Analysis of AC traction power supplies using the SimspoG® simulation tool

Introducing the technology of AC traction power supply in the Netherlands, modelling of the railway infrastructure has become a vital part in the EMC studies which have to be carried out. Therefore Holland Railconsult has developed the mathematical model SIMPSPOG(R) of the railway system as a transmission line, using the mathematical package Mathcad for the calculations. Being a part of a range of related simulation tools, SIMSPOG(R) is an engineering tool suited to calculate current distributions within 1x25 kV as well as 2x25 kV AC traction power supply systems, based on the multi-pole technique. Being verified by purposeful measurements on the Luxembourg railway-network, SIMSPOG(R) is being utilised for calculating currents on cable screens (using the transfer-impedance concept to determine disturbing voltages), touch- and stepvoltages within the supply system, current distributions within system separation sections as well as short circuit calculations. The calculations mentioned are being done to design the 2x25 kV system for the "first" Dutch AC railway-line "Betuweroute" and the first part "Havenspoorlijn" in the Rotterdam Harbour in particular. This first part will go into service in the first half of the year 2000, using the opportunity to carry out a large number of measurements on the pilot railway-line to validate the system design and the tools used. Future applications of SIMSPOG(R) will be post-processing for voltage-distributions in the traction power supply system, using the resulting energy-consumption data of the train-simulation tool SimRail as input, as well as in the area of harmonic studies.