Engineering news
Engineers are to develop technology that would see the batteries of electric cars parked at railway stations used to power trains.
Researchers on the three year, £1.5 million TransEnergy research project, being led by the University of Sheffield, will develop a demonstration car battery energy storage system at a train station. The “Road to Rail” energy system will connect electric vehicle (EV) batteries to the railway’s power system when parked, to provide a power boost during rush hour periods.
The research will also examine the technical issues surrounding the use of old EV batteries for line-side energy storage as well as the legislative barriers, environmental issues and implications on commuters’ cars.
Commuters could receive free parking in return for their electric cars being used as back-up batteries, providing Road to Rail energy exchange.
Dr Martin Foster, from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, said: "Electric powered rail travel has helped to reduce pollution and improve the comfort of travellers. Our project will look at how we can meet the demand for more electricity on our railways by investigating innovative ways to store surplus energy.
“Similar energy storage systems are already being used on the electricity grid during peak times and by translating these to our railways could deliver real benefits to both rail companies and consumers, bringing down the costs of travel and improving services.”
The team will develop a purpose-built energy storage test facility at a site alongside a train line, the first of its kind in the UK. The facility will investigate two types of energy storage - batteries and supercapacitors as a hybrid solution for the high levels of electricity needed to power trains accelerating and charge from trains braking.
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funded project involves partners from the University of Leeds, the University of Southampton and Network Rail.
James Ambrose, principal engineer for Network Rail said: “Network Rail is committed to electrifying more lines in the UK. Our project will be working with rail providers to recommend new approaches that will mean increased efficiency for the industry.”