1. |
- Arasteh khouy, Iman, et al.
(author)
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Cost-effective track geometry maintenance limits
- 2016
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In: Proceedings of the Institution of mechanical engineers. Part F, journal of rail and rapid transit. - : SAGE Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 230:2, s. 611-622
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the past, railway maintenance actions were usually planned based on the knowledge and experience of the infrastructure owner. The main goal was to provide a high level of safety, and there was little concern about economic and operational optimisation issues. Today, however, a deregulated competitive environment and budget limitations are forcing railway infrastructures to move from safety limits to cost-effective maintenance limits to optimise operation and maintenance procedures. By so doing, one widens the discussion to include both operational safety and cost-effectiveness for the whole railway transport system. In this study, a cost model is proposed to specify the cost-effective maintenance limits for track geometry maintenance. The proposed model considers the degradation rates of different track sections and takes into account the costs associated with inspection, tamping, delay time penalties, 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 estimate the geometrical degradation rate of each section. The methodology is based on reliability and cost analysis and facilitates the maintenance decision-making process to identify cost-effective maintenance thresholds.
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2. |
- Asplund, Matthias, et al.
(author)
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A Nordic heavy haul experience and best practices
- 2017
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In: Proceedings of the Institution of mechanical engineers. Part F, journal of rail and rapid transit. - : Sage Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 231:7, s. 794-804
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This article summarizes the experiences gained at the Nordic heavy haul line “Malmbanan” located in Northern Sweden and Norway during the years 2007 to 2015 and the resulting best practice. Unique long-term information of field trials and monitoring from the on-going development for maintenance of rail and wheel has been described. The reported results come from the rail profile measurements using MiniProf and HC-recordings with Eddy-current devices and visual inspection on 43 test sections. The monitoring has been continuous since the project started, to reveal a deep insight into the complex wheel–rail interaction and provide understanding of the effect of applying optimized specifications. This was particularly important in view of the increasing traffic load that contributed to doubling of the yearly grinding campaigns. This article presents in particular the new MB5 profile, the wear rate behaviour between two different curves, impacts of gauge widening on rail rolling contact fatigue and the speed of gauge widening as well as the seasonal impact on the crack propagation. The presently applied maintenance strategy is discussed together with other experiences. The article finishes with some conclusions and an outlook into further work.
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3. |
- Asplund, Matthias, et al.
(author)
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A study of railway wheel profile parameters used as indicators of an increased risk of wheel defects
- 2016
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In: Proceedings of the Institution of mechanical engineers. Part F, journal of rail and rapid transit. - : SAGE Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 230:2, s. 323-334
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The capacity demands on the railways will increase in the future, as well as the demands for a robust and available system. The availability of the railway system is dependent on the condition of the infrastructure and the rolling stock. To inspect the rolling stock and to prevent damage to the track due to faulty wheels, infrastructure managers normally install wayside monitoring systems along the track. Such systems indicate, for example, wheels that fall outside the defined safety limits and have to be removed from service to prevent further damage to the track. Due to the nature of many wayside monitoring systems, which only monitor vehicles at definite points along the track, damage may be induced on the track prior to fault detection at the location of the system. Such damage can entail capacity-consuming speed reductions and manual track inspections before the track can be opened for traffic again. The number of wheel defects must therefore be kept to a minimum. In this paper wheel profile parameters measured by a wayside wheel profile measurement system, installed along the Swedish Iron Ore Line, are examined and related to warning and alarm indications from a wheel defect detector installed on the same line. The study shows that an increased wheel wear, detectable by changes in the wheel profile parameters could be used to reduce the risk of capacity-consuming wheel defect failure events and its reactive measures.
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4. |
- Asplund, Matthias, et al.
(author)
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Evaluation of wheel profile measurements by means of the contact-point function for the wheel-rail interface
- 2018
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In: Proceedings of the Institution of mechanical engineers. Part F, journal of rail and rapid transit. - : Sage Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 232:4, s. 1225-1239
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study examines the accuracy of a wayside train wheel profile measurement system. This was accomplished by an evaluation of the contact-point function for the wheel–rail interface. The wheel profile measurement system in question generates data about the wheel profiles of passing trains. These data are used for improving the wheel maintenance procedures for the rolling stock operator. Recent work shows that there are differences between the data from the two different units in the system, but how this influences further use of the data, e.g. in wheel–rail contact analysis, has not been investigated so far. Accordingly, this article shows how two key wheel measures (the wheel flange thickness and the wheel profile) impact on the contact-point function and which of these measures has the largest impact on the contact-point function. The data used in this study were generated by two different measurement units for the same wheel and with the same wheel status. The results show that the different units produce different results and that these differences are more prominent when a difference in the flange thickness is detected, with a resulting shift of the front side of the flange and of the tread. With no difference in the flange thickness, i.e. no shift of the front side of the flange and of the tread, a difference was still detected in the contact conditions. Furthermore, this investigation shows that the shape of the tread has a greater impact on the contact-point conditions compared to a change in the flange thickness of up to 2.5 mm. This difference in the tread shape could have originated in measurement noise or different wheel measurement positions. The results of the study also show the importance of managing the measurement quality before using the data, for example for maintenance decisions.
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5. |
- Carlberger, Andreas, 1992, et al.
(author)
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An iterative methodology for the prediction of dynamic vehicle–track interaction and long-term periodic rail wear
- 2018
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In: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit. - : SAGE Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 232:6, s. 1718-1730
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In this study, a versatile numerical method for the prediction of long-term growth of rail roughness is presented and its functionality is demonstrated for the development of rail corrugation on small radius curves. The procedure includes two sub-modules: (1) a time-domain model for the simulation of dynamic vehicle–track interaction in a wide range of frequencies by using a commercial software for multibody dynamics and (2) a post-calculation of sliding wear based on the Archard’s model in combination with a non-Hertzian and transient wheel–rail contact model. The structural flexibility of the wheelset is accounted for by using the finite element method. The rail wear generated by a large number of passing trains is assessed by recurrently updating the rail surface based on the wear depth calculated in each post- processing step. The current work sets out from a previous study in which a model for the prediction of long-term growth of rail roughness on small radius curves was developed in a general-purpose programming language. By transfer- ring the model into a commercial software, the aim is to develop an engineering tool that is more applicable for different operational conditions, such as various vehicle and track designs and track alignments. The proposed method is verified by comparing the simulation results against those obtained with the pre-existing software. Conditions similar to a 120 m radius curve on the Stockholm metro exposed to corrugation growth on the low rail are considered. The corrugation is found to be generated by the leading wheelsets. The prevailing wavelength-fixing mechanisms are identified and discussed.
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6. |
- Casanueva, Carlos, 1981-, et al.
(author)
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On integrated wheel and track damage prediction using vehicle-track dynamic simulations
- 2017
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In: Proceedings of the Institution of mechanical engineers. Part F, journal of rail and rapid transit. - : Sage Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 231:7, s. 775-785
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The renewal costs for wheels and rails are a substantial part of the costs for rolling stock operators and infrastructure managers all over the world. The causes for reprofiling or grinding are, in most cases, related to the following: (1) wheel or rail profiles with unacceptable wear, (2) appearance of rolling contact fatigue cracks in the surface, and (3) wheel flats caused by locking wheels during braking. The first two causes are related to the dynamic behavior of the vehicle-track system, and can be predicted using multibody simulations. However, there are several limitations that restrain the usefulness of these prediction techniques, such as simulation time constraints, necessary simplifications, and lack of experimental data that lead to educated assumptions. In this paper, we take the end-user perspective in order to show whether the latest developments in wheel-rail damage prediction can be integrated in a simplified framework, and subsequently used by the different stakeholders for an improved management of the different assets involved in the operation of rail vehicles.
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7. |
- Cha, Yingying, 1989-, et al.
(author)
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Indoor and outdoor measurement of airborne particulates on a commuter train running partly in tunnels
- 2018
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In: Proceedings of the Institution of mechanical engineers. Part F, journal of rail and rapid transit. - : Sage Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 232:1, s. 3-13
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Wear processes from mechanical braking, rail/wheel contact, the railway electrification system and re-suspended materials due to the turbulence of passing trains in tunnels and stations have been suggested to be the main contributors to particulate matter levels inside trains. In this study, onboard monitoring was performed on a commuter train stopping at underground and aboveground stations. The concentration and size distribution of particulates were monitored for both indoor and outdoor levels. The results show that the levels of PM10 and PM2.5 inside the train were about one-fifth of the outdoor levels. Significant increases in indoor particulate number concentrations were observed in tunnel environments and there was a slight increase when the doors were open. Differences in the size distributions of micro- and nano-sized particulates could be identified for different tunnels.
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8. |
- Deuce, Roger, et al.
(author)
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Mechanical deterioration of wheels and rails under winter conditions – mechanisms and consequences
- 2019
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In: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit. - : SAGE Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 233:6, s. 640-648
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study focuses on identifying and understanding the core phenomena behind winter-related issues with regard to railways. State-of-the-art knowledge regarding the mechanical deterioration of wheels and rails is employed to obtain a first estimation of the influence of the different phenomena and to find out under which circumstances they are influential. The interaction between these different phenomena is discussed, as this additional level of complexity is necessary to develop a complete understanding.
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9. |
- Famurewa, Stephen Mayowa, et al.
(author)
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Augmented utilisation of possession time : Analysis for track geometry maintenance
- 2016
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In: Proceedings of the Institution of mechanical engineers. Part F, journal of rail and rapid transit. - : SAGE Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 230:4, s. 1118-1130
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The demand for increased capacity on existing railway networks is a challenge for many Europe-based infrastructure managers; addressing this challenge requires augmented utilisation of track possession time. It is considered that large-scale maintenance tasks such as geometry maintenance can be improved; thus, reducing the on-track maintenance time and allowing more traffic. In this study, an analysis of track geometry maintenance was performed with the objective of reducing the required possession time. The procedure and models for planning and optimizing track geometry maintenance are presented. A statistical model that uses a simulation approach was used to determine the condition of the track geometry, and a schedule optimization problem was formulated to support intervention decisions and optimize the track possession time. The results of the case study show that optimizing the maintenance shift length and cycle length are opportunities to reduce the extent of track possession required for the maintenance of the track geometry. In addition, continuous improvement of the tamping process through lean analysis promises about a 45% reduction in the required possession time for a tamping cycle.
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10. |
- Famurewa, Stephen Mayowa, et al.
(author)
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Optimisation of maintenance track possession time : A tamping case study
- 2015
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In: Proceedings of the Institution of mechanical engineers. Part F, journal of rail and rapid transit. - : SAGE Publications. - 0954-4097 .- 2041-3017. ; 229:1, s. 42726-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Optimum allocation and efficient utilisation of track possession time are becoming important topics in railway infrastructure management due to increasing capacity demands. This development and other requirements of modern infrastructure management necessitate the improvement of planning and scheduling of large-scale maintenance activities such as tamping. It is therefore necessary to develop short-, medium- and long-term plans for performing tamping on a network or track section within a definite time horizon. To this end, two key aspects of infrastructure maintenance planning are considered in this paper, deterioration modelling and scheduling optimisation. An exponential deterioration function is applied to model the geometry quality of a series of 200 m segments of a 130 km line section, and an empirical model for recovery after tamping intervention is developed. These two models are subsequently used to generate a methodology to optimise a schedule for tamping intervention by minimising the total cost of intervention including the cost of track possession while geometry quality is ascertained to be within a desirable limit. The modelling considers two types of tamping interventions, preventive and corrective, with different intervention limits and tamping machines. The result of this paper suggests a tamping plan which will lead to optimum allocation of track possession time while maintaining the track geometry quality within specified limits.
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