A methodology for determining power demands across urban transport routes

Improving energy efficiency is one of the most important objectives for fleets operating in urban environments, particularly in public transportation. Reducing energy consumption is essential for sustainability. The implementation of regenerative braking systems is one of the best ways to recover energy in vehicles moving within urban areas. Capturing and reusing energy that would otherwise be lost as heat during braking can not only reduce economic costs but also lead to cleaner and more environmentally friendly cities.

However, in many cases, the sizing of regenerative braking systems is not optimized for the characteristics of the routes to be traveled. Undersized regenerative braking systems will not be able to absorb all the power that could be recovered during hard braking, while oversized systems will not operate at their rated power for much of the working time.

In this communication, we present a method for calculating the power needed by a vehicle at every single point along different urban routes, showing the significant differences in recoverable power through regenerative braking at each moment. Access to this data can lead to greater energy efficiency and optimized system use. By analyzing the results, engineers can correctly size regenerative braking systems for a given route, tailoring their design to operational constraints. This approach makes it possible to (i) assess the technical and economic feasibility of implementing regenerative braking, (ii) enhance the performance of onboard energy recovery systems, and (iii) optimize financial resources.