Insulation degradation
Ageing, contamination and electrical stress can lead to corona, surface discharge or other ultrasonic activity.
Railway Traction Power Reliability
Find electrical faults in 16.7 Hz railway networks before service is disrupted.
Non-contact partial discharge localisation and condition monitoring for traction substations, switchgear, cable terminations, insulators and overhead line equipment.
16.7 Hz
Native railway traction power phase reference
2–150 kHz
Wide acoustic bandwidth for audible and ultrasonic inspection
Non-contact
Inspect energised assets from an approved safe position
Visual evidence
Source maps, PRPD results and structured inspection records
Railway condition monitoring
Weak electrical signals can develop long before a visible railway asset failure.
Traction power assets are exposed to vibration, contamination, humidity, temperature variation, electrical stress and long service cycles. Insulation deterioration may begin without an obvious temperature rise or visible surface damage.
HERTZINNO helps railway infrastructure managers and maintenance teams locate ultrasonic emissions, abnormal sound sources and developing equipment faults while assets remain in operation.
Traction power inspection
Substations · Switchgear · Cable accessories
Reliability risks
Where railway electrical problems often begin.
Early abnormal signals may be difficult to see, hear or isolate with conventional walk-through inspection alone.
Incorrect phase reference
Using a 50 Hz or 60 Hz setting on a 16.7 Hz asset can reduce the value of phase-resolved discharge patterns.
Complex background noise
Cooling fans, mechanical equipment and railway operations can make a weak source difficult to locate by hearing alone.
Restricted maintenance windows
Railway teams need efficient screening methods that support inspection without unnecessary interruption to operations.
16.7Hz
The dedicated phase reference required for applicable European railway traction power inspection.
Native railway frequency support
PRPD analysis aligned with the actual traction power cycle.
Phase-resolved partial discharge analysis evaluates when detected pulses occur within the electrical cycle. For a 16.7 Hz railway asset, the phase reference must match the traction power frequency.
- Map ultrasonic pulse activity against a native 16.7 Hz electrical cycle.
- Support preliminary differentiation of discharge activity and unrelated noise.
- Switch between 16.7 Hz, 50 Hz and 60 Hz for different railway and industrial assets.
- Store PRPD patterns together with images, source maps and inspection parameters.
Based on HERTZINNO's current market review, this is the only known acoustic imaging platform offering native 16.7 Hz PRPD support specifically for railway traction power inspection.
Inspection points
Condition monitoring across the railway power and maintenance environment.
Apply portable inspection or fixed monitoring according to asset criticality, access conditions and maintenance workflow.
Traction power
Traction substations
Inspect transformers, bushings, busbars, high-voltage connections, switchgear and associated electrical equipment.
Electrical rooms
Switchgear and disconnectors
Locate possible corona, surface discharge or abnormal emissions around adjacent high-voltage components.
Cable systems
Cable terminations and joints
Screen cable accessories affected by installation defects, ageing, contamination or insulation stress.
Overhead infrastructure
Contact line equipment
Survey selected insulators, switches, feeders and high-voltage accessories from an approved safe position.
Trackside assets
Power and signalling equipment
Support inspections of distribution cabinets, signalling power supplies and other trackside electrical installations.
Rolling stock and depots
Mechanical and pneumatic systems
Locate abnormal sounds from motors, fans, pumps, bearings, gear systems and compressed-air leakage.
Inspection workflow
From a wide-area scan to a structured maintenance record.
The workflow supports efficient field screening while preserving the evidence needed for engineering review and follow-up testing.
Survey the asset
Capture audible and ultrasonic signals from an approved inspection position.
Visualise the source
Display the dominant acoustic source over the visible image of the equipment.
Apply 16.7 Hz PRPD
Evaluate detected pulse activity using the correct railway traction phase reference.
Record and compare
Save source maps, settings, risk information and historical results for maintenance decisions.
Confidential European application
Applied in a major European railway traction power environment.
A major European railway organisation required a more efficient method for inspecting energised electrical assets operating in a 16.7 Hz traction power environment.
The field application involved restricted maintenance windows, high-voltage safety requirements, distributed assets and multiple sources of mechanical and environmental noise.
HERTZINNO supported non-contact acoustic surveys, visual localisation of suspected ultrasonic sources and phase-resolved analysis using the dedicated 16.7 Hz setting. The inspection output could then be reviewed and retained as structured maintenance evidence.
Customer identity, site location, line information, equipment identifiers, personnel information and operational data are intentionally excluded.
Correct phase reference, faster source localisation and clearer evidence for railway maintenance teams.
European railway application · Customer confidential
Operational value
Built for safer, faster and more consistent railway maintenance decisions.
Support non-contact energised inspection
Screen operating assets from an approved safe position before deciding where intrusive or specialised testing is required.
Reduce time spent searching point by point
Visual source localisation helps teams move from a general ultrasonic indication to a suspected component or connection.
Use the correct railway phase reference
Native 16.7 Hz analysis is designed for applicable European traction power systems rather than a generic 50 Hz or 60 Hz workflow.
Create auditable inspection evidence
Preserve visible images, acoustic source maps, PRPD patterns, parameters, risk levels and maintenance notes.
Recommended solutions
Portable inspection and continuous monitoring options.
Select the platform according to inspection mobility, thermal verification and fixed monitoring requirements.
Portable field inspection
HA3
Handheld acoustic imaging for partial discharge localisation, compressed-air leakage and abnormal mechanical sound inspection.
View product
Acoustic and thermal verification
HA3T
Combine acoustic source localisation with thermal inspection for electrical and mechanical railway maintenance workflows.
View product
Fixed online monitoring
HZ-FA-371
Continuous acoustic source monitoring for critical substations, electrical rooms and selected railway infrastructure locations.
View productFAQ
Railway traction power inspection questions.
Technical scope and field workflow depend on the asset, distance, noise environment and railway safety procedure.
Why is 16.7 Hz support important for railway partial discharge analysis?
PRPD maps pulse activity against the electrical phase. A 16.7 Hz traction asset should therefore be analysed with a matching phase reference rather than a conventional 50 Hz or 60 Hz setting.
Can the system inspect energised railway equipment?
The solution is designed for non-contact inspection from an approved safe position. All work must follow the railway operator's access rules, electrical safety distances and operating procedures.
Which railway assets can be inspected?
Typical applications include traction substations, switchgear, cable terminations, insulators, bushings, selected overhead line equipment, trackside electrical cabinets and depot mechanical or pneumatic systems.
Does acoustic inspection replace specialised electrical testing?
No. It is an efficient screening and localisation method that helps maintenance teams identify where further electrical testing, maintenance or engineering review may be required.
Can inspection results be stored for trend analysis?
Yes. Images, acoustic source maps, PRPD patterns, analytical settings, asset information and operator notes can be retained for review, reporting and historical comparison.
Plan your inspection programme
Tell us where your railway network needs better fault visibility.
Share the traction voltage and frequency, target assets, working distance, expected fault types, environmental noise and portable or fixed-monitoring requirements.
HERTZINNO · Acoustic and multi-sensor condition monitoring for railway infrastructure