A novel overhead cantilever for more efficient rail electrification

目前英国只有38%的铁路网实现了电气化，到2050年需要在1.3万公里的轨道上实现新的架空电气化，以实现政府雄心勃勃的零碳目标。这相当于网络铁路(NWR)每年交付450公里的架空线路设备，但即使在新冠肺炎造成运营中断之前，电气化速度也一直停滞不前。这造成了45%的年电气化缺口，原因是：1.由于不可接受的项目风险对预算和时间升级的影响，拟议的电气化项目被推迟/取消。正在进行的项目经历了大量的时间和成本超支，证明了这些风险。大约75%的OLE项目成本是配置和安装悬挂架空电线的关键组件所需的轨道操作，这些操作可以是：*计划的：根据关于测量、安装和注册时间要求的指南*非计划的：响应失败的安装然而，尽管基于悬臂的方法已经被证明在许多情况下通过降低系统级的复杂性具有显著节省成本的潜力，但现有的悬臂组件没有表现出同时解决这两个基本操作瓶颈的固有可扩展性。Inumbend Network Rail批准的悬臂都需要高精度定制制造单个组件，目前只在欧洲生产，交货期很长。当尺寸错误频繁发生，导致在其分配的位置安装/注册失败时，整合合作伙伴被迫等待更换，造成漫长且代价高昂的方案延迟。其他悬臂错误(如损坏或缺失部件)会加剧风险。即使没有并发症，定制的组件成本和准备/注册时间仍远远不是最理想的。作为回应，联合公用事业用品公司正在开发一种全新的OLE悬臂概念，以解决成本效益高的电气化的所有方面。基于一种新的悬臂几何结构，能够逐步改变调整、灵活性和OLE标准化，有针对性的创新在英国和全球激发了颠覆性的市场机会。该项目与哈德斯菲尔德大学及其铁路研究所(IRR)合作，现在的目标是在脱轨环境中实现并证明一种全面的预批准原型悬臂组装。

Only 38% of the UK rail network is currently electrified, with new overhead electrification required on 13,000km of track by 2050 to meet the Government's ambitious decarbonisation targets to achieve Net-Zero.This corresponds to 450km/year of overhead line equipment project delivery by Network Rail (NWR), but even before operational disruption caused by COVID-19, rates have stagnated around 250km/year.This has created a 45% annual electrification shortfall due to:1. Proposed electrification projects being deferred/cancelled through unacceptable project risks to budgets and timescales2. In-progress projects experiencing significant time and cost over-runs, evidencing these risksCirca.75% of OLE project costs are rail operations required to configure and install the critical assemblies suspending the overhead wires, which are either:* Planned: according to guidelines on surveying, installation and registration time requirements* Unplanned: in response to failed installationsHowever, whilst cantilever-based approaches have been shown to have potential for significant cost-savings in many scenarios by reducing complexity at system-level, no existing cantilever assembly exhibits the inherent scalability to simultaneously address both of these fundamental operational bottlenecks.Incumbent Network Rail-approved cantilevers all require high-precision bespoke manufacture of individual assemblies, currently only produced in Europe on very long lead-times. When dimensional errors frequently occur, leading to failed installations/registrations in their allocated location, integration partners are forced to wait for replacements creating lengthy and costly programme delays. Risks are exacerbated by other cantilever errors such as damaged or missing parts.Even without complications, bespoke component costs and preparation/registration timescales remain far from optimal.In response, Associated Utility Supplies are developing a completely new OLE cantilever concept addressing all aspects of cost-effective electrification. Based on a novel cantilever geometry enabling a step-change in adjustment, flexibility and OLE standardisation, targeted innovations stimulate a disruptive market opportunity in the UK and globally.Working in partnership with the University of Huddersfield and their Institute of Rail Research (IRR), this project now aims to realise and prove a full-scale pre-approval prototype cantilever assembly in an off-rail environment.