IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 22

By Saud A. Memon
and Paul Fromme

TRAY-CURRENT CORROSION HAS
been a source of concern for the
transit authorities and utility companies since the inception of the electrified rail transit system. The corrosion problem caused by stray current was noticed
within ten years of the first dc-powered rail line in
the United States in 1888 [1] in Richmond, Virginia,
and ever since, the control of stray current has been
a critical issue. Similarly, the effects of rail and utility-pipe corrosion caused by stray current had been
observed in Europe.
Initially, the transit agencies attributed the corrosion problem to the chemical mix of the soil. However, after some research, it was evident that the soil
alone could not be the cause of the severe corrosion
that was noticed in the rail base, in the utilities, and
in other metallic structures, including the infrastructure of the transit system. It was concluded
that the leakage of the traction current was causing
this corrosion. This stray-current leakage was found
to be more significant in dc-operating transit systems
than in transit systems that ran on ac. Additionally, it
was also realized that, generally, the stray-current
leakage was more of an issue in areas of low soil
resistivity and in areas where the rail was required to
be embedded. In comparison, direct-fixation tracks
and ballasted tracks, when designed and constructed
with the proper isolation pads, insulated fastener

S

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/ARNE HUCKELHEIM

Stray-Current
Corrosion and Mitigation
A synopsis of the technical methods used in dc transit systems.

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MELE.2014.2332366
Date of publication: 29 September 2014

22

I E E E E l e c t r i f i cati o n M agaz ine / september 2014

2325-5987/14©2014IEEE



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014

IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - Cover1
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - Cover2
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 1
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 2
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 3
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 4
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 5
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 6
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 7
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 8
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 9
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 10
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 11
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 12
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 13
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 14
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 15
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 16
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 17
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 18
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 19
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 20
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 21
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 22
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 23
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 24
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 25
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 26
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 27
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 28
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 29
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 30
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 31
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 32
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 33
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 34
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 35
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 36
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 37
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 38
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 39
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 40
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 41
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 42
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 43
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 44
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 45
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 46
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 47
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 48
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 49
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 50
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 51
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 52
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 53
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 54
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 55
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 56
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 57
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 58
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 59
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 60
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 61
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 62
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 63
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - 64
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - Cover3
IEEE Electrification Magazine - September 2014 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_december2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_september2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_june2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_march2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_december2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_september2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_june2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_march2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_december2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_september2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_june2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_march2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_december2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_september2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_june2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_march2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_december2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_september2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_june2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_december2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_september2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_march2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_june2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_march2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_june2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_december2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_september2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_december2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_march2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_march2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_june2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_september2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_march2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_june2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_september2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_december2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_december2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_september2013
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com