The objective of this research is to improve the railcar/rail truck interface by developing a low maintenance bearing interface with a favorable friction coefficient. Friction and wear at the center bowl/center plate bearing interface cause high turning moments around curved track, wear of truck components, and increased detrimental dynamic effects. The recommended improvement of the rail truck interface is a set of two steel inserts, one concave and one convex, that can be retrofit to center bowls/center plates. The insert geometry addresses concerns about maintaining favorable pressure distribution on existing components, minimizing overall height increase to accommodate existing infrastructure, and retaining railcar stability. The stability of the railcar upon the design inserts has been ensured when the instantaneous center of rotation of the railcar body is above the railcar center of gravity. The damping ratio provided by the frictional moment within center bowl is 240 and eliminates the possibility of dynamic amplification. Using a 90 inch radius of curvature ensures stability and requires a 0.5 inch diameter reduction of the existing center plate for a gap of 1/16 inch. The increase in railcar height for the specific design is 0.71 inches which can be absorbed by either grinding of the center plate or new manufacturing dimensions. The design is feasible for small travel values corresponding to small vertical gaps at the side bearings. In addition to geometry alterations, the bearing surfaces are coated with a protective metallic layer. The literature suggests that optimum friction coefficients between bearing elements in the center bowl/center plate interface may reduce turning moments of the truck, wear of truck components, and detrimental dynamic effects such as hunting. Axial-torsional tests determined friction coefficient estimates and wear properties for a matrix of various metallic protective coatings and steel. Tungsten carbide-cobalt-chrome has a favorable coefficient of 0.3 under standard center bowl/center plate contact conditions.

This thesis investigates the development of an automated fault detection system developed for a novel lightweight railway material haulage system; in particular, the study aims to detect railway track faults at the incipient stage to determine the feasibility of maintenance decision support, ultimately with the function of preventing catastrophic failure. The proposed approach is an extension of the current state of the art in fault detection of unsteady machinery. The most common railway track faults associated with train derailment were considered; namely, horizontal and transverse crack propagation, mechanical looseness, and railbed washout were the faults of interest. A series of field experiments were conducted to build a database of vibration, speed, and localization data in healthy and faulted states. These data were used to develop, investigate, and validate the effectiveness of various approaches for fault detection. A variety of feature sets and classification approaches were investigated to determine the best overall configuration for the fault detector. The feature sets were used to condense data segments and extract characteristics that were sensitive to damage, but insensitive to healthy variations due to unsteady operation. The pattern recognition classifiers were used to categorize new data members as belonging to the healthy class or faulted class. The fault detection results from the proposed approach were promising. The feasibility of an automated online fault detection system for the lightweight material haulage system examined in this study was confirmed. The conclusions of this research outline the major potential for an iv effective fault detection system and address future work for the practical implementation of this system.

Prior to 1980, the practice in multilevel autorack management was to load the railcars at various origin points, ship them to the destination ramps, unload them, and then return each car to the loading point where it originated. Recognizing the inefficiency of such a practice with respect to the fleet size that had to be maintained, and the associated poor utilization due to the excessive empty miles logged, a consolidation of the railcars was initiated and completed by February 1982. Under this pooling program, a central management was established to control the repositioning of three types of empty railcars for eight principal automobile manufacturers. Today, the practice is to consolidate the fleets of all automobile manufacturers for each equipment type, and to solve the distribution problem of repositioning empty multilevel autoracks of each type from points at which they are unloaded to automobile assembly facilities where they need to be reloaded. Each such problem is referred to in the railroad industry as a repositioning scenario. In this dissertation, we present two tactical models to assist in the task of centrally managing the distribution of empty railcars on a day-to-day basis for each repositioning scenario. These models take into account various practical issues such as uncertainties, priorities with respect to time and demand locations, multiple objectives related to minimizing different types of latenesses in delivery, and blocking issues. It is also of great practical interest to the central management team to have the ability to conduct various sensitivity analyses in its operation. Accordingly, the system provides for the capability to investigate various what-if scenarios such as fixing decisions on running a specified block of cars (control orders) along certain routes as dictated by business needs, and handling changes in supplies, demands, priorities, and transit time characteristics. Moreover, the solution methodology provides a flexible decision-making capability by permitting a series of runs based on a sequential decision-fixing process in a real-time operational mode. A turn-around response of about five minutes per scenario (on a Pentium PC or equivalent) is desired in practice. This dissertation begins by developing several progressive formulations that incorporate many practical considerations in the empty railroad car distribution planning system. We investigate the performance of two principal models in this progression to gain more insights into the implementation aspects of our approach. The first model (TDSS1: Tactical Decision Support System-1) considers all the identified features of the problem except for blocking, and results in a network formulation of the problem. This model examines various practical issues such as time and demand location-based priorities as well as uncertainty in data within a multiple objective framework. In the second model (TDSS2: Tactical Decision Support System-2), we add a substantial degree of complexity by addressing blocking considerations. Enforcement of block formation renders the model as a network flow problem with side-constraints and discrete side-variables. We show how the resulting mixed-integer-programming formulation can be enhanced via some partial convex hull constructions using the Reformulation-Linearization Technique (RLT). This tightening of the underlying linear programming relaxation is shown to permit the solution of larger problem sizes, and enables the exact solution of certain scenarios having 5,000 - 8,000 arcs. However, in order to accommodate the strict run-time limit requirements imposed in practice for larger scenarios having about 150,000 arcs, various heuristics are developed to solve this problem. In using a combination of proposed strategies, 23 principal heuristics, plus other hybrid variants, are composed for testing. By examining the performance of various exact and heuristic procedures with respect to speed of operation and the quality of solutions produced on a test-bed of real problems, we prescribe recommendations for a production code to be used in practice. Besides providing a tool to aid in the decision-making process, a principal utility of the developed system is that it provides the opportunity to conduct various what-if analyses. The effects of many of the practical considerations that have been incorporated in TDSS2 can be studied via such sensitivity analyses. A special graphical user interface has been implemented that permits railcar distributors to investigate the effects of varying supplies, demands, and routes, retrieving railcars from storage, diverting en-route railcars, and exploring various customer or user-driven fixed dispositions. The user has the flexibility, therefore, to sequentially compose a decision to implement on a daily basis by using business judgment to make suggestions and studying the consequent response prompted by the model. This system is currently in use by the TTX company, Chicago, Illinois, in order to make distribution decisions for the railroad and automobile industries. The dissertation concludes by presenting a system flowchart for the overall implemented approach, a summary of our research and provides recommendations for future algorithmic enhancements based on Lagrangian relaxation techniques. NOTE: (03/2011) An updated copy of this ETD was added after there were patron reports of problems with the file. / Ph. D.

This study proposes various methods to harvest the mechanical energy present in railcar suspensions and railroad tracks to generate electricity that is suitable for onboard or trackside electronics, using electromagnetic generators. Compact electromagnetic energy harvesters that can be installed onboard railcars or wayside on railroad tracks are designed, fabricated, and tested. The designs integrate a mechanical motion rectifier (MMR) with embedded one-way clutches in the bevel gears in order to convert the bi-directional mechanical energy that commonly exists in the form of vibrations into a unidirectional rotation of the generator. The ball screw mechanism is configured such that it has reduced backlash and thus can more efficiently harvest energy from low-amplitude vibrations. Two prototype harvesters are fabricated and tested extensively in the laboratory using a suspension dynamometer and in the field onboard a railcar and on a test track. A power management system with an energy storage circuit has also been developed for this onboard harvester. The laboratory evaluation indicate that the harvesters are capable of harvesting power with sufficient current and voltage for successfully powering light electronics or charging a low demand battery pack. The harvested power varies widely from a few to tens of Watts, depending on the resistive load across the harvester and the amplitude and frequency of the mechanical motion. The laboratory test results are verified through field testing. One harvester is tested onboard a freight railcar, placing it across the wedge suspension, to use the small amount of relative displacement at the wedge suspension to harvest energy. A second harvester is placed on a test track to use the vertical motion that occurs due to passing wheels for wayside energy harvesting. Both onboard and wayside tests confirm the laboratory test results in terms of the success of the design concept in providing low-power electrical power. The harvester design is further integrated into a conventional railroad tie for ease of field installation and for improving the efficiency of harvesting the mechanical energy at the rail. The integrated design, referred to as the "smart tie," not only protects the energy harvester, the wiring harness, and supporting electronics from the maintenance-of-the-way equipment, but also positions the harvester in a mechanically advantageous position that can maximize the track-induced motion, and hence the harvested power. Although for testing purposes, the smart tie uses a modified composite tie, it can be integrated into other track tie arrangements that are used for revenue service track, including concrete and wooden ties. A prototype smart tie is fabricated for laboratory testing, and the results nearly surpass the results obtained earlier from the wayside harvester. The smart tie is currently being considered for revenue service field testing over an extended length of time, potentially at a railroad mega site or similarly suitable location. / Doctor of Philosophy / This dissertation proposes three different electromagnetic energy harvesters for harvesting railroad track and railcar suspension vibration energy. The concept is similar to what you may have seen in self-powering flashlights that are often advertised in late-night TV commercials. You shake the flashlight vigorously, which moves an energy harvester devoice and, Voila, the light bulb comes on. The device design in this study uses the mechanical energy that is present in a vehicle or at a railroad track to harvest the mechanical energy that is naturally present in the form of electrical energy, which can then be used for powering electronic devices and sensors of various kinds. Such sensors and electronics would help with improving the operational efficiency of railroads. The energy harvesters can be installed onboard a railcar or at the track. In either case, the movement of the train creates a small amount of vibration energy that is turned into electrical power. When onboard a train the power can be used for sensors, GPS, and similar devices to allow the operator to better monitor the condition and location of the train. Note that most railcars, especially the freight railcars, do not have any onboard electrical power. Similarly, the energy harvester can be installed at the track to convert the small amount of up and down motion that happens with the passing of each wheel into energy that could be used for integration of sensors that make the track "smarter." This means that the sensors can potentially alert the engineers who are responsible for monitoring the track of an existing or impending problem with the track. Both the railcar and track integration of the energy harvester that is designed, fabricated, and tested during this study are exciting concepts that can improve the rail industry in the U.S. This document includes the details of designing efficient energy harvesters, specifically for rail applications. A prototype of the energy harvester is fabricated and tested extensively in the lab and in the field, albeit to a more limited extent. The test results were quite successful, which is why I am telling you about them! Both the laboratory and field test results show that the device holds significant promise for rail applications.

This research assesses the design and track operation of a track crawler robot (TCR) for practical and easy inspection of stationary railcars' undercarriages in an effort to detect any pending failures or assess any security risk of out-of-sight objects. The research leverages against a robot available at the Railway Technologies Laboratory (RTL) of Virginia Tech and offers improvements to the structure, drive system, imaging devices, and operator remote control to improve the speed, track maneuverability, and duty cycle of the robot. The TCR includes a drive system consisting of two AC motors that operate a track (like tank tracks). It further includes two GoPro® cameras, light system, and onboard power for approximately one hour of maximum power operation. The details of the TCR design are introduced through its operational requirements, which guided its initial design. The specific design configurations are used to derive the applicable parameters essential for track operation of the robot. The TCR's subsystems are evaluated individually to assess their strengths and weaknesses, which are then used to guide the specific tasks in improving the overall system's performance. The details of the required modifications are included for the imaging, lighting, control, frame structure, and mobility subsystems. For each subsystem, test results are used to engineer workable solutions for overcoming the shortcomings or implementing additional functionality. The redesigned system is further evaluated through testing to assess the improvements due to modifications. Beyond laboratory tests, a final assessment of the system was done on a branch line and mainline track, both with great success. The recorded images and operational evaluation of the TCR prove it to be a valuable inspection tool for the railroads to inspect out-of-sight undercarriage components of stationary trains in a railyard or siding, to identify any failed or nearly-failed equipment before they develop into a major or out-of-compliance issue. The TCR also promises to be useful for security agencies to easily and efficiently inspect trains entering secured areas to uncover any suspicious devices. / Master of Science / This study aims to develop a Track Crawler Robot (TCR) that can assist train operators and security agencies to inspect the undercarriage of trains efficiently and effectively, to detect any pending failure, or to uncover suspicious devices that are not visible train-side. Every day in railyards across the U.S., trains are assembled out of railcars loaded with cargo. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) stipulates that each train must be visually inspected before they are allowed to depart to their destination. The undercarriage is difficult, time-consuming, and hazardous to inspect, requiring the inspector to stoop down and partially climb beneath the train. Additionally, the extended length of the trains—some, as long as two miles—and the many components that are part of each railcar makes the inspection an arduous task, and at times leads to missed failures particularly for out-of-site components underneath the carriage. Highly advanced track-mounted vision systems are offered as the means for inspecting trains while in revenue-service operation. Although effective, such systems are expensive and can only inspect the trains passing by their location. Not all trains would pass by the inspection site, and it is possible for a train to pass the site and develop a failure afterward that goes undetected until the next inspection. This research develops a cost-effective, mobile platform, called TCR, that can aid in the undercarriage inspection of stationary railcars. The TCR includes a drive system consisting of two AC motors that operate a track (like tank tracks). It further includes two GoPro® cameras, light system, and onboard power for approximately one hour of maximum power operation. The system gives the inspector a bird's eye view of the undercarriage without the need for a person to crawl in between the tracks. Many tests are conducted to assess the operation of the TCR and make improvements to it to make its captured images clearer and increase its agility and maneuverability. The tests prove to be remarkably successfully, and they confirm TCR's utility for the FRA-mandated train inspections required from the railroads and security inspections desired by the law enforcement and military.

Godstransporter på väg förväntas öka avsevärt i framtiden om inga åtgärder vidtas. Politiska beslutfattare är medvetna om att situationen inte är hållbar och föreslår en bättre användning av alternativa transporter, vilket innefattar järnvägstransporter i en intermodal transport. Genom ett intermodalt system går det att uppnå kostnadsbesparingar och ett högre nyttjande av järnvägstransporter eftersom intermodala transporter möjliggör kombinationen av de specifika fördelar som varje transportslag har. Denna studie undersöker befintliga problem med implementeringen av intermodala transporter och vad det finns för alternativa lösningar som potentiellt kan främja intermodala transporter. Studien tar utgångspunkt i tidigare forskning om intermodala transporter och empirisk insamlat material från intervjupersoner inom branschen samt relevant data från rapporter. Det framkommer problem vid omlastningen och vid framkomligheten på järnvägen vilket har en negativ påverkan på kostnaden, tillförlitligheten samt snabbheten av transporten. Det framkommer även att flera transportrelationer och en högre frekvens av tjänster är en förutsättning för att intermodala transporter ska kunna producera kortare transporttider. Utmaningen med flera transportförhållanden i Sverige har varit att nyttjandegraden vid terminaler har varit låg eftersom det inte finns ett tillräckligt högt flöde mellan dessa relationer för att skapa en lönsamhet. Tågoperatörer anser att en högre hastighet och en högre lastvikt skulle innebära en ökad konkurrenskraft på marknaden. En högre hastighet och en högre lastvikt skulle även innebära en högre framkomlighet och en större mängd gods per transport. Omlastningen skulle dock fortfarande påverka tillförlitligheten och flexibiliteten negativt. Studien har undersökt Flexiwaggon som en alternativ intermodal transportlösning som potentiellt kan främja intermodala transporter. Flexiwaggon är likt den alternativa transportlösningen RoLa vars vision är att flytta vägtransporter till järnvägen. Gemensamt för båda lösningar är att främja användandet av intermodala transporter. Flexiwaggon visar potential vid omlastningen på grund av flexibiliteten genom den automatiserade omlastningstekniken. Detta betyder potentiellt besparande på terminal, personal och tillhörande omlastning utrustning. Det som talar emot Flexiwaggon är investeringskostnaden av vagnlösningen. Tågoperatörer investerar ofta i hela tågsätt och skulle behöva byta ut sitt befintliga tågsätt vilket minskar tågoperatörernas incitament för en alternativ intermodal transportlösning som Flexiwaggon eftersom kostnaden blir hög. / Road freight transport is expected to increase significantly in the future if no action is taken. Policymakers are aware that the situation is not sustainable and propose better use of alternative transport, which includes rail transport in intermodal transport. An intermodal system makes it possible to achieve cost savings and higher use of rail transport, as intermodal transport enables the combination of the specific advantages of each mode of transport. This study examines existing problems with the implementation of intermodal transport and what alternative solutions exist that could potentially promote intermodal transport. The study is based on previous research on intermodal transport and empirical collected material from interviewees in the industry as well as relevant data from reports. Problems emerge during transhipment and accessibility on the railway, which has a negative impact on the cost, reliability and speed of transport. It also emerges that several transport relationships and a higher frequency of services are a prerequisite for intermodal transport to produce shorter transport times. The challenge with several transport conditions in Sweden has been that the utilization rate at terminals has been low because there is not a sufficiently high flow between these relationships to create profitability. Train operators believe that a higher speed and a higher load weight would mean increased competitiveness in the market. A higher speed and a higher load weight would also mean greater accessibility and a greater amount of goods per transport. However, the transshipment would still have a negative impact on reliability and flexibility. The study has investigated Flexiwaggon as an alternative intermodal transport solution that could potentially promote intermodal transport. Flexiwaggon is similar to the alternative transport solution RoLa whose vision is to move road transport to the railway. Common to both solutions is to promote the use of intermodal transport. Flexiwaggon shows potential in transhipment due to the flexibility of automated transhipment technology. This means potential saving on terminal, personnel and associated transhipment equipment. What speaks against Flexiwaggon is the investment cost of the wagon solution. Train operators often invest in entire trainsets and would need to replace their existing trainset, reducing train operators' incentives for an alternative intermodal transport solution such as Flexiwaggon as the cost is high.

Orientador: Auteliano Antunes dos Santos Júnior / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-24T19:33:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Fumes_FabianoGonzaga_M.pdf: 12049048 bytes, checksum: df4dc1dd45d74bbdc31c6a5893edd4fe (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: Este trabalho apresenta a comparação entre os diversos critérios de fadiga multiaxial de alto ciclo aplicados ao problema de contato roda-trilho. Para isto, é utilizado um modelo elastoplástico tridimensional de elementos finitos capaz de permitir o cálculo tanto das tensões geradas pelo rolamento de uma roda livre de tensões residuais de fabricação como de uma roda que contenha as tensões residuais provenientes do processo de tratamento térmico, obtidas através de uma simulação térmico-estrutural. Estes dois cenários são avaliados segundo critérios de fadiga multiaxial baseados tanto em planos críticos, como Dang Van, Matake e McDiarmid, quanto nos baseados em invariantes do tensor de tensões, como Sines, Crossland e Kakuno Kawada. Pela natureza da fadiga de contato, que não possui condição de vida infinita, é estimado para cada critério um número de ciclos para o aparecimento das trincas. Como resultado, observa-se que para alguns critérios como Dang Van, Sines e Kakuno-Kawada, a vida em fadiga é beneficiada pelo processo de tratamento térmico, enquanto para os demais, as tensões residuais de fabricação provocam uma redução no número de ciclos para o aparecimento das trincas / Abstract: This work presents a comparison of different high cycle multiaxial fatigue criteria, applied to wheel- rail contact. For this, it is used a three-dimensional elastoplastic finite element model able to calculate stresses generated by the rolling of a wheel free of residual stresses from manufacturing process and also by a wheel containing the residual stresses from heat treatment process, generated by a thermal-structural simulation. These two scenarios are evaluated according to multiaxial fatigue criteria based on critical planes, as Dang Van, Matake and McDiarmid, and also based on the invariants of the stress tensor, as Sines, Crossland and Kakuno Kawada. Due to the nature of rolling contact fatigue, which has no condition of infinite life, a number of cycles for crack appearance are estimated for each criterion. It can be notice that for some criteria, such as Dang Van, Sines and Kakuno-Kawada, fatigue life is benefited by the heat treatment process, while for others the residual stresses from manufacturing promote a reduction in the number of cycles / Mestrado / Mecanica dos Sólidos e Projeto Mecanico / Mestre em Engenharia Mecânica

This thesis deals with the design of the propulsion and braking system for narrow gauge railcar. It contains the design of hydrostatic drive system with closed-loop hydraulic circuit. Then thesis describes the concept of propulsion system placement in the frame of the railcar and design of the braking system.

Submitted by Maria Aparecida (cidazen@gmail.com) on 2017-08-16T14:43:36Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Osevaldo.pdf: 5559401 bytes, checksum: 1ce073c772c3403a0b7875f9f9a13ed9 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-16T14:43:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Osevaldo.pdf: 5559401 bytes, checksum: 1ce073c772c3403a0b7875f9f9a13ed9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-02-09 / FAPEMA, CAPES / This work leads to the modeling and implementation of a multi-agent application of faults selection and decision making for VALE’s rotary railcar dumpers. The work explore development approaches and knowledge-based achtectures aiming to SADDEM build, a multi-agent system applyed to decision making in ore unload cells. The particularities of cognitives agents structures are based on Jess inference engine in order to link decisions and maintain plans recommendations made by the system. The ontology is developed throught elicitation of information and knowledge during interviews and VV311-K01 car positioner set operating activities. The artifacts produced during the development clycle phases employs PASSI methodology technics, Artificial Intelligence and support engineering to software development using JADE framework. The real time module is linked to the software of supervision and monitoring of the unloading cell productions of VALE. / Este trabalho apresenta a modelagem e implementação de um aplicação multiagente para a seleção de falhas e tomada de decisão em viradores de vagões da VALE. A proposta investiga abordagens de desenvolvimento e arquiteturas baseadas no conhecimento para criação do SADDEM, um sistema multiagente aplicado ao apoio a decisão em células de descarga de minério. As particularidades das estruturas cognitivas de agentes são baseadas no mecanismo inferência Jess, objetivando encadear decisões e recomendações de planos de manutenção feitas pelo sistema. A ontologia do sistema é elaborada por meio das informações e conhecimento eliciados durante entrevista e atividades operacionais referentes ao conjunto carro posicionador observadas no equipamento virador de vagões VV311- K01. Os artefatos produzidos durante as fases do ciclo de desenvolvimento têm a aplicação das técnicas da metodologia PASSI, Inteligência Artificial e das engenharias de apoio ao desenvolvimento de software com uso do framework JADE. O módulo de tempo real do sistema está vinculado ao software de supervisão e monitoramento das células de produção do setor de descarga de minério da VALE.

Ausgangspunkt der Untersuchung ist die Frage, ob Hybridkonzepte auf hydrostatischer Grundlage eine realistische Alternative zu elektrohybriden Antriebskonfigurationen für Dieseltriebwagen sein können. Die Untersuchung dieser Fragestellung erfolgt mit Hilfe von Simulationsmodellen, die auf der 1-d-Simulationsumgebung Imagine.Lab AMESim beruhen. Zunächst wird die fahrdynamische und antriebstechnische Modellierung eines dieselhydraulischen Regionaltriebwagens unter Berücksichtigung einer energiesparenden Fahrweise dargestellt. Ausgehend von Massenbilanzen werden untereinander vergleichbare Hybridkonfigurationen auf hydrostatischer (Gasdruckspeicher), elektrostatischer (Doppelschichtkondensatoren) und elektrochemischer (Li-Ionen-Speicher) Basis entwickelt. Die Modellierung der hydraulischen und elektrischen Antriebsstränge wird eingehend diskutiert. Die abgeleiteten Hybridkonfigurationen werden anschließend bezüglich spezieller Fahrspiele und Betriebskonzepte detailliert untersucht, um auf dieser Grundlage günstige Parametrierungen der Systeme ableiten und die günstigste Betriebsstrategie identifizieren zu können. Anschließend wird eine umfangreiche Analyse des Verhaltens der verschiedenen Hybridkonfigurationen auf ausgewählten realen Nahverkehrsstrecken vorgenommen. Im Rahmen der durchgeführten Simulationen wird schließlich das Kraftstoffeinsparpotential in Abhängigkeit von Streckenprofil, Hybridkonfiguration und Zugart ermittelt und verglichen.