Coordinator: Domenico Giordano

Significant research on definitions, measurement systems and algorithms related to power quality (PQ) in fixed installations (AC transmission/distribution grids) has been carried out in the last 10 years. However, these techniques are not all directly applicable to railways because the timeframes of interest are different, the trains are mobile, and the power quality phenomena are different. Meanwhile existing wide-area measurements on railways are limited to energy consumption with a 300 second (5 minute) time quantisation. This provides enough information for particular train operating companies to be billed for energy use but it provides very little useful data in terms of network management, efficiency assessment, condition monitoring, power quality and network stability. Moreover, PQ definitions for DC railway distribution systems are completely absent.

For railway applications the means and methods for a wide and continuous monitoring of PQ events in the European railway system need to be developed.  This requires a suite of suitable sensors, measurement algorithms, time-synchronisation solutions, and wide-area communication strategies.

Specifically, this involves the establishment of a PQ test waveform database composed of typical signals that occur on a variety of railway systems which will be used to provide specifications for the development of new calibration and measurement systems and waveform analysis algorithms. This will lead to the definition of appropriate metrics for new PQ phenomena specific to railway systems.

The effect of overhead line contact quality in the presence of highly distorted transient signals is also an important consideration in railway PQ. Furthermore, the use of wide area PQ monitoring systems to investigate resonance and PQ propagation in railway systems are required to enable the sources of PQ problems to be better understood and dealt with.

For more information, see  the project webpage >>