Assessment of voltage losses in the ac traction network for two different types of the locomotive’s rectifier-inverter converters: on thyristors or igbt-transistors

The paper deals with benefits of a new rectifier-inverter converter of an electric locomotive based on IGBT-transistors. Main directions of heavy haul traffic's development are considered for Siberia and Russian Far East electrified railways. Throughput and carrying capacity of power supply devices extremely depends on the voltage level in the catenary network of electrified sections of railways. Objects of our research are electric parameters of the 25 kV, 50 Hz AC traction power supply system. Operation parameters of two different types of the electric locomotive’s rectifier-inverter converters are calculated and discussed. We investigated operation parameters for thyristor-based and IGBT-transistors- based rectifier-inverter converter. Current and voltage curves for the thyristor and the transistor type of the rectifier-inverter converter are given and discussed. Similarity factor of current curves for electric locomotives was calculated by equivalent sinusoid’s .method. Quantitative assessment of the voltage level, currents and voltage losses in the AC catenary network is given. The graph-analytical method was used for constructing currents and voltages vector diagrams. It is proved that electric locomotives with a new rectifier-inverter conversion based on IGBT transistors provides a reducing of the total voltage losses in three times in the traction network comparing the thyristor conversion's operation.