IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2013 - 20

A precipitationhardened copper
alloy contact wire
was developed as
an alternative to
the CS contact wire.

which enables to omit transformer
onboard, the heaviest parts of propulsion, and can reduce the total mass.
This composition is attractive, especially for 16.7-Hz feeding frequency
countries.
We should consider a compromise
between reliability, availability, and
redundancy of power units with new
devices. New devices have to improve
their reliability of course. However, for
some HSR onboard application, a certain redundancy will prove to introduce new devices in
early stage. The medium frequency propulsion convertor
is one of the candidates.

power semiconductors
for Fixed Installations
Use of Flexible AC Transmission Systems
In Japan, some traction substations or sectioning posts
have been equipped with flexible ac transmission systems
(FACTS) such as static var compensators (SVCs) or static
compensators (STATCOMs) for balancing power or suppressing voltage fluctuation of both power grid and feeding circuit, which have been in use since 1987.
As the first Shinkansen, the Tokaido Shinkansen had
to use relatively weak 66-, 77-, and 154-kV grids as its
power source. The heavy load of the Shinkansen caused
a voltage imbalance in the power grid in the early days,
so the Tokaido Shinkansen had to deal with this problem
carefully. FACTS devices were one of the answers. Now,
railways are one of the biggest users of FACTS devices.
The rated power of each HSR line is about 10-20 MW;
thus, the scale of FACTS equipment should also be 10-60
MVA to compensate for the HSRs.

SVCs and STATCOMs
Simple SVCs have been a countermeasure for compensating for the reactive power from loads using ex-commutated
thyristors since 1990. There are 23 sets available in the
Tokaido Shinkansen.
A self-commutated STATCOM, sometimes called a
static var generator, is a countermeasure for voltage fluctuation by balancing actual power and compensating
reactive power at three-phase side, using GTOs or IGBTs
since 1993. Five sets of 34-60-MVA STATCOMs are available in the Tokaido Shinkansen. A railway static power
compensator (RPC) is a countermeasure for voltage fluctuation by balancing actual power and compensating reactive power at feeding side, using GTOs, gate commutated
turn-off thyristors, or IGBTs (Figure 11). In the case of
extended feeding, an RPC can compensate reactive power
at the end of the feeding circuit. In addition, the RPC can
act as an active filter for lower harmonics. Two sets of

20

I E E E E l e c t r i f i c atio n Magaz ine / september 2013

20-MVA RPCs in the Tohoku Shinkansen and six sets of 20-60-MVA RPCs in
the Tokaido Shinkansen are available.
The combination of a long feeding
circuit and large train load, especially
thyristor-phase control units, causes
severe voltage drop at the end of feeding circuit. An SVC at the sectioning
post can compensate this problem
with Ferranti effect. The Tokaido Shinkansen has 15, the Sanyo Shinkansen
has one, and several conventional lines
have several SVCs in sectioning posts.

Frequency Converter
The Tokaido Shinkansen also uses 60 Hz throughout the
50-Hz area around Tokyo to reduce the weight of the
rolling stock. There are four frequency-changer stations
along the Tokaido Shinkansen. Most of the 60-Hz electric
power is generated from 60-MW sets consisting of a
50-Hz three-phase synchronous motor and a 60-Hz
three-phase synchronous generator. Since 2003, JR central company has introduced 60-MVA static frequency
converters using GTO thyristors. Another 60-MVA threephase 50-Hz to single-phase 60-Hz static frequency converter using IEGTs has been available since January 2009.
Electrified rail in Japan is one of the best examples in
the world for efficient urban transportation as well as
intercity transportation. Huge demands lead rail companies to use sophisticated technologies, with great help from
the rail industry. Now, we have to brush up our technolgies to welcome the Olympic games to Tokyo in 2020.

For Further reading
T. Uzuka and H. Nagasawa, "AC power supply for railways
in Japan," Elektrische Bahnen, vol. 107, no. 5, pp. 232-240,
2009.
M. Ikeda and T. Uzuka, "AC power supply for railways in
Japan," Elektrische Bahnen, vol. 109, no. 7, pp. 338-343,
2011.
T. Uzuka, "Trends in high-speed railways and the implications on power electronics and power devices," in Proc.

23rd Int. Symp. Power Semiconductor Devices and ICs
(ISPSD 2011).

biography
Tetsuo Uzuka (uzuka@rtri.or.jp) received his master's of
engineering degree in instrumentation engineering from
Keio University in Yokohama, Japan. Since 1989, he has
been engaged in the development of feeding systems at
the Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) in
Kokubunji, Japan. He is the director of the Power Supply
Division of RTRI.



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