System of Traction AC Power Supply with Catenary Supports Not Connected with a Railway Track

Abstract

A system of traction ac power supply is suggested. It is revealed that grounding the supports of group grounding cables is the most promising way of providing reliable operation of existing types of distance protective systems. The probabilistic characteristics of the voltages at the catenary supports are determined taking into account the random character of parameters determining the voltage levels at the supports upon short circuits in the traction network. The mathematical expectation of the number of dangerous situations over a 100-km piece of line is calculated when using a railway track to ground supports and when using the proposed system of grounding catenary supports. It is revealed that the number of dangerous situations when grounding of the catenary supports is not done does not exceed the corresponding value over electrified piece of lines where a railway track is used to ground the supports. It was established that, when the value of resistance of the group-grounding-cable–support system is less than 7.5 Ω, the operation of traction power supply during thunderstorms is no worse than with a traction network when a railway track is used to support grounding.