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a critical current as a function of the time that it are not able to cause hazards to persons. For touch
flows through the body, for which the risk of and accessible voltages due to train load and short-
fibrillation of the heart is very small. The permitted circuit current, compliance with the limits stated in
touch voltages given in EN 50122 is based upon section 7.2 of EN50122-1 for AC systems, and
this critical current multiplied by an appropriate section 7.3 of EN50122-1 for DC systems.
impedance for the given time duration.
3.2 Touch and accessible potentials
2.2 Equipotential Zones The earthing requirements for the AC system are
different to the earthing arrangements on the DC
Equipotential Zones (EPZ) are required for system and specific design arrangements will be
electrical safety and to prevent people touching at required at the interface. Where lines overrun or
the same time, two metal parts that have a are parallel if careful design is not applied stray DC
dangerous potential difference. The EPZ is at a low traction return current may flow in the AC earthed
potential with respect to earth during normal system, and AC traction return current may flow in
operation, under earth faults the touch voltage may the DC earthed system.
rise to a limit that is specified as safe for humans.
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railway, whether in a depot or on a main line, leads
to diverse earthing schemes which can be applied to
the different situations. It is therefore important that
4 INTEGRATION ISSUES AT AC DC the correct scheme is applied in each case to
INTERFACE maintain a safe network.
Transformers and circuit breakers in the 25 kV Figure 3 AC Electrified Railway Single Pole
system, in fixed locations as well as on the trains, Earthed Return Current System Interconnection of
must be protected against damage and mal- Railway and Non Railway Earths
operation, which may be caused by direct current
circulating in them. In particular, transformers must A reliable, adequately rated path must be provided
be protected against saturation due to direct current for the return of AC traction load current and short-
flowing in their windings. circuit current to the neutral connection of the AC
feeder stations, while limiting the AC current
4.2 Degraded Modes of the Electrification flowing in the DC lines to levels which will not
System cause hazards to persons or significant damage to
assets.
The electrification system can operate in a number
of conditions including normal as well as a range of
outages of the electrification distribution 4.3.4 Protection for common metallic assets
equipment, which may be necessary for
Metallic structures such as station concourse
maintenance activities, engineering possessions,
overbridges and under bridges that are common to
etc. The operators and maintainers of the railway
both railways are required to be bonded to the 25
must be party, to agree the requirements before
kV traction earth. The safe operation of the DC
detailed design.
railway is dependant on the integrity of the 25kV
earthing and bonding. If this bonding is
4.2.1 Electromagnetic and Electrostatic compromised during re-railing or tamping there is a
Potentials possibility of major damage to any earthed
electrical system bonded to the common metallic
The design should ensure that capacitive potentials structure.
are not present on metal surfaces, earth electrodes
and other metallic objects, which may cause
hazards to persons. 4.3.5 DC Traction Return Current Paths
Electromagnetic induction potentials on long line
Figure 4 DC Electrified Railway Diode Earthed
fences, copper circuits and data cables.
Return Current System Interconnection of Railway
4.3 Earthing and Bonding and Non Railway Earths
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unless the owners of such assets agree to worse 4.5.4 System resonance Effects
conditions.
The DC electrification system will have a
resonance due to the switching of the rectifier
4.4.2 Earthed structures devices, the leakage reactance of the supply and the
capacitance of the system. The DC system will also
Figure 1 Typical Earthing and Return Conductor
have a resonance effect due to the on board train
Arrangements of 25kV AC and 1500V DC Railways
filter and the impedance of the out and return
The DC stray traction return current will flow in
system.
any earth path this will include earthed structures of
the 25kV railway, earth mats of the grid
substations. Segregation of system earths need to be The AC electrification system will have a
undertaken to prevent the flow of DC current in resonance characteristic defined by the inductive
earthed structures. Connection of screens earths and capacitive reactance of the transformer, grid
need to be reviewed including the use of screen network and the 25 kV overhead line. This system
voltage limiters The earthing of buildings and will resonate if the traction converter emits
reinforced structures including tunnel linings need harmonics at this resonant frequency.
to be monitored for stray current. Facilities are
required, such as permanent test leads and/or 5 AC/DC INTERFACE DESIGN
monitoring equipment, so that the functioning of
ARANGEMENTS
the arrangements can be checked and faults can be
located, simply and with no need for possessions of Figure 1 Typical Earthing and Return Conductor
the tracks and isolations of overhead lines or Arrangements of 25kV AC and 1500V DC Railways
conductor rails.
5.1 Control of return currents at the AC/DC
4.5 Electromagnetic Compatibility interface
4.5.2 Electro Magnetic Induced Voltages iii. The segregation of structural steel work and
earth's of electrical systems from the rails,
The proximity of 50Hz electrification supply will thereby limiting the flow of d.c. current through
cause induction into lineside cables, the DC railway such items.
should therefore be designed to be immune to such
induction effects. The level of induction will be iv. The use of isolating transformer fed-sections for
related to the 25kV AC traction load and 25kV AC high voltage a.c. electrification system.
short circuit fault profile, and the length of
parallelism of the lines. v. The use of filters to isolate the d.c. from the 50
Hz electrified railway system.
4.5.3 Earthing Requirements
vi. The use of voltage-controlled substation to
High Frequency EMC earthing requires the earthing control the stray d.c. currents.
the availability of a good earthing installation
methodology. This should ensure that the
equipment enclosure and cable screens are earthed 5.2 Station interfaces and parallel running
to a low impedance bond. Parallel running of dual electrified areas present a
particular problem for earthing of overhead line
masts, station structures, metal bridges over the
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tracks, earths of electrical distribution systems. rails at a negative value, so as to protect the
In the presence of high-voltage AC overhead railways assets against corrosion.
line metallic objects within the pantograph Assets belonging to outside parties; e.g. the
zone are required to be bonded to the rails for earth of the incoming electricity supplies, need
safety. to be segregated from the rails. Thus the assets
However the inclusions of such bonds will of outside parties are protected against stray
provide a path for direct current to flow in direct current as well as possible.
such assets and possibly damage them.
In dual electrified railway metallic structures Other Metallic Interfaces
should be bonded to the rails of the AC Devices such as spark gaps are required to
railway. Special means are required to keep bond items such as over bridges or steel
the direct current in the bonded items to an girders to the rails. These prevent direct
acceptably low level, including spark gaps and current from flowing in the bridge in normal
non linear resistors. conditions, but conduct current if there is a
Earthing of the metallic structures is normally short-circuit from the overhead lines to the
undertaken with one bond, this is to prevent structure, preventing a dangerous voltage from
the overbridge or station structure becoming a appearing.
cross bond for traction current. This creates a Devices such as insulated flashover plates on
problem during re-railing or tamping when the bridges are required to be bond to the rails, to
structure could become disconnected. Special provide a return path during a 25kV flashover.
designs are required that ensures the These prevent direct current from flowing in
overbridge is not passing traction load current the bridge in normal conditions, but conduct
but additionally has redundancy if a single current if there is a short-circuit from the
bond is removed. overhead lines to the structure, preventing a
dangerous voltage from appearing.
5.3 Reduction of stray DC return current
To reduce the voltage drop in the rails, and the 6 MANAGEMENT OF THE
voltage available for increasing the flow of stray
INTERFACE
current the following design constraints may be
implemented at AC DC interfaces: It is necessary to undertake the design in a
structured way that will support the creation of the
safety case. The areas that require specific
Dual Electrified Areas [ref 5]
management include:
At the dual electrified area interface to the DC
feeding area should include an isolating
section with separate DC substation and Systems Integration of Engineering
running rails from the rest of the DC Disciplines
electrification system sections etc. Earthing Management Plan
Additional return conductor rails may be Earthing requirements for EMC
included in the four-foot and connected in EMC management Plan
parallel with the running rails. This will
Stray Current Management Plan
minimise the resistance of the DC return
current path through the running rails, and
minimise stay current.
Additional heavy cables can be used to lower 7 CONCLUSIONS
the resistance through the points and Considerable difficulty may be experienced in
crossings. resolving the conflicting design aims where AC and
The station structures, tunnel vent fans, and DC electrified lines overrun, are parallel or close
electrical earths should be bonded via earth together.
wires, which have their main connections to The essential needs of electrical safety are in
the rails very close to the substation. conflict with the need to avoid damaging the
Bonding conductors and earth wires need to physical assets of the railway and of the railways
be reinforced to allow for direct current neighbours by stray direct current.
circulating in them.
It is vital that stray current protection for assets are
A substation having duplicated transformers addressed during the preliminary design stage, in
and rectifiers is provided at parallel sections, particular protection for reinforced concrete
to keep the DC voltage on the rails as close to buildings. Failure to do this earlier enough will
zero as possible, or to hold the voltage on the mean that the civil construction may not have
09/11/05 Page 5
suitable protection.
There is also needs to ensure electro-magnetic
compatibility since the characteristics of the two
electrification systems are different. Compatibility
is therefore required to be achieved between both
the electrification systems, track circuits, track
based control and telecommunications systems.
8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND
DISCLAIMER
Information and guidance given in this paper are
views held by the author. The author, and Atkins
Rail accept no liability to anyone for any loss or
damage caused by any error or omission in the
work, whether such error or omission is the result
of negligence or any other cause.
9 REFERENCES
09/11/05 Page 6
Figure 1 Typical Earthing and Return Conductor Arrangements of 25kV AC and 1500V DC Railways
Earth
Return
Wire
Conductor
Parall
Return el
Conductor Parallel Earth
Feeds Wire
RC
Tie
Down
Impedance
Impedance
of the train
of the train
short
short
circuit on
circuit on
roof
Traction roof
Maximum
Transform Maximum
RC Tie Substation
down Rectifier
Converter Substatio
Double Insulated n Earth
Rail Clips Busbar
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Figure 2 Overhead Contact Line Zones
09/11/05 Page 8
Negative Return for Grid Transformer, traction neutral return
Other Rails
Segregated Earth
At stations, depots etc the rails are bonded to the earth of the Copyright R D White 2005
electrical distribution system, which is also bonded to other
extraneous metallic conductors (i.e. Water pipes).
Figure 3 AC Electrified Railway Single Pole Earthed Return Current System Interconnection of Railway and Non Railway Earths
09/11/05 Page 9
Negative Return
Negative Return for Traction
Current Busbar
Other Rails Rectifier
Negative
Negative Diode
Busbar Low Voltage Electricity Supplies
Substation
Earth Mats
E lectricity
To Stray To Earth Supply Cable
To W ire [Fault
Current
U tilities Collection Current
Return W ire] Sheath Connected
Mat to Earth Bar
Figure 4 DC Electrified Railway Diode Earthed Return Current System Interconnection of Railway and Non Railway Earths
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