Dr.

Marco KLINGLER

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ELECTROMAGNETIC DISTURBANCES
PRODUCED BY THE SPARKS BETWEEN PENTOGRAPH
AND CATENARY ON A GSM TELECOMMUNICATION
ANTENNA
Dr. Marco KLINGLER(1) - Researcher Marielle SZELAG(1) - Engineer & MORANE Consortium(2)
(1)

INRETS - LEOST, Villeneuve dascq, FRANCE

Tel : +33 3 20 43 83 35
Fax : +33 3 20 43 83 59
(2)

SNCF Direction de lEquipement et de lAmnagement

AFT-Equipe MORANE, Paris, FRANCE
Tel : +33 1 53 42 92 24
Fax : +33 1 53 42 92 70

Summary
The first part of this paper presents a waveform analysis in the time domain and in the
frequency domain by applying the Fast Fourier Transform to over 100 recordings,
highlighting mainly two different types of waveforms observed during the measurements.
The second part of the paper presents a statistical analysis based on the main characteristics of
each transient signal and its associated spectrum such as the route or the location during the
measurement, the antenna and its distance to the active pentograph, the speed of the train
during the recording, the time-domain peak-to-peak value, the duration and the total energy of
the transient signal, the maximum level of the transients spectrum, the frequency
corresponding to this maximum, the lowest and highest frequencies in terms of energy, and
finally the bandwidth.

Key Words
Electromagnetic Compatibility, Interference, GSM, Measurements, Environment, Time
domain, Frequency domain.

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Introduction
In the field of transport, electronic devices and advanced telematic systems can be submitted
to more or less aggressive electromagnetic situations depending on the systems environment.
One of the most visible aspects of this pollution is the effect of the disturbances produced by
the sparks created between the pentograph of the trains engine and the catenary on electronic
equipment or telecommunication systems.
In this paper, the electromagnetic environment on a part of the MORANE German trial site
near Stuttgart during the campaign in July 1996 is analysed and qualified in order to evaluate
the electromagnetic compatibility of the future European Integrated Railway Radio System
which will be connected onboard to an external antenna and to list a number of preliminary
EMC recommendations [MORANE96].
1 Measurements
As shown in the figure 1, these measurements are based on time domain waveform recordings
and are performed using a high speed digital oscilloscope Tektronix TDS680B connected to
one of the antennas on the roof of the coach. Recordings are done at a sampling rate of 5 GS/s
in single shot mode, in a window of 100 ns.
Voltage level measurements were carried out at seven possible locations of the GSM
telecommunication antenna above the train. Figure 2 details the positions of the different
antennas.

In order to focus only on significant disturbances, the trigger threshold of the digital
oscilloscope was set to 0.5 Volts peak.
2 Effects on the radio-communication
During the trials, GSM communications were aborted due to several severe sparks between
the pentograph and the catenary. To give an idea of the relative amplitudes between the
interference and the transmission levels, figure 3 presents the superposition of the interference
and the communication transmissions in the time domain and frequency domain in the case of
a GSM communication.

3 Waveform analysis
This analysis is done in the time domain and in the frequency domain by applying the Fast
Fourier Transform to each recording. There are mainly two different types of waveforms
observed during the measurements.

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The first category, represented by an example in figure 4, is generally observed during the
running of the train. The second category, represented by an example in figure 5, is often
observed during the lifting or lowering of the pentograph or at very high speed.
4 Statistical analysis
.1 Peak-to-peak characteristics
The peak-to-peak characteristics are given in figure 6. Most of the transient signals recorded
are below 3 V with an average of 1.66 V and a standard deviation of 0.77 V. The highest
values recorded during this measuring campaign were 5.12 V and 5.75 V, values that are
more than 3 times superior to the average.
Average :
1.66 V
Std. deviation : 0.77 V

.2 Total energy characteristics

95 %
Figure 7 presents the distribution of the energy of the signals. The results show that 95 % of
the signals recorded are limited to an energy of 100 pW. However, several signals recorded
have more than 3 to 6 times this maximum such as recordings (583 pW).
Average :

65.79 pW

Std. deviation : 87.32 pW

.3 Duration characteristics
95 %
The duration of the transient signals is determined by delimiting 95 % of the total energy
between the start of the signal (2.5 %) and the end of the signal (97.5 %). The statistical
analysis given in figure 8 shows that 99 % of the duration is comprised between 20 ns and
80 ns with an average close to 50 ns and a standard deviation of approximately 16 ns.
Average
: were
49.33
ns
A close look to these results shows that two types of
signals
recorded
: the first type
Std.
deviation
:
15.99
ns
corresponds to short duration signals with an average duration of 35 ns, and a second type of
signals which duration is centred around 65 ns.

.4 Spectrum characteristics
These characteristics concern the upper and lower frequencies of the spectrum occupancy, its
bandwidth, the pseudo-frequency and its maximum. The lower frequency corresponds to the
lower limit of 2.5 % of the total energy, and the upper frequency corresponds to the upper
35 ns9 and 10 present
limit of 97.5 %. The following two figures
65 ns the statistical analysis performed
on the lower and upper frequencies of the transients spectrum occupancy.
Average
: between
221.14 MHz
The lower frequencies are
mainly
100 MHz and 300 MHz, with an average around
Std. deviation : 59.63 MHz
220 MHz and a standard deviation of approximately 60 MHz. Upper frequencies, centred
around 680 MHz, are spread between 400 MHz and 1150 MHz with a standard deviation of
approximately 180 MHz. This result highlights that9516% % of the spectrums exceed 850 MHz
and cover to a certain degree the GSM band.
Averageof
: the 678.24
MHz dispersion. Although 95 % of the calculated
Figure 11 presents the results
bandwidth
Std.
deviation
:
179.20
MHzand 800 MHz with an average value around
bandwidths are comprised between 100 MHz
460 MHz and a standard deviation of approximately 190 MHz, the bandwidth dispersion
16 %

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characteristics seems to show once again two types for transient signals : signals with small
bandwidths typically around 300 MHz and signals with a bandwidth about double the size.
Average : concern
456.84
The last spectrum characteristics
theMHz
pseudo-frequency of the transient signals which
Std. deviation : 187.25 MHz
we define as the central frequency of the signals spectrum with the highest amplitude. The
following figures 12 and 13 summarise
the
pseudo-frequency dispersion and the
300 MHz
575 MHz
corresponding amplitude dispersion.
Average :
357.08 MHz
Std.
deviation
:
72.09
Average :300 MHz
7.19 nV/Hz
The pseudo-frequency is mainly found
to MHz
be between
and 500 MHz, with an
Std.
deviation
:
4.14 nV/Hz
average around 380 MHz and a standard deviation of approximately
70 MHz. The maximum
95 %

amplitude associated to the pseudo-frequencies varies mainly between 2 nV/Hz and 12 nV/Hz
with a mean value around 7 nV/Hz and a standard deviation of approximately 4 nV/Hz.
90 %
However, some higher values have been observed, reaching nearly 30 nV/Hz.
Conclusion
These EMC tests have proven that interferences produced by the sparks between the
pentograph and the catenary may abort GSM communications. The characteristics that are
presented in this paper can be used to define suitable test procedures to inject such
disturbances into the GSM system. However, higher levels are expected to be encountered
with the increase of speed and power of high speed trains, and therefore further investigations
are being carried out during 1997 on a TGV and/or a ICE train in order to define correctly the
future EMC specifications.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
[MORANE96] Radio Transmisson Tests For Standard GSM, DG XIII Project TR1038,
Deliverable D 3.1, September 1996.

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