TC Type IOL
TC Type IOL
TC Type IOL
Development of
TC Type Insulated Overlaps
Electric Power Facilities Group, Technical Center, Research and Development Center of JR East Group
Kentaro Nishi
When a train stops at an insulated overlap of a feeding sections in a DC electric railway system, heat due to arcing
(electric spark) or due to too large a current flowing between the feeding sections sometimes melts and severs the
contact wire that supplies electric power to pantographs. We thus developed TC type insulated overlaps to prevent
that. TC type insulated overlaps have a large surface area that brings about high heat radiation and a function
of relieving the tension of the contact wire when heat softens and deteriorates the mechanical strength of the
contact wire. In tests of the developed TC type insulated overlaps, we confirmed characteristics of high resistance
to arcing and sufficient ability to function as components of the overhead contact line system. This article will
introduce the developed insulated overlaps and give an overview of the tests.
Substation A Substation B
1 Introduction
wire might melt the material, severing the contact wire. Trains are
Fig. 1 Overview of an Insulated Overlap and Uninsulated Overlap
therefore prohibited from stopping at insulated overlaps but may
stop there in cases such as emergencies. Thus, we have to clarify the
detailed causes of contact wire severing by arcing and address those.
We have carried out arcing tests between the contact wire and the
pantograph1) – 3), clarifying the current at arcing and at contact wire
severing as well as conditions of potential difference and gaps between
Potential
the contact wire and the pantograph. Furthermore, we have found in difference
the evaluation of arc resistance of different types and diameters of Potential difference causes arcing between
the contact wire and the pantograph
contact wire and different structures of the contact line system that at insufficient insulation
End clamp
No tension
(1) Aluminum case Tension on contact wire
transfer
The aluminum case is the most important component in this
development. It has a large surface area, and the part that is Fig. 7 Transfer of Tension
connected to the contact wire is thick. This allows it to radiate the
heat applied to the contact wire due to arcing and relieve the tension
of the contact wire when the contact wire becomes soft. Based on
examination of the shape of the aluminum case for the following
conditions, we adopted the shape shown in Fig. 4.
Fig. 8 Stress Relaxation Fitting
1) Shape that has the largest possible surface area and volume to
enhance heat radiation in case of arcing
2) Structure that has the strength to take over the tension of the
contact wire in case it softens and durability as an overhead
contact line
3) Structure that is as light as possible to enhance the current
collection of the pantograph when passing
4) Structure that has the smallest possible height and width to
enhance the wind pressure characteristic against strong wind
30 m/s
Usually, current collection characteristics of the overhead contact
line are poor, the lower the total tensile of that contact line is and
the heavier it is. Since the developed insulated overlaps need to
have an aluminum case and other fixtures installed, the mass of the
overlap of the feeding sections is larger. Thus, the current collection
characteristics of the pantograph when passing may become poor.
Angle of attack θ (deg)
So, we checked the current collection characteristics of simple
catenary equipment using the current collection equipment of the
Fig. 10 Measurement Results of Drag per Unit Length
Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI). The equipment was
chosen because the simple catenary equipment has the smallest
total tension of the overhead contact line and the effect of installing
(X 10–6)
0
-100
-200
25 m 25 m
-300
-400
-500
Line B 80 100 120 140 160
Line A
Running speed (km/h)
Line A Line B
Uplift of line A Uplift of line A Uplift of line B
Running
at support 1 and Uplift of line B at support 3
direction
PS33B
at support 2 Fig. 15 Measurement Result of the Strain of the Contact Wire
Aluminum case 20 m
There was concern that overly large strain would occur at the ends
Fig. 12 Outline of Current Collection Test
of the TC type insulated overlaps where the linear density radically
changed. However, the results showed that the maximum value was
lower than 200 X 10–6. This could be because the stress relaxation
fitting limited such large stress.
The maximum actual strain of the aluminum case measured
was –117 X 10–6, which was much lower than the allowable value
of 1,817 X 10–6 that we calculated from the 129 N/mm2 8) fatigue
strength of the aluminum alloy.
We further measured the maximum contact loss time. If
Fig. 13 Current Collection Test
installation of the developed insulated overlaps causes overly long
contact loss, that might lead to power failure in the train at the usual
In the current collection characteristics test, we had to evaluate the running speed. The test results show that the longest contact loss at
following items. 120 km/h or less—actual running speed with the simple catenary
(1) Contact wire uplift at supports equipment—was 15 ms. That is lower than the allowable time of
Checked the possibility of overlifting that damages the overhead 20 ms7) with SIV (Static Inverter) auxiliary machine. At 150 km/h or
contact line less, the maximum contact loss time was 44 ms, which is lower than
(2) Strain of the contact wire and the aluminum case the allowable time of 200 ms when the auxiliary machine is a motor
Checked possibility of overstress of the contact wire and the generator. Hence, we can say that the developed insulated overlaps
aluminum case that leads to fatigue breakdown from vibration have no problem in terms of maximum contact loss time.
by passing pantographs.
(3) Maximum contact loss time
Checked possibility of overly long contact loss that causes power 6 Arc Tests Using an Actual Vehicle
failure in the train.
Fig. 14 shows the measurement results of contact wire uplift at the We carried out arc tests of the developed insulated overlaps, in the
supports. The results show that the maximum lift up was 48 mm, same conditions of trains being stopped and running under power at
much lower than the allowable value of 70 mm7). insulated overlaps of feeding sections. In the test, no severing of the
Fig. 15 shows the measurement results of strain of the contact wire contact wire from melting occurred, confirming high arc resistance
at the support points. The result shows that the maximum strain was characteristics9).
339 X 10–6 7), much lower than the allowable value of 500 X 10–6 7). Then, we installed the developed insulated overlaps to the insulated
overlap locations of feeding sections and carried out arc tests using an
Line A Support 1
actual vehicle. In the tests, we simulated as follows a train stopping
Contact wire uplift (mm)
Line A Support 2
Line B Support 2
and then running at the insulated overlaps.
Line B Support 3
1) Setting of potential difference at the insulated overlap locations
We set the potential difference between different power supplies at
150V, which is around the maximum potential difference actually
measured at insulated overlaps
2) Train stopped at the insulated overlap
Running speed (km/h)
We stopped a vehicle at the insulated overlap to cause insufficient
Fig. 14 Measurement Results of Contact Wire Uplift contact between the contact wire of the side with higher potential
and the contact strip, making continuous arcing occur. Then we
applied for five minutes 100A current equivalent to the auxiliary
machine.
Powered
Reference:
running
Stopped 1) Hitoshi Hayashiya et al.: Experimental results to discuss the pos-
sibility of the breaking of contact wire exposed to the arc between
Time (sec.) the wire and pantograph caused by snowfall, the Institute of
Electrical Engineers of Japan, Transportation and Electric Railway
Fig. 17 Temperature Measurement Results Technical Committee, TER-04-05, pp. 19 – 24 (2004)
2) Hitoshi Hayashiya et al.: Heat transfer simulation of the trolley
wire and its comparison with experimental results, the Institute of
Electrical Engineers of Japan, Transportation and Electric Railway
7 Field Tests Technical Committee, TER-06-40, pp. 1 – 6 (2006)
3) Hitoshi Hayashiya et al.: Relation between pantograph movement
As we confirmed that the developed insulated overlaps have good and the breaking of the trolley caused by arc, J-rail 2005, S8-4-7,
arc resistance characteristics and function as a components of the pp. 47 – 50
overhead contact line, we installed the developed insulated overlaps 4) Takahiro Hamada et al.: Evaluation for Contact Wires Breaking-
to the insulated overlap locations between Tachikawa and Nishi- Resistance Performance by Arc at Air Section, General Meeting of
Tachikawa on the Ome line and between Saitama-Shintoshin and the Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan in 2007, No. 5-186,
Omiya on the Tohoku main line to carry out field tests. pp. 284 – 285
We have observed good results so far. Fig. 18 shows the installed 5) Masatoshi Shimizu et al.: Development of Transition Structures
insulated overlaps between Tachikawa and Nishi-Tachikawa on the Between Overhead Rigid Conductor Line and Catenary-Type Contact
Ome line. Line, Quarterly report of RTRI, Vol. 21, No. 10, October 2007
6) Den Hartog, translated by Osamu Taniguchi et al.: Mechanical
Vibrations, CORONA Publishing Co., Ltd., 1967
7) RTRI: Catenary and Pantograph Lecture, Ken-yu sha Inc.,
November 2002
8) Japan Aluminium Association: Aluminium Handbook, Japan
Aluminium Association, January 2007
9) Kentaro Nishi et al.: Development experiment of high-heat
radiation catenary (TC Type air section), General Meeting of the
Fig. 18 Installed Insulated Overlaps Between Tachikawa and Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan in 2008, No. 5-90,
Nishi-Tachikawa on the Ome Line pp. 145 – 146