Transportation by means of railway system
should be classified as environment-friendly
system which can provide solution in the
energy reserve and resources shortage, Road
Traffic Congestion, pollution and other
relevant issues in our country. Railway
system can be operated either by AC Power
Source or DC Power Source. Energy sources
can be supplied through Overhead Catenary
System (OCS) or Third-rail System. What is
AC and DC in Electrical Practice? The
continuous, uniform flow of electrons
through the circuit is called a current. So long
as the voltage source keeps ”pushing” in the
same direction, the electron flow will
continue to move in the same direction in the
circuit. This single-direction flow of
electrons is called a Direct Current, or DC.
Electric circuits are explored where the
direction of current switches back and forth:
Alternating Current, or AC. In DC, one can
notice the ”+” and ”-” signs drawn at the ends
of the break in the circuit, and how they
correspond to the ”+” and ”-” signs next to
the battery’s terminals. These markers
indicate the direction that the voltage
attempts to push electron flow, that potential
direction commonly referred to as polarity.
While in AC, current constantly changes in
amplitude, and which reverses direction at
regular intervals.
Few disadvantages of DC over AC supply,
one of which is that the direct-current system
becomes evident when the direct current (I)
from the generating station must be
transmitted a long distance over wires to the
consumer. When this happens, a large
amount of power is lost due to the resistance
(R) of the wire. The power loss is qeual to
I2R. However, this loss can be greatly
reduced if the power is transmitted over the
lines at a very high voltage level and a low
current level. This is not a practical solution
to the power loss in the DC system since the
load would then have to be operated at a
dangerously high voltage. Because of the
disadvantages related to transmitting and
using direct current, practically all modern
commercial electric power companies
generate and distribute alternating current
(AC).
One must know that magnetism and
electricity are related, this general subject
area is often referred to as Electromagnetism.
To properly understand electricity, one must
become familiar with the relationships
between magnetism and electricity such as
the following: 1.) An electric current always
produces some form of magnetism. 2.) The
most commonly used means for producing or
using electricity involves magnetism. 3) The
peculiar behavior of electricity under certain
conditions is caused by magnetic influences.
It was proven from the previous studies
conducted by noble individuals such as Hans
Christian Oersted, relationship between
magnetism and electricity do exist and he
discovered that “electric current is always
accompanied by certain magnetic effects and
that these effects obey definite laws”.
A general trend towards increased traffic
flow, higher
speeds, more trains per hour, longer trains
and heavier axle loads demands more
powerful engines and stronger currents in the
supply lines [1]. The complexity of the
railway system increases when more
electronics are used [2, 3, 4]. The
environment of railway tracks is exposed to
magnetic and electric fields from trains, the
railway power supply systems,
nearby electric power transmission lines [5],
and other sources [6]. Consequently, the
radiated and conducted electromagnetic
emissions from railway systems are
increasing over time [7, 8]. The combination
of more sensitive electronic circuits [9], and
stronger electromagnetic noise, containing
higher frequencies, may make the railway
system as a whole more sensitive.