Enviline™ Energy Storage System

With ongoing rapid urbanization globally, cities are increasingly relying on electrified urban transport systems, to provide sustainable transportation for their growing population, helping to reduce traffic congestion and thereby lower carbon emissions.

ABB provides innovative solutions that recover and store braking energy from decelerating electric trains and metro cars and makes the energy available for accelerating cars. A train's braking energy is captured – or recuperated -- as it approaches the passenger station. This energy can then be stored and later utilized by the train when departing.

ABB’s Enviline energy recuperation and energy storage system are wayside energy recuperation systems, which can not only store but also return the surplus braking energy back to the grid, reducing the total energy consumption of a rail transportation system by up to 30 percent.

The braking process of a train generates about 5 kilowatt-hour (kwh) of energy. If a lightbulb of 20 Watt is switched on for one hour you need 20 Wh of energy. 5,000 Wh is enough energy to have 250 lightbulbs switched on for one hour - just with the amount of energy one train generates each and every time it brakes.

Train braking lasts only seconds yet generates extremely large currents and occurs thousands of times each day. These events can cause voltage fluctuations that can lead to performance problems. The storage system can also be used to stabilize the power in the grid, thus reducing the demand charge and peak power penalties by cutting the starting power of trains.

During the coasting period of a train, the existing infrastructure supplies virtually no power. The Enviline energy storage system can use these periods to capture and store energy, enabling it to later supply it back as needed to sustain the voltage and train operation.

Key facts:

• Recycles excess braking energy
• Reduces the energy consumption of an electric train by up to 30 percent 
• Works with existing and new systems

Discover more about Enviline™ Energy Storage System