conclusion is made about the importance of choosing the optimal power values of electric locomotives in order to obtain the highest technical and economic indicators during their operation.