Influence of High-Speed Train Power Consumption and Arc Fault Resistances on a Novel Ground Fault Location Method for 2 × 25 kV Railway Power Supply Systems

• Main Authors: Carlos A. Platero, Jesús Serrano, Máximo López-Toledo, Ricardo Granizo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-06-01
• Series: Energies
• Subjects: electrical protection; ground faults; fault location; railways power system; 2 × 25 kV
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/11/6/1601

The 2 × 25 kV power supply system is the most frequently used traction rail system to provide the huge power needed by high-speed trains. However, locating the ground fault in this power supply system is more complicated than in other configurations of electrical railway power supply due to the installation of autotransformers throughout the line section. In previous papers, the authors have described a ground fault location method with an insignificant installation cost. The method and, moreover, the location discriminate between whether the ground fault is located between a positive conductor and ground or a negative conductor and ground. The current of the high-speed train influences the accuracy of the location of the ground fault. An additional factor which influences the location method is the existence of an arc resistance between the positive or negative conductor and ground. In this paper, the influence of high-speed train currents and arc resistances are analysed to evaluate the error in the location method. The major conclusion of the paper is that the location method has an acceptable precision even taking into consideration the high-speed train current and arc resistance. The validation of the method has been performed by laboratory tests and computer simulations with satisfactory results.