1. |
- Abbasi, Saeed, 1973-, et al.
(author)
-
A field test study of airborne wear particles from a running regional train
- 2012
-
In: IMechE, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit. - UK : Sage Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 226:1, s. 95-109
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Inhalable airborne particles have inverse health affect. In railways, mechanical brakes, the wheel–rail contact, current collectors, ballast, sleepers, and masonry structures yield particulate matter. Field tests examined a Swedish track using a train instrumented with particle measurement devices, brake pad temperature sensors, and speed and brake sensors. The main objective of this field test was to study the characteristics of particles generated from disc brakes on a running train with an on-board measuring set-up.Two airborne particle sampling points were designated, one near a pad–rotor disc brake contact and a second under the frame, not near a mechanical brake or the wheel–rail contact; the numbers and size distributions of the particles detected were registered and evaluated under various conditions (e.g. activating/deactivating electrical brakes or negotiating curves). During braking, three speed/temperature-dependent particle peaks were identified in the fine region, representing particles 280 nm, 350 nm, and 600 nm in diameter. In the coarse region, a peak was discerned for particles 3–6 μm in diameter. Effects of brake pad temperature on particle size distribution were also investigated. Results indicate that the 280 nm peak increased with increasing temperature, and that electrical braking significantly reduced airborne particle numbers. FESEM images captured particles sizing down to 50 nm. The ICP-MS results indicated that Fe, Cu, Zn, Al, Ca, and Mg were the main elements constituting the particles.
|
|
2. |
- Arasteh Khouy, Iman, et al.
(author)
-
Evaluation of track geometry maintenance for a heavy haul railroad in Sweden: A case study
- 2014
-
In: Proceedings of the Institution of mechanical engineers. Part F, journal of rail and rapid transit. - : SAGE Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 228:5, s. 496-503
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The measurement and improvement of track quality are key issues in determining both the restoration time and cost of railway maintenance. Applying the optimal tamping strategy helps reduce maintenance costs, making operations more cost effective and leading to increased safety and passenger comfort. In this paper, track geometry data from the iron ore line (Malmbanan) in northern Sweden, which handles both passenger and freight trains, are used to evaluate track geometry maintenance in cold climate. The paper describes Trafikverket’s (Swedish Transport Administration) tamping strategy and evaluates its effectiveness in measuring, reporting, and improving track quality. Finally, it evaluates the performance of the maintenance contractor and discusses the importance of the functional requirements stated in the outsourcing contracts.
|
|
3. |
- Arasteh khouy, Iman, et al.
(author)
-
Geometrical degradation of railway turnouts : a case study from a Swedish heavy haul railroad
- 2014
-
In: Proceedings of the Institution of mechanical engineers. Part F, journal of rail and rapid transit. - : SAGE Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 228:6, s. 611-619
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Turnouts are critical components of track systems in terms of safety, operation and maintenance. Each year, a considerable part of the maintenance budget is spent on their inspection, maintenance and renewal. Applying a cost-effective maintenance strategy helps to achieve the best performance at the lowest possible cost. In Sweden, the geometry of turnouts is inspected at predefined time intervals using the STRIX / IMV 100 track measurement car. This study uses time series for the measured longitudinal level of turnouts on the Iron Ore Line (Malmbanan) in northern Sweden. Two different approaches are applied to analyse the geometrical degradation of turnouts due to dynamic forces generated by train traffic. In the first approach, the recorded measurements are adjusted at the crossing point and then the relative geometrical degradation of turnouts is evaluated by using two defined parameters, the absolute residual area and the maximum settlement, In the second approach, various geometry parameters are defined to estimate the degradation in each measurement separately. The growth rate of the longitudinal level degradation as a function of million gross tonnes / time is evaluated. The proposed methods are based on characterisation of the individual track measurements. The results facilitate correct decision-making in the maintenance process through understanding the degradation rate and defining the optimal maintenance thresholds for the planning process. In the long run, this can lead to a cost-effective maintenance strategy with optimised inspection and maintenance intervals.
|
|
4. |
- Arasteh khouy, Iman, et al.
(author)
-
Optimisation of track geometry inspection interval
- 2014
-
In: Proceedings of the Institution of mechanical engineers. Part F, journal of rail and rapid transit. - : SAGE Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 228:5, s. 546-556
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The measurement and improvement of track quality are key issues in determining the time at which railway maintenance must be performed and its cost. Efficient track maintenance ensures optimum allocation of limited maintenance resources which has an enormous effect on maintenance efficiency. Applying an appropriate tamping strategy helps reduce maintenance costs, making operations more cost-effective and leading to increased safety and passenger comfort levels. This paper discusses optimisation of the track geometry inspection interval with a view to minimising the total ballast maintenance costs per unit traffic load. The proposed model considers inspection time, the maintenance-planning horizon time after inspection and takes into account the costs associated with inspection, tamping and risk of accidents due to poor track quality. It draws on track geometry data from the iron ore line (Malmbanan) in northern Sweden, used by both passenger and freight trains, to find the probability distribution of geometry faults.
|
|
5. |
- Asplund, Matthias, et al.
(author)
-
Reliability and measurement accuracy of a condition monitoring system in an extreme climate : a case study of automatic laser scanning of wheel profiles
- 2014
-
In: Proceedings of the Institution of mechanical engineers. Part F, journal of rail and rapid transit. - : SAGE Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 228:6, s. 695-704
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Iron Ore Line (Malmbanan) is a 473 km long track section located in northern Sweden and has been in operation since 1903. This track section stretches through two countries, namely Sweden and Norway, and the main part of the track runs on the Swedish side, where the owner is the Swedish Government and the infrastructure manager is Trafikverket (the Swedish Transport Administration). The ore trains are owned and managed by the freight operator and mining company LKAB. Due to the high axle load exerted by transportation of the iron ore, 30 tonnes, and the high demand for a constant flow of ore and pellets, the track and wagons must be monitored and maintained on a regular basis. The condition of the wagon wheel is one of the most important aspects in this connection, and here the wheel profile plays an important role. For this reason an automatic laser-based wheel profile monitoring system (WPMS) has been installed on this line using a system lifecycle approach that is based on the reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS) approach for railways. The system was prepared and installed and is being operated in a collaborative project between the freight operator and infrastructure manager. The measurements are used to diagnose the condition of the wheels, and to further optimize their maintenance. This paper presents a study of the concepts and ideas of the WPMS, and the selection, installation and validation of the equipment using a system lifecycle approach that is based on RAMS for railways. Results from the profile measurements and validation are shown. The system’s reliability during performance in extreme climate conditions, with severe cold and large quantities of snow, is presented. Then the benefits, perceived challenges and acquired knowledge of the system are discussed, and an improved V-model for the lifecycle approach is presented.
|
|
6. |
|
|
7. |
- Bhiwapurkar, M. K., et al.
(author)
-
Effect of magnitudes and directions (mono-axis and multi-axis) of whole body-vibration exposures and subjects postures on the sketching performance
- 2011
-
In: Proceedings of the Institution of mechanical engineers. Part F, journal of rail and rapid transit. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 225:F1, s. 71-83
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Whole-body vibrations in trains are known to affect the performance of sedentary activities such as reading, writing, sketching, working on a computer, etc. The objective of the study was to investigate the extent of disturbance perceived in sketching task by seated subjects in two postures under mono-and multi-axis Gaussian random vibration environment. The study involved 21 healthy male subjects in the age group of 23-32 years. Random vibrations were generated both in mono-and multi-axial directions in the frequency range of 1-10 Hz at 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 m/s(2) rms (root mean square) amplitude. The subjects were required to sketch given geometric figures such as a circle, triangle, rectangle, and square with the help of ball-point pen under given vibration stimuli in two postures (sketch pad on lap and sketch pad on table). The deviation in distortion with respect to the given figure is represented in terms of percentage distortion. The influence of vibrations on the sketching activity was investigated both subjectively and by two specifically designed objective methods, namely, RMS (root mean square methodology) and area methods. The judgements of perceived difficulty to sketch were rated using seven-point semantic judgement scale. The percentage distortion and difficulty in sketching activity increased with an increase in vibration magnitude. Both subjective evaluation and the RMS method revealed that the task was affected more while sketching on the table. The percentage distortion was affected similarly and maximum in all the vibration directions except for the vertical, while sketching difficulty was found to be higher only with longitudinal and multi-axis vibration direction. The subjective evaluation also revealed that there was no effect of the type of entity chosen on the sketching difficulty.
|
|
8. |
- Caprioli, Sara, 1978, et al.
(author)
-
Thermal cracking of a railway wheel tread due to tread braking -- critical crack sizes and influence of repeated thermal cycles
- 2013
-
In: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit. - : SAGE Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 227:1, s. 10-18
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A numerical study of tread cracking due to thermal loading induced by tread braking is carried out. The analysis features a computationally efficient approach combining two-dimensional finite-element simulations with an analytical evaluation of resulting stress intensity factors. The analysis identifies critical sizes for when existing surface cracks are prone to propagate under thermal loading and resulting crack lengths after propagation. The results imply that fully functional brake systems are not likely to induce thermal crack propagation under normal stop braking, but that with pre-existing defects, a severe drag braking due to malfunctioning brakes may cause very deep cracking. Furthermore, the analysis concludes the cracking to be a static phenomenon related to the most severe brake cycle, i.e. later brake cycles of similar or lower severity will not cause any significant propagation of existing cracks. Additional three-dimensional finite-element simulations are used to validate the model, and they indicate two-dimensional results to be on the conservative side.
|
|
9. |
- Casanueva, Carlos, 1981-, et al.
(author)
-
Simple flexible wheelset model for low-frequency instability simulations
- 2014
-
In: Proceedings of the Institution of mechanical engineers. Part F, journal of rail and rapid transit. - : Sage Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 228:2, s. 169-181
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- As a general rule, the multi-body simulation models used by railway vehicle designers consider the wheelsets to be fully rigid, thus leading to possible errors when calculating the critical speed of the vehicle under study. This article suggests a wheelset model that takes into account wheelset flexibility for the study of dynamic stability. The model is simple to implement, easily parameterised, and can be applied to both conventional and variable gauge wheelsets. The parameters corresponding to wheelset flexibility that most influence the critical speed of high-speed and variable gauge vehicles are also analysed.
|
|
10. |
- Dominguez, M., et al.
(author)
-
Optimal design of metro automatic train operation speed profiles for reducing energy consumption
- 2011
-
In: Proceedings of the Institution of mechanical engineers. Part F, journal of rail and rapid transit. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 225:F5, s. 463-473
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Trains equipped with automatic train operation (ATO) systems are operated between stations according to the speed commands they receive from balises. These commands define a particular speed profile and running time, with associated energy usage (consumption). The design of speed profiles usually takes into account running times and comfort criteria, but not energy consumption criteria. In this article, a computer-aided procedure for the selection of optimal speed profiles, including energy consumption, which does not have an effect on running times, is presented. To this end, the equations and algorithms that define the train motion and ATO control have been modelled and implemented in a very detailed simulator. This simulator includes four independent modules (ATO, motor, train dynamics, and energy consumption), an automatic generator of every possible profile and a graphical assistant for the selection of speed commands in accordance with decision theory techniques. The results have been compared with measured data in order to adjust and validate the simulator. The implementation of this new procedure in the Madrid underground has led to a 13 per cent of energy saving. As a result, the decision has been taken to redesign all the ATO speed profiles on this underground.
|
|