Corrosion Affecting the Operational Readiness of Mass Rapid Transport System Globlly-PDF.pdf (original) (raw)

Harsh environmental conditions in tropical countries caused the deterioration of electrical and electronic equipment due to chemical attack on metallic wire terminals [1] and electrical contact points, resulting in the malfunctioning of controls and switchgear leading to electrical system downtime, some of the problems resulting from the corrosion of electrical contacts include unintended power disruption and failure to disconnect or connect, as well as intermittent connection due to deteriorated contact surfaces causing a huge loss to productivity of companies managing mass rapid transport globally. Overall, the corrosion of current carrying parts and switching, as well as controlling equipment, affects the reliability and uninterrupted operation of the mass rapid transport systems globally. Unless an anti-corrosion maintenance program is in place to protect said the equipment against corrosion, the frequency of disruption of mass rapid transport system will increase and affecting the operation efficiency. In the automated operational systems of MRT, any intermittent connection is unacceptable by commuters. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that operators of mass rapid transport globally need to analyze the risk of corrosion, whether it's from moisture or from corrosive reactive agents such as chloride and hydrogen sulfide H2S [2]. Besides, prescribing the right material specifications of electrical equipment, engineers need to apply sound judgment in protecting the metallic surfaces of electrical components, electronic, pneumatic, signaling, track circuits, and propulsion 2 systems. It is impossible to detect some of the inherent design flaws of the mass rapid transport system until it has been operated for a period of time and full operating load. The complexity of problems ranging from signaling, power trip, railway sleepers, water seeping into tunnels and electrical systems encountered by mass rapid transport operators globally a is humongous. This journal focuses only on the types and causes of corrosion of electrical panels and electronics equipment, connectors, track circuit rail in the infrastructure of the mass rapid transport system and the solutions to overcome said problems.