GIRASOLE RECEIVER: GPS-EGNOS TESTS AND TRIALS ON AN ERTMS EQUIPPED ROUTE

摘要

Due to European ongoing developments (EGNOS, GALILEO), satellite navigation is now an interesting innovation for all fields of transport. One of them is the railway domain, which could considerably profit from the implementation of absolute on-board positioning systems. For the sector of railway transportation, satellite navigation offers new opportunities to implement safety standards everywhere, especially for local and regional railway lines, which today use outdated or human based safety system and therefore could enable a cost-effective modernization and increasing of efficiency. As well as improving safety in such areas, it would reduce operating and maintenance costs and helping to keep rail transport a viable option. However, train control poses high demands on positioning with respect to availability, reliability and integrity. These requirements can only be fulfilled by means of integrated positioning systems, which combine GNSS signal with Egnos and, in the future, with Galileo. The GIRASOLE Safety of Life Receiver is developed in the frame of the GSA Research and Development activities, in the context of the European Commission 6th Framework Programme 2st call by THALES ALENIA SPACE Italia (TASI). TAS-I is a leading manufacturer of advanced, high performance GPS/EGNOS/Galileo receivers for space and safety-critical applications. The GIRASOLE objective is to build an advanced user receiver prototype, configurable to simultaneously track Galileo/GPS/SBAS satellites, supporting SoL Galileo frequencies and modulations. GIRASOLE is conceived to be flexible and easily customized to the user needs in the main Safety of Life applications: Aviation, Maritime and Rail. Here we will focus our attention on Rail domain where the number of railways applications where GNSS could be applied is very large but the process of integration of GNSS into control and command applications and particularly in signalling is very long. In the GSA 6th Framework Programme 2st call, the Grail project offers important opportunities of links with Giarsole. The Grail project proposes a strategy, consistent with the current deployment process of ERTMS/ETCS in Europe, for a smooth integration of GNSS into control and command applications and particularly in signalling. Inside the GRAIL project, TAS-I is responsible of GNSS based User terminal manufacturer and this terminal will be based on the Girasole receiver. The Grail User terminal is a prototype of the GNSS subsystem for the Enhanced Odometry and Enhanced ETCS applications developed to tests in both real line and laboratory environments. The test is intended to prove that the GNSS based UT will produce significant improvement in the Performances and functions of the above defined functions. The field test phase includes a preliminary calibration campaign having also the purpose to test the Rail Girasole Receiver into a specific Rail domain. The primary objective is to demonstrate the improvement into determining the train position and velocity inside a very harsh and unkown domain such as the Rail one. Tests will be performed in Spain on the Madrid-Lleida high speed line (RBC Medinacelli track, between KP 75,032 and KP 211,160 on Test Train Talgo BT Extreme cabin) in December 2007. The equipment that will be installed on board the experimental train, includes the GPS/EGNOS/Galileo-ready Girasole receiver and a commercial antenna, standard interfaces to the train's power supply and odometer (for time suynchronisation purpose), a track database, a processing unit and software.