Case Study: Supporting Safe City Demonstrations for the Coventry Very Light Railway (CVLR).
Coventry City Council has just successfully completed a significant technical milestone for the Coventry Very Light Railway (CVLR) with the construction of a 220 metre single track and staged demonstration days for members of the public.
EMC Hire and WEMEC played an important role in achieving this milestone by providing EMC technical consultancy and testing capability. The aim of this phase of the project was not full regulatory compliance, but a targeted EMC and EMF de-risking exercise to ensure the demonstrator could be safely operated in a public environment.
Project Overview
As urban mobility advances, safety must be fully considered when required to operate in an increasingly complex electromagnetic (EM) environment. The CVLR demonstrator needed to prove that it would not cause harmful interference to other spectrum users, nor be affected by them. In addition to EMC safety, it was vital to demonstrate there would be no adverse health impacts for passengers or operators from Electromagnetic Fields (EMF).
Our Approach
To support this, EMC Hire in collaboration with WEMEC conducted a structured programme consisting of:
- RF Survey at the test site to identify any local RF threats to the demonstrator
- EMC Testing of the CVLR vehicle systems to assess emissions and immunity
- EMF Testing to confirm safe exposure levels for human health
All testing was performed in accordance with a carefully designed EMC Test Plan which considered all the potential Electro Magnetic (EM) environments in which the demonstrator would be operated in. This included residential, rail and automotive RF environments. It was critical that the Test Plan incorporated a Risk Assessment and clearly defined the approach to ensure that the outcome met the customer's expectations as well as the confidence that the CVLR demonstrator vehicle was safe.
Testing Scope
The following tests were carried out to characterise the vehicle’s EM performance:
- Radiated Emissions
- Bulk Current Injection (BCI)
- Immunity to Mobile Transmitters
- EMF Measurements
Prior to vehicle testing, a RF survey at the demonstration site helped identify background RF levels and potential threats, which informed and enhanced the immunity testing process. Test methods and test levels/limits were tailored to incorporate any threats identified during the RF Survey along with the RF threats identified in the Risk Assessment.
The primary aim of the programme was to confirm that the vehicle could not enter an unsafe condition due to the presence of RF. A design review was conducted to identify systems and components that had the potential to be affected by interference, and what the failure scenario would be. During this review it became clear that the driver maintained full control of the vehicle, with manual overrides in place including the ability to engage emergency braking systems in the event of a propulsion failure.
A single component was identified as the main area of concern, which remained in the braking system under manual override conditions. All immunity testing was therefore focussed on this component and subjected to conducted immunity testing on its input and output lines to confirm its robustness under EM stress.
Other areas of focus looked at the EMF safety aspect, ensuring RF safety from a public and occupational perspective. This involved identifying and accessing high risk components i.e. intentional transmitters and the powertrain systems. Radiated emissions along with spatial measurements at locations where personnel would be present were performed against the requirements of CEMFAW Regulations SI 2016/588 and 1999/519/EC.
Outcome
This proactive de-risking exercise provided confidence to stakeholders and fed directly into the demonstrator safety case. As a result of our works feeding into and supporting the case for safety, live demonstrations of the CVLR system were able to be delivered.
Endorsement
“EMC Hire and WEMEC were highly professional, their staff took time to understand the specific challenges being faced and offed a pragmatic solution which was then delivered flexibly and with the utmost professionalism. The outputs of which addressed specific requirements for the case for safety for both the vehicle and the operating environment.”
Angus Brummitt-Brown Senior Project manager CVLR.
Why EMC Hire?
At EMC Hire, we provide flexible, expert-led testing and equipment hire services tailored to support projects in early-stage development or full compliance. In working on this project with CVLR, we have demonstrated our commitment to providing clients with pragmatic, real-world EMC solutions that will benefit them by reducing risk and saving time in a cost-effective manner, as well as demonstrating system safety in complex operating conditions.
Effective EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) solutions are crucial in ensuring that electronic devices and systems operate smoothly without creating or being affected by RF interference. By minimizing electromagnetic interference, these solutions enhance the reliability and performance of equipment, which is essential in sectors like healthcare, railway, aviation, and telecommunications. Furthermore, robust EMC solutions help in complying with regulatory standards, thereby avoiding potential legal and financial repercussions.
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