High peak current for vehicle starting, recuperation of regenerative braking energy, longer battery lifespan, and more significant acceleration among others in modern transport vehicles (TVs) require increased battery size. Moreover, batteries have high energy density and low power density. Therefore, a big battery pack can weigh more, shorten its lifespan, increase vehicle total mass, and increase battery degradation costs. On the one hand, higher power energy storage systems (ESSs) such as supercapacitors, lithium‐ion capacitors, and superconducting magnetic ESSs have a lower energy density, higher power density, and greater lifespan. Thus, to satisfy the requirements of modern TVs, the combination of higher energy and higher power density can provide enhanced performance and a longer battery lifespan for these vehicles. Available research publications in the literature have addressed a similar problem. However, these publications have reported the findings separately, providing various research and conclusions. Currently, no available literature has compiled an intelligible and combined analysis for addressing hybrid ESS configurations, sizing methods, and energy management strategies to create further knowledge in this domain. There is a need to consolidate a compact and insightful knowledge toward this research direction for a more significant societal and industrial impact. This paper critically reviews the hybrid higher energy density batteries and higher power density ESSs used in TVs. It discusses the integration configurations, applications, and provides sizing methods to achieve the best hybrid energy storage systems (HESSs). Also, applied control methods are described for these HESSs such that the overall system performance matches the vehicle requirements. Lastly, it provides insights and future research direction for HESS configuration, sizing, and control.

Conventional vehicles, having internal combustion engines, use lead-acid batteries (LABs) for starting, lighting, and ignition purposes. However, because of new additional features (i.e., enhanced electronics and start/stop functionalities) in these vehicles, LABs undergo deep discharges due to frequent engine cranking, which in turn affect their lifespan. Therefore, this research study seeks to improve LABs’ performance in terms of meeting the required vehicle cold cranking current (CCC) and long lifespan. The performance improvement is achieved by hybridizing a lead-acid with a lithium-ion battery at a pack level using a fully active topology approach. This topology approach connects the individual energy storage systems to their bidirectional DC-DC converter for ease of control. Besides, a battery management strategy based on fuzzy logic and a triple-loop proportional-integral (PI) controller is implemented for these conversion systems to ensure effective current sharing between lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries. A fuzzy logic controller provides a percentage reference current needed from the battery and regulates the batteries’ state-of-charge (SoC) within the desired limits. A triple-loop controller monitors and limits the hybridized system’s current sharing and voltage within the required range during cycling. The hybridized system is developed and validated using Matlab/Simulink. The battery packs are developed using the battery manufacturers’ data sheets. The results of the research, compared with a single LAB, show that by controlling the current flow and maintaining the SoC within the desired limits, the hybrid energy storage system can meet the desired vehicle cold cranking current at a reduced weight. Furthermore, the lead-acid battery lifespan based on a fatigue cycle-model is improved from two years to 8.5 years, thus improving its performance in terms of long lifespan.

Modern vehicles have increased functioning necessities, including more energy/power, storage for recovering decelerating energy, start/stop criteria, etc. However, lead-acid batteries (LABs) possess a shorter lifetime than lithium-ion and supercapacitors energy storage systems. The use of LABs harms the operation of transport vehicles. Therefore, this research paper pursues to improve the operating performance of LABs in association with their lifetime. Integrated LAB and supercapacitor improve the battery lifetime and efficiently provide for transport vehicles’ operational requirements and implementation. The study adopts an active-parallel topology approach to hybridise LAB and supercapacitor. A fully active-parallel topology structure comprises two DC-to-DC conversion systems. LAB and supercapacitor are connected as inputs to these converters to allow effective and easy control of energy and power. A cascaded proportional integrate-derivative (PID) controller regulates the DC-to-DC converters to manage the charge/release of combined energy storage systems. The PID controls energy share between energy storage systems, hence assisting in enhancing LAB lifetime. The study presents two case studies, including the sole battery application using different capacities, and the second, by combining a battery with a supercapacitor of varying capacity sizes. A simulation software tool, Matlab/Simulink, is used to develop the model and validate the results of the system. The simulation outcomes show that the battery alone cannot serve the typical transport vehicle (TV) requirements. The battery and output voltage of the DC-to-DC conversion systems stabilises at 12 V, which ensures consistent DC bus link voltage. The energy storage (battery) state-of-charge (SoC) is reserved in the range of 90% to 96%, thus increasing its lifespan by 8200 cycles. The battery is kept at the desired voltage to supply all connected loads on the DC bus at rated device voltage. The fully active topology model for hybrid LAB and supercapacitor provides a complete degree of control for individual energy sources, thus allowing the energy storage systems to operate as they prefer.

Lead Acid Batteries (LABs) are used for starting, lighting, and igniting, as well as in air conditioning systems and to supply power to electric engines in transport vehicles (TVs). However, the application of LABs for TVs has faced a number of market challenges, mounted by the upcoming high energy density and long lifespan batteries, such as lithium ion. LABs, on the other hand, are inexpensive. The key research question is, how can the lifespan of LABs used in automotive industries be increased, while still ensuring a low cost solution? Thus, integrating LABs with the supercapacitor (known as an electric double layer capacitor—EDLC) is likely to outperform the competing alternative batteries for TVs. This paper proposes a multiple stage approach to hybrid lead acid batteries and a supercapacitor system for TVs that is capable of maintaining the battery state-of-charge (SOC) at statistically high limits, ranging between 90% and 95%. This SOC target will likely ensure that the lifespan of the hybrid battery system can be elongated (extended) more than its competitors. In this study, the multiple stage approach of concatenated converters has been designed in order to satisfy all energy storage requirements for different characteristics of LABs and the supercapacitor. The designed hybrid system has been simulated using Matrix Laboratory (MATLAB/Simulink (version R2016a, MathWorks, Natick, MA, USA)). The simulated results show that high transient currents from the direct current (DC) bus of LABs, caused by the regenerative braking or deceleration of the TVs, reduce the battery lifespan and induce mechanical stress. The supercapacitor reduces the stress on the LAB by absorbing high transient currents. This, in turn, keeps the LABs’ SOC between 90% and 96% and the voltage at 12 V. As indicated by the simulated results, the hybrid battery SOC is maintained at 90–96% and the terminal voltage is approximately 12 V.

Electricity theft is a major challenge that is experienced not only in South Africa, but also in many other countries. This has an adverse effect on a country's economy. This paper discusses a system that detects electricity theft remotely, and a mechanism of curbing electricity theft. The approach used is that the electric current supplied from a distribution transformer is monitored at the distribution transformer side and at the consumer's side, as well. The difference in electrical current monitored from the distribution and consumer sides is used to establish whether electricity theft has occurred or not. The communication between the two monitoring units is based on the use of wireless technology. The reporting of electricity theft is established using the Wi-Fi space.

This paper reports on solar photovoltaic integration on locomotive roof tops for South African Railway industry. The notion is to minimize the electricity consumed by Transnet Freight Rail, a division of Transnet SOC. The operational route is chosen based on the geographical mapping of high temperatures in the country. Solar PV intended to be used will have the capability to withstand the South African Railway environmental conditions and operational requirements. The motivation for this study is the annual increase in demand of cargo transportation, which leads to high cost involved in annual upgrading of Traction Substations to meet the demand. Due to high demand of cargo transportation, high congestion of trains causes Traction Substations overload. Hence the section trips and delays of trains are experienced. While the renewable energy offers a clean and cheaper energy supply, it is of practical importance to investigate the applicability of solar PV systems that can generate enough energy to supply AC and DC Electrical Locomotives and other auxiliary components such as blowers, lights, motors and control circuits in South Africa. The main purpose is not to eliminate the conventional energy supply entirely but to integrate the solar PV as an alternative energy supply to mitigate the overloading of Traction Substation, hence reducing the energy consumed and transporting more tonnages to meet the demand and aligning with the Market Demand Strategy of Transnet freight Rail of being rated the top five freight company in the world.