The Effect of Air Pressure in the Electric Train’s (KRL) Braking System on Wheel Damage

Abstract

A flat wheel is a kind of wheel damage occurring when the train wheels are dragged along the rail as the axle wheel’s rotation stops. The wheels will skid when the brake block force is greater than the train force. The equation for the wheel skid is (Fbrake > Ftrain), this applies when the wheels stop rotating, but the train still moves so that a flat spotmay appear. This study finds that the electric trains from the JR 205 seriesthat has many flat spots on its wheels are the M trains (70%). It also reveals that the percentage of the brake block pressure in the unloaded KRL is 130.4%. Provided that ɳ>ɳmax (100%), this condition does not meet the standard of the International Union of Railway or Union Internationale des Chemis de Fer (UIC). If the percentage of the brake block pressure (ɳ) exceeds 100%, the braking force will be greater than that of the axle load and this causes the skid. To overcome this condition, rechecking the braking force and providing additional equipment are needed to assure that the air pressure is controlled.