Development and Testing of a Railway Bridge Weigh-in-Motion System

This study describes the development and testing of a railway bridge weigh-in-motion (RB-WIM) system. The traditional bridge WIM (B-WIM) system developed for road bridges was extended here to calculate the weights of railway carriages. The system was tested using the measured response from a test bridge in Poland, and the accuracy of the system was assessed using statically-weighed trains. To accommodate variable velocity of the trains, the standard B-WIM algorithm, which assumes a constant velocity during the passage of a vehicle, was adjusted and the algorithm revised accordingly. The results showed that the vast majority of the calculated carriage weights fell within ±5% of their true, statically-weighed values. The sensitivity of the method to the calibration methods was then assessed using regression models, trained by different combinations of calibration trains

Weighing-in-motion wireless system for sustainable railway transport

Railway transport is well known as one of the safest and most energy-efficient transport modes, thus favoring its strengthening as part of a sustainable transport system. Yet, the track service life and the quality of the ride on a railway are dependent upon different factors, which can be assessed by a diverse set of technology based systems. In this context, this paper presents the EVO4Rail project that seeks to design, develop and implement a wireless monitoring system for weighing-in-motion and detecting faulty wheels in railway vehicles, positively impacting railway operation, maintenance and management, ultimately aiming at a sustainable rail transport.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Brake Strategy Analysis for Industrial Normal-closed Brake Based on Rotational Inertia Test and Simulation

Industrial brakes pose the dilemma of weighing brake capability against brake impact since the brake torque cannot be adjusted. On the one hand, the brake torque may be insufficient to stop the movement within a limited distance or parking position. On the other hand, the brake torque may be so high it can damage the transmission chain. In this study, the traditional brake strategy and the field oriented control (FOC) brake strategy were compared through simulation and a rotational inertia test. The influence of the rated brake torque and the open-closed ratio were obtained. Based on the test and simulation results, a semi-empirical formula that defines the relationship between relative brake capability and open-closed ratio was developed. Additional simulations were performed to analyze the performance of the brake in a flexible transmission chain. As an industrial application example, the benefits and the cost of a 'smart brake' based on the FOC brake strategy were analyzed. The results indicate that the equivalent brake torque with the FOC brake strategy is a function of the real-time controllable input and open-closed ratio, which can be conducted during the braking procedure. This can be an efficient way to solve the above problems

Pre-study of Dynamic Amplification Factor for Existing Road Bridges

The Swedish Road network has, since 2018, been divided into four bearing capacity classes (BKs)—BK1–BK4. The heaviest allowed gross vehicle weight increased when BK4 was introduced, from 64 tonnes (BK1) to 74 tonnes (BK4). The Swedish Transport Administration aims, by 2025, to classify 60 % of the strategic road network for the heavy transport industry as BK4, increasing to 70–80 % by 2029. However, to reach these goals, it is estimated that over 700 bridges will need to be strengthened or replaced.This study, using a site-specific investigation to calculate the assessment dynamic ratio (ADR), showed that some of these bridges could be upgraded to BK4. A review of the literature indicated that light vehicles tend to have high dynamic amplification factors (DAFs), but light vehicles do not have critical load effects and are therefore not relevant from a design perspective. Instead, heavy vehicles are critical for the design. Both experimental and analytical investigations have shown that heavy gross vehicle weights result in low DAF values.This report proposes effective ways to collect site-specific dynamic traffic load information and a methodology to produce site-specific dynamic allowances using both experimental measurements and numeric models. It also explains how this methodology can be adopted by transportation agencies to study bridges along transport corridors.Findings from the pre-study have resulted in the following research proposals: sitespecific field measurements to quantify DAFs, guidelines for numerical modelling of vehicle–bridge interactions (VBIs), DAF for each limit state, three–dimensional analysis of VBIs, the introduction of gross vehicle weight into DAF equations, and pilot tests of proposed frameworks for transport corridors. The authors believe that several topics can be covered within the framework of a PhD project

Monitoring systems for railways freight vehicles

Monitoring systems are a key tool to improve the safety of railway vehicles and to support maintenance activities. Their on-board application on railway vehicles is currently well established on newly built passenger vehicles, while their use on freight vehicles is not yet sufficiently widespread. This is due to the complex management of the operating procedures of the freight wagons, to the substantial impact of the cost of these systems compared to the cost of the wagon and to the common lack of electrification on freight wagons. This work illustrates the characteristics of a monitoring system developed at Politecnico di Torino and previously installed on freight vehicles and operationally tested as regards the detection of accelerations and temperatures as diagnostic parameters. This system has been improved by adding diagnostics of the vehicle braking system, in order to detect anomalies during braking operations and to support maintenance procedures. The activity described in the present work aims to identify, beyond the specific diagnostic system that has been implemented, the basic characteristics that a modern monitoring system, intended to be installed on railway freight wagons, should feature. The new version of the monitoring system that has been developed at Politecnico di Torino has been preliminarily tested on a scaled roller-rig in order to monitor the braking system even in abnormal operating conditions, which would be difficult to reproduce safely on a real vehicle. The monitoring system is equipped with an axle generator capable of autonomously supporting its operation, and it is also provided with a diagnostic information processing system and communication protocols to send outside this information

Development of a very light rail vehicle

The collaborative very light rail project involves the development of a novel railcar designed to revolutionise the rail industry: a self-powered, Very Light Rail (VLR) vehicle. Each of the two bogies contains a complete diesel-electric series-hybrid drive system, whilst the whole vehicle has undergone significant lightweighting activity to realise a target weight of less than 18 tonnes, or 1 tonne per linear meter. The target cost is £500,000, which is to be achieved through the use of standardised, modular components, and appropriate materials and structural design methodologies. The research covers several aspects of the GB Rail Technical Strategy (RTS) chapter relating to Rolling Stock. Lightweighting leads to a reduction in the propulsion requirements and reduces the infrastructure installation and maintenance costs. The use of higher efficiency drive systems achieved through on-board energy systems enables a reduction in carbon emissions. These hybridisation activities improve the passenger experience through quieter operation, decreased vibration and the possible elimination of exhaust emissions in stations. Combining new drive systems with modular lightweight structures will lead to lower life-cycle costs and thus could enable the economical reopening of lines

Development of numerical and experimental tools for the simulation of train braking operations

L'abstract è presente nell'allegato / the abstract is in the attachmen

ICWIM8 - 8th Conference on Weigh-in-Motion - Book of proceedings

ICWIM8, 8th International Conference on Weigh-in-Motion, PRAGUE, TCHÈQUE, RÉPUBLIQUE, 20-/05/2019 - 24/05/2019The conference addresses the broad range of topics related to on-road and in-vehicle WIM technology, its research, installation and operation and use of mass data across variable end-uses. Innovative technologies and experiences of WIM system implementation are presented. Application of WIM data to infrastructure, mainly bridges and pavements, is among the main topics. However, the most demanding application is now WIM for enforcement, and the greatest challenge is WIM for direct enforcement. Most of the countries and road authorities should ensure a full compliance of heavy vehicle weights and dimensions with the current regulations. Another challenging objective is to extend the lifetimes of existing road assets, despite of increasing heavy vehicle loads and flow, and without compromising with the structural safety. Fair competition and road charging also require accurately monitoring commercial vehicle weights by WIM. WIM contributes to a global ITS (Intelligent Transport System) providing useful data on heavy good vehicles to implement Performance Based Standards (PBS) and Intelligent Access Programme (IAP, Australia) or Smart Infrastructure Access Programme (SIAP). The conference reports the latest research and developments since the last conference in 2016, from all around the World. More than 150 delegates from 33 countries and all continents are attending ICWIM8, mixing academics, end users, decision makers and WIM vendors. An industrial exhibition is organized jointly with the conference