The article discusses the analysis of the possible development of hazards associated with the operation of vehicles equipped with an electric drive using the example of passenger cars. The authors review the problem of the safety of people and property resulting from the occurrence of a fire in an electric passenger car, in the context of fires that have occurred in recent years. Particular attention was paid to the analysis of the state of knowledge concerning the characteristics of the fire progression in an electric car, its heat release rate curve [HRR], total heat release [THR], heat of combustion and factors affecting the fire progression. In this paper, an attempt was made to compare the fire characteristics of an electric car and a passenger car equipped with an internal combustion engine together with an estimation, using CFD simulations, of the impact on the safety of people and property in closed structures such as underground garages or road tunnels. The need for further development of research on electric cars equipped with large lithium-ion batteries in the context of their fire safety is indicated. The authors pay attention to the insufficient amount of data available to understand the fire characteristics of modern electric cars, which would enable the appropriate design of fire safety systems in building structures.

At the beginning of the paper, the fractional calculus is briefly presented. Then, the models of dielectric relaxation in supercapacitors are described. On the basis of the Cole-Cole model, a fractional-order model of supercapacitor impedance is formulated. The frequency characteristics of selected supercapacitors and their voltage response to a current step are assumed as a basis for the analysis of their dynamics. An example of the fractional dynamic model application was used for the critical assessment of the IEC standard recommendation on the conditions of supercapacitor capacitance measurements. The presented study shows some imperfections of the IEC standard recommendations, which probably result from the use of an inaccurate dynamics model. At the end of the paper, the authors propose a solution to this problem by changing the measurement conditions and introducing a concept of dynamic capacitance. The conclusions of the paper indicate that the models of fractional-order dynamics may be useful not only for the control purposes but also in other domains.

This paper investigates the benefits of using the on-board energy storage devices (OESD) and wayside energy storage devices (WESD) in light rail transportation (metro and tram) systems. The analysed benefits are the use of OESD and WESD as a source of supply in an emergency metro scenario to safely evacuate the passengers blocked in a metro train between stations; the use of OESD for catenary free sections, the benefits of using the WESD as an energy source for electrical car charging points and tram traction power supply; the benefits of using a central communication system between trams, cars, WESD and electrical car charging points. The authors investigated the use of: OESD with batteries for a catenary free section for different scenarios (full route or a catenary free section between two stations); the charge of OESD between stations (in parallel with tram motoring) to decrease the charging dwell time at stations and to help in achieving the operational timetable; the thermal effect of the additional load on the overhead contact system (OCS) when the tram is charging between stations; the sizing of OESD and WESD for emergency feeding in a metro system. The authors investigated the use of the WESD as a source of energy for the electrical car charging points to reduce the car pollution and carbon emissions. Presented in the paper is the enhanced multi train simulator with WESD prepared for the analyses conducted. The paper describes the DC electrical solver and WESD control method. A validation of the software has been conducted in regard to the substation voltage, WESD energy balance and WESD control.

An increase in electric railway vehicles service velocity requires that correct interaction between the pantograph and the catenary is ensured. This implies the need for developing mathematical models of pantographs and catenaries and determining their parameters. The article presents a method to determine parameters of mechanical joints of a railway pantograph based on analysis of pantograph subassemblies in swinging motion. The experimental tests consisted in disassembling the pantograph and creating partial subassemblies which were then analysed with respect to their damped linear or angular oscillations. The simulation analysis required developing, in CAD, 3D models of individual pantograph parts and their subassemblies. Defined were joints between particular elements, which represent of real pantograph structure. The inertia parameters of the model were determined, based on structural characteristics and physical properties of materials, used for manufacturing individual pantograph elements, and then verified experimentally. The dissipative parameters of the mechanical joints were calculated iteratively. The model of complete pantograph assembly was also subject to verification and in this case, good convergence between simulation and experiment results was achieved. The obtained parameter values can be used in simulation models of other railway pantographs having a similar structure.