Our contactless measurement system uses laser profile scanners to capture the contour of the third rail, thereby providing precise information about its height, lateral position, and wear condition. The DTK system “Third Rail” enables an effective assessment and optimization of the interaction between the current collector and the conductor rail.
Our system measures various parameters, such as the height of the conductor rail relative to the track measurement plane, the height profile of the conductor rail ramps, the lateral position of the conductor rail in relation to the track measurement plane, speed and position on the track.
Optionally, other measurements such as the current transferred via the collector shoe, impacts between the current collector shoe and the conductor rail, the voltage profile on the conductor rail, the contact quality of the current collector, precise coordinates using GPS or dGPS (if satellite reception is available), and the determination of track geometry can also be captured.
By evaluating the measurement data, we can provide an assessment of how the system of conductor rail and current collector behaves and what changes would be sensible for optimization. Our user-friendly software helps in detecting significant phenomena from the measurement data, such as under- or exceeding the predetermined height of the third rail. Additionally, specific sections can be selected,
and the corresponding video sequences of the panoramic view and the current collector shoe can be played.
The recording of GPS data allows for a comfortable display of deviations in a map view. Exporting the data to your own databases or for further use is also possible, with the option to choose whether to export a specific area or all data. Our third rail measurement, therefore, is a powerful tool for optimizing and ensuring the safety of railway operations.
