Electrification System Testing

Richard Catlow, SNC-Lavalin

29th June 2017

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 The Need For Testing
Electrified railways place large numbers of people close to, alongside, or even above
high voltage exposed conductors. Assurance that the protective systems operate as
designed when something goes wrong is very important.
Electrified railways use steel rails to conduct the current being returned from the
load. AC systems require that these steel conductors are earthed for safety reasons
and thus a proportion of the fault current inevitably returns via earth. The effects of
rail saturation and high resistivity soils can make earth currents flow very deep,
increasing the loop area over which electro-magnetic coupling and the potential for
interference to other systems to occur.
AC electrified railways are inherently unbalanced and thus their electro-magnetic
coupling into other systems (both railway, utility and public) is higher than for a
comparable three phase system. They are often placed in urban environments and in
close proximity to a variety of electrical and electronic systems that were never
engineered to withstand significant low frequency electro-magnetic fields.
All of these factors introduce considerable complexity and uncertainties when
modelling a system and (at present) full scale testing has yet to be replaced by other
methods as the final arbiter of an electrified railway’s performance.

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 What Testing Is Not
However useful testing is, there are a number of things that testing is not;

• A panacea for all ills – it cannot turn a fundamentally bad design into a
good one (although it can reveal how bad it is!).

• An alternative to robust design and implementation.

• Something that should be seen as a “bolt on extra” at a late stage –

requirements for testing should be developed alongside the design.

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Testing Should Prevent This:

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Testing Should Prevent This:

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But Cannot Prevent This:

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But Cannot Prevent This:

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 Can’t It Be Modelled?
Whilst many characteristics of the behaviour of an electrified railway can be
satisfactorily and economically modelled, certain characteristics such as those
associated with earth current flows, rail saturation effects and the coupling with a
wide variety of external systems cannot be modelled with the necessary degree of
certainty to avoid all testing.

Even if every aspect could be modelled, the desirability of accepting and certifying an
electrification system without one or more practical demonstrations is open to
debate.

There is a legitimate discussion on the degree of testing to which any particular

system should be subjected ranging from minimal to comprehensive testing and
minimal to comprehensive modelling – the trick is knowing where to strike the
balance.

The balance should be determined by the individual characteristics of the system in

question and the degree of confidence that can be apportioned to the results of
design and special studies

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 Auckland – A Case Study
Auckland is largest city in New Zealand (but not the capital).

32% of NZ’s population live in greater Auckland.

Significant investment in the railway system, including track remodelling,

electrification and complete resignalling.

Approximately 175 single track kilometres of lines were wired from Britomart
station to Swanson, Papakura, Manukau and Onehunga.

A simple 25kV electrification system with rail return and aerial earth wire / return
conductor is being used. No booster transformers are provided.
6kA maximum fault level.

Significant parallelism with certain utility services in dense urban environment.

High and widely variable soil resistivities can lead to earth currents going very
deep underground.

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Auckland – Major Feeding

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Auckland – Details Of System
Incoming feeds are connected to Transpower (Transmission Operator) at 220kV and
are rated at 30MVA each (36 MVA for 2 hours).

25kV Switchgear is Siemens GIS Vacuum (35 panels), housed in prefabricated steel
buildings.

Protection and control functions integrated into Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs)
directly interfacing with the SCADA system.

OLE is a licensed version of the Balfour Beatty Mk3 design (used extensively in the
UK, Australia and Asia). Major steelwork and fittings manufactured locally.

Fleet of 57 x 3 car EMUs being purchased by local transport authority (Auckland

Transport) and being by CAF in Spain. CAF maintain the trains at a purpose built
facility at Wiri.

Each train has a maximum rated power of 2.1MW

Operation of trains is undertaken by a franchisee (presently Transdev).

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 Auckland - Immunisation
As the project was going to completely resignal the network, the
new signalling system was chosen to have a high degree of
inherent immunity against the effects of 50Hz electrification;
Fibre communications links.
Copper cables are limited in length and quantity.
Axle counter based train detection.
AC immune DC track circuits at level crossings.
Early discussions with NZ Telecom identified few consumer circuits
close to /parallel to railway corridor for any length, but several long
trunk and branch circuits carrying signalling and alarms between
exchanges .
High degree of parallel consumer circuits close to railway, but of
limited length. Many telecoms circuits are aerial in urban areas.
Based upon initial calculations, the decision was taken to avoid use
of booster transformers, but provide aerial return conductor / earth
wire.

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 Pre Test Planning
Verification and validation (V&V) activities were identified at the time of writing the
rolling stock, signalling and electrification specifications.

These specifications identified all of the necessary interface standards required to

ensure compatibility.

Early liaison with industry regulators (such as Radio Spectrum Management and NZ
Electricity Regulator) to identify necessary standards, specifications and test
protocols.

AEP identified need for a dedicated, experienced resource to perform the role of
“Commissioning Manager” at least 1 year before first commissioning activity to
develop and manage testing activities.

As testing would involve high risk activities (short circuit testing) it was decided to
seek out personnel that had recent experience of this type of test. The last AC short
circuit tests in NZ took place in 1983.

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 V&V Plan
Testing and commissioning activities require detailed agreement
between multiple internal and external stakeholders;
• To other internal projects (e.g. Signalling program).
• To the rolling stock program (managed by a third party – Auckland Transport)
• To external stakeholders (e.g. Transpower, power generators).
• To satisfy external regulators (e.g. NZ Electricity Regulator, Radio Spectrum
Management).

A Verification & Validation (V&V) plan was developed, it;

• Uses as its basis the interface specifications developed for signalling, rolling
stock and electrification.
• Identifies every interface requiring V&V activities.
• The method of delivering V&V, by assessment, testing, or both?
• The applicable limits for each items of testing, referenced to standards.
• An outline of the test methodology to be used.

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 Testing Philosophy
Objectives:
• Validate the design of the system and the models used to design it.
• Ensure electrical safety measures met requirements, functioned correctly and
the system was safe to operate.
• Identify (in as far as possible) any issues before commercial services were
launched.

Achieved through a 7 stage process:

1. Contractor’s pre-commissioning.
2. Authority to Energise.
3. KiwiRail pre-commissioning.
4. Section proving.
5. Short circuit testing.
6. Interaction with external systems (both railway and public / utility).
7. Load testing.

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 Contractor’s Pre-commissioning
Objective:
To undertake all necessary testing to prove that equipment functions
correctly and is safe to energise;

Utilised a range of “standard” tests such as:

• Insulation resistance measurement and pressure testing
• High current resistance testing (Ductor tests)
• Loop impedance tests,
• Soil resistivity and current injection tests
• Relay functional testing, etc...

Independent inspectors retained to inspect work and validate Electrical

Safety Certificates (required to be issued by law) that were generated by
contractors

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 KiwiRail Pre-commissioning
Objective:
• To ensure that system was safe to
energise (contractors may have
finished their work months
previously).

How:
• Basic electrical integrity tests,
• Cable insulation resistance,
• Sheath integrity,
• OLE construction earths removed?
• Current return paths healthy,
• Loop impedance values OK.

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 Section Proving
Section Proving:
Objectives:
• Prove integrity of each subsection
of OLE.
• Prove that every point of isolation
works.
• Prove system correctly configured
– no cross connections.
• Identify components that would
fail on first energisation.
How:
• Consecutive energisation of each
section.
• Maintain earthed elements
beyond each section energised
for testing.

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 Short Circuit Tests
Short circuit testing:
Objectives:
• Demonstrate earth potential rises
are within limits.
• Demonstrate OLE can withstand
short circuit mechanical forces.
• Electrical protection system
detects faults as designed, within
required time limits.
• Electrical behaviour of the system
when clearing faults is acceptable.
• Levels of voltage induced into
other systems
How:
• Deliberately apply short circuits to
the system

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 Short Circuit Tests
Short circuit testing:
• Utilises a trailer mounted vacuum circuit breaker, taken to site by hi rail flatbed
truck, or on its own wheels.
• This circuit breaker arranged to trip 1 second after application of fault to act as
backup protection.
• Short circuits applied to both ends of every electrical section

Measurements made at feeder station and TSCs:

• Bus voltage
• Feeder currents
• Return current via rail
• Return current via earth wires
• Return current via earth

Measurements made at short circuit site:

• Earth potential rise to local earth
• Earth potential rise to remote earth
• Fault current

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 Short Circuit Tests

• Majority of short circuit tests performed from the trailer mounted on the hi-rail
flatbed.
• A number of locations utilised the trailer in “road” mode.
• Typically takes 60 to 90 minutes to set up circuit breaker and measurement
equipment

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 Short Circuit Tests
Measuring equipment:
• 4 systems purchased by KiwiRail,
not hired :
• Availability and suitability of hired
equipment.
• Available at a moment’s notice.
• All systems GPS synchronised –
means data from different
locations can be locked to a single
timebase.
• Substation VT and CTs used as
means of measurement,
interfaced through instrumentation
dividers and CTs respectively.
• Accuracy of whole measurement
chain in the order of 1 to 3%

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 Short Circuit Tests
Objectives:
• Validate the design of the system and the models used to design it.
• Ensure electrical safety measures met requirements, functioned correctly and
the system was safe to operate.
• Identify (in as far as possible) any issues before commercial services were
launched.

Achieved through a 7 stage process:

1. Contractor’s pre-commissioning.
2. Authority to Energise.
3. KiwiRail pre-commissioning.
4. Section proving.
5. Short circuit testing.
6. Interaction with external systems (both railway and public / utility).
7. Load testing.

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 Short Circuit Tests
Typical measurements
made at the feeder station:

• Incoming current.
• Track feeder currents.
• Return current via rails and their red
bond connections to the return
current busbar.
• Return current via the feeder station
earth system.
• Total return current.
• Busbar voltage.

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 Short Circuit Tests
Typical measurements
made at a short circuit
site:

• Total fault current.

• Fault current in earth wire in
each direction.
• Accessible voltage from mast to
local earth.
• Accessible voltage to a remote
earth.
• Touch voltage to local features
(such as a location case).

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 Short Circuit Tests
For each electrical section, two short circuits were
applied:
• One at each end of each section.
• The short circuit closest to the feeder station would have the highest fault current and
possibly the highest step and touch voltages (depending on local soil conditions).
• The short circuit at the far end would have the greatest potential for inductive effects.
• The circuit breaker closest to the fault should clear in the quickest time, in Zone 1 of the
impedance protection.
• The circuit breaker most distant from the fault should detect the fault in Zone 2 and
clear the fault after a 200ms time delay.

Thus every short circuit test archived multiple objectives:

 Values of step and touch potentials were tested at two sites;
 Correct operation of protection validated, particularly discrimination between zones;
 Stability of the remainder of the system validated;
 Recreates “real world” conditions.

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 Short Circuit Tests
Overhead lines
above each
Feeder track
TSC
Station

Incoming feeder
CB

Track feeder CBs

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 Short Circuit Tests
Feeder Station TSC

This short circuit is closest to the This short circuit is closest to the
feeder station, but most distant TSC, but most distant from the
from the TSC feeder station

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Short Circuits The Old Way:

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Short Circuits The Old Way:

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Short Circuit Testing:

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Short Circuit Testing:

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 Short Circuit Tests
Feeder Station TSC

Short circuit applied

close to feeder
station

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 Short Circuit Tests
Feeder Station TSC

Smaller proportion of current

flows via long pathway via TSC

Majority of current flows via shortest (and

lowest impedance path)

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 Short Circuit Tests
Feeder Station TSC

This circuit breaker trips All current now flows along long path with
first, having detected higher impedance, the total current falls
fault in Zone 1

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 Short Circuit Tests
Feeder Station TSC

Fault cleared and ceases

This circuit breaker now trips,
having detected the distant
fault in Zone 2

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Short Circuit Testing:

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Short Circuit Testing:

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 Short Circuit Tests
Measurement of Step and
Touch Voltages:
• Undertaken to evaluate the electric
shock hazard to staff and public
who may be touching metallic
objects or are in close proximity at
the time of a short circuit.
• Metallic objects bonded to the
traction system may assume a
different potential to that of the
surrounding earth – a touch voltage
hazard
• Currents flowing through the earth
cause potential gradients which
may be experienced by persons on
the surface – a step voltage hazard
V V

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 Short Circuit Tests
Assessment of Step and
Touch Voltages:
• Peak and cycle by cycle RMS
values of mast to local and mast
to remote voltages obtained from
the recordings.
• Values and durations assessed
against those in EN50122-1
• These values in turn are derived
from IEC479 “Effects of electric
current on human beings and
livestock”

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 Short Circuit Tests
Analysis of short circuit
test data:
• Obtained from data acquisition
system and protection relays
• Assess results and compares them
against levels contained in:
• Standards
• Design specifications
• Facilitates comparison against
values predicted in design models
and simulations.
• Validates system performance
against requirements
• Determines if system is safe to
energise

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 Effects On Other Systems
Performed at the same
time as short circuit
measurements:
• Induced voltage in other railway
cables
• Induced voltage in public
telecommunications circuits (to be
performed shortly).
• Effects on the LV mains neutral
(whereby fault currents flowing in
earth intercept the LV mains
neutral via MEN earths and cause
voltage drop)

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 Load Tests
Performed with dedicated test train operation, or
measured during commercial service operations:
Objectives:
• To validate the performance of the system under load conditions.
• Proves accuracy of dynamic simulation models used in the design of the system.
• To prove compatibility of load against requirements of power quality standards

• Measurements made primarily at feeder stations, but also on occasion on board

the train and at Transpower’s 220kV Substations.

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Load Tests:

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Load Tests:

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Load Tests:

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Load Tests:

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 Feeder Station
Load Tests Westfield Date & Times 9th June 2016

Criteria Siemens’ Result Variance

Prediction

1 hour r.m.s. power demand (MVA) 12.236MVA 5.16MVA -57%

1 second peak power (MVA) 35.462MVA 18.32MVA -48%

Incoming feeder current 1 hour r.m.s. (A) 491A 217.2A -55%

Incoming feeder current 1 second peak (A)

1426A 1134A -20%

WSF13 track feeder current 1 hour r.m.s. (A) 186A 81.2 -56%

WSF11 track feeder current 1 hour r.m.s. (A)

194A 82.5A -57%

WSF18 track feeder current 1 hour r.m.s. (A) 17A 13.9A -18%

WSF16 track feeder current 1 hour r.m.s. (A)

5A 10.6A +112%

WSF12 track feeder current 1 hour r.m.s. (A) 94A 69.0A -26%

WSF14 track feeder current 1 hour r.m.s. (A)

97A 64.7A -33%

WSF13 track feeder current 1 second peak. (A) 664A 379A -54.0%

WSF11 track feeder current 1 second peak. (A)

628A 311A -50%

WSF18 track feeder current 1 second peak. (A) 189A 156A -17%

WSF16 track feeder current 1 second peak. (A)

31A 140.6A +453%

WSF12 track feeder current 1 second peak. (A) 363A 277.9A -23%

WSF14 track feeder current 1 second peak. (A)

350A 230.7A -34%

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 Load Tests
Conclusions:
• Poor correlation between predicted results and those obtained.
• Test results showed that all equipment and system performance behaved well
within ratings and expectations.
• Modelling concluded two years before revenue operations.
• Significant evolution of train software in intervening period, not fully reflected in
model.
• Timetable different (not by much….) to that modelled.
• Effectiveness of regenerative brake appears to be understated in the model in
terms of recuperated power.
• Inherent difficulty of accurately modelling human driver behaviour.

• Shows that modelling has limitations……..!!

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 Conclusions
• KiwiRail adopted a structured and layered commissioning process, adapted to
their particular circumstances and legal requirements.
• Pre-commissioning identified a number of items of cable damage that had
occurred after the contractor’s pre-commissioning tests.
• Pre-commissioning also identified a number of construction earths left in place.
• Only one case of incorrect system configurations was identified during the
section proving process (<0.3%).
• No failures of equipment occurred on first energisation.
• The protective system performance of the system under short circuit conditions
was entirely satisfactory with all intended protective elements operating when
they should and within specified time limits. All protective elements that should
not have operated did not operate.
• Measurements of the system’s fault current and impedance were closely aligned
with those predicted by modelling (2.5% and -2.0% respectively).
• Load tests showed poor correlation.

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 Conclusions
 Testing is a vital part of an electrification project’s validation & verification
activities.
 Testing can be required in stages throughout the project lifecycle.
 Testing & commissioning of railway electrification requires a very different
approach to that typically used in the wider electricity industry.
 Requirements for testing should ideally be identified early in the project’s life.
 Testing should be structured and aligned to demonstrate compliance against
specific standards, specifications and requirements –rather than being
indiscriminately applied.
 A complete audit trail needs to be maintained throughout.
 Competent staff with experience are required to advise and lead testing
activities.

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