Page 68 - วิศวกรรมสาร ปีที่ 74 ฉบับที่ 1 มกราคม - เมษายน 2564 : Thailand Engineering Journal

Availability and Reliability

The availability of a system is based on the quality and maintenance intensity of its components.
If they are susceptible to faults or require frequent maintenance, the system cannot fulfil its
function in the period affected or can only fulfil it to a limited extent. This results in interruptions in
operation, which negatively affects the fulfilment of the growing requirements in rail transport as
described above.

Track-side components, such as inductive wheel sensors or track circuits, must ensure this
availability under extremely demanding conditions. The small number of track-side components
and their high resistance to occurring influences form the basis for the comparatively higher axle
counters availability.

High Humidity and Flooding

In many countries, storms
and thunderstorms cause
local flooding, which can
also affect track systems. In
other regions, like Thailand,
daily rainfall and a
constantly high level of
humidity cause constant
wetness. This can lead to
availability problems when
using track circuits. If a short
circuit is caused by high
humidity or flooding in the
track bed, the system
incorrectly reports the track Frauscher Wheel Sensors work highly reliably, even when set
section affected as under water
occupied. Regular operation
is thereby disturbed.

Frauscher's inductive wheel sensors are developed in accordance with IP68 standards and offer
a highly available solution here. They detect trains reliably and precisely even in flooded areas.
Based on the principle of installing all other system components of an axle counter for evaluation,
communication and power supply in protected cubicles or indoor spaces, they are generally not
affected by such events. The axle counter therefore works with high availability even in these
situations.

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วิิศวิกรรมสาร ปีีที่่� 74 ฉบัับัที่่� 1 มกราคม-ม่นาคม 2564