Energy self-sufficient power supply method for trackside detection sensors

With the swift expansion of China's high-speed railway network and the escalation of train speeds, the assurance of operational safety has become paramount. The state of the tracks is crucial for ensuring the safety of high-speed trains, rendering precise track assessment essential. Nonetheless, investigations on the utilization of electrified rails for powering sensors along the tracks are still few. This paper presents a method for supplying power to trackside detecting sensors via electrified rail, grounded on the operational principles of railway signal lamp control. An energy management circuit was initially developed, with resistance and other parameters meticulously adjusted to achieve optimal energy efficiency and output voltage. Furthermore, experiments were conducted to measure the length of charging and discharging of the energy storage capacitor under various operational conditions. The findings indicate that the energy management circuit module effectively powers a point rail crack-detecting sensor, maintaining operation for over 5 min and satisfactorily fulfilling detection criteria. In comparison to conventional approaches, the proposed energy self-sufficient power supply approach offers advantages such as maintenance-free longevity, enhanced efficiency, and greater environmental sustainability. •Utilizing the electrified rail to provide power for track-side sensors.•Investigation of voltage drops and the corresponding rail length.•Determining the parameters of the energy management circuit.•Validation of the power supply for the rail crack monitoring sensor.