Measurement of the internal impedance of traction rails at 50 Hz

The electrical behavior of sample steel traction rails is analyzed considering the resistance and the external and internal inductance. Measurements are performed on two rail arrangements at different current levels (up to nearly 2 kA) at 50 Hz and over an extended frequency range (50 Hz to 100 kHz) at low currents, so that skin effect and saturation phenomena are clearly visible. Great accordance with the results obtained using Carson's formulas is found.