Tram and trolleybus net traction energy consumption comparison

Electric driven public transportation systems have shown to be a solution to traffic congestion and its related pollution level in cities. Additionally, when compared with the traditional internal combustion engine (ICE), the electric driven mode of transport is much more efficient especially when regenerative braking is used. This paper took a step farther and compared two most common electric public transportation systems in cities. Energy consumption per passenger of a trolleybus was compared to that of a tram, both using regenerative braking, travelling from point A to point B, assuming the same route. For the sake of energy consumption comparison an 11.95 km route with six (6) stations from Ubungo maziwa to Central railway station in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania was chosen. With their particular specifications such as effective mass and coefficient of friction, the two vehicles were simulated using MATLAB, in such a way their acceleration, braking deceleration, maximum speed, and travelling time are all the same, their speed profiles which were more or less the same are presented in this paper alongside their corresponding energy consumption.