Towards Magnetic Field Energy Harvesting near Electrified Railway Tracks

This paper evaluates the feasibility of magnetic field energy harvesting (MFEH) near electrified railway tracks, for the purpose of increasing the lifetime of distributed condition monitoring systems. Since MFEH is a novel concept for railway applications, relevant previous work from a power grid context is employed. Using a theoretical model along with simulations, it is estimated that the power output of a solenoid placed near the return current may be sufficient for a monitoring system designed for low-power operation and low-duty-cycle wireless communication. The magnetic induction is estimated to be at least $25\ {\mu}\mathrm{T}$ at a distance of 0.5 m from the closest rail, and it is argued that an efficient induction energy harvester placed in this magnetic field could potentially increase the lifetime of condition monitoring systems indefinitely.