Alternating and Direct Current Traction
Deciding between alternating current and direct current for traction power is a critical step in Electrification design and WSP offers design services for all aspects of alternating and direct current traction electrification systems catering to a multitude of transit applications, including streetcars, people movers, LRT, urban mass transit, commuter systems, inter-city transit, and high-speed trains. Alternating current and direct current power delivery each has its own critical set of challenges, and WSP has the expertise to respond with safe, sustainable, and cost-effective solutions to any electrification system.
Traction Power Design
Whether it is designing for a new system in a greenfield environment, or designing upgrades to existing systems in a busy and challenging brownfield environment, WSP excels in providing solutions in traction power design to meet these challenges, including:
- Initial planning/feasibility studies to determine electrical needs and capacities
- Traction power simulation studies to determine/confirm/increase available power capacities or operating potentials for an entire network, or for a particular branch line
- Traction power system designs, including system configuration, developing specifications and design drawings
- Load flow simulation studies to optimize the power system design, relay protection system, and safety aspects, including grounding, bonding, and lightning protection
- Interfacing with power supply utility services for reliable supply of traction power to the transit system
- Addressing power quality issues, including EMI/EMC and harmonic source mitigation
Overhead Contact Systems
WSP provides knowledge and expertise in Overhead Contact Systems (OCS) design. We provide complete solutions for OCS in any transit environment, with particular attention to:
- Contact wire geometry and wire tensioning for efficient OCS pole placement
- Section breaks in strategic locations to support the traction power system design
- Mitigating potential OCS wire clearance issues for brownfield environments in locations such as tunnels, bridges, and grade crossings, and for transit systems encompassing both passenger and freight rail services
- OCS pole designs that minimize the aesthetic impact to the surrounding environment for enhanced urban integration
Third Rail
An alternative design to OCS, third rail runs alongside or between the rails of a track to provide traction power to the rolling stock. WSP’s experts have the knowledge and expertise to provide the right solutions in third rail design, including:
- Use of innovative designs, such as underground third rail systems to minimize aesthetic impacts in locations of historical significance
- Interface between conductor rail and contact shoes on rolling stock
- Optimal conductor rail geometry to provide uninterrupted power to rolling stock at all times
- Occupancy control system and third-rail current collection system design and upgrades
Stray Current Mitigation
Stray currents, especially for traction power systems utilizing direct current, can cause extensive damage over time to surrounding utilities and structures if proper engineered solutions are not in place. WSP has extensive expertise in stray current mitigation strategies to meet the demands of complex urban environments where stray currents have the most significant amount of impact.
WSP also offers the following services for rail electrification:
- Complete design packages (drawings, specifications, staging plans, etc.) from conceptual and preliminary to final engineering phases
- Testing, commissioning and start-ups of installed electrification systems to bring new or upgraded networks into revenue service
- Electrification of SCADA system interfaces
- Analysis of faults, defects, and shortcomings in the existing electrification systems and recommendations for improvements in a most cost-effective manner
- Construction management and program management of electrification projects
