Keeping trains on schedule

July 2018 Industrial (Industry), Security Services & Risk Management

After 17 years of construction, the Gotthard Base Tunnel finally opened to passenger and cargo traffic on 11 December 2016. Deployed as a sensor solution for protection of the overhead line, LMS511PRO laser scanners from SICK help ensure that the trains operate on schedule through the 57 km railway tunnel, the longest in the world.

SICK LMS511PRO laser scanners protect the overhead line and help ensure trains operate on schedule through the 57 km Swiss railway tunnel, the longest in the world.
SICK LMS511PRO laser scanners protect the overhead line and help ensure trains operate on schedule through the 57 km Swiss railway tunnel, the longest in the world.

The scanners are incorporated into technical monitoring systems for protecting electrical section breaks along the overhead line in the Gotthard Base Tunnel (GBT). It’s necessary to separate the overhead line into sections due to operational and safety reasons.

“To ensure continuity of normal rail service, sections of the overhead line must be isolated from the grid for maintenance and in the evident of an incident,” explains Patrick Hayoz, electrical engineer and project manager, system design traction current in the infrastructure department of SBB, the Swiss National Railway.

Additional requirements apply in relation to tunnel capacity – up to 260 passenger and cargo trains on peak days – as well as the short train headways. “To ensure high availability of the infrastructure, all fault risks should be eliminated, whenever possible,” adds Hayoz.

Reliable detection of stationary pantographs

The GBT is constructed for speeds up to 250 km/h, which results in correspondingly high wind speeds and wind loads up to 10 kPa. Accordingly, the overhead line is constructed to sufficiently durable standards over its entire length: more than 100 km. Aside from the maximum train speeds, however, potential effects of an unscheduled stop in the tunnel also had to be considered.

“In electrical section breaks, two contact wires extend in parallel for almost 20 metres. If a pantograph remains stationary in such a position, the compensating current through the pantograph can cause the two contact wires to overheat at the contact point,” says Hayoz. “In turn, this can cause the contact wire to break, which usually means a track closure of several hours.”

Together with a committee of subject matter experts, he tested and validated a series of risk minimisation solutions to prevent contact wire breakage. Of these, pantograph detection using LMS511PRO laser scanners from SICK proved to be the ideal solution – based on technical, cost-effectiveness and time considerations.

LMS511PRO for precise detection tasks

Suitable for outdoor use, the LMS511PRO laser scanner from SICK is a 2D detecting and measuring sensor with a scanning angle of 190° and an operating range up to 80 metres; it offers adjustable angular resolutions between 0.167° and 1°.

“The system measures the pulse travel time of a diversified laser beam to an object – in this application, the pantograph – and the remission time from the object surface,” explains Mark Madeley, national product manager identification, vision, distance and ranging, SICK Automation Southern Africa. Along with adaptable software filter algorithms, the laser scanner’s 5-echo evaluation technology ensures extremely dependable return pulse detection; it therefore produces highly reliable data regarding the presence, distance and position of the pantograph.

“In the case of a stationary pantograph in an electrical section break, this data is used to initiate a changeover of the overhead line supply. “The changeover process should be completed in a maximum of twenty seconds to exclude the risk of spot overheating in the overhead line,” says Hayoz.

All LMS511PRO units in the GBT are mounted on a specially developed support console adapted to the radii of the tunnel walls which protects the sensor, along with the electrical connectivity, from airborne small parts as well as misalignment due to high wind loads. The units are mounted overhead, which both simplifies cabling and enables the status indicator to be read from the ground. In operation the laser scanner works in ‘tunnel view’: it is oriented to view only the pantograph, preventing it from being distracted by another travelling train.

Remote access ensures availability

Durable housing technology, reliable detection and evaluation processes – the LMS511PRO is designed for maximum device availability. “To ensure maximum availability even in the harsh everyday working environment, a remote access capability was set up to allow SBB access to the laser scanners via the GSM network,” says Madeley. “This makes it possible to monitor the systems for contamination or misalignment, analyse functions and measuring data during operation and even subsequently adjust individual parameters through software, despite the difficult access situation within the tunnel.”

Validated at SBB depot in Bern

The LMS511PRO is an industry-tested, rapidly deliverable standard system that has proven itself in a range of different applications. Its open interface concept offers maximum connectivity. Fresh from the factory, it therefore met significant SBB requirements determined by project progress at that time, tunnel use allocation for test drives as well as the approaching commissioning date. Next, the LMS511PRO underwent technical validation at the SBB depot in Bern – and passed with flying colours.

“The decisive features were its detection reliability, low installation outlay, connection to external systems as well as the remote control and configuration capabilities,” summarises Hayoz.

For more information, contact SICK Automation Southern Africa, +27 11 472 3733, daniel.labuschagne@sickautomation.co.za, www.sickautomation.co.za



Credit(s)




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Understanding the power of digital identity
Access Control & Identity Management Security Services & Risk Management Financial (Industry)
The way we perceive business flourishing is undergoing a paradigm shift, as digital identity and consumer consent redefine the dynamics of transactions, says Shanaaz Trethewey.

Read more...
What you can expect from digital identity in 2024
Access Control & Identity Management Security Services & Risk Management
As biometric identity becomes a central tenet in secure access to finance, government, telecommunications, healthcare services and more, 2024 is expected to be a year where biometrics evolve and important regulatory conversations occur.

Read more...
Tech developments lead hologram growth in 2024
News & Events Security Services & Risk Management
Micro-lenses, micro-mirrors and plasmonics are among the rapidly-emerging optical devices that have evolved on the back of holographic and diffractive technologies, and are seen as part of the natural evolution of optical science by R&D teams.

Read more...
Are you leaving money on the table?
Editor's Choice Security Services & Risk Management
How many customers have you helped since starting your business? Where does most of your new business come from? If the answer is not from your database’s existing customers, you might have a problem.

Read more...
210 million industrial endpoints secured by 2028
News & Events Information Security Industrial (Industry)
A new study by Juniper Research has found that there will be growth of 107% over the next five years in the number of industrial endpoints featuring cybersecurity protection.

Read more...
Growing cyber threats to SA’s critical infrastructure
News & Events Information Security Industrial (Industry)
The increasing reliance on digital infrastructure makes critical sectors like utilities more susceptible to cyber threats. This concern has been highlighted by Kaspersky's recent discovery of a new SystemBC variant that has targeted a South African nation's critical infrastructure.

Read more...
Kidnapping for ransom
News & Events Security Services & Risk Management Risk Management & Resilience
There has been an 8,6% increase in reported kidnapping cases in South Africa compared to last year, with 3 854 cases reported between April and June this year, leaving ordinary South Africans increasingly vulnerable.

Read more...
The difference between a SOP and a SOP
Residential Estate (Industry) Integrated Solutions Security Services & Risk Management Risk Management & Resilience
SOPs are a touchy issue that need careful attention and automation to ensure they deliver the desired security results. Beyond design and automation, implementation is the ultimate road to success.

Read more...
Your face is the key
Suprema Editor's Choice Access Control & Identity Management Security Services & Risk Management Risk Management & Resilience
FaceStation 2, Suprema’s newest facial authentication terminal, is an access control, time and attendance terminal, featuring a better user experience with Android 5.0 Lollipop and Suprema’s latest algorithm, hardware, and software.

Read more...
Security without the skin
Alwinco Editor's Choice Security Services & Risk Management Residential Estate (Industry) Risk Management & Resilience
We all know about the layers of security required to form a comprehensive solution, but the layers go deeper than most consider. Andre Mundell dissects security in this article to start the journey into what is under the covers.

Read more...