The use of simulation modeling in the development of a device for monitoring the state of contact network support when it is ungrounded

Abstract

An analysis of failure statistics of technical equipment for the period 2018–2023 was carried out, within the framework of the registration system for technical equipment failures of traction power supply devices of the Trans-Baikal Railway. Particular attention is paid to the most widespread failures of technical equipment associated with the ungrounding of the contact network support of the traction power supply system, due to the damage of high-voltage insulators of the contact network, which negatively affects the efficiency and selectivity of the operation of relay protection systems and emergency automatics of the traction power supply system, railway systems and automation and telemechanics devices, floor-mounted centralization devices, alarms and automatic blocking. The design of a device for monitoring the state of a contact network support when it is ungrounded has been developed, and an implementation option for this device has been proposed to improve the reliability and efficiency of relay protection and floor-mounted devices of railway automation and telemechanics. A reduction in material costs associated with determining the location of the ungrounded support is achieved due to the minimal material costs for creating this device. To study the operation of the above-mentioned device, licensed software of the Multisim simulation system, version 10.0, was used. The obtained test result shows the full functionality of the model of the device for monitoring the state of the protective grounding of the contact network support when it is ungrounded. The widespread use of the device under development will allow integration into the system of diagnostics and control of the state of the supports of the AC contact network, as a primary element controlling, among other things, the improvement of the state of electrical safety issues of operational and technical personnel and the third parties. The proposed optical variant of the output signal will help to eliminate the issue of galvanic high–voltage isolation, the absence of the influence of the support to the control point distance, in the form of the power supply distance or traction substation.