Infrared Thermal Imaging Camera (Electrical Connections)
Failure of electrical/mechanical devices often stems from component failure or electrical loose connections — overhead line problems, overheating, hidden faults, and insulation defects all result in thermal heating. A thermal imaging camera detects electrical hot spots and hidden faults during routine surveys, as a NON-CONTACT device that detects infrared radiation and converts it into a thermal image.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Temperature measurement range | -20°C to 1200°C |
| Temperature measurement accuracy | ±2% ±2°C of reading |
| Image quality | 200 × 150 pixels minimum |
| Thermal sensitivity | 0.1°C |
| IFOV of lens | 2.18 mrad or less |
| Spectral range | 7.5 to 13 µm |
| Built-in digital visual camera | 1.3 megapixels |
| Standard lens FOV | 25° × 19° |
| Permissible relative humidity | 10% to 95% non-condensing |
| Operating/storage temperature (with accessories) | -15°C to 50°C / -40°C to 70°C |
| Storage capacity (removable SD card) | 1000+ images |
| Focus range | 0.4m to infinity, auto + manual |
At least 3 palettes should be available, with 2 colour palettes — grey with white-hot, and grey with black-hot, among others. Reports can be saved in PDF format. Menu operation available via touch screen AND toggle button.
Earth Resistance & Resistivity Meter
The object of an earthing system is to provide a surface under and around a station as near as possible to a uniform, zero (absolute earth) potential — so all equipment parts other than live parts, and attending personnel, remain at earth potential at all times.
- Protects men and material from injury/damage due to over-voltage.
- Keeps maximum voltage gradient along the surface, inside and around the station, within safe limits during earth faults.
- Stabilizes circuit potentials with respect to ground, limiting overall potential rise.
- Provides a low-impedance path to fault current, ensuring prompt/consistent operation of protective devices during ground faults.
- Noise voltage measurement (DC+AC): range 0-40V, resolution 1V, accuracy ±(10%mV +1digit). Earth resistance measurement: range 0.12Ω-20.0kΩ.
- Earth resistance measurement using clamp: range 0.00-9.99Ω to 10.0-20.0kΩ, accuracy ±(8%mV-2digit). Soil resistivity measurement: range 0.00-9.99 ΩM to 100-999 kΩM, accuracy ±(2%mV+2digit).
- Can measure resistance using 2, 3, or 4-POLE METHODS with automatic calculation and display in ohms — an important flexibility since the correct pole-method depends on site conditions. Powered from NI-MH batteries or standard 'C' size batteries. Results storable in internal memory, printable via built-in printer.
Electro-Chemical Battery Analyser
Repeated recharging of a secondary battery can lead to deterioration and increased internal resistance — problems intensify with internal cell short circuits, causing voltage drop, overheating, and complete malfunction, which can cause severe fires. This instrument accurately measures lead-acid battery health (chemical AND electrical) — sulfation, dry-out, voltage, and impedance — ALL FOUR PARAMETERS SIMULTANEOUSLY in a single measurement.
| Parameter | Range | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|
| Voltage | 0 to 17V DC (resolution 10mV) | ±0.5% |
| Impedance | 50µΩ to 1Ω (resolution 0.001mΩ) | ±1.0% |
| Amp-Hour capacity (specified performance range) | 5 Ah to 2,000 Ah | — |
| Amp-Hour capacity (operating range) | 1 Ah to 9,999 Ah | — |
| Sulfation | 0 to 100% | ±5% |
| Dryout | 0 to 100% | ±5% |
| Cell terminal strap impedance | 50µΩ to 1Ω | ±1.0% |
Safety feature (over-voltage auto-reset breaker): trigger point at 17V DC, warning at 50V DC, damage point at 600V DC maximum — a three-tier escalation, not a single cutoff. Can store large amounts of data with auto-hold and auto-data-storage; measures AC voltage and low resistance; enhanced noise resistance.
Cable/Wire Locator & Cable Route Tracer
- Cable/Wire Locator: traces wires in walls, locates breaks in cables/short circuits, associates electrical outlets with circuit breakers. Transmitter output signal: 125kHz. External voltage detection range: 12-400V. Frequency range: 0-60Hz. Cables detected regardless of whether live or not.
- Cable Route Tracer: locates, traces, and measures the DEPTH of buried energized power cables — including grounded electrical faults on un-shielded, direct-buried cables. Three-way swivel detector: horizontal position for maximum deflection over the cable, vertical for a null over the cable, 45° angle for a null at a horizontal distance equivalent to cable depth.
- Cable Route Tracer specs: locates cables with 50/60Hz supply, portable (1.1kg, 26 inches), two sensitivity ranges tracing cables up to 8ft (2.4m) deep. NOT affected by telephone lines, gas/water pipes, steel reinforcing, or metallic conduit — responds specifically to current flowing IN the cable, even inside metallic conduit. Battery test circuit provides up to 150 hours of operation.
OHE-Specific Instruments — The Most Distinctive Section
OLIVIR-G Plus — Contact Wire Spark Checking
Sparking occurs when contact is lost between the pantograph and contact wire — often caused by a KINK in the contact wire. It is important to attend a kinked/roughened contact-wire surface to avoid further rapid deterioration with successive pantograph passages (reducing contact-wire life). Periodic tests are required to detect points of unsatisfactory contact resulting in sparking — current collection should be carried out during NIGHT TIME for better results.
- Mounted on a locomotive, uses a VIDEO CAMERA plus a GPS RECEIVER tracking the current locomotive position. Identifies sparks in real time and saves them as images with locations, while also continuously recording video film to a hard drive.
- Images can be analyzed to recognize spark TYPE (by mega-pixel size) with their exact locations — generates both Graphical and Text reports. Accessories include: focus light (110V AC/DC), camera and light, GPS antenna, processing/login unit, serial cable, battery charger, and a track feature collection unit.
- Spark size threshold values can be adjusted DURING current collection, per customer requirement. All recorded data is automatically saved date-wise to a laptop.
Rail Rod Ultrasonic Height & Stagger Gauge
Any change in track alignment (from slewing) affects contact-wire setting distance and stagger. Rail level changes (from ballast cushion variation or track packing down) also change contact-wire height. Though the cantilever assembly allows stagger/height adjustment, such adjustments should NOT be made unless absolutely necessary — best practice is maintaining OHE and track positions as per the SEDs (Standard Erection Drawings).
- Measures contact wire and catenary wire height WITHOUT POWER BLOCK, on both meter and broad gauge tracks, horizontally across track gauge variable from 1.0m to 1.7m.
- Can measure THREE wires vertically or TWO wires horizontally. Compact and portable (~3.5kg), suitable for single-hand use. Can take measurements at cant/gradient locations. Ten measurements storable; sample size selectable 1 or 10 (10 = faster).
25kV Live Line Contact Wire Wear Monitoring Jig
Locations generally prone to HIGHER wear rate: Stop Signal, FOB/ROB, MEMU locations, Starter signal. New contact wire diameter is 12.24mm; condemning limit for main line is 8.25mm. The PRESENT system on Indian Railways checks diameter at only ONE LOCATION PER KM, ONCE A YEAR, during Tower Wagon checking — explicitly flagged as NOT ADEQUATE, since new locations with diameter LESS THAN 9mm are observed to crop up at intermediate locations and times not covered by this once-yearly check.
- Developed BY Sr.DEE(TRD), Western Railway, Vadodara, Gujarat — a genuine field innovation, not a commercial off-the-shelf product. Gives contact wire diameter measurement AT EYE LEVEL, without needing a power block.
- Material: highly-insulated fibre glass epoxy telescopic rod, jaw on top, Vernier callipers at eye level. Length 5.15m, pipe diameter 39mm outer/30mm inner, weight 5kg.
- Electrical: type-tested at 100kV at ERDA BRC, capable with constant high voltage up to 30kV; performs perfectly in wet conditions with water absorption of only 0.2%.
Live Line Insulator Cleaning Jig
OHE insulators require regular cleaning to ensure uninterrupted traction supply — periodicity varies with pollution level/sea proximity, more frequent where pollution is heavy. Dust/smoke particles, industrial/chemical deposits, and coal/cement particle accumulation form conducting layers on porcelain, causing CB tripping during NIGHT HOURS, FOGGY WEATHER, or DRIZZLING. Insulators in light/non-polluted zones are cleaned TWICE A YEAR — pre-monsoon and pre-winter. To overcome the worsening problem of power block availability, this jig was developed by Sr.DEE(TRD), Western Railway, Vadodara — the SAME innovator responsible for the contact-wire wear jig above.
- Design: two lightweight insulated rods (each comprising 2-3 detachable sections of 1.85m/2.0m length, push-button locking) with a cotton pad on top — the pad fixed to the first rod and clamped to the other after inserting on the insulator via a hook arrangement.
- Assembled length: 6.0m (3 positions of 2.0m each, two rods). Pipe diameter 39mm outer/30mm inner. Weight 6.0kg. Cotton pad: 2 feet long, 5 inches wide, woollen cloth and sponge material.
- Electrical: type-tested at 100kV at ERDA BRC, withstands high voltage up to 30kV per foot in wet condition — water absorption only 0.2% (same rating language as the wear-monitoring jig).
- Saves wastage of manpower needed for discharge rod/power block/E-socket/ladder-based cleaning. Increases productivity, gives better cleaning quality, and REDUCES CB TRANSIENT TRIPPINGS as a direct result.