Investigation of AC Current Interference Induced by High-Speed Trains with Buried Pipelines

Abstract

When a high-speed train is parallel with a pipeline, its power supply system provokes alternating current (AC) interference that results in the corrosion of the pipeline and a risk of electric shock to pipeline workers. Because trains are continuously moving, the AC interference on the pipeline changes, making mitigation design difficult. In this study, we used numerical simulation to study how the location of a high-speed train influences a pipeline. The results revealed the following: (1) AC interference on a pipeline mainly depends on the current in the rail, because a large amount of current leaks from the rail to the earth, generating a current imbalance. (2) While a train is running from TPSS to AT2, AC voltage peaks appear at the beginning, the ending of the parallel segment, and the middle of each AT section; therefore, the mitigating measurement, if needed, should be the priority at these positions. (3) Compared to the interference caused by a single train, the interference on pipeline is not doubled, but only increases slightly. Moreover, interference reaches its maximum not when two trains are at 5 and 15 km, but when they are at AT1 and 15 km. (4) Field testing was conducted on an actual gas pipeline in the Beijing area. The results showed that the field-tested AC voltage of the pipeline was generally consistent with the calculations.