Power Supply for the BART System

Designers of power supply systems for rapid transit need to perfect existing engineering techniques as well as to develop new ones even though it may be many years before the system becomes operational. A list is presented to summarize characteristics of the system needed by power supply systems engineers and statements are made on how these items are affected by new developments in technology. The tasks of power-supply engineers are stated. A study of existing systems may be most useful to the designer of new systems and the paper contains a brief description of some of the larger systems. A physical description of the BART system forms a base to explain the power supply system and other related systems, which are presented without giving a large number of technical details. An evaluation is made on the special study of the three-phase ac versus the conventional power supply system for tractions. Tables are included to summarize the characteristics of the BART system and its electrification system.