How Pantograph Electric Arcs affect Energy Efficiency in DC Railway Vehicles

Mariscotti, Andrea; Giordano, D.; Femine, Antonio Delle; Gallo, Daniele; Signorino, Davide

doi:10.1109/vppc49601.2020.9330954

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…The relevance of such oscillatory responses is manifold. First of all, they are a source of low-frequency disturbance, not only for signalling circuits and devices connected to the track, but also for the control of the onboard braking chopper, causing undue energy dissipation [23]. The terms contributing to power losses are the arc itself (taking simply the integral of the voltage-current product), the triggered oscillations of onboard filter and the undue triggering of the rheostatic chopper (stabilising a catenary voltage excess that in reality is not there).…”

Section: Onboard and Substation Filters Excitation In DC Railwaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other hand, in an electrical perspective, electric arcing is responsible of the deterioration of the voltage and current waveform quality [19][20][21][22], of reduced energy efficiency by various direct and indirect mechanisms [23], of triggering oscillations of onboard devices, such as AC loco transformer [24], DC loco power drive [25] and DC loco filter [26], as well as conducted and radiated emissions at high frequency [27,28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Electrical Behaviour of Railway Pantograph Arcs

Mariscotti

2023

Energies

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Electric arcing is an unavoidable consequence of the current collection process by sliding contact in railways and metros, and in general in many electrified transportation systems (ETSs). The most relevant consequences in an electrical perspective are: the occurrence of transients triggering resonant behaviour and transient responses, reduction of the energy efficiency of the system, conducted and radiated disturbance, in particular for the new radio systems widely employed for signalling and communication. The involved parameters are many (type of materials, current intensity, DC and AC supply, relative speed, temperature), as well as the studied characteristics (arc instability and lifetime, dynamic behaviour, electrical system response, radiation efficiency and coupling to external radio systems). This work reports the state of the art in arc modelling, arcing experimental characterisation, interaction with the supply system, radiated emissions and disturbance to radio systems, providing a complete description of phenomena and of reference data, critically discussing similarity and differences between sources. Proposed arc models are many with different assumptions and simplifications for various applications, so that a critical review and discussion are a necessity, considering the many different approaches and not-so-obvious applicability. The comparison with experimental results highlights unavoidable discrepancies, also because of intrinsic arc variability and for the many involved parameters and operating conditions. The impact of the arc as embedded in the railway system is then considered, speaking of conducted and radiated phenomena, including interference to radio communication systems and arc detection. The most prominent effect for conducted emissions is the excitation of system resonances, including the LC filters onboard rolling stock and substations in DC railways, with consequences for disturbance and energy efficiency, and this is discussed in detail. Conversely, for high frequency emissions, the attenuation along the line circuit is significant and the effective distance of propagation is limited; nevertheless radiated electromagnetic field emissions are a relevant source of disturbance for radio systems within the ETS premises and outside (e.g., at airports). The published approaches to quantify performance reduction are discussed with emphasis on experimental methods.

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Section: Onboard and Substation Filters Excitation In DC Railwaysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Electrical Behaviour of Railway Pantograph Arcs

Mariscotti

2023

Energies

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“…ice) [38][39]. Such phenomenon is also relevant from an energy consumption viewpoint, in principle directly (as dissipative phenomenon in the arc itself and involved components), but most of all indirectly (interfering with the operation of the braking chopper of DC rolling stock) [40].…”

Section: Voltage Variations Swells and Sags (Dips) And Interruptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Power quality metrics for DC grids with pulsed power loads

Mariscotti

2021

ACTA IMEKO

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<span lang="EN-GB">DC grids can effectively feed pulsed power loads (PPLs), integrating local energy storage to minimize the impact on other connected loads and implementing buffered sub-grids to isolate susceptible loads even more. The identification of regulatory limits for PPL integration and DC grid response and the assessment of PPL impact necessitate suitable Power Quality (PQ) metrics. Existing indexes and limits (e.g. ripple and distortion, voltage fluctuation) are compared to other metrics, derived from control methods and knowledge of the peculiar characteristics of PPL and interaction with DC grids in some examples. The objective is a unified approach for PQ metrics suitable for a wide range of DC grids and in particular to the behavior of PPLs.</span>

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“…A typical PQ event of the railway system is the electric arc [ 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ]. This phenomenon can occur due to bad contact between the catenary and the pantograph, such as the discontinuity of the ground, supply line wear, a ruined pantograph, etc.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of DC Transient Disturbances on Harmonic Performance of Voltage Transformers for AC Railway Applications

Letizia

Signorino

Crotti

2022

Sensors

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This paper analyzes the impact of typical DC transient events occurring in railway grids on the frequency performance of instrument transformers (ITs) installed onboard trains and in AC substations for power quality (PQ) applications. PQ monitoring in railway systems is an issue of great interest because it plays a key role in the improvement of energy efficiency. The measurement chain for the PQ measurements, at 15 kV at 16.7 Hz and 25 kV at 50/60 Hz, commonly includes ITs to scale the voltage to levels fitting the input of the measurement units. Nevertheless, the behavior of ITs in the presence of PQ phenomena represents an open issue from a normative point of view, even for those installed in conventional AC power supply systems. In this context, the paper presents a possible definition of DC transient disturbances test waveforms, a measurement procedure, and a setup to assess the impact of these disturbances on the harmonic performances of ITs for railway systems. Preliminary experimental tests carried out on two commercial ITs under wide ranges of variation for the amplitude and the time duration of DC disturbances show that, in some cases, the error introduced in harmonic measurements can exceed 100%.

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How Pantograph Electric Arcs affect Energy Efficiency in DC Railway Vehicles

Cited by 5 publications

References 22 publications

The Electrical Behaviour of Railway Pantograph Arcs

The Electrical Behaviour of Railway Pantograph Arcs

Power quality metrics for DC grids with pulsed power loads

Impact of DC Transient Disturbances on Harmonic Performance of Voltage Transformers for AC Railway Applications

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