Calculation of the frequency-dependent impedance of rail tracks using a four-parameter equivalent tubular conductor model

This paper proposes a four-parameter equivalent tubular conductor model that approximates the frequency-dependent impedance of a conductor with arbitrary cross-sectional shape. The proposed model is applicable to conductors used in power cables, electric railways, printed-circuit boards, etc., in which the conductor cross-sections are irregular. An example of calculating the frequency-dependent impedance of rail tracks of the Taipei Rapid Transit System using the proposed model and the complex depth of earth return method is presented, and the results are compared with those obtained using the finite-element method.