On the Electromagnetic Field in the Surrounding Area of Railway Equipment and Installations

Abstract

Railway equipment and installations are highly complex, with mobile sources of electromagnetic energy. The equipments and installations may be located in controlled areas or may be added to an existing assembly. The purpose of the paper is to present aspects of electromagnetic compatibility between the components of the railway system and the adjacent area. This is all the more so as the rail uses very large power. The railway system is an integrated system in which electricity is used both for the main purpose of propulsion of the train and for other uses (such as signaling, telecommunication installations, powering of control centers, etc.). Thus, problems can arise not only in the railroad itself and in the power network, but also in the associated systems. In the paper a series of electromagnetic field modeling is carried out near the overhead catenaries and around the earthling return circuit. The purpose of this paper is to validate the initial design of the railway installation in terms of electromagnetic compatibility. The effects of the electromagnetic field on humans, even though there is the term electrosmog, are not to be neglected. The railway system must operate safely, so its operator must ensure that the infrastructure is immune to electromagnetic disturbances or to know them very well.