Modeling and Experimental Validation of Tram Power Consumption

Energy consumed by trams is studied in many papers, with a wide diversity of approaches regarding how to model and solve this problem. A novel approach to modeling the power consumption of trams is presented in this paper. To identify the unknown parameters influencing the rolling resistance force acting on the tram, it is necessary to measure the power consumption and speed of a single tram (or multiple trams if there are different car types in operation). The developed model of the tram is calibrated with data from the Sarajevo tram system. Simulation results are compared with measurements and a good correlation was obtained. The power consumption model of the tram with identified parameters can be further used to develop a framework for the power consumption estimation of the traction substation.