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Frauscher Marketing
Aug 06, 2024 | 7 min read
Railway systems depend on various technologies to ensure smooth, safe and efficient rail operations, with axle counting and track circuit systems playing essential roles in this. While both technologies serve the fundamental purpose of monitoring and detecting train movements, axle counters have emerged as the preferred choice for operators worldwide. This is largely thanks to a number of different features and benefits associated with this technology, such as high levels of reliability, availability and safety when compared to track circuit systems.
Track circuit technology has formed the cornerstone of railway signaling systems for decades, thanks to its simple operating principle. This principle largely consists of using railway lines to complete an electric circuit. In a typical setup, a low-voltage electrical current is sent through one rail and received by the other, with an insulated joint or gap separating the individual track sections. These sections are connected to a power source at one end and a detection relay or receiver at the other. The power source continuously sends a low-voltage current through one rail, and the current flows back through the other rail to the receiver, thus completing the circuit.
When a train is absent from a track section, the current flows uninterrupted through the rails to the receiver, which in turn indicates that this particular section of track is clear. However, when a train enters the section, its axles which are made of conductive metal bridge the gap between the two rails, creating a short circuit, or a shunt. The short circuit subsequently diverts the current through the train's axles, instead of the entire length of the rail back to the receiver. The diverted current causes the relay at the end of the circuit to de-energize, signalling that the track section is occupied.
Axle counters are used for a variety of purposes in railway signaling, especially where highly reliable and available train detection is required. Due to their high levels of availability, reliability, and overall performance, axle counting technology has emerged to be the cornerstone of modern railway signaling.
Axle counting technology depends on the use of inductive sensors to detect train wheels that pass a designated point on the track. Each time a train wheel traverses a wheel sensor, a signal is generated sent to the evaluation unit for further processing.
As the name suggests, axle counting consists of counting the axles of a railway vehicle entering a track section – if an axle of a rail vehicle traverses the detection point, the axle counter increases the counter reading of the respective track section by one axle. When an axle subsequently traverses the detection point out of a track section, the system decreases the counter reading of the respective track section by one axle – this procedure works in both directions. If the number of axles counted in equals the number counted out, the track section is clear. However, if the number of counted in axles exceeds the counted out axles, the track section is marked as occupied. If a negative axle count or an error occurs, a fault condition is triggered - in such cases, the system defaults to a safe state by marking the track section as occupied until the error is resolved.
One major advantage of axle counters over track circuits is their ability to provide the operator with advanced functionalities and options that exceed the standard data requirements for train detection. This data includes information such as direction of travel, number of axles, speed, and diagnostic data. Due to their overall performance and advanced functionalities, modern axle counting solutions are a crucial part of signaling systems and rail infrastructure worldwide.
The Frauscher Advanced Counter FAdC is a widely renowned axle counting system manufactured by Frauscher Sensor Technology.
Since its inception, the FAdC has been utilized in numerous projects globally, due to the extensive benefits it provides to operators. The FAdC offers the ideal base for responding to customer and market specific requirements, in line with the most stringent safety standards, as stipulated by Safety Integrity Level 4. This makes the system an ideal choice for vital applications such as grade crossing protection and track vacancy detection, among many others. The fact that no electronics are exposed to direct environmental influences, reducing maintenance requirements and system complexity, while saving costs.
When it comes to integration with higher ranking systems, the FAdC offers flexible architecture thanks to a wide range of interface options which guarantees a seamless incorporation into existing systems. Regarding interfaces, the FAdC offers three distinct possibilities: relay interface, optocoupler interface and an Ethernet interface. The FAdC offers a relay interface with the IO-EXB board, where information from two track sections can safely be output per IO-EXB and interfaced to a higher-ranking system. In addition, the communication board allows the FAdC to offer a state-of-the-art Ethernet interface that supports many fail-safe protocols such as Frauscher Safe Ethernet, customer-specific protocols, and EULYNX. With the implementation of EULYNX, the FAdC delivers a seamless, standardized interface for signaling systems.
The flexibility and scalability of the FAdC allows the system to be tailored to specific project requirements, ensuring the most efficient and economic project outcomes, including the possibility of establishing a fully decentralized architecture. The scaleability of the FAdC is an important advantages of this system, offering an array of technical and economic benefits such as reduced system complexity and low maintenance and set up costs. Decentralized architecture significantly enhances the system's robustness and scalability. Unlike centralized systems where a single point of failure can lead to widespread disruptions, decentralized architecture ensures the distribution of signaling functions across multiple interconnected nodes. This set up allows the railway network to maintain operations even if one part of the system encounters issues, reducing downtime and increasing the overall reliability of the system.
In locations where the FAdC is present, an unlimited number of detection points can be added. The decentralized FAdC locations can be connected via a telecommunications network, such as fiber optic. The locations can also connect to a centralized location. This arrangement presents a considerable benefit for the operator in a simplified network architecture, reduced cabling and lower project costs.
The FAdC delivers unparalleled reliability and availability, and also offers several innovative functions incorporated into the system to ensure best performance.
One such innovative functions consists of Counting Head Control CHC, which is highly configurable to suit the requirements of any project. The main function of CHC is to avoid counting errors and the generation of fault messages due to interference from external factors such as road traffic, metal objects, or debris on track surfaces, all of which can produce a false count.
Similar to CHC, the Supervisor Track Section STS function is a feature of the FAdC designed to increase availability of rail operations. The STS function is an automated fault correction process that allows the system to reset itself if an error on track occurs, without requiring time-consuming manual intervention.
system will automatically perform a reset. Similarly, a faulty supervisor section is reset if the corresponding track sections covered by this STS are clear.
The arrangement in which counting heads on track sections are overlayed with supervisor sections is highly configurable and based upon specific project needs and requirements. STS is fully compliant with SIL 4 operation and can be used in a multitude of applications such as track vacancy detection. The STS function provides additional availability while upholding the highest level of safety.
These two features represent just a glimpse of a series of innovative and powerful features that help integrators and operators simplify their systems and operating procedures. The FAdC forms the backbone of Frauscher's axle counting system offerings, allowing customers to benefit from continuous improvements and new developments.
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Frauscher Advanced Counter FAdC
You have further questions regarding our safe and reliable axle counting solutions?
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Frauscher Advanced Counter FAdC
You have further questions regarding our safe and reliable axle counting solutions?
