Increase of energy efficiency of electric power distribution networks by adjustment of reactive energy consumption in a traction network

In the past few years, there has been a trend towards an increase in the volume of transportation by railway. At the same time, the load on the railway infrastructure increases, in particular, on the traction power supply system. It is necessary to solve the problem of increasing the energy efficiency of the external electric power supply system in the conditions of growing freight turnover and taking into account the uncertainty of the initial data. The paper considers one of the methods of strengthening the traction power supply system. Based on the results of the study, an algorithm was developed for selecting the installation sites and power of compensating devices in a traction network in the conditions of increasing freight turnover and under the condition of increasing the energy efficiency of the external power supply system of traction substations due to unloading of supply lines by reactive power and leveling the load in phases. This methodology includes predicting power consumption, determining the installation sites and power of compensating devices in the traction network under condition of uncertainty of the initial data, and then assessing the energy efficiency of the decision made. A calculation was carried out for the proposed algorithm for a section of the Far Eastern Railway which includes nine traction substations