Division of Power and Electrical Engine

As part of its activities, the Division of Power and Electrical Engineering focuses mainly on providing and performing expert measurements, technical diagnostics, checking the functional properties of selected technological components and expert technical assistance on the equipment of the power and electrical engineering sector. All activities are performed both for internal customers within ŽSR and for external customers outside.

Department of Power and Electrical Engineering Diagnostics

The Department of Power and Electrical Engineering Diagnostics performs and provides specialized diagnostic measurements of electrical equipment throughout the ŽSR network by employees at the workplaces in Prešov and Vrútky. The performance of all activities is carried out by employees with a valid certificate or authorization for individual certified activities issued by the relevant authorized organizations, as well as Authorization issued by the Transport Authority, in accordance with § 17 of the Act of the National Council of the Slovak Republic No. 513/2009 Coll. on railways for ŽSR.

The department provides and performs the following activities:

• ensures and coordinates diagnostic measurements of contact line parameters, including evaluation in terms of contact line passability, coordinates the performance of technical and safety tests of the contact line,
• performs certified thermographic measurements in the field of electrical equipment and construction objects, thermographic measurements on long line objects also with the use of aviation technology,
• performs diagnostic measurements of lighting system parameters in terms of hygiene standards, creates a comprehensive assessment of the lighting system condition, including submitting proposals for adjusting parameters or implementation of cost-saving measures – lighting audits,
• performs and evaluates diagnostic measurements of adverse and dangerous effects of electric traction on other equipment, carries out complex corrosion measurements and corrosion surveys within the framework of applicable legislation,
• performs and evaluates diagnostic measurements of power quality in accordance with applicable standards,
• performs and evaluates diagnostic measurements of battery systems and UPS systems, carries out their capacity and load tests with load profiles defined by the client, including quick assessment of battery condition by measuring the internal cell resistance and electrolyte density,
• performs and evaluates diagnostic measurements on earthing systems – measurement of step voltages, touch voltages, measurement of continuity of the earthing system, measurement of the total resistance of the earthig system of any dimensions and parameters in accordance to applicable standards,
• performs and evaluates diagnostic measurements of power and instrument transformers, comprehensively assesses the condition of their insulation systems (insulation resistance, capacity, loss factor, C2/C50, acoustic manifestations of partial discharges, dielectric spectroscopy in the frequency domain), the condition of active parts (winding resistance, transmission ratio, magnetizing currents, short-circuit impedance, the condition of tap changer (transition resistances and switching times), FRA analysis of the change in the mechanical arrangement of the machine. As part of the comprehensive assessment of the condition of the transformer, it carries out the performance and evaluation of the oil filling tests in the following range: breakdown voltage, water content, acid number, oil-water interfacial tension, density, loss factor, internal resistivity, relative permittivity. If necessary, it ensures the determination of the antioxidant inhibitor content and the performance of gas chromatographic analysis of gases dissolved in oil, including the determination of the total gas content,
• performs and evaluates diagnostic measurements of circuit breakers, their electrical and mechanical parameters, including a comprehensive analysis of liquids and gases present in circuit breaker,
• as a certified component of ŽSR, it carries out leakage control and handling of fluorinated greenhouse gases (SF6) in accordance with the applicable legislation,
• as a certified component of ŽSR, it carries out leakage control and handling of refrigerants in accordance with the applicable legislation,
• carries out high current tests – primary tests of busbars, switches,
• performs specialized measurements based on customer needs,
• carries out applied research in the field of operation and maintenance of railway power and electrical engineering equipment,
• cooperates in the specification of technical requirements for the development of equipment and components of railway electrical engineering and power engineering and the rules of their operation for the needs of ŽSR,
• solves developmental tasks of technical development in the sector of electrical engineering and power engineering and cooperates in introducing their results into operation, tests and verifies equipment and technologies developed outside the ŽSR in order to assess the suitability of their use for operation,
• develops methods for measuring the adverse and dangerous effects of electric traction on other equipment, carries out measurements, in particular in connection with the verification of methodologies, and proposes measures to limit adverse and dangerous effects,
• draws up expert opinions, analyses and expertise on assigned problems related to the operation of electrical equipment and components on railways,
• develops measurement methods for verifying the technical condition of specified electrical equipment,
• performs or ensures expert measurements and tests related to the operational verification of new equipment or components or to the solution of specific problems that arose during their normal operation,
• ensures the activity of the expert workplace for power engineering,
• performs tests, measurements and conformity assessment with the requirements of the TSI “Energy” subsystem of the equipment and components of the railway electrical and power engineering for the needs of the notified body within the activities of the workplace accredited by the Testing Laboratory of the Railway Development and Research Institute,
• assesses the specific (railway electrical engineering, power engineering and control engineering) range of CEN and CENELEC standards in the process of their development as well as their introduction into the Slovak Technical Standard system.