International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) | Volume III, Issue XII, December 2018|ISSN 2454-6194

Automatic Switched Neutral Section in Railway

Yogesh Rathod1, Durgesh Khairnar1, Manoj Deore1, Bhaulal Phad1, R. J. Nikam2
1
BE Student, Dept. of Electrical Eng., MET BKC IOE, Nashik, Maharashtra, India
2
Assistant Professor, Dept.o f Electrical Eng., MET BKC IOE, Nashik, Maharashtra, India

Abstract:-Traction motor system in India works on single phase driver failure to respond to sign displayed by sign boards led
25kV traction system. If this single phase traction load is to a number of accidents, some causing very large number of
supplied from only one phase then it creates the unbalance effect fatalities. In response to the continuing need to reduce risks
in three phase system to reduce unbalancing effect, all these created by train drivers failing to respond to sign instructions,
phases are tapped from the adjacent substations in sequence.
various forms of driver warning devices and signal command
These phases are electrically isolated from each other by means
of neutral sections normally provided near the traction enforcement systems have been developed. These have
substation (TSS) and sectioning post (SP). become known as train protection system and train control
system. Those systems that continuously monitor actual train
But at such section post or near neutral section only speed and enforce adherence to a commanded speed pattern
sign boards are used which give the indication to driver at that
are referred to as automatic train protection (ATP) systems.
time DJ (circuit breaker) should be open, which may not be
clearly seen in the foggy, rainy, snowing and polluted All type of train protection systems are based on the desire to
environment. Due to ignorance of such sign electrical hazard is reduce or eliminate the possibility of driver error resulting in a
possible. Hence our project basically focused on the automatic train movement related accident by failing to obey a visually
clearing of such a neutral section using sensor, relay, and use of displayed line-side or in-cap instruction. So the main objective
circuit breaker at the start and end of the neutral section and it's of our paper is that, automatic switched the neutral section and
function is to carry the supply of running phase to neutral eliminate all above possibilities.
section by disconnecting the next phase, without loss
(interruption) of the supply from OHE and continuous operation III. THE TRACTION POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM
of the all electrical equipment on the train, which is not possible
at the present in neutral section. 1. THE TRACTION POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM
Keywords- Traction system, Neutral section, Unbalance effect,
switched neutral section.

I. INTRODUCTION

T he electric locomotive draws power from the overhead

equipment (OHE) with the help of Pantograph and
converts this electrical energy to mechanical energy, in
controlled manner, through Traction Motors which drive the
axles. To enable the locomotive to perform this task, it is
equipped with suitable equipment’s, which enable loco pilot
to control the speed of the train as per requirement by
controlling the applied voltage to traction motors. In Fig. traction power system
conventional locomotives, 25KV, Single phase, AC supply is
collected by a roof-mounted pantograph from the OHE and is 2. The equipment on electric locomotive depending up on
steeped down by a transformer inside3 the locomotive. This where it is located can be classified in three different
categories.
supply is then converted to DC supply by a full wave silicon
rectifier and associated smoothing filter before being fed to  Roof equipment.
the traction motors. Torque/speed control is achieved by  Inside equipment.
variation of the AC input voltage to the rectifier through an  Under frame equipment.
on-load tap changing arrangement on the primary winding of
the loco transformer. 2.1 Roof Equipment:

II. OBJECTIVE (i) Pantograph:

Traditionally, sign board system in India and in many The high tension current (25kv) for feeding
other countries have relied on the train drivers reacting to locomotive is taken from contact wire be means of current
indications displayed to them by line-side semaphore collecting device called pantograph.
controlling the trains speed in line with the (ii) Circuit Breaker:
[Link] the 150years of the use f railway sign,

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International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) | Volume III, Issue XII, December 2018|ISSN 2454-6194

(a) Air blast CB: improve the system of constructive cost. By contrast, ground
One compressed air operated high voltage air automatic convert is more advantageous in all aspects.
blast CB is provided on loco roof. Therefore this paper is mostly studies the ground automatic
(b) Vacuum CB: passing neutral section. The process of auto-switched neutral
Now, air blast CB is being replaced by vacuum section working is shown in the following
circuit breaker (VCB), due to its superior
While entering locomotive towards in neutral section
qualities and less maintenance.
sensor-1 get activated due to this CB1 get closed, which is
2.2 In-side equipment: connected in between R & Y phase of OHE. Locomotive
enters without DJ tripped condition in neutral section.
(i) Voltage regulating equipment:
CB1 open and CB2 getting closed with 0.6sec time
The high OHE voltage is stepped down to low
lag.
voltage by the maintransformer comprising of an auto
transformer with 32 taps and a stepped down transformer with CB2 in closing condition neutral section gets
two separate secondary winding. The low voltage can be energized with Y-phase and again the locomotive will move
controlled from zero to maximum through on load tap without any voltage interruption.
changer.
(ii) Silicon rectifier:
Since the traction motor is DC motor, so alternating
current converted in to direct current, by means of two silicon
rectifier, one each feeding to set of three traction motor.
(iii) ARNO converter:
This converter, convert the single-phase 320 volt
input from transformer auxiliary winding to 3 phase 380 volt
output.
(iv) Static converter:
ARNO converter, being a rotating machine, is Fig. layout of model.
maintenance intensive equipment. There is large number of
auxiliary machine failure due to large voltage variations of the After passing the neutral section again sensor-3 gets
order of +22.5%. To overcome this, solid state static converter activated, due to this CB2 gets open and locomotive will run
using semi conducting insulated gate Bipolar transistor (IJBT) normally without any interruption of OHE voltage.
are being provided to locomotive for conversion of single The greatest advantages of ground automatic convert
phase supply to three phase supply. are no power supply dead zone and small speed loss. As the
2.3 Under frame equipment: circuit breaker breaks with load, it is easy to produce
overvoltage and can compromise the system of security. So it
(i) Traction motor: is necessary to study how the overvoltage occurs and how the
In general, locomotive provided with six DC series factors influence work.
type traction motor. V. MERITS
(ii) Smoothing reactor:  Automation in clearing neutral section.
As output of rectifier is of undulating (pulsating)  No repeated interruption while approaching neutral
nature, it is passed through an inductive choke called section.
smoothing reactor (SL) to reduce the undulation of the current  HVAC load can be fed from OHE.
and to make current smoother.  No human errors such as fatigue, misjudgment,
intention.
IV. PROPOSED METHODOLOGY  Unaffected by environmental issues such as fog, rain,
snow.
At present, the project of auto switched neutral  Elimination of chain pulling problem in neutral
section has been listed as the following, on-body automatic section.
convert, on-pole automatic convert and ground automatic
 Increase in quality of service.
convert. As the time of power on or off is too long and the
 Saving in fuel, reduction in pollution associated with
speed loss of locomotive is excessive. On-body automatic
END ON GENERATION (EOG).
convert isn’t adaptable to large slope region. On-pole
automatic convert requires high level for insulated system to

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International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) | Volume III, Issue XII, December 2018|ISSN 2454-6194

VI. DEMERITS approaching method are to be eliminated by automatic

switched neutral section.
 High installation cost.
 Maintenance issue of circuit breaker. REFERENCE
[1]. H. Preatap, “Modern electric traction s”, DhanpatRai& Co.
VII. CONCLUSION [2]. Handbook on Arthur Flury AG neutral section.
[3]. Ministry of Railway, “Pamphlet on neutral section maintenance”.
With existing system of approaching neutral section [4]. J.B. Gupta, “Utilization of electrical energy and electric traction”,
we have seen that there are number of problems which affect S Chandpublication.
the performance and speed operation of railways and hence [5]. [Link]
[6]. [Link]
major disadvantages regarding existing neutral section

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