eTraX™ – Design, Planning & Operation of Rail Traction Systems

Summary

The webinar introduces ETAP ETRAX, a comprehensive software solution for designing, planning, and operating rail traction power systems. It addresses industry challenges with outdated technology and presents ETRAX's capabilities, including an integrated AC and DC system, digital twin for design and operation, and energy efficiency initiatives. The software facilitates traction power analysis, infrastructure evaluation, and safety assessments. It also supports the digital transformation journey with real-time data integration, asset management, and operator training simulation, making it a global standard for traction power systems.

Takeaways

• 🚄 Etap Etrax is an integrated solution for designing, planning, and operating rail traction power systems, addressing the needs of railway operators, owners, and engineering consultants.
• 🔍 It offers a digital twin model that allows for the use of the same model created during the design and planning phase within operation stations for traction SCADA and power management.
• 🛠️ Etap Etrax tackles industry challenges such as outdated technology, cumbersome interfaces, and the need for multiple products to achieve different objectives in traction power projects.
• 📈 The software performs traction power analysis, helping to understand substation capacity, implement energy efficiency initiatives, and enhance train timetables to reduce energy consumption and power losses.
• 🔧 It integrates traction power analysis with fault analysis, protection and coordination studies, and arc flash optimization to ensure safety and system reliability.
• 📊 Etap Etrax provides a unified time series AC and DC traction power simulation on a synchronized geospatial view and one-line diagram, enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of train performance calculations.
• 🌐 The software supports importing data from various formats like OpenStreetMap and Excel, streamlining the process of creating a traction power system model.
• 🛤️ Etap Etrax allows for the integration of real-time data with state estimation to improve the accuracy of non-telemetered locations and reduce the need for physical meters.
• 🔗 It offers seamless integration with IEDs, RTUs, SCADA servers, and other devices using industry standard protocols, ensuring a cohesive and modern operational interface.
• 🛡️ Etap Etrax includes features for asset management, operator training simulation, and quality assurance, contributing to the overall digital transformation and optimization of traction power networks.
• 🌟 The solution is verified and validated against field measurements and industry standards, ensuring reliability and accuracy in projects involving AC railways, DC metros, high-speed rail, and more.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of Etap Etrax?

Etap Etrax is an integrated solution designed for planning, designing, and operating rail traction power systems. It is utilized by railway operators, owners, and engineering consultants to streamline the traction power design and management process.

What challenges does Etap Etrax aim to address in rail traction power projects?

Etap Etrax addresses challenges such as outdated technology, cumbersome processes due to archaic graphical user interfaces, the need for multiple products to achieve multiple objectives, difficulties in interfacing with third-party applications, and the manual sharing of engineering information with operations teams.

How does Etap Etrax integrate AC and DC systems?

Etap Etrax integrates AC and DC systems through the use of a digital twin, allowing traction power groups to use the same model created during the design and planning phase within operation stations for traction SCADA and power management.

What are the benefits of using Etap Etrax for traction power analysis?

Etap Etrax enables a better understanding of existing and planned substation capacity, implementation of energy efficiency initiatives, enhanced train timetables, and reduction of energy consumption and power losses, which are constant priorities for traction power operators and engineers.

How does Etap Etrax handle the increasing demand for rail systems?

As demand increases, Etap Etrax allows for the analysis of existing infrastructure to handle additional trains, evaluation and optimization of the system, and improvement of the overall design, while also considering safety and protection aspects.

What is the significance of the digital twin in Etap Etrax?

The digital twin in Etap Etrax is a single source of truth that contains information regarding the geographical landscape, rolling stock routes, train timetables, and other essential data. It is used to analyze and improve train performance and manage the system efficiently.

How does Etap Etrax facilitate the process of creating a traction power system model?

Etap Etrax allows users to import data from different file formats, including OpenStreetMap and Excel. The software automatically creates the traction power system based on the imported data, generating a synchronized GIS and one-line diagram.

What capabilities does Etap Etrax provide for analyzing train performance?

Etap Etrax offers capabilities such as unified time series AC and DC traction power simulation, equipment alignment tools, and the ability to add equipment and update information in the model, which can be used to analyze train performance in various conditions and configurations.

How does Etap Etrax support the integration of renewable energy in traction power systems?

Etap Etrax supports the integration of renewable energy by incorporating technologies like battery energy storage, flywheel storage, and regenerative braking. It allows users to analyze and optimize the use of these technologies within the traction power system.

What are the advantages of using Etap Etrax for digital transformation in traction power systems?

Etap Etrax supports digital transformation by providing a digital twin foundation for real-time data analysis, predictive analytics, and validation against as-is environments. It also facilitates root cause analysis, switch plan evaluation, and improved management of data in digital substations.

Outlines

00:00

🚂 Introduction to Etap Etrax for Rail Traction Power Systems

The webinar introduces Etap Etrax, a comprehensive solution for designing, planning, and operating rail traction power systems. It addresses the challenges faced by railway operators, owners, and consultants due to outdated technology. The solution includes an integrated AC and DC system with a digital twin for consistent use from design to operation. The webinar will cover traction power analysis, energy efficiency initiatives, train timetable enhancements, infrastructure analysis, and safety evaluations. It also discusses common issues such as outdated user interfaces, the need for multiple software for different objectives, and difficulties in interfacing with third-party applications.

05:03

🛠️ Etap Etrax Capabilities and User Interface

This section highlights Etap Etrax's capabilities, emphasizing its single-source solution containing geographical, rolling stock, and train timetable information. It discusses the software's ability to analyze and improve train performance, manage systems, and the user-friendly graphical user interface. Key features include a unified time series AC and DC traction power simulation, equipment for traction systems, and substation assets. The software allows for importing various file formats, automatic generation of one-line diagrams, and alignment tools for equipment. It also synchronizes GIS with one-line diagrams for comprehensive network visualization.

10:03

🔍 Detailed Exploration of Etap Etrax's Modeling and Analysis Tools

The script delves into the detailed aspects of creating a model in Etap Etrax, including importing Excel files for track segments and stations, and the automatic creation of GIS-based traction power systems. It explains how to align equipment, add tracks, and update information such as bend radiuses and speed limits, which are all synchronized with the one-line diagram. The capabilities of Etap Etrax in configuring train information, assigning train schedules, and managing train configurations are also covered. The importance of analyzing train performance and infrastructure through various methods and studies is emphasized, showcasing the software's comprehensive approach to rail system management.

15:03

🔧 Advanced Simulation and Analysis with Etap Etrax

This part of the script focuses on the advanced simulation and analysis features of Etap Etrax. It describes how to set up a simulation by selecting tracks, stations, and defining events for specific times. The script explains the use of an unbalanced AC DC unified engine for running simulations and the ability to configure different scenarios and study cases. It also discusses the integration of battery energy storage systems and regenerative braking, highlighting how these systems can be analyzed within Etap Etrax. The importance of setting alarms and notifications for various system parameters is also mentioned, showcasing the software's ability to provide real-time insights and alerts.

20:05

📊 Visualization and Results Interpretation in Etap Etrax

The script explains how Etap Etrax allows users to visualize and interpret results through various display options and plot configurations. It describes the process of running calculations and viewing the system's initial conditions, bus voltages, and dynamic movements of trains across routes. The use of contouring for visual snapshots and the ability to play the time slider for dynamic results adjustment are highlighted. The script also covers the options for displaying live plots, exporting data, and generating heat maps for alarming. The integration of Etap Etrax with other system components for a holistic view of the traction power system is emphasized.

25:05

🌐 Digital Transformation and Data Management in Traction Power Systems

This section discusses the importance of digital transformation in traction power systems, focusing on the need for digitization and the use of a digital twin as a single source of truth. It explains how Etap Etrax can be used for real-time data analysis, validation against as-is environments, and forensic analysis using event playback. The script also covers the use of estimated measurements for non-telemetered devices, the integration of Etap with IEDs, RTUs, SCADA servers, and other devices using industry standard protocols, and the use of state estimation to reduce the number of meters required. The capabilities of Etap Etrax in alarm management and its role in improving data quality and system validation are also highlighted.

30:07

🛠️ Asset Management and Operator Training with Etap Solutions

The script introduces Etap Eprotect as a centralized enterprise protection and asset management solution that communicates with field protection relays. It discusses the benefits of having an asset management system for increasing data quality, managing relay setting changes, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. The integration of Eprotect with Etips for advanced fault analysis is mentioned, along with the operator training simulator, EOTS, which uses the Etap digital twin foundation to provide a realistic learning environment for operators. The script also touches on the importance of education for operators and the role of Etap solutions in ensuring system readiness and operator preparedness.

35:09

📈 Etap Etrax as a Global Standard for Traction Power Systems

In conclusion, the script positions Etap Etrax as the global standard for traction power systems, highlighting its advanced technology, user-friendly interface, integrated AC and DC analysis, and real-time predictive analytics capabilities. It emphasizes the benefits of centralizing information from planning, protection, and operations into one digital twin model, which aids in improving train performance, optimizing substation capacity, analyzing electrical demand, and using real-time data for accurate system management. The script also mentions the validation and verification of Etap Etrax against field measurements and industry standards, reinforcing its reliability and effectiveness in the field of traction power systems.

Keywords

💡Etap Etarex

Etap Etarex is an integrated software solution designed for the planning, design, and operation of rail traction power systems. It is utilized by railway operators, owners, and engineering consultants to manage traction power design and systems efficiently. In the video, it is highlighted as a tool that overcomes various challenges in the industry by providing a unified platform for AC and DC system analysis using a digital twin model.

💡Digital Twin

A digital twin is a virtual model of a physical entity or system, in this case, the rail traction power system. It is used to simulate, analyze, and manage the performance of the system. The video emphasizes the use of a digital twin in Etap Etarex to allow traction power groups to use the same model created during the design phase for operation stations, which aids in SCADA and power management.

💡Traction Power Analysis

Traction power analysis involves understanding the existing and planned substation capacity to implement energy efficiency initiatives and enhance train timetables. The video discusses how Etap Etarex facilitates this analysis by allowing users to assess potential faults, perform protection and coordination studies, and optimize arc flash results, which are critical for the safe and efficient operation of rail systems.

💡Energy Efficiency Initiatives

Energy efficiency initiatives are measures taken to reduce energy consumption and power losses in rail traction systems. The video mentions that Etap Etarex supports these initiatives by providing tools to analyze and optimize the performance of the traction power system, which is a priority for operators and engineers aiming to improve the sustainability and cost-effectiveness of their operations.

💡SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition)

SCADA is a system used for real-time monitoring and control of industrial processes, in this context, specifically for traction power systems. The video highlights that Etap Etarex integrates with SCADA systems to provide real-time data for predictive simulations, enhancing the operational efficiency and safety of the rail system.

💡GIS Application

A GIS (Geographic Information System) application is a computer system designed for capturing, storing, analyzing, and managing spatial or geographic data. In the video, Etap Etarex's GIS application is showcased as a tool for creating a synchronized geospatial view of the traction power system, allowing users to visualize and analyze the system's performance in relation to geographical landscapes.

💡Unified AC/DC Engine

The unified AC/DC engine in Etap Etarex is a feature that enables the integrated analysis of both AC and DC systems within the same platform. The video emphasizes the importance of this feature for managing complex rail systems that may include AC transmission systems integrated with DC traction power and signaling. This unified approach simplifies the analysis and management of these systems.

💡Asset Management System

An asset management system is used to manage and maintain an organization's assets throughout their lifecycle. In the context of the video, Etap Etarex's asset management capabilities are discussed as a way to improve data quality, validate settings, and ensure compliance with regulatory standards. This system is crucial for the digital transformation of traction power networks, providing a centralized solution for managing operational assets.

💡Operator Training Simulator (EOTS)

EOTS is a tool used for training operators on specific projects and systems. The video describes how EOTS utilizes the digital twin foundation from Etap Etarex to provide a realistic learning environment for operators. This simulator allows operators to practice responses to normal and emergency conditions, ensuring readiness and enhancing safety and efficiency in rail operations.

💡Real-Time Data

Real-time data refers to information that is captured and processed as it occurs, without delay. The video discusses the importance of real-time data in Etap Etarex for validating the digital twin model against actual conditions and for enabling predictive analytics. This data is crucial for the effective management and optimization of rail traction power systems.

💡State Estimation

State estimation is a technique used to calculate the state of an electrical power system in real-time, even for non-telemetered locations. In the video, state estimation is mentioned as a feature within Etap Etarex that helps reduce the number of meters needed by providing estimates of bus voltages and phase angles. This enhances the accuracy and reliability of the system's monitoring and control.

Highlights

Etap Etrax is an integrated solution for designing, planning, and operating rail traction power systems.

It addresses challenges in traction power projects due to outdated technology.

Etrax provides an integrated AC and DC system using a digital twin for design and operation.

The software helps in energy efficiency initiatives and enhanced train timetables to reduce energy consumption and power losses.

Etrax allows for traction power analysis with fault analysis, protection studies, and arc flash optimization.

Challenges such as archaic user interfaces and multiple products for different objectives are discussed.

Etab users have switched to Etap due to a focus on services rather than software development.

Etrax facilitates interfacing with third-party applications and managing data from various sources like CAD drawings or Excel.

Etrax helps in overcoming issues with manual sharing of engineering information with operations teams.

It enables AC and DC analysis within the same database, unlike other technologies that require separate systems.

Etrax includes a library of rolling stock information for easier performance analysis.

The software supports the assessment of energy storage systems, which is crucial for modern projects.

Etrax provides a unified time series AC and DC traction power simulation on a synchronized geospatial view.

It allows importing from different file formats, including OpenStreetMap and Excel, for project data.

Etrax includes tools for aligning equipment and automatically generating a one-line diagram.

The software features a modern dashboard for SCADA and asset management with electrical intelligence.

Etrax supports digital transformation in traction power networks with its comprehensive features.

Etab's quality assurance program ensures the software meets high standards and is validated against field measurements.

Etrax is used globally for various railway projects, including AC railways, DC metros, high-speed rail, and more.

Transcripts

hello everyone

thank you for joining us today during

this webinar we will cover etap etrax

the latest integrated solution for

designing planning

and operating rail traction power

systems

etrax is utilized by railway operators

owners and engineering consultants as an

integrated traction power design and

management system

there are many project goals and

objectives that may be required during

the traction power project

and too many challenges are still

present due to out-of-date technology

still utilized for these projects we

will be discussing these challenges

as well as existing solutions provided

by e-trax

the solutions include an integrated ac

and dc

system that uses a digital twin

which allows traction power groups to

use the same model created in the design

and planning phase

within the operation stations for

traction scada and power management

when we do traction power analysis we

need to understand

the existing and planned substation

capacity

from there we can look to implement

energy efficiency initiatives

and enhanced trained timetables this

will allow us to reduce

energy consumption and power losses

which is a constant priority for

traction power

operators and engineers also as demand

increases

we look to analyze the existing

infrastructure to handle additional

trains

or we evaluate and optimize the system

and improve the overall design when

these changes are proposed

safety and protection is also evaluated

so there is a requirement to integrate

traction power analysis

with the ability to analyze potential

faults

perform protection and coordination

studies and optimize arc flash results

as we've discussed these project goals

and objectives with many of our users

here are some of the challenges that are

extending the timeline of these projects

we've heard things from an archaic

graphical user interface

so using old technology that hasn't been

up to date

and it's cumbersome to find the

locations of characteristics or how it's

consolidated

another one is multiple products for

multiple objectives

so we previously talked about the goal

of doing traction power studies

but then moving into short circuit

protection phases

and with that you have to have a

completely separate software

to either integrate or to

to use altogether because one product

doesn't have

everything so it's different products

for multiple objectives

we made our own but it's not up to date

many of our etab users have previously

created their own traction power

software

but have switched to etap because that

company's focus is not

on the software side they're trying to

do services not not develop and design a

software

and of course interfacing with

third-party applications many of the

data we collect or handed to us

on the front end is from different

interfaces like cad drawings or excel

data

or having the inability to bring in that

data to save time has been a problem for

many of our users

until switching to e-tracks

engineering information is manually

shared with the operations team

the engineering team does all this work

to build the digital twin to build the

model and do that analysis

and then the operation team has to

recreate that scada from scratch

without being able to take advantage of

all the information that was

input into the engineering design and

planning model

some of them are are technical issues

running ac and dc analysis in two

different databases

so in many projects you have an ac

transmission transmission system

integrated with dc traction power and ac

signaling and the softwares or the

technology they use

requires two different databases to run

each

each system the ac system and the dc

system completely separately

and then of course you have different

conditions and scenarios

and managing it is extremely time

consuming

and with these models you have

integrated rolling stock

and it's it's difficult to add the

rolling stock information and analyze

performance they don't have a library of

rolling stock information and if they do

it's very difficult to add it

themselves and then one of the ones that

are very popular right now is energy

storage having

technology having a project that can't

assess energy storage systems is a

problem today

so this is the conversations we've had

with many of the traction power

engineers and operators and and this is

why we developed etrax

etap etrax is a software for design

planning optimization and operation of

integrated ac and dc railway traction

systems

and this is done on a gis application or

a one-line diagram

and this will we will go through and

cover a lot of the quotes we previously

heard

from from existing users of this type of

technology

we will cover how etrax overcomes these

challenges

to overcome the challenges that are

prevalent within the industry

you need a traction power solution which

is your single source of truth

containing information regarding the

geographical landscape

rolling stock routes

train timetables and other information

that we will be going through

we will use this to analyze and improve

train performance

and manage the system and with etrax

this is all done with an easy to use

graphical user interface which we will

soon demonstrate

here are some of the capabilities we

will be going through specifically

etrax contains a unified time series ac

and dc

traction power simulation on one

synchronized geospatial view

and one line diagram the model includes

equipment for traction systems like auto

transformers and rectifiers

substation assets are also included and

can be pulled at any time from the

templates provided by e-trax

this is considered for trained

performance calculations which converts

mechanical characteristics of the

traction system

such as elevation track bend radius

into low demands and electrical care

calculations

and this can be expanded to attraction

e-scada

energy management system and incorporate

the real-time data

to perform predictive simulations so you

can go from design

to operation before we go into the

software

i want to summarize some points on the

foundation of the traction system

the model would be geospatial and

logical logical

being the one line diagram the

geospatial view

provides functionality to automatically

create spacing between stations

which we will soon see and the results

generated

as well as the train animation can be

seen on the geospatial view

or the one line diagram now let's take a

look at creating a model

etap allows you to import from different

file formats

including openstreetmap and excel and

others

so in this project i'm going to import

an excel file the excel file containing

information about the track segment

track nodes train stations and markers

we can provide the excel sheet to you

and you can update it with your project

information and once you import it

the gis will automatically create the

traction power system

based on that excel or the the

application that you use to import it

all the data will come in and the

modeling and the connectivity

and from there we can automatically

generate a one line diagram

so then you'll have a synchronized gis

with the one line

so we see the station and the track

information now

if you need to align equipment

we have alignment tools that allows you

to select how you want to align it and

it automatically align the station with

the routes

so now we can see the traction power

network

on the one line or the gis system

and once it's in etap you have the

ability

to add equipment with the using the

toolbar as well

so on this train station we can add

additional tracks and this is done very

similarly to

if if you're familiar with etap in

general this is done just the same as

any etap

project file with with equipment so we

can add the tracks and you'll see the

the shape total the length is

automatically generated from gis

we can add another station

and we can apply we can apply

bend radiuses so right now we can apply

the bend radiuses on different points of

the track

and update the information

and then you can reshape edge based on

that bend radius and the software will

automatically smooth out the curve

and we can add speed limit markers and

all of this will

also update the one line diagram so

they're completely in sync

so now let's look at a project we've pre

previously configured

i have a full gis view here that you can

see and you see the traction powered

network overlaid on top

and a corresponding one line diagram

and we can zoom in to see where the

train stations are we can get a closer

look

and you see here these boxes represent

the train stations

and within the corresponding one line if

i wanted to see where this train station

was i can just show

on one line view and you'll see this

automatically

changes and highlights the location of

that corresponding

station and of course i can go back the

other way

and find in my distribution view and

highlight that that station

and in the one line diagram if we zoom

out here

i can see that i have my medium voltage

traction power network

modeled so we want to take a full look

at the one line

i see my medium voltage traction power

network and the connected transmission

system

so we have our transmission equipment

connected as well

the system and that's also integrated

with

our low voltage signaling power so

in this model we have three phase single

phase

ac and dc and etrax will run

all of this in a unified engine so so

again the ability to run an

ac dc unified engine three phase or

single phase in this project

and for those who are familiar with etap

once you have the one line created

we can use the standard toolbar to add

any equipment we want

to the one line diagram from the

transmission system or the signaling

you can either use the toolbar and build

it or you can take advantage of our

templates

that we've provided within etap so if i

go to the substation folder you'll see a

number of

of templates that have been provided

that you can take advantage of in your

project

as well as create your own and save them

so if you have

if you have models that are very similar

in nature you can save them to a

template folder anywhere in your

directory pass them to any individuals

from your team

to access and take advantage of from

project to project

next we can configure and assign our

train information

so i can pull up the track groups

directly from gis

and that one opens up the specific one

that i selected

but within here i can see all the track

groups that my

that is composed of my project and this

goes from station to station and as i

select it

it the gis is updated based on my

selection and all the components

incorporated in that track group are

shown

with the details now if i change

anything in gis

this tabular view is automatically

updated so this is in sync

and this contains our all the the

information within the track group

gis components lengths bend radiuses

anything that we need to consider is

incorporated here

after the track groups we can look at

the route so each route again is

highlighted

and as i select the route the gis is

updated to show the one i'm selecting

and it's color coded so we can we can

assign a color

track route and that's done in the theme

manager

so if i go to route i can assign a color

the distance is automatically calculated

and the stations

are identified for each route and per

group

so we know track one contains these four

track groups

from from one station to another and the

distance

after that we have our routes and we go

to to

input or import the train schedule

so you can import from an excel sheet or

you can manually

add one so you can add the number of

trains train name start time headway

time dwell time

or we can import this data or you can

have the if it's an existing project and

you don't have this information you can

have etrax

automatically populate a train schedule

to get started

and this this does you can assign the

trained schedules per day

so i can assign specific days for these

schedules and you can do it per

route and of course all of this is

unlimited there's no limit to what you

can do

and this will contain the arrival time

the dwell time departure and trip time

per station and you have it for each

train

so each train is shown

now what are these trains composed of

that's in the train config

so i can assign a train from the etap

library we can assign passenger or

freight train

and we can put the acceleration limit

and deceleration limit

and you select it from the library which

many people who are familiar with etap

are familiar with the etap library

so there's different manufacturers and

models within the library

and you and you can add them here or you

can have us add them so you can call in

and have

us add them and these libraries can be

project specific so this one's a

minimized to this project

however if you have you can use the main

etab library that contains

all of the locomotives that we have or

create a project specific one

and this is unlimited so you can assign

as many train configuration

configurations as you like and then

assign those configurations to the train

ids

so we have the train ids that we saw on

the track and here i can select which

configuration i want the number of

consists it contains

and you can mix and match so if if you

want you can have

it's very flexible in the sense that you

can have train 9517

contain a combination of different

configurations

there are different results we we can

analyze to improve trained performance

we can determine the tractive effort

which considers the performance curves

for tractive or breaking versus speed

incorporated in the locomotive library

we can analyze trip times

calculate power consumption and demand

and since we do have the integrated

rolling stock library we can

easily simulate the effect of upgrades

and retrofits

and all this analysis can be done while

incorporating planned

or unplanned events in different

scenarios

to get a complete picture of train

performance in many different conditions

or configurations

and not only is it analyzing the train

itself but it's taking a look at the

overall infrastructure

there's different methods and analysis

and studies

we can do to optimize the substation

location and capacity

with an existing system it's very easy

to identify

power supply inadequacies and pinch

points

an etap wall will automatically generate

a train schedule an optimized train

schedule for an existing system

but if you have a new system you need to

consider multiple multiple scenarios

an e-trax allows for an unlimited amount

you can have different revisions and

configurations

make many different changes to the

system incorporating them into scenarios

and pull out the scenario

at any time to rerun the study and when

you're sizing equipment

many industry standards are incorporated

and it automatically sizes that

equipment against industry standards

or alert you if you've exceeded any of

the guidelines

as we all know there's a large demand

with renewable energy

and traction power systems are not any

different

different technology is used to maximize

energy efficiency such as battery energy

storage

flywheel storage and regenerative

braking

this project that we were previously

working on does have a battery energy

storage system and regenerative braking

so i can look at the battery energy

storage

through the editor and this is selected

from the etap libraries i have a lithium

ion battery

and the bms is set that if dc bus

4 is greater than 101 percent

then dc bus 4 will charge the battery

but if dc bus

4 which is here becomes less than 100

percent

then this battery will discharge

improving the voltage at this location

before we run this case let's take a

look at the whole the solution

parameters

so we know we're running an unbalanced

ac dc unified engine

and here i can assign what i'm going to

run

what i'm going to include in my

simulation so i'm going to run a

simulation for monday

and i'm going to select the tracks i'm

going to run

i'm going to run track 1 2 3 4 and you

can also select the stations that you

want to run

i'm going to run them all for monday and

you can do it for a user-defined

specified amount of time

or i can do it for the complete train

schedule

you also can assign particular events so

in the study case

in the study case i have these events

set for 9 00 am

i have specific amount of switches that

are being open

and others that will close at the same

time so you can configure different

events

and isolate different equipment and that

will

be incorporated into the simulation at

the specified time

we have certain alarming you can set so

you can do loading alarming you can look

at voltages at the bus or track nodes

you have alarming specific to the

pentagraph so you have the critical

alarm set you can apply marginal if you

like

set the duration that that it needs to

exceed to alert you

and then transfer and then alerts for

the transformer and rectifier

specifically

so we have average load rolling demand

and peak demand

the duration and of course the interval

so this will

alert you based on the options you've

selected here

and finally determining which devices

you want to plot

so any of the devices you select here

will create an output plot

that will show after the simulation is

run we have certain amount of buses

selected

we have the battery selected dc track

nodes are included

and we'll show some of the plot

characteristics after the simulation

we run the simulation from the toolbar

this toolbar allows you to access

specific items for e-tracks one of them

being the train schedule that we

uh accessed earlier from the gis

you can actually access it from the

toolbar directly as well

display options which will help

determine which results you're going to

show

on the screen once the train is running

so we'll add a couple more options to

the train results

and from here i can run the calculation

now this system will show you how much

time is the last and how much time you

have remaining so you'll always know

what you have remaining for the

simulation to take for the simulation to

complete

so initially i see my initial conditions

of the system

where the trains are starting you can

see the starting location of each train

you see the bus voltages and you can see

this across the entire transmission

system

so again the results are running across

the transmission system

and we'll continue to do so as we move

the trains across their

their routes and also to get a visual

effect on the results

we can turn on contouring

this will give me a visual snapshot i i

want my entire background filled so i'm

just going to fill

background

now i can drag my solution

my my time slider and instantly see

at any particular time shown on the time

slider i can see the results at that

time

another option i have is to just play

the time slider and let it run on its

own

i'm going to set the playback to every

one second once i hit play

you'll see the trains are dynamically

moving and the results are adjusting

every second so the simulation and

animation on the one line makes it very

easy to see the results

as the trains are moving from station to

station so i see the bus voltage is set

at 99 percent right now

we have a highlight of activity coming

from the energy management system

we know that the battery is going to

discharge if dc bus 4 is less than 100

so we see the discharge

current we see the discharge rate and we

also see some current going

up into the inverter from the feeder and

that's due to the regenerative braking

of some of the particular trains in the

station

but you do notice once we hit 100 the

battery is no longer discharging

as set in the battery the battery energy

storage management system

we can also take a look at the events we

set in the study case editor

so we set switches to open at 00 9am

those

events are tracked in the in the

traction power time slider

we can move forward through particular

uh time stamps i have it set every 10

seconds but this is user defined

so you can set how often you want the

time slider to move

forward reverse or event based

and we can pause and at any time we can

open the display options and

decide which values we want to display

on the one line

for the results currently i'm showing

the the train

of energy i'm showing tractive effort

and neck acceleration i can easily just

change it to route

and in this case we see the speed

location and distance from the train

station

and the grade which is essentially the

incline right now it's pretty nil

but you can see the distance from the

the last station and the speed at which

the chain is traveling so as it arrives

as it arrives towards its destination

you'll see this train decelerate

since this train has arrived at the

station it's now stopped and showing

zero kilometers per hour

the results are calculated throughout

the entire network

so we can view the transmission system

and even as the change

as the trains are moving we can clearly

see the the flows

throughout the transmission substation

are are moving

are dynamically updating we we look at

the current flows being fed through the

transformers

and this is a unified ac dc

engine so again as the ac transmission

is

is being affected by the dc traction

system all the flows are being updated

now that we've run the simulation and

the studies let's take a look at the

plot options

so essentially i can select the train

9517

i'm going to choose to plot the speed

energy

location and distance the results we saw

in the one line however as you see in

the list

there are many many different result

types we can plot from

i'm also going to select to plot the

battery and show the current from the

battery

rectifier 11 and from the rectifier

we're going to plot the average demand

rolling demand and peak demand and i'm

going to select to combine the plots

you can either show them on their

individual xy coordinates of their own

plots or you can combine them into one

plot showing all so the first one i'm

pulling up is the rectifier

you can see the rectifier demand so we

have that the average demand

in purple and the rolling demand in red

and the peak demand in green

as shown now when i click any of those

results that plot disappears so you can

you can click to hide it or to activate

it

next plot is the train we we plotted

train 9517

we decided to show the speed kilowatt

hour location and distance

so we can see on the y-axis that we do

have those we have distance speed and

energy showing

we can zoom in from the bottom at any

particular spot of time

so the bottom allows us to zoom in

another way to zoom in is by just

selecting a specific area

so if you select this region it'll

automatically zoom in and you can double

click to zoom out

or we can just drag and the final plot

we wanted to look at was the battery so

we see the current we can see when it

was charging

and when it discharged across the axis

and again zoom into any particular

region these plots are extremely nice

you can have them in dark mode you can

keep the labels on and off

or you can have them with a white

background and on the bottom left corner

you see the configuration and the report

type now

in a different project i ran for

multiple sets of days so this provided a

3d data 3d

plot because now i have three three

points of references i have the current

and then i have time and day so

etap etrax allows us to plot in 3d

and it and we can zoom in we can zoom

out we can scroll around the 3d plots

wherever your mouse touches the plot

you'll see the results of those

coordinates

so we see x y and z at that particular

location

these plots are are very nice way to

view the results for traction power

systems

and the heat map is generated for

alarming so we see that the red

is showing for alerts

and then we have yellow for marginal and

the remaining items are in blue

now we also have live plots so as i run

the simulation

with these plots activated

the results of the plots will fill as

the simulation runs

so right now on the battery on the

current we can see the discharge

and now that the train 9517 has kicked

in

the results are dynamically updating

live with the simulation as the train is

running

and wherever you place your cursor you

can see the result the result points at

that particular location so these are

live

plots you have the option to copy this

plot to clipboard as an image

to put it on any deliverable you can

export all the data points to excel

you can export the plot as an image or

print directly from the plot analyzer

that train is done with the results we

can also see the battery is continuing

to charge and discharge throughout

the whole time stamp that we selected to

run from 8 20 am to 12

15.

and finally you can also take a look at

any of the results

through the report manager if i select

any report type you'll see we have a

plethora of excel reports to choose from

with all the results tabulated in a nice

easy to read

excel report we have now covered the

trained performance calculation of etrax

and this only included the views the

modeling the train calculation

the unified engine but there are other

expansion add-ons you can add to e-trax

we we looked at the transmission system

we did not however see

the relays that were integrated you can

take the distance and over

current protection and incorporate star

z which is disrespect

distance protection onto your etrax

model and as with etap there are many

different applications that you can

add on to your license so if you want to

do unbalanced short circuit calculations

harmonics

analyze ground grid look at the

underground cabling and do

perform thermal analysis on the

underground cablings in duck bank or

direct buried

and then we will cover soon the traction

scada

power management system capabilities and

for safety

whenever you're doing any changes or

even if you're not you haven't done your

arc flash

you can incorporate ac and dc arc flash

calculations to your

traction model to your transmission

system

and make sure any switch plans that are

provided to the operators can be

simulated within e-tracks as well

successful and continuous management of

data in a digital substation

is a complex process and it requires

orchestration that addresses data

management

training for personnel integration

between systems maintenance testing

documentation

and any change order workflows all these

needs including improving reactive

procedures

slow lagging health indicators crew

delays and restoring outages

unplanned downtime grid failures

ineffective change

management are ultimately impacting the

customer

whether it be a consumer for

distribution company a transportation

station

or a bulk system operator for a

generation plan

there are many reasons for an

organization to embark on a digital

transformation

and it always begins with digitization

we have the digital twin from the design

and planning side

but we want a single source of truth for

the operators

and this provides it because of the

digital twin

you now have information to

look at real-time data on the model the

model can be validated against this

real-time data

and before any expansion projects are

started you will know that the digital

twin you're using to simulate these

conditions

is validated against your as it is

environment

you can also use etaps event playback

for root cause analysis

if you want to look at something that

happened historically you can bring that

back

into e-tracks and re-run simulations for

forensic analysis and replace sequence

of events

you can evaluate switch plans for

restoration or schedule maintenance

and the predictive alarms on this will

prevent any incorrect switching

operations

and we can take a look at simulated data

versus estimated data at non-telemetered

locations

telemeter alarms are very common so when

you have a meter it's very easy and

common to have an

alarm against that equipment that that

is metered

but certain devices don't have meters

attached to them

it is very difficult to get alarms for

non-telemetered devices

but we can use estimated measurements

for non-essential locations

providing us the information we need to

set alarms for this equipment

and these locations this traction power

project

expanded the use of a design model to a

digital twin

which can be used for operation

information

etap contains native communication to

ieds

rtus scada servers and other devices

using industry standard

protocols such as modbus opc ua

dmp3 and iec 61850

this model shows when the switches are

changing position or if a breaker opens

or closes

and is set to display any configuration

change from the field

within the model the meter data is shown

in blue

and is updating at an interval set by

the operator

so you can set it for every second two

seconds the frequency

of the model updates in the real-time

data is operator set

the data in red is state estimation data

state estimation processes telemetry

data such as power measurements

to obtain an estimate of the magnitudes

and phase angle

of the buses at non-telemetered

locations

using state estimation can drastically

reduce

the amount of meters required since

there are only

since they are only needed in critical

locations

using real-time data with state

estimation highlights the areas with

data errors

this helps validate the engineering

model and the scada system together

also the alarm management system is

triggered

for any thresholds or

event changes set by the operator so if

you have

power flow thresholds you can set those

or in this case we see the circuit

breaker trips

set an alarm or returning the switches

back to normal

are another notification and these

alarms can be acknowledged at any time

they can be deleted

they also can be sent via text or email

to to the personnel out on the field

and there's a very easy to use filtering

system so you can filter by device type

time stamps you can look at at different

times to see what alarms triggered at

those particular

during that time period i'm here we're

showing it by

by device type so i can filter per

device to see what alarms were triggered

for that device component name

you can filter by measurement by message

priority so you can set the different

thresholds as a priority based alarm

and then filter by that priority level

the traction scada hmi provides a modern

dashboard

with electrical intelligence and

situational awareness

this is a view of a substation from a

scada screen

this shows the high level connectivity

and signifies any alarms

in a very easy to use interface

we can look at the details of the

substation

i also have one for the train lines so

in this case i'm looking at the train

lines from station to station

and any alarms are immediately displayed

and very easy to identify

another key component to the digital

transformation journey

is an asset management system etap

eprotect

is a centralized enterprise protection

asset management solution

that communicates with field protection

relays

and the etap protection and coordination

modules to manage location

information and settings throughout the

life cycle of protective relays and

substation assets

in this webinar i'm not going to go into

too much detail about each protect

since we have an existing detailed

webinar on our website

but to make sure we understand the

digital journey of a traction power

network i wanted to cover

the asset management system having an

asset management system

increases the data quality by

automatically validating the settings in

your model

against actual field settings

you can manage relay setting changes

with the tools provided

and keep an up-to-date report on

protection system maintenance plans

and these items allow you to comply with

any local regulatory standards you may

need to submit reports to

and all of this information is viewable

on clear defined dashboards provided

which contain critical protection

information

for health monitoring and maintenance

and if you integrate

eprotect with etips advanced fault

analysis system

you can then determine fault types you

can improve

fault location accuracy and this overall

picture provides a thorough assessment

and validation of relay settings

eprotect communicates with the

protective relays via

ftp sftp iec 61850

and retrieves the settings from the

field and passes the as found settings

to the design and protection modules

after the engineers complete the

protection studies the protection

engineers can send their recommendations

back to the eprotect database all this

is done with full documentation on

versioning control

and management which can be viewed on

user created dashboards

the e-protect centralized database can

also download waveforms from the relays

rtus dfrs and store the events

and disturbance records which can then

be passed back to the analysis station

to perform further forensic analysis

this analysis can be done to determine

the accurate location of the fault

this fault location can be used in other

systems such as your outage management

system

or restoration but ultimately the life

cycle management between the engineering

model

and field settings keep your protection

assets verified and validated

for any operation and optimization

decisions

a big part of the job of operators is

education

on the specific project and system that

they're working on

eots which is an operator training

simulator

utilizes the etab digital twin

foundation to provide

operators with an effective learning

environment this is to improve and

augment their knowledge of the actual

system

with a digital twin foundation and

learning environment interfaces for

operators

the interfaces are based on scada

screens pms

or even the oms system the training

simulator provides realistic responses

to actions taken by the operator to

evaluate normal and emergency conditions

this ensures operator readiness for any

current or future conditions

and emergencies whether it is steady

state or dynamic event

having a detailed operator training

simulator allows

operator teams to bring new hires up to

speed in a much faster timeline

here is a quick architecture showing the

flow of information

in the center sits the instructure which

can receive real-time data

from the existing scada it can receive

historical data from the etap playback

service

or simulated data from the etap analysis

machine

from here the trainer can use this

real-time historical

or simulated data to initialize the

trainer's environment

the trainees then can run through the

training plan performing

operator actions and seeing the system

responses by the digital twin

all while operating on the various scada

interfaces

finally the trainee's actions are sent

to the trainer for review

the etap quality assurance program

ensures that our software meets the

highest standards and regulations

whether it's our arc flash software

traction power software or power

management system

etap is thoroughly verified and

validated

e-track specifically is validated

against field measurements provided by

projects and industry standards

including cases within cenelec en 50641

both ac and dc traction power analysis

have been verified and validated

this plot is showing the results versus

field measurements of total energy

this was done for mrvc a mumbai railway

project

etrax is used for many different types

of railway projects

including ac railways dc metros

high speed rail freight heavy rail light

rail

signaling systems consulting firms many

consultant firms are using e-tracks for

these projects

universities research and rolling stock

manufacturers

why do our clients use etap so we've

talked about many of the reasons here

today

but in summary from a technology

perspective

the advanced technology provides an easy

to use graphical user interface

a synchronized gis in one line diagram

an integrated ac and dc analysis

solution

multi-dimensional database for unlimited

scenarios

interfaces with other applications and

attraction e-scada for real-time

predictive analytics

so in summary etrax is becoming the

global standard for traction power

systems

centralize all your information from

planning protection and operations

into one digital twin model this will

help

with improving train performance

optimizing substation capacity

analyzing unplanned events on electrical

demand

and eliminate any estimation using

real-time data

with a verified and validated solution

you