Comprehensive Topological Overview of Rolling Stock Architectures and Recent Trends in Electric Railway Traction Systems

This paper reviews the modern electric propulsion architectures and configurations for railway traction, which are currently in practice. The development and advancement of power electronics and digital controllers led to the standardization of the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT)-based converter fed induction motor drives. This paper summarizes the state-of-the-art technology of IGBT-based rolling stock in terms of both power and control. Control hierarchy of traction system and drive control techniques are explored. Special emphasis has been put on the technologies, which can improve energy efficiency as well as reliability to develop high-speed rails and metro trains in the near future in both urban and suburban areas. Specific attention is given to power electronic transformer technology-based traction drives and on-board energy storage systems. In addition, advances in traction drive technology and wide-bandgap power devices are addressed. Finally, major issues faced in rolling stock including the challenges for further improvement are highlighted.