2010 International Conerence on Computer Application and System Modeling (ICCASM 2010)

Modeling and simulation the distribution of metro stray current

WANG Yu-qiao, LI Wei, YANG Xue-feng, YE Guo, FAN Qi-gao, ZHANG Li-ping
College of mechanical and electrical engineering
China University of Mining & Technology
Xuzhou 221008, China
cumtwangyuqiao@163.com
Abstract-By simplifying and limiting current circuit model of
metro power supply, this paper frstly showed stray current
production and its damage, then analyzed bilateral power
supply system using resistor network theory, and constructed
stray current analytical model of bilateral power supply,
computer simulation in different conditions of stray current
distribution was carried out, the results show that metro stray
current is afected by substation pitch, railway portrait
resistor, rail-to-ground transition resistor and other factors,
the distribution of stray current is provided macroscopicIy in a
qualitative way. This gives theoretical basis on how to set the
distance of substation. Ultimately it provides a good solution to
reduce the stray current corrosion.
Keywords- stray current, bilateral power supply, metro
1. INTRODUCTION
In DC traction power supply system, part of taction
currents fow into traction substation fom rail, while other
parts frstly fow into the ground, and refow into rail and
back to traction substation. Larger refowing current results
in bad rail-to-ground insulation and larger underground stray
current. Research shows, stray current magnitude and
distribution are afected by rectifer location, feed section,
load sharing state, load current, regressing line resistance,
rail-to-ground resistance, and soil resistivity and so on, so
accurate analytical model is difcult to build. Some people
have built analytical model by simplifing and limiting stray
current in feld conditions, and proposed factors affecting
stray current distribution. But the research mentioned is
based on metro model system in unilateral power supply,
while the actual metro system is bilateral-power-supply. This
paper researches bilateral-power-supply metro system by
resistor network theory, gives stray current distibution
macroscopicly in a qualitative way, and provides solution to
avoid stray current corrosion in theory.
II. STRA Y CURRENT PRODUCTION IN METRO DC POWER
SUPPL Y SYSTEM
Supposing each resistor is uniformly distributed, we can
consider the circuit to be linear in the circuit analysis
[l]
. By
superposition principle, complex circuits containing many
substations and load can be substituted by several simple
circuits, we deduce formula of bilateral power supply
system. To simplif the problem, we only study one power
area, and without loss of generality, we deduce and simulate
situation with drainage net. Most traction power supplies in
metro system use DC feeding in walking rail backfow,
namely, the power supply station changes AC into DC, then
the DC is carried to electric locomotive by trolly wire, and
back to the station. As the rail is not completely insulative to
ground, part of load current leaks into the ground, and some
stray current fows into metal structures buried near the rail,
and fows into the ground of lower potential, always near the
rectifer, and back to the station. The current leaking fom
rail is called metro stray current.
III. ESTABLISHMENT OF METRO STRAY CURRENT
DISTRIBUTION MODEL
Supposing each resistance is uniformly distributed, and
the circuit is a linear circuit. We apply superposition
principle, and simply the complex circuit including electric
power stations and loads to be several simple circuits. In
formula derivation, we consider the power supply is bilateral
and the stray current model has drainage net.
We only consider one power supply section; the metro
stray current leaking model is simplifed to be equivalent
resistor network shown in Fig. I.Supposing:
(1) Walking rail portrait resistors are uniformly
distributed;
(2) Rail-to-drainage net transition resistors and soil
electric resistances are uniformly distributed;
(3) Drainage net resistors are uniformly distributed;
(4) Curent taken by locomotive all fows back to two
stations near the train at a given time;
(5) Feeding circuit resistance r is ignored.
A

t II

" ^
II Iz

l
oeoo
k k
R k
k k

wa|kingraiI
Drainagc oct
Fig I Resistors distribution net diagram of rail and drainage net and ground
Where R is railway portrait resistor,Q/ k; R is drainage
P
net portrait resistor, Q/ k; Rg is rail-to-drainage net portrait
resistor, Q/ k ,I is the magnitude of current taken by
locomotive, A; I
I
is retur current of station A, A; 12 is
retur current of station B, A; L is distance of substation
pitch of A and B, km; L
I
is distance between the locomotive
and station A, km.
By assumption (1) (2) (3) (4) we know,
978-1-4244-7237-6/10/$26.00 20l0 IEEE VI-704
2010 International Conerence on Computer Application and System Modeling (ICCASM 2010)
(1)
(2)
Fig. 2 shows simplifing supply model of a certain time
when distance between station A and the locomotive is L1 '
u(x) is voltage of running rail at x ,V; i(x) is current of
running rail at x , A; is (x) is the stray current, i / x) is
current in drainage net, A; x =0 is at station A.
For O L1 ,Fig. 3(a) gives voltage condition at x , Fig.
3(b) gives current condition at x.
(a)

According to Kirchhofs frst law (L U

_
0
)fom Fig. 3
i(x) R dx + u(x) -i
p
(x) R
p
~-[u(x) + du(x)] = 0 (3)
du(x)=i(x)Rd-ip(x)Rpd (4)
From Fig. 3 (b)
.
u(x)
dz(x)=dx
Rg
11 ,
;(x)
il'(x)
(5)
,,1
+
Xl x~l
0(x)1
Fig. 2 Schematic diagram of metro power supply
R-0x

|(x)+d(x)
-=
0(x)I
|(x)
Rg/dx

1 0(x)+du(x)
,.,j

Rp0x

x+dx x+dx
(a) Figure of voltage node (b) Figure of current node
Fig. 3 The node diagram of voltage and current at the place ofx
According to assumption (4),11 = i( x) + i p (x) then
ip(x) = 11 -i(x)
(6)
From equation (4)
Then
du(x) .
=z(x)(R+Rp)-I1Rp (7)
d
d
2
u(x) di(x)
=-.(R+Rp) (8)
d
2
d
Combining equation (5) and equation (7)
dZu(x) R+R
---
p
u(x)=O
d
z
Rg
Let
_

, we get
_
2
d u(x) 2
-a u(x)=O
d2
General solution of equation (9):
u(x) = Achax + Bshax
(9)
(10)
(11 )
Where A and B are undetermined constants, differentiate
equation (10), we get
du(x)
= aAs-ax+ Bc-ax
d
(12)
Let Z = Rg . (R + R p) , then Combining equation
(11) and equation (6), we get
A B
R
i(x) -shax + -chax + 11 -
p
-
Z Z R+R
p
(13)
According to assumption (4) we know, returing
currents fow to two adjacent substations A and B, and the
currents are 11 and Iz respectively. When X = L]
lim i(x) = 11 lim i(x) = Iz
x-Lj xLr
In 0 L
I
' if X = 0, then i(x) = 11 ; if X = L] , then
i(x) = I] . Solving equation (12) we get
R
B=-I
a
I
Combining A, B with equation (10) and equation (12)
R aL R
u(x) = --I
l
th-
l
chax+-I1shax (14)
a 2 a
R aL R
R
(15)
(x)

I th
I
` ,h.x I ` h.x I
IR+Rp 2 IR+Rp IR+Rp
Then we get stray current at x in O L1
i,(x)

I
I
i(x)
1
R
* ,
.
L * ,,
.. I

R
,
..
R

*
I
I R+Rp 2 I R+Rp R+Rp I
Similarly in L] L
u' (X) Achax + B'shax
, A
'
B
'
R
p
i (x) =-shax+-chax+I2 .
Z Z R+R
p
(16)
(17)
(18)
Here, when X = Ll+' then i(x) = Iz; when X = L, then
i(x) = Iz.
VI-705
2010 International Conerence on Computer Application and System Modeling (ICCASM 2010)
A
'
-
R
. I .
chaL
I
-chaL
.
2
a sha(L
I
-L)
B
'
-
R
.
I
.
shaLj -shaL
.
_
a sha(Lj -L)
Putting A' ; B
'
into equation (16) and equation (17)
u'
(
x
)

-
R
. I
_
. c
ha(L
-x
)
-
c
ha
(
x-
Lj)
(19)
a sha(Lj
-
L)

l)

_
!lJ)
!lJ)

_
_

!lJJ)
Then we get stray current at X in L
(20)
(

)=

)
(21)
=

!
(
)
!
(
)

//
!
() /
In summary, combining equation (1) and equation (2),
we get

__

:
]

j
0

j
0xj
0x}
(
_

:
Jix1
!=! I 2 !=! I
/(x}=

__
]

j
0(
x}
(

j
0(x
}
(
__
] x

!=!

j
0(

:
1} !=!

:
(22)
IV. COMPUTER SIMULA nON OF METRO STRAY CURRENT
DISTRIBUTION
As the train is a changing load, current taken by
locomotive is changing. With theory in part three, we
simulate the stray current distribution with MA TLAB.
A. Infuence of distance of substation pitch on stray
current
This part aims at fnding how substation pitch afects rail
potential, rail current and stray current.
If railway portrait resistor R = 0.025 Q / km, rail-to
ground transition resistor Rg = 20 Q / km ,drainage net
portrait resistor

=0.01 Q/ k,the train is at distance of 0.6

km fom substation A. We simulate stray current condition

changing with substation pitch in diferent current taken by
locomotive. The locomotive current changes in 1 OOOA
4000A. Fig. 4 shows stray current conditions when
substation pitch L=J.2km and 2.0km.
From Fig. 4 we know, in the same magnitude of current
taken by locomotive, large substation pitch results in large
stray current. The minimum stray current is given when the
train is at the middle of two substations, while the maximum
stray current is given at the middle of train and the
substation. And the stray current is zero at the train, where
the leakage is the largest. From the above, stray current
increases with current taken by locomotive, and the impact
of current taken by locomotive increases with substation
pitch.
Cut|emakmLy1Aom0!m1
T g
(a) Distance of substation pitch L=1.2km
(b) Distance of substation pitch L=2.0km
Fig. 4 Distribution of stray current on distance of substation pitch at
different current taken by locomotive
B. Infuence of rail portrait resistor on stray current
This part aims at fnding how railway portrait resistor
afects rail potential, rail current and leakage current. If rail
to-ground transition resistor Rg = 20Q
.
km , drainage net
portrait resistor Rp
O
.
O
IQ.km g substation pitch L =
2.0 km , the train is at distance of 0.6 km fom substation A.
We simulate stray current condition changing with railway
portait resistor in different current. The current taken by
locomotive changes in 1000A4000A.
(a) Distance from power supply station A x=O.4km
025
0.2

10.15
c 0.1

W
0.05
o
400J
(b) Distance fom power supply station A x=O.8km
Fig. 5 Distribution of stray current on rail portrait resistor at different
traction current
VJ-706
2010 International Conerence on Computer Application and System Modeling (ICCASM 2010)
Fig. 5(a) shows distribution of stray current when
distance fom power supply station A is O.4km, Fig. 5(b)
shows that of distance x=0.8km. In the same magnitude of
current taken by locomotive, large railway portrait resistor
results in large stray current. And with large current taken by
locomotive, the impact of railway portrait resistor on stray
current becomes large. At the distance of 0.8km fom station
A, the stay current is lower than that of O.4km, which is
similar to the simulation above.
C Infuence of rail-to-ground transition resistor on stray
current
This part aims at fnding how rail-to-ground transition
resistor afects stray current.
If rail-to-ground transition resistor R
0.025 Q / km ,drainage net portrait resistor R
0.01 Q / km, substation pitch L = 2.0 km , the train is at
distance of 0.6 km fom substation A. We simulate stray
current condition changing with railway portait resistor in
diferent locomotive current. The locomotive current
changes in 1000A4000A.
Fig. 6 shows stray current conditions when rail-to-ground
transition resistor changes in 0.1 Q. km 20 Q. km , and
distance fom station A are O.4km and 0.8km.
Fig. 6(a) shows stray current distribution when distance
fom station A is O.4km, Fig. 6(b) shows when distance
x=0.8km.From Fig. 6 we know, large rail-to-ground
transition resistor results in smaller stray current. When rail
to-ground tansition resistor changes in 03 Q . km , stray
current changes largely. And with increase of current taken
by locomotive, the impact of rail-to-ground transition resistor
on stray current becomes large. When rail-to-ground
transition resistor is smaller than 0.1 Q. km , the current
leakage is very serious, appropriate measures must be taken
to deal with it. When rail-to-ground transition resistor is
larger than 3 Q . k , the stay current does not change with
the change of transition resistance, and becomes a relatively
stable value, stray current does not change with the change
of current taken by locomotive. And at the distance ofO.8km
fom A, the stray current is larger than that of O.4km, which
is similar to the simulation above.
(a) Distance from power supply station A x=OAkm
20
0ure:akeoayccccocti-e/^
(b) Distance fom power supply station A x=O.8k
Fig. 6 Distribution of stray current on rail to ground resistor at different
current taken by locomotive
V. CONCLUSION
By simplifing and limiting current circuit model of
metro power supply, using resistor network theory, this
paper constructed stray current analytical model of bilateral
power supply, and did computer simulation, the result shows:
(1) Substation pitch afects stray current directly. The
stray current decreases with decrease of substation pitch. So
in metro system design, we should decrease substation pitch
within economic and environmental permission.
(2) The magnitude of current taken by locomotive affects
stray current largely. The stray current increases with
increase of locomotive current. In the DC traction power
supply system, we should improve traction voltage, to reduce
load current in the same power.
(3) Effect of railway portrait resistor on stay current is
not obvious; reduction of railway portrait resistor will reduce
sensitivit of stray current to current taken by locomotive.
(4) Rail-to-ground transition resistor afects stray current
obviously, when rail-to-ground transition resistor is larger
than 3 Q k ,the stray current is small, while it is less than
3 Q
. km, the stray current is large. Sensitivity of stray current
to current taken by locomotive is large. So in metro
construction and operation, we should guarantee that the rail
to-ground transition resistor larger than 3 Q k .
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Monitoring System of Laboratory Simulation of Metro Stray
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[5] Technical Regulation of Metro Stray current Corrosion and Protection
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Vl-707