An Extended Model of Light Railway System Used in Analysis of Normal Operation and Fault Conditions

The paper provides a description of the analysis of a Light Railway System for two configurations: - Rails above the ground and catenary supply - Track in a tunnel and power rail supply. Finite Element Method (FEM) analysis is compared to classical analytical approaches by Carson, Pollaczek, Bickford and Tylavsky. Reviews of methods to determine self and mutual impedance for electrified railroads are provided. The solution of finite element method (FEM) applied for the determination of impedance for the two traction rail and catenary configuration, modeled and examined, consists of computational analysis based upon minimizing the energy of electromagnetic field. The analytic impedance models are built on CarsonPollaczek–Bickford equations, adjusted by Tylavsky, for two situations: when the ground is perfectly insulated and when considering the earth return current. The railway track – catenary is integrated in a system containing the model for traction substation(s) with DC power output and moving vehicle with induction motors, controlled using voltage inverters with pulse width modulation.