Tests Results of Innovative 3kVDC Electric Traction Substation Booster Equipped

In Italian 3kVDC electric traction system, the growth of railway traffic and commercial speed is causing a continuous increase of the power demand from the supply substations. A cost-effective solution to empower existing substations consists in equipping them with thyristors booster bridge. It provides voltage regulation, which allows improving power capabilities of existing substations at low investment cost. In addition, booster bridge performs additional functions in fault conditions as well. The paper describes test setup and results of preliminary tests conducted at Firenze Osmannoro RFI laboratory, as a starting stage before to assess booster technology in fault conditions.