Vaisala IceCast Overhead Wire Ice System
Ice on the overhead wire causes trains to lose power and in extreme cases
leads to the overhead wire / catenary system being brought down. Arcing
caused by the presence of ice leads to excessive wear to the train mounted,
pantograph conductors, all leading to train delays and service disruption.
The Vaisala IceCast Overhead Wire Ice System
warns users of the presence of icing and when icing may occur on the overhead
contact wires.
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Overhead Wire Ice System Weather Station | Cable Icing Event Forecast IceAlarm
Warning |
To help manage overhead wire ice events Vaisala uses a non-contact
overhead wire sensor installed at the wire height, but at a safe
distance from the electrified wire. This sensor reports overhead wire
temperature and state (ice, frost, snow, wet, moist, dry).
Ice events are best managed through the provision of accurate site specific
forecasts detailing the likelihood and timing of ‘ice’ events. The system
provides access to a short range, overhead wire ice NowCast
model, with data from the non-contact sensor being used to initialise
the model.
When used as part of the Vaisala Overhead Wire Ice System,
if ice, frost or snow are 'forecast' for the following 3 hour period a message
is passed to the Vaisala IceCast Rail Alarm server and an
IceAlarm is generated.
IceAlarm is used to trigger warning notices, which are relayed to maintenance
crews and train operators. The warnings facilitate planning of preventative
measures such as applying heating to the wire, in addition to scheduling scraper
trains to break-off any ice/frost before the passing of main service trains.
The forecast period may be extended using the long range, overhead wire
forecast model, giving rail operators reliable 24 hour advance warning of
overhead wire temperature and state.
The Vaisala IceCast Overhead Wire Ice Weather Station
comprises: a DRS511 non contact overhead wire sensor;
a HMP45D air temperature and relative humidity
sensor; WAA151/WAV151 wind speed, direction and gust
sensors; along with a PWD present weather
detector.