Introduction to Signalling Design

Introduction to Signalling Design

Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations

Introduction to Signalling Design

 Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations
• Typical layout of Power Feeder Options
Regional Electricity Company
Supply

Domestic Signalling Power

Control Relay 650v AC 240v AC

Rooms Rooms

Internal External Internal Domestic

Lighting Heating etc.

Control Relay
Rooms Rooms Equipment External
Room feeder
Equipment
Rooms Locations
Signalling Domestic

Introduction to Signalling Design Locations

 Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations
• Two types of cable are in use for railway signalling
power schemes
• Stranded Copper
• Solid Aluminium
• Aluminium cheaper than copper
• Requires a larger CSA than copper
• Therefore bigger cable
• Aluminium does not bend as easily as copper

Introduction to Signalling Design

 Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations
• Power starts at a feed point (usually a Control
Centre or relay room)
• Fed along the line side
• Calls in at appropriate locations
• Can be fed over several miles
• Volt drop can be a problem
• Current is usually low
• To prevent volt drop cable size is larger than
necessary for current rating

Introduction to Signalling Design

 Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations
• Comparison of Aluminium and Copper cables
Nominal area mm2 Current Rating Copper Current Rating
Aluminium
1.5 16.5 -
2.5 23 -
10 52 -
16 69 60
25 - 94
35 111 115
50 - 135
70 168 165
95 201 200

Introduction to Signalling Design

 Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations
• Designing a power feeder
• Current rating
• Volt drop at the farthest point
• The voltage drop at the farthest point from the
feed voltage must never be greater than 10% of
the feed voltage
• For a 650 volt supply minimum voltage is 585v
• Signalling equipment is designed to work to this
tolerance

Introduction to Signalling Design

 Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations
• Volt drop is caused by the cable resistance
• Calculated for the worst case
• When most complicated route is being set
• Usually at the furthest point from the supply
• Can be checked from the location area plan
• Location loadings can be evaluated
• Usually add 10% to the calculated load

Introduction to Signalling Design

 Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations
• Example
• 650v supplying 2 locations
• Loads given include 10% excess
• Calculate volt drop at Loc 2
LOC 1 LOC 2
C B A
650V 70mm2 AL 25mm2 AL
SOURCE
1300m 600m

2900VA 1300VA

Introduction to Signalling Design

 Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations
• V = IR
• Volt drop = current x resistance in cable
• Resistance of cable?
• Given in ohms per Km or ohms per mile
• Dependant on cable size
• The bigger the cable the lower the resistance

Introduction to Signalling Design

 Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations
• Resistance of Aluminium and Copper cables
Nominal area mm2 Resistance per Km Resistance per Km
Copper Aluminium
1.5 12.2 -
2.5 7.56 -
10 1.84 -
16 1.16 1.89
25 - 1.2
35 0.529 0.868
50 - 0.641
70 0.27 0.443
95 0.195 0.32

Introduction to Signalling Design

 Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations
• Example
• Calculate the current taken by each location
VA
I
V

LOC 1 LOC 2
C B A
650V 70mm2 AL 25mm2 AL
SOURCE
1300m 600m

2900VA 1300VA

Introduction to Signalling Design

 Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations
Location 1 Location 2
Location load = 2900VA Location load = 1300VA

VA VA
I I
V V
2900 1300
I I
650 650
I  4.46amps I  2amps

Introduction to Signalling Design

 Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations
• Kirchoff’s law
• the total current flowing into any node in a circuit
is equal to the current flowing away from that
node
I1 I2

I4 I3

KIRCHOFF’S FIRST LAW

I1 - I2 + I3 - I4 = 0

Introduction to Signalling Design

 Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations
• Current flowing from B – A = 2 amps
• Current flowing from C – B = 4.46 + 2 = 6.46a

LOC 1 LOC 2
C B A
650V 70mm2 AL 25mm2 AL
SOURCE
1300m 600m
2 amps
4.46 amps

2900VA 1300VA

Introduction to Signalling Design

 Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations
• To calculate volt drop in each piece of cable
• V = IR
• R = resistance (per Km) x cable length
• Cable length = 2.2 x distance between locations
• Two cores (i.e. there and back) + 10% for errors
• Resistance A – B = 2.2 x 0.6 x 1.2 = 1.58Ω
• Resistance B – C = 2.2 x 0.443 x 1.3 = 1.26Ω

Introduction to Signalling Design

 Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations
• Volt drop V = IR
• Cable A – B = 2 x 1.58 = 3.16 volts
• Cable B – C = (2 + 4.46) x 1.26 = 8.14 volts
• Total volt drop in cable = 3.16 + 8.14 = 11.3v
• ∴ voltage at Loc 2 = 650 – 11.3 = 638.7v
• This is within the specified 10%

Introduction to Signalling Design

 Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations
• If this had been greater than 10%
• What now?
• Increase cable sizes to decrease resistance
• It is normal to start with the largest cable size
nearest the feed point
• Decrease towards the end of the feeder

Introduction to Signalling Design

 Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations
• Practical example RR Loc 1/6

Loc 1/2 Loc 1/3

2
F R R

101 Loc 1/4 Loc 1/5 R F

Loc 1/1

O/L O/L

3
R F R F
R F R F R F R F 102 R F R
101 103

1
A B C D E R
300 200 400m 1800m 800m F
m m
16mm2 16mm2 16mm2 25mm2 25mm2 650V
AL AL AL AL AL AC
1/1 1/2 1/3 1/4 1/5
Signals and Indicators 30 190 - 220 350

AWS - - - 40 -
Track Circuits 30 60 - 60 60
Relays 15 15 15 10 20
Points - 1400 1400 - 1400
Total 75 1665 1415 315 1830
Total + 10% 83 1831 1556 346 2013

Introduction to Signalling Design

 Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations
1/1 1/3 R/R
1/2 1/4 1/5
A B C D E F
0.13a 2.95a 5.34a 5.87a 8.97a

300 m 200 m 400 m 1800 m 800 m

16mm2 AL 16mm2 AL 16mm2 AL 25mm2 AL 25mm2 AL

83VA 1831VA 1556VA 346VA 2013VA

I =VA/V 83
/650 = 0.13a 1831
/650 = 2.82a 1556
/650 = 2.39a 346
/650 = 0.53a 2013
/650 = 3.1a

Cable resistance
2.2 x 1.89 x 0.3 2.2 x 1.89 x 0.2 2.2 x 1.89 x 0.4 2.2 x 1.2 x 1.8 2.2 x 1.2 x 0.8
= 1.247Ω = 0.832Ω = 1.663Ω = 4.75Ω = 2.11Ω
Volt drop V=IR

0.13 x 1.247 = 0.16v (0.13 + 2.82) x 0.832 = (2.95 + 2.39) x 1.663 (5.34 + 0.53) x 4.75 = (5.87 + 3.1) x 2.11 =
2.45v = 8.9v 27.88v 18.92v
∴ voltage at Loc 1/1 = 650 – (0.16+2.45+8.9+27.88+18.92) = 591.69v

This is with the 10% tolerance

Introduction to Signalling Design
 Module 11
Power Feeder Calculations
• Ohms Law formula wheel

V2 V
R R
I 2R W
V
VI VA I AMPS W
POWER CURRENT
R

WR V
VOLTS R OHMS
Ω I

W V²
I W W
IR
I²
Introduction to Signalling Design
Introduction to Signalling Design