Toshiba supplies Li-ion traction energy storage system for Tobu Railway

18 December 2014

Toshiba Corporation has supplied a Li-ion battery traction energy storage system (TESS) to Tobu Railway Co., Ltd. TESS stores traction energy generated by decelerating trains as they enter a station and releases it as needed when trains accelerate from the station. The system is planned to operate from 22 December.

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Toshiba’s TESS is installed at Unga station on the Tobu Urban Park Line, and utilizes Toshiba’s SCiB rechargeable Li-ion batteries to store regenerated power. SCiB offers a high degree of safety, a wide state-of-charge (SOC) range and stable operation at low temperatures. Toshiba’s calculates that its TESS offers a battery capacity ten times that of typical traction energy storage systems. The SCiB system also employs the company’s proprietary charge-discharge control technology, which takes full advantage of the wide SOC range of the SCiB cells.

The TESS system has rated output of 1000 kW; capacity is 387 kWh. Rated Voltage at the vehicle contact line is 1500 V; rated voltage at the battery is 607 V.

At Unga Station, regenerative traction energy from train deceleration is stored in the TESS for supply as needed when trains are accelerating from the station, facilitating stable electricity supply.

In addition to supporting stable supply, the system can also be optimally configured to support other applications, including traction energy loss prevention and peak demand power management.

Going forward, Toshiba intends to proactively expand marketing of traction energy storage systems and other products that facilitate efficient energy use of energy, to railway companies in Japan and overseas.