Optimal Substation Spacing in 2x25kV Traction System

The paper presents a simple approach to determine optimal substation spacing in a 2x25kV traction power supply system (TPSS). Economy, being one of the significant design parameters of TPSS, is affected by the number of traction substations (TSS) or distance between them. Hence, this paper highlights the influence of total cost incurred in TPSS due to energy losses and component installation on substation spacing. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique and analytical approach are used to determine the optimal spacing between substations. Individual components of the 2x25kV TPSS are modelled to perform load flow analysis using a current injection algorithm. A Python code is developed to simulate load flow and determine optimal substation spacing. Results obtained with the proposed approach align effectively with the objective of determining the optimal spacing between substations with minimized TPSS costs.