Browse Topic: Railway vehicles and equipment
This article analyses the fundamental curving mechanics in the context of conditions of perfect steering off-flanging and on-flanging. Then conventional, radial, and asymmetric suspension bogie frame models are presented, and expressions of overall bending stiffness kb and overall shear stiffness ks of each model are derived to formulate the uniform equations of motion on a tangent and circular track. A 4 degree of freedom steady-state curving model is formulated, and performance indices such as stability, curving, and several parameters including angle of attack, tread wear index, and off-flanging performance are investigated for different bogie frame configurations. The compatibility between stability and curving is analyzed concerning those configurations and compared. The critical parameters influencing hunting stability and curving ability are evaluated, and a trade-off between them is analyzed. For the verification, the damped natural frequencies and mean square acceleration
Marine ports are an important source of emissions in many urban areas, and many ports are implementing plans to reduce emissions and greenhouse gases using zero-emission cargo handling equipment. This paper evaluates the performance and activity profiles for various zero-emission (ZE) cargo transport equipment being demonstrated at different ports in California. This included 23 battery-electric (BE) 8,000 lb. (8K) and 36,000 lb. (36K) forklifts, a BE railcar mover, and an electrified rubber-tired gantry crane (eRTG). The study focused on evaluating the performance of the ZE equipment in terms of activity patterns and the potential emissions reductions. Data loggers were used to collect activity data, including hours of use, energy consumption, and charging information over periods from 6 to 21 months. The results showed that the BE forklifts, BE railcar mover, and the eRTG averaged 2-3 hours, 5 hours, and 14 hours of use per day of operation, respectively. The average energy use for
Considered one of the greenest forms of transport, the rail industry is at an exciting point pursuing several key initiatives to decarbonise its operations, assets, and supply chains. Therefore, having a brake shoe with a lower carbon footprint is essential for achieving the goals related to decarbonizing the operation, as it is a wear item. For this purpose, a carbon footprint measurement methodology was applied to the development of a friction material for railway brake shoes in order to reduce the carbon footprint generated in the production of the material, combining a sustainable material with greater durability in operation, thus reducing the total cost of ownership. In order to assess the advantages of the new product, a comparative analysis was carried out of the carbon footprint of the conventional shoe and the new railway shoe proposal, both used in the same application, considering the performance and environmental impact of each raw material and stage of the production
The heavy-duty off-road industry continues to expand efforts to reduce fuel consumption and CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) emissions. Many manufacturers are pursuing electrification to decrease fuel consumption and emissions. Future policies will likely require electrification for CO2e savings, as seen in light-duty on-road vehicles. Electrified architectures vary widely in the heavy-duty off-road space, with parallel hybrids in some applications and series hybrids in others. The diverse applications for different types of equipment mean different electrified configurations are required. Companies must also determine the value in pursuing electrified architectures; this work analyzes a range of electrified architectures, from micro hybrids to parallel hybrids to series hybrids to a BEV, looking at the total cost, total CO2e, and cost per CO2e (cost of carbon abatement, or cost of carbon reduction) using data for the year 2021. This study is focused on a heavy-duty off-road material
The study investigates the ride comfort of a rail vehicle with semi-active suspension control and its effect on train vertical dynamics. The Harmony Search algorithm optimizes the gains of a proportional integral derivative (PID) controller using the self-adaptive global best harmony search method (SGHS) due to its effectiveness in reducing the tuning time and offering the least objective function value. Magnetorheological (MR) dampers are highly valuable semi-active devices for vibration control applications rather than active actuators in terms of reliability and implementation cost. A quarter-rail vehicle model consisting of six degrees of freedom (6-DOF) is simulated using MATLAB/Simulink software to evaluate the proposed controller's effectiveness. The simulated results show that the optimized PID significantly improves ride comfort compared to passive.
The internal combustion engine (ICE) has long dominated the heavy-duty sector by using liquid fossil fuels such as diesel but global commitments by countries and OEMs to reduce lifecycle carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions has garnered interest in alternative fuels like hydrogen. Hydrogen is a unique gaseous fuel that contains zero carbon atoms and has desired thermodynamic properties of high energy density per unit mass and high flame speeds. However, there are challenges related to its adoption to the heavy-duty sector as a drop-in fuel replacement for compression ignition (CI) diesel combustion given its high autoignition resistance. To overcome this fundamental barrier, engine manufacturers are exploring dual fuel combustion engines by substituting a fraction of the diesel fuel with hydrogen which enables fuel flexibility when there is no infrastructure and retrofittability to existing platforms. This work studies the implications of mixing port-injected hydrogen fuel in a large-bore
The use of appropriate loads and regulations is of great importance in weld fatigue assessment of rail on-track maintenance equipment and similar vehicles for optimized design. The regulations and available loads, however, are often generalized for several categories, which proves to be overly conservative for some specific categories of machines. EN (European Norm) and AAR (Association of American Railroads) regulations play a pivotal role in determining the applicable loads and acceptance criteria within this study. The availability of track-induced fatigue load data for the cumulative damage approach in track maintenance machines is often limited. Consequently, the FEA-based validation of rail track maintenance equipment often resorts to the infinite life approach rather than cumulative damage approach for track-induced travel loads, resulting in overly conservative designs. The work presented in this article evaluates and compares the weld fatigue damage of track maintenance
Indian cities are among the most polluted in the world. The transportation sector is one of the major sources of gaseous pollutants. In recent years, also the effects of climate change and global warming have been felt across the globe. India has therefore committed at the CoP26 summit in 2021 to reduce its CO2 emissions by 45% till the year 2030. The Indian automotive sector is already addressing the problem with implementation of the Stage 2 BS VI norms, CAFÉ & Stage V standards and pursuing rapid electrification with application of zero emission vehicles. India also has the largest rail network of Asia, and a significant proportion of greenhouse gases is emitted by this sector. Deployment of zero emission fuel cell trains would be one of the solutions to meet India’s emission reduction targets. Indian Railways has already started its journey towards zero emissions and has set a target to launch hydrogen fuel cell trains on some routes soon as part of the “Hydrogen for Heritage
Non-Road Mobile Machinery (NRMM) incorporates a wide variety of machines not intended for the transport of passengers or goods on the road. This includes small gardening equipment, construction, mining, agricultural, and forestry machinery up to locomotives and inland waterway vessels, mostly using an internal combustion engine. NRMM was often overlooked and neglected in the past when considering pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions. Due to their high diversity, they are hard to categorize, resulting in a lack of available data. As emissions from road transport are being tackled by regulations, the emissions of NRMM become an increasing part of total transport emissions. An alternative to fossil fuels will be required for the energy supply of NRMM to fully commit to the CO2 reduction goals, and to fulfil the future requirements of legislators and public opinion. This study provides a report on the energy needs of different applications, mainly focusing on the larger machinery, as
This SAE Aerospace Standard (AS) establishes the minimum requirements for ground-based aircraft deicing/anti-icing methods and procedures to ensure the safe operation of aircraft during icing conditions on the ground. This document does not specify the requirements for particular aircraft models. The application of the procedures specified in this document are intended to effectively remove and/or prevent the accumulation of frost, snow, slush, or ice contamination which can seriously affect the aerodynamic performance and/or the controllability of an aircraft. The principal method of treatment employed is the use of fluids qualified to AMS1424 (Type I fluid) and AMS1428 (Type II, III, and IV fluids). All guidelines referred to herein are applicable only in conjunction with the applicable documents. Due to aerodynamic and other concerns, the application of deicing/anti-icing fluids shall be carried out in compliance with engine and aircraft manufacturer’s recommendations.
This analysis applies to crane types as covered by ASME B30.5.
According to the International Energy Agency, of world energy consumption, fuel oil and natural coal, as primary sources of energy for some process, correspond to about 60% of the total. This consumption has been increasing for decades, mainly in the transport sector, including railways. In Brazil, in 2019, the transport sector represented 32.7% of energy consumption. At VLI Logística, a company that operates 7,000 km of railways in Brazil, consumption in 2020 was 203 million litres of diesel, which generated a cost of US$ 86 million. In this context, it is necessary to increase energy efficiency in the sector and, for this, the feasibility of recovering waste heat from the internal combustion engine (ICE) of a locomotive must be verified. The present study was carried out considering a GE 7FDL engine, 16 cylinders, turbocharged, with water cooling and 4,020 HP (2,998.92 kW) of power. The simulations of ORC cycles, using the cooling water system and the exhaust gases of the ICE
The riding-comfort of high-speed trains affects the travel experience of passengers, and the lightweight design technology of the carbody increases the flexible vibration and reduces passenger comfort. To this end, a vertical dynamics model of railway vehicles is established to demonstrate the potential of using passive inerter-based suspensions to reduce the flexible vibration of the carbody and improve riding-comfort. According to the characteristics of the inerter component, an appropriate inerter-based suspension is applied to the railway vehicle to reduce low-frequency resonance. The sum of the comfort indexes of the three reference points of the carbody is optimized as the objective function to improve the passenger comfort of the whole vehicle. The results reveal that the inerter-based suspension applied to the primary or secondary suspension has different effects on vehicle vibration. Compared with the traditional suspension, the riding-comfort using the inerter in both the
This article investigates the lateral dynamic behavior of a two-wheel axle bogie frame of an Indian railway vehicle. The influence of the different parameters of the vehicle on stability is investigated. The model is formulated by assigning 10 degrees of freedom (DoF) to the system with yaw and lateral DoF assigned to the bogie frame and vertical, lateral, roll, and yaw DoF assigned to each wheel axle. Linear creep force and moments suggested by Kalker’s linear theory of creep have been accounted for in the analysis. The stability analysis is carried out by transforming the second-order differential equations into first-order differential equations using state-space representation. The present model is validated by comparing the eigenvalues of the analytical model with the same obtained from the finite element (FE) model. The results obtained from the analytical and FE model are in good agreement. The present model is also validated by correlating the lateral acceleration in the bogie
This analysis applies to crane types as covered by ASME B30.5.
Energy flow control and management in a vehicle is an essential aspect of the design process. These solutions are particularly important in the case of vehicles that do not have an external energy source, such as railway vehicles equipped with innovative energy storage technologies. The article presents analyzes of the theoretical energy consumption in a three-car passenger rail vehicle of Polish production, which was equipped with electric energy storage for the purposes of the simulation. An algorithm was developed in the Matlab program for research purposes, which was used to calculate the energy flow in a vehicle traveling along the test route between stations A and B, 73.5 km long, with 18 intermediate stations. During one simulation, the vehicle travels this route back and forth. The article presents the results of six theoretical test runs, which differed in the charging procedure of the vehicle energy storage systems during the travel along the test route. For the test drive
This document contains general criteria for the planning, design, and construction of military and commercial ground based aviation fueling facilities that receive, store, distribute, and dispense liquid aviation turbine fuels at airports to both fixed and rotary wing aircraft.
The railway network is the backbone of the transportation system in India, connecting remote villages and towns with metropolitan cities across the country. Recent government initiatives aim to revamp and modernize the entire network by 2030 and the past couple of years have brought many changes to the rail system.
The present article analyzes the influence of the track and rail vehicle vibrations on the biodynamic human subject. A mathematical model of 47 degrees of freedom (DoF) human body-vehicle-track vibratory system is formulated for the analysis of ride behavior of the vehicle and human body system. The human body, vehicle, and track system are assigned 7 DoF, 37 DoF, and 3 DoF, respectively, and the system is formulated using Newton’s method. Stationary random irregularities of the track are accounted for in the analysis, represented by the power spectral density (PSD) function, and are used as an input to the system. The ride comfort of the rail vehicle is examined based on the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) comfort specifications. The biodynamic human subject, vehicle, and track system are evaluated independently and integrated to examine the response of one system due to the excitation of another.
This paper describes a system-level view of a fully automated transit system comprising a fleet of automated vehicles (AVs) in driverless operation, each with an SAE level 4 Automated Driving System, along with its related safety infrastructure and other system equipment. This AV system-level control is compared to the automatic train control system used in automated guideway transit technology, particularly that of communications-based train control (CBTC). Drawing from the safety principles, analysis methods, and risk assessments of CBTC systems, comparable functional subsystem definitions are proposed for AV fleets in driverless operation. With the prospect of multiple AV fleets operating within a single automated mobility district, the criticality of protecting roadway junctions requires an approach like that of automated fixed-guideway transit systems, in which a guideway switch zone “interlocking” at each junction location deconflicts railway traffic, affirming safe passage. The
This document establishes the minimum requirements for ground-based aircraft deicing/anti-icing methods and procedures to ensure the safe operation of aircraft during icing conditions on the ground. This document does not specify the requirements for particular aircraft models. The application of the procedures specified in this document are intended to effectively remove and/or prevent the accumulation of frost, snow, slush, or ice contamination which can seriously affect the aerodynamic performance and/or the controllability of an aircraft. The principal method of treatment employed is the use of fluids qualified to AMS1424 (Type I fluid) and AMS1428 (Type II, III, and IV fluids). All guidelines referred to herein are applicable only in conjunction with the applicable documents. Due to aerodynamic and other concerns, the application of deicing/anti-icing fluids shall be carried out in compliance with engine and aircraft manufacturer’s recommendations.
Under the action of strong wind, the aerodynamic behavior of a locomotive at high velocity changes significantly, which declines the safe operation of the vehicle. Using the shape of a locomotive used in India, the aerodynamic characteristics of a locomotive are investigated with the help of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical simulation method, which is based on a variation of aerodynamics force and moment with wind speed, train speed, and nose shape. Moreover, determining a correlation between different design parameters and the aerodynamic drag requires complicated algorithms. In this paper, the objective is to optimize the locomotive drag and aerodynamics force using the multi-objective optimization method (MOOM). In this technique, the evolutionary algorithm, configuration parameterization method, and computer simulation are used The Pareto optimal results are determined by the calculation of 10th generation evolutionary with 512 individuals. The outcome of the
Petroleum products are used to power internal combustion engines (ICEs). Emissions and depletion of petroleum reserves are important questions that need to be answered to ensure existence of ICEs. Indian Railways (IR) operates diesel locomotives, which emit large volume of pollutants into the environment. IR is looking for an alternative to diesel for powering the Locomotives. Methanol has emerged as a replacement for petroleum fuels because it can be produced from renewable resources as well as from non-renewable resources in large quantities on a commercially viable scale. It has similar/superior physico-chemical properties, which reduce tailpipe emissions significantly. It is therefore necessary to understand the in-cylinder phenomenon in methanol fueled engines before its implementation on a large-scale. In this study, efforts have been made to understand the in-cylinder phenomenon in large-bore locomotive engines using CFD tools. 3-D model was prepared and validated using the
By my count, more than 40 new electric vehicles are due to enter the North American market in 2021-2022. They're just the tip of a pipeline loaded with many more EVs to come. How will consumers respond? The electrified onrush arrives in parallel with new U.S. president Joe Biden, whose agenda includes rejoining the Paris Climate Accord and proposed clean-energy and infrastructure initiatives worth $3.5 trillion. Included is his pledge to create 550,000 EV charging stations nationwide. Additionally, Biden's interconnected environmental and surface transportation plans (what we know of them so far) include zero-emissions public transit for every U.S. city of more than 100,000 residents and a tripling of funding for Amtrak's passenger-rail network. To be sure, the Democrat-led federal government will be “green” and regulatorily energized across the mobility fronts.
The article is an investigation into the exhaust emission impact of operating a shunting locomotive SM42 and a track diagnostics machine UPS-80-001. The comparison of the two vehicles makes it possible to estimate the overall environmental costs of two different types of rail vehicles operating at their typical work parameters. This was done using selected exhaust emission indicators. It is used to indicate the need for further improvement in vehicle ecology such as hybrid or electric systems. Other solutions are investigated as forms of mitigating the ecological impact of operating such vehicles in or near human population centers.
Hydrogen Fuel-Cell (HFC) technology is popular in Asia (mainly Japan), the US (chiefly California) and Europe. HFC is mostly used in passenger cars and urban buses. HFC technology is also being introduced to railway transport. Hydrogen-powered trains are an attractive alternative to diesel trains, in particular on nonelectrified railways - where roughly 70% of the world’s 200 000 locomotives operate today - and in the markets of Europe and the US (together about 55 000 diesel locomotives today). Besides avoiding carbon emissions, hydrogen trains reduce noise and eliminate local emissions of NOX and particulates. Since they use significant amounts of hydrogen, the required infrastructure is limited and can be immediately utilised. Hydrogen-powered trains are already being introduced for light-rail vehicles and regional railways - such as the trams produced by the China South Rail Corporation. Other models, including regional trains by Alstom, are expected to be deployed in the coming
The topics covered in the publication are consistent with the global trends that are aimed at reducing the negative environmental impact of human activities, which are implemented simultaneously in two areas: approval and operation. The article presents issues related to the impact of diesel multiple unit operation on the exhaust emission of harmful and toxic components and fuel consumption. Research trials concerned different driving styles and acceleration patterns of the tested vehicle, which can be considered a part of the eco-driving trend. These tests were carried out on a closed track designated for testing rail vehicles with the use of mobile measuring apparatus, intended for testing vehicles in real conditions of their operation. The vehicle selected for testing - the diesel multiple unit technically classed as a rail motor coach, belongs to one of the most numerous groups of rail vehicles used in regional transport, used on routes where passengers are transported over short
Numerical RANS modeling has been carried out to assess the aerodynamics of different metro train geometries through a straight tunnel. A steady-state approach was first used to choose the best geometry out of seven alternatives in terms of drag reduction when compared with a typical blunt face train design representative of European metro networks. The proposed models have different edge-rounding characteristics at the front and rear faces. Afterward, the baseline and optimized geometries are compared at different train velocities, and the flow structure surrounding the models is discussed using unsteady RANS results. The study focuses on skin and pressure drag coefficients for trains traveling at 40 km h−1 in a straight tunnel with a blockage ratio of 0.69. All the considered alternatives show a drag reduction between 5% and 20% relative to the baseline case.
This analysis applies to crane types as covered by ASME B30.5.
This document lists common terminology for vacuum excavation and sewer cleaning equipment, including component names and specific work completed by these machines. This document also illustrates some common types of equipment.
To gain a better understanding of the characteristics of corrugation, including the development and propagation of corrugation, and impact of vehicle and track dynamics, a computational model was established, taking into account the nonlinearity of vehicle-track coupling. The model assumes a fixed train speed of 300 km/h and accounts for vertical interaction force components and rail wear effect. Site measurements were used to validate the numerical model. Computational results show that (1) Wheel polygonalisation corresponding to excitation frequency of 545-572 Hz was mainly attributed to track irregularity and uneven stiffness of under-rail supports, which in turn leads to vibration modes of the bogie and axle system in the frequency range of 500-600 Hz, aggregating wheel wear. (2) The peak response frequency of rail of the non-ballasted track coincides with the excitation frequency of wheel-rail coupling; the resonance results in larger wear amplitude of the rail. The track lateral
An advanced exhaust aftertreatment system (ATS) for Tier 4 compliant locomotive applications was successfully designed and developed for use on Cummins QSK95 engines. The engine and ATS were introduced in late 2016. This system provided nitrogen oxides (NOx) reduction capability in excess of 95%. Vanadia-based selective catalytic reduction (V-SCR) extruded catalyst technology was chosen over other readily available component technologies such as diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) or a combination of DOC and SCR systems to address the stringent Tier 4 standards. In addition to NOx reduction, substantial oxidation of gaseous hydrocarbons (HCs) from unburnt fuel and lubricating oil soluble organic fraction (SOF) was also achieved. This dual functionality (oxidation and reduction capability) was one of the key factors in adopting this technology as the prime path and rendering it suitable for the harsh locomotive application environment. The properties and performance of the chosen Johnson
In this article, the crashworthiness of a locomotive is assessed through finite element analysis (FEA). The present investigation is focused on the analysis of a locomotive with driving cab to improve the modeling approach and exploring the intrinsic structural weaknesses to improve its crashworthiness. The analyses are conducted according to the EN 15227 standard, which provide crashworthiness requirements for locomotive structure. The finite element model is validated in terms of acceleration and energy balance by the experimental results. The validated model is further used to assess the crashworthiness behavior at a higher impact speed, that is, 100, 160, and 225 km/hr. It has been noticed that local buckling occurs at different points, which reduces the desired progressive damage behavior in the locomotive. The results indicate that at higher speed, large plastic deformation occurs in the frontal part of the locomotive. The maximum deformation is 8.22 m which occurs at the speed
This document outlines the functional and design requirements for baggage/cargo tow tractors used for airline services.
This SAE Aerospace Information Report (AIR) identifies and summarizes the various factors that must be considered and evaluated by the design or specifying engineer in establishing the specifications and design characteristics of battery-powered aircraft tow tractors. This AIR is presented in two parts. The first part is simply a summarization of design factors that must be considered in establishing vehicle specifications and design characteristics. The second part refers particularly to the performance characteristics of an aircraft tow tractor. Some definitions, formulas, data, and an example are provided mainly for assisting the specifying engineers of potential buyers and users of aircraft tow tractors in the evaluation and comparison of their requirements with the performance capabilities of the various tow tractors offered by the tow tractor manufacturers. Although the design engineers could also use the formulas and data in their calculations of the performance specifications
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