GrayBar
Point Heating Presentation
Graeme J Ford
Eng.Tech. MIET. IoD
Managing Director
GrayBar Limited
UK
13/04/2015
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Welcome
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13/04/2015
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Who are we ?
Our Customers
Railway Cable Accessories
Railway Points Heating Systems
DC Contact Rail Heating System
Design
Manufacture
Commission
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Product Locations
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UK – Network Rail
UK – Light Rail & Tram Systems
Northern Ireland
Iarnrod Eireann
Belgium
France
Sweden
Finland
Norway
USA
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Introduction
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Basic principles of Point Heating
Installations
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Why Heat Points ?
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How is Point Protection achieved ?
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Efficient Point Heating
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Many railway switch
points suffer during
the winter months,
from snow and ice
restricting the moving
rails and point
mechanisms
The solution is
efficient and reliable
electric point heating
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Types Of Point Heating
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High performance Self Regulating
Heaters
Traditional Constant Wattage
Heaters
Constant Wattage Pad & Cartridge
Heaters
Gas Heating
Oil Heating
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Constant Wattage Heaters
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Disadvantages;
Traditional – Old Technology
Short Fixed Lengths
Limited life span
Constant current draw
Ridged inflexible heater
Poor low temperature performance
12 month product warranty
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Self-Regulating Heaters
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Advantages;
High Performance polymer
Extremely reliable - no filament
Flexible elements
Long circuit lengths
Long life ( 40+ years)
Efficient power draw
Universally accepted
10 year product and system Warranty
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Self – Regulating Heater Element
•Assesses ambient/rail temperature along
entire heater length
•Equivalent to millions of hot and cold rail
sensors
•Unlike ‘constant wattage’ heaters cannot
suffer ‘burnout’
•Only draws current required to heat rail at that
specific point
•Flexible heater
•Easy transportation and storage
•Long circuit lengths available
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Chamber Test
Self-regulating Point Heating
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5
0
-5
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1hr
2hr
3hr
4hr
5hr
6hr
7hr
8hr
Air Temp
Current
Rail Temp
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Poor Heater Positioning
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x
x
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Correct Heater Strip Positioning
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A
A
Rev
Date
By
Description
Ckd
Aprd
Gr a y B a r 
Tel: 01933 676700
Fax: 01933 676800
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Project
Catalogue
Drawing Title
Heater Layout – 113lb 4-Way
Drawn By
Stock Rail
Section A - A
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Switch Rail
ALT
Date
Checked By
Date
Approved By
Date
Mar 02
Scale
NTS
Sheet size
A4
Drawing No.
DRO 144
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This drawing is the property of Gr a y B a r and may not be reproduced
without permission.
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Insulated Self–Regulating Heaters
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Spring clip fixing
Fibreglass heat
shield;
Improves heat
transfer to rail;
Compliant with
Network Rail
Specification
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Fitted Heater Elements
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Example of selfregulating
insulated heaters
and GRP
heatshield fitted
to bullhead rail
points in a DC
electrified area
(Network Rail)
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Typical UIC 60 type point
heating installation
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Heating fitted to HPSS type
point
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Point Heating Design
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Utilise all the benefits of Self-regulating
insulated heaters,
Install combined control/transformer
cubicles with simple weather sensors,
Minimise Cabling on-track e.g. use
longer heater elements (up to 22 metres)
and remove the need for rail probes,
Use off-track junction boxes,
Reduce material and installation costs,
Keep maintenance needs to a minimum.
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Controlling The Heaters
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Transformers to provide the correct
voltage to the heaters
Control cubicle
Associated cabling
Suitable power supply
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Simple Controls
for Self-regulating Point Heating
Air temperature sensor
 Snow detector
 Set point e.g. +3°
Note
No need for Rail temperature probes
No need for complex switching of
heaters
No PLC required
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Basic circuit arrangement
HOT/COLD RAIL
SENSORS
TEMPERATURE
CONTROLLER
CONTACTOR
ONE
TRANSFORMERS
1 TO 3
POINT HEATING,
POINTS 1 TO 3
CONTACTOR
TWO
TRANSFORMERS
4 TO 6
POINT HEATING,
POINTS 4 TO 6
CONTACTOR
THREE
TRANSFORMERS
7 TO 9
POINT HEATING,
POINTS 7 TO 9
CONTACTOR
FOUR
TRANSFORMERS
10 TO 12
POINT HEATING,
POINTS 10 TO 12
MANUAL
OVERRIDE
CONTROL
SYSTEM
PRECIPITATION
SENSOR
REMOTE
CONDITION
MONITORING
WIRELESS
GSM LINK
CONTROL
ROOM
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Typical R.C.M. Cable Layout - Complex Design
Pavement
Roadway
Pavement
Supply
Cubicle
Signal
Location
Case
Network Rail
Boundary Fence
Control
Cubicle
Signal Post
Steel
Bridge
Transformer
Barrier/Handrail
Hot and Cold
Rail sensors
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OHL Structure
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Recommended Point Heating Layout
Pavement
Roadway
Pavement
Supply
Cubicle
Signal
Location
Case
Network Rail
Boundary Fence
Control
Cubicle
Signal Post
110v 8-Core Heater
Feed/Monitoring
Cable
OHL Structure
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Premier Cubicle
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GrayBar trackside
control cubicle
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All controls in the
cubicle
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Can control all
forms of electric
strip point heating
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Cubicle Transformers
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Integral
transformers
mounted inside
control cubicle
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Easy maintenance
in a safe location
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All cable
connections are
base entry
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Channel Tunnel Rail Link
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This is a Universal Back
to Back Cubicle
(St.Pancras throat).
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Front houses the system
controls
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The back houses the
transformers
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All in the one location for
a safer and more reliable
maintenance regime
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St Pancras Station Approach
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Graybar designed,
manufactured and
commissioned the
point heating for
whole of the high
speed Channel
Tunnel Rail Link
(HS1) between
London and the
Channel Tunnel
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GrayBar Kits – Clip it and go
Tools needed:
-Hammer
-Screwdriver
Tools supplied in
our heater kit:
-grease brush
-wire brush
-full installation
instructions
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Self-regulating heater
around chair block
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Off Track Junction Box
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For connecting the
heater leads to the
heater feeder cable
Safe method of
working off the track
Easy access to all
cable connections
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Heater kit packaging
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Complete Heater Kits
In Easy To Transport,
Store & Carry Boxes
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Transportation to site
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Special Installations
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Swingnose Heating
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Swingnose with
380 Watt Per
Metre double
element insulated
self-regulating
heaters with heat
shield (Network
Rail)
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DC Contact Rail Heating
DRO 03
Side view
Section of rail
Illustration of general arrangement of 750 volt DC conductor rail heating.
Self-Regulating heater circuits up to 200 metres in length
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Light Rail & Tram Point Heating
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The light rail and
tram systems in
the UK have
exclusively
selected Graybar
self-regulating
heaters since
1990 e.g…
Croydon (South
London) Tram
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Tram Points Heating
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Tram Control Cubicle
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Stainless steel
modular tram
control cubicle
similar to our
Network Rail
cubicles but
modified for
public street
locations
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Installing Cables on a
Tram System
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Connection box
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London Underground, Metronet have recommended and installed the
Graybar self-regulating insulated heating system over many years
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London Underground installation
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Network Rail Company Line Standard and Code of Practice
RT/E/S/40045 & RT/E/C/45002
Graybar self-regulating point heating
system has product approval:
NR Certificate PA05/688
Performance Specification and Code of Practice
•Allows innovative solutions
•Mandatory Documents
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•Important Note: Graybar self-regulating heaters with a
heat shield have been proven to comply with the low
temperature performance requirements of the standard
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HPSS Applications
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In Action – snow melted
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Sweden
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End of our presentation
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Now the start of the Points Heating Season
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Plan now for optimum end results
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GrayBar for all Your Points Heating
© GrayBar
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Cable Accessories
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