Power Management Strategies for Tramway Networks Supported by Energy Storage Systems and Renewable Sources

This paper presents an investigation on different strategies for the power management of tramway networks integrated with energy storage systems (ESS) and renewable energy sources (RES), based on two possible scenarios: the first one concerns the support by only stationary ESS, the second one involves also the support by RES. According to simulations through MATLAB software, a typical daily power profile regarding a traction substation (TSS) supplying a tramway route inside the Italian city of Palermo has been considered. The above-mentioned investigation has been carried out considering a Li-ion battery-based ESS and a typical winter photovoltaic (PV) daily power profile. The main goal of this work is the reduction of the maximum power that each TSS requires from the electrical grid, aiming at saving energy costs, by means of an accurate design of ESS and RES as well as of an improved algorithm of power management. This research, which is part of the funded project Smart Electric traNsport systems for Sustainable Urban Mobility (SENSUM), aims to provide a contribution for an effective integration of these systems in future smart cities.