Algorithm for calculating the rail-ground potential in heavy load conditions

Abstract

Increased freight turnover on railway transport inevitably leads to increased traction current in DC and AC traction power supply systems. The increase in traction current is already causing problems related to the normal operation of the 25 kV AC traction power supply systems. One of the adverse consequences of the increased traction currents is the increased rail-to-ground potential. This has already caused a number of accidents and related traffic interruptions on the Far Eastern Railway of Russia and other railway sections powered with alternating current. The study considers the problem of increased rail-to-ground potentials and provides basic formulae for calculating the wave parameters of the rail network and rail-to-ground potentials. Various methods are given for calculating rail-to-ground potentials for a 25 kV AC traction power supply system. Since in an alternating current system, expressions for calculating the potential are functions of a complex variable, the calculation of such expressions requires the use of special programs. Adaptation of existing methods to modern software and computing systems allows you to optimize and significantly speed up the process of calculating the “rail-to-ground” potentials, either considering the use of certain potential-reducing measures or not. A calculation method includes an algorithm developed for calculating the rail-to-ground potentials in the 25 kV AC traction power supply system for an inter-substation zone of any length with any number of electric locomotives within the zone.