zentrak Signaling Power Monitoring
With Signaling Power Monitoring (SPM) operators can find and fix power problems before performance is affected. Signaling systems represent a central safety relevant element in all railway systems.
The performance and reliability of signaling systems is dependent on the quality and availability of the power supply network that feeds them. Signaling Power Monitoring (SPM) offers rail operators the opportunity to remotely monitor power supplies. The measurement of parameters such as voltage, current, battery condition and insulation resistance provides valuable data to the rail operators. This enables a comprehensive diagnosis of problems that may occur in power supplies, which shortens response times and ensures optimum availability of the signal systems.
How does signaling power monitoring work?
The SPM concept is based on a modular design, which allows easy expansion to include additional monitoring and integration with existing railway and IT systems on a number of levels. The system consists of sensors to measure physical or electrical parameters, field units including loggers and network equipment to collect, format and transmit the real time data and a back office server to analyze the accumulated data, announce alarms as required and host the web based user interface. The sensors are powered directly by the logger and do not require a separate power source. Usually everything is located inside control cabinets or equipment rooms.
Intelligent analysis of the data collected enables the system to identify deterioration in condition and allow intervention – crucially before a failure occurs. This advance warning provides a vital timeframe in which maintenance work can be scheduled to restore normal operation.
No matter what rail transport or application area – SPM can be used by all railways:
Signaling power monitoring with zentrak SPM
Busbar condition monitoring (BBCM)
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BBCM – a subcategory of zentrak SPM – continuously monitors power supply busbars and is designed to detect earth leakage within the rail environment.
It is intended to be installed in equipment rooms and line side equipment cases and provides real time monitoring of earth leakage and voltage measurement of power supply busbars. The sensor unit is capable of simultaneously monitoring one AC busbar and four DC busbars, uploading the data to an external server via GPRS or Ethernet.
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- Early stage detection of earth faults
- Continuous monitoring of insulation to earth
- Enhanced operator safety
- Power supply busbar safety management
- Condition based maintenance
- Diagnostics via Ethernet, Bluetooth, WiFi
Signaling power supply monitoring (SPSM)
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SPSM – measures the power supply voltage and current coming into the equipment/rack system.
Depending on the application, an external voltage or current transducer is used and fitted into the rack within the equipment room or cabinet. The sensors are used in combination with our logger for the data acquisition whereby one logger can monitor up to eight check sensors. The system takes real time measurements of current or voltage and calculates the power profile.
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- Measures and trends key parameters suchas voltage and current to predict failure
- Captures intermittent faults orfluctuations
Battery condition monitoring (BTCM)
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BTCM – as part of zentrak SPM – dedicates itself to this special topic by continuously monitoring the battery condition.
Railways often use batteries as energy source for their installed assets. The system is based on an intelligent battery monitoring module which is integrated in our proven asset monitoring system zentrak.
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- Identify & replace failing cells beforebattery performance is affected
- Ability to trend battery performance &condition to predict failure
- Reduced down time risk
- Better maintenance/renewals planning
- Offers opportunity to correlate switchcondition alarms or parameters withbattery condition to get to the rootcause of power related faults.