A smart signalling system for Indian railways

Smart signalling system – user’s view Full capacity realisation Flexibility of movements Easy to operate Intelligence to identify bottle necks - plan movements – suggest best option Maximum availability – reliable & minimum maintenance blocks - degraded operation in case of unavoidable failures Unique meaning to each aspect – easy to understand - adequate uniform braking distances

Challenges of Signal Engineers on IR Over used infrastructure – less time for maintenance Skill up-gradation of maintenance staff Multiplicity of similar equipment in one section Customisation of foreign technology Age old maintenance practices and schedules Inadequate diagnostics of signalling equipment

A Smart signalling system Maintenance practice Periodical preventive – disconnection of equipment Breakdown – processor based equipment Predictive – desirable

A Smart signalling system Signalling Equipment to generate diagnostic data Monitoring system with Root cause identification Diagnostic alarms to maintenance staff on real time – to reduce MTTR

A Smart signalling system Reports to increase MTBF - long term performance To identify contribution of local conditions --- installation & maintenance practices operating staff --- equipment failure to take managerial decisions to provide inputs Semi centralisation of field equipment – for better trouble shooting & monitoring

Skills to build smart signaling system Accurate & non-invasive measurement of parameters - Voltage & Current Time Distance [gap] Potential free contact Data of processor based – IPS, DAC, LEU, EI Transportation of data from place of measurement without delay to central location

Skills to build smart signaling system Ability to process large data on real time basis Ability to convert real time data - useful information to generate actionable alarms - adopting predictive maintenance Time synchronization of geographically distributed monitoring systems Analytics of big data to identify trends in system behaviour for long term planning

A smart signalling model for IR Least additional hardware to implement Best use of communication medium Less maintenance - Reliable Data integrity Accessible to all Data availability on real - time basis

Model 1

Model 2

Model 3

Model for monitoring an equipment

Examples of smart signalling components

DC Track Circuit

Predictive maintenance - DC TC Excitation below the set limit – availability Excitation above the set limit – safety Feed end voltage less than set limit – battery Excitation is OK but track repeater relay not operated in relay room Track feed charger input voltage beyond set limits External supply in Location beyond set limits

Current signature – DC TC

Use case of DC track circuit monitoring

Point machine Current signature

Use case of point machine monitoring

Alarms - from current signature Point failed due to obstruction – which end of crossover Point machine not operated even after control relay operation Point machine correctly operated but detection failed Point machine overload protection time delay less Point machine friction clutch requires adjustment Point machine operating voltage beyond set limits Point detecting voltage beyond set limits

ELD – Earth Leakage Detection

Relay Status Fault Message Occurred TIME 1 S6 RECR UP at 07:06:04:593 Earth Leakage appeared in 110V AC Supply 04/23/ :03:10 2 S20 RECR UP at 08:25:42:890 3 S18 RECR UP at 08:29:16:718 4 S15 RECR UP at 08:29:36:109 5 S3RECR UP at 08:58:48:140 6 S1 HECR UP at 09:02:37:265 7 S1D DECR UP at 09:02:37:345 8 S6 DECR DN at 07:06:04:078 9 S20 DECR DN at 08:10:40: S20 HECR DN at 08:25:42: S18 HECR DN at 08:27:46: S18 DECR DN at 08:29:16: S15 DECR DN at 08:29:35: S3 HECR DN at 08:58:47: S1 RECR DN at 09:02:37: S1D HECR DN at 09:02:37:921

BMU – Battery Monitoring Unit

Cell voltage – high resistance

Integrated Power Supply

Dissemination of diagnostic data Front end technician - on real time basis – actionable - reduce the MTTR Supervisor - diagnostic data – to get root cause - to guide technician at site Manager - more statistical information - trend of failures - to decide inputs required to be given

Dissemination of diagnostic data

Maintainer – Supervisor – OEM

Measurements made easy

Data security - Cloud – big data Smart signalling system is data intensive - option of adopting new technologies - ‘cloud’ – ‘Big data’ Implementation of Information Security standards – [ISO 27001]

Information security

Smart testing

Smart testing – output Test name Operation with time stamp Expected result Actual result with time stamp of the event Success Route 1A-A 52 Point negative test 52 Point normal detection drop initiated: at 01/04/ :28:51:0 52 NWKR Down 1A UCR Down 1A HR Down 52 NWKR Down 01/04/ :28:51:312 1A UCR Up 01/04/ :28:50:766 1A HR Down 01/04/ :28:51:344 No

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