Railway Carriage Research Articles

Energy efficiency and indoor thermal comfort of railway carriages: Development of an innovative passenger-centric-control framework for HVAC systems

The railway sector's energy impact is increasing, and this trend is expected to persist over the next decade. Particularly, the energy consumption of Heating Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems is significant among various services provided on board (30 % of total energy requirements) due to the rising attention to passengers' thermal comfort. In this framework, this research proposes an innovative method for enhancing indoor thermal comfort while also studying the associated energy consequences. It consists of an advanced passenger-centric-control framework for HVAC systems that prioritizes comfort, utilising optimized indoor air setpoints, which surpasses the rule-based control logic proposed by the existing standards. To analyse the proposed control framework, a novel mathematical model for the energy, economic, and environmental performance analyses of train HVAC systems, which can incorporate weather data associated with actual railway paths, is developed and validated. To prove the potential of the proposed method, a proof-of-concept analysis is conducted. In particular, for an existing railway coach operating in Italy, the standard and the innovative control logic are tested and compared. The results show an interesting thermal comfort hours increase (≃+1000 h) and energy savings (−27 % yearly), proving the benefits potentially achievable by adopting the proposed method.

Оценка влияния неровностей и модели рельсового пути на динамические качества грузового вагона

Objective: compare the requirements of documents RD 32.68-96 and PNST 511-2020 regarding the assignment of unevenness of rail threads during computer modeling of railway crews. To evaluate the influence of irregularities and the model of the rail track on the dynamic qualities of a freight car when moving along straight and curved sections. Methods: a review and analysis of various standards for calculated track irregularities (RD 32.68-96 and PNST 511-2020), as well as an assessment of the influence of the rail track model on dynamic qualities of a freight car, allowed to form the most representative calculation cases for modeling the movement of a railway carriage along a track of various designs (straight, curved sections) and conduct a study of the dynamics of a freight car in a specialized environment the Universal Mechanism software package. Results: a comparison of different regulatory documents used in the Russian Federation and the current standards for calculated track irregularities has been carried out. Computer modeling methods have been used to obtain histograms of various indicators for a universal gondola car mounted on bogies of model 18-100 when moving along a path of various designs. Practical importance: the obtained results of the work can later be used to develop the theoretical foundations of the national standard on railway track irregularities for modeling the movement of rolling stock.

Stages of formation of the interior of a modern passenger railway carriage: historical overview

Passenger transportation in rolling stock railway carriage on Russian railways in the last third of the 19th – early 21st centuries are considered from the point of view of comfort for passengers created by the arrangement of the railway carriage body. The distinctive features of the interior of passenger cars of classes I, II, III and IV in pre-revolutionary Russia (1872–1916) are considered. Comparison of the interior of cars of different classes on railways of the late 19th – early 20th centuries. With the interior of compartment and second-class carriages used for transportation in Soviet Russia, and carriages of modern Russia, allows us to trace the evolution of technological solutions in the internal arrangement of carriages.The characteristics of the main interior detail are given — the seating and lying areas for passengers, which is taken as the main indicator of comfort for passengers. The review of reference and historical data is supported by excerpts from works of Russian classical literature of the last third of the 19th century, and additional information about the seating areas for passengers.The emphasis is placed on the use of information about the interior of passenger cars of classes I, II, III and IV, drawn from works of Russian literature of the last third of the 19th century, as illustrative material, in the course of students mastering the topic “Roads of pre-revolutionary Russia” when studying the discipline “General course of railway transport” for higher and secondary vocational education programs.

A System of IoT Devices to Prevent the Underloading And Overloading of Railway Wagons

Coal transportation poses substantial obstacles for corporations such as Coal India Limited (CIL), including concerns with route selection, rehandling, precise weighing, demurrage costs, and underloading fines. CIL's failure to adopt optimal transportation routes has resulted in needless costs. Coal rehandling at depots has proven expensive, and there are disparities in coal transportation rates. The lack of weighbridges makes accurate weighing difficult, resulting in probable pilferage. Demurrage costs have been a financial hardship, and railway carriages underloaded have resulted in fines. To address these challenges, the proposed IoT solution seeks to reduce financial losses, improve operational efficiency, increase accountability, ensure regulatory compliance, provide real-time monitoring, automate alerts and penalties, improve communication, improve data security, provide multilingual support, and, ultimately, increase revenue. This idea aims to change coal transportation by increasing efficiency, transparency, and cost-effectiveness for CIL and the government. However, it incurs initial expenses and complications associated with IoT deployment, maintenance, and regulatory compliance. Keywords: CIL, IOT, efficiency, pilferage.

Electromagnetic Environment Assessment and Safety Research of Electrified High-Speed Railway Carriages

With the advent of modern, high-speed electrified rail systems, there has been increasing concern about electromagnetic safety in rail carriages. The aim of this study was to assess the electromagnetic safety of passengers on trains by utilizing advanced 3D electromagnetic simulation software. A comprehensive model of the electromagnetic environment experienced by passengers on a CR400AF train, specifically under the influence of catenary radiation, was constructed. We analyzed the magnetic field strength, electric field strength, and current density in the brains of 20 passengers in various positions in the train. The findings revealed that among the 20 passengers analyzed, the maximum and minimum magnetic induction intensity recorded in the brain were 8.41 and 0.01 μT, respectively. The maximum and minimum induced electric field intensities were 1110 and 10 μV/m, respectively. Lastly, the maximum and minimum induced current densities were 1200 and 10 μA/m2, respectively. The results show that when people ride on the CR400AF train, the magnetic induction intensity, induced electric field strength, and induced current density in the brain are below the recommended basic limits of exposure to power frequency electromagnetic fields in the guidelines of the International Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. The power frequency magnetic field generated by the catenary can be effectively shielded by the aluminum alloy car body. The final result of this study indicates that the electromagnetic exposure from the contact wire at the level 25 kV does not pose a threat to the health of passengers on the CR400AF train.

Mitigation of hanger pin failure in Pakistan railway carriage system by the application of COMSOL Multiphysics

The frequency of failures in hanger pins of Pakistan Railway carriages has risen to an alarming level. Such as hanger pins have become the reason for the highest number of cases regarding failures of Carriage and Wagons in Pakistan. The pins have been failing after only 3 months while the intended life of these pins was supposed to be 6 months at least. Previously we have been using rectangular cross-section cotter pins in the hanger brackets. Studies have shown that instead a circular cross-section cotter pin can make a major contribution to the lower the value of these fatigue stresses. In this study, we compute and perform the stress and fatigue analysis on the hanger pin assembly using Findley criterion. Findley criterion was used as it most closely resembled in the properties needed to carry out our desired simulation. COMSOL model is used to compute the stresses as well as do the fatigue analysis on the said model. Fatigue usage factor has been used in the COMSOL. The first part contains the analysis on the already in-effect hanger pins of rectangular cross-sectional area. While the second half contains analysis done by changing the cross-section to modified circular shaped hanger cotter pins. The new proposed material proved to have decreased the stresses induced in the components thus increasing its life.

ДИНАМИКА КОЛЕСНОЙ ПАРЫ ЭКИПАЖА ПРИ ОДНОВРЕМЕННОМ ДЕЙСТВИИ НА НЕЕ ПАРАМЕТРИЧЕСКОГО И КИНЕМАТИЧЕСКОГО ВОЗМУЩЕНИЙ

The results of studying the dynamic behaviour of a railway carriage wheelset, which is simultaneously affected by parametric and kinematic disturbances, are presented, namely the case of the wheelset movement on unequal track length with irregularities on the surface of rolling rails. It is established that the viscous friction force in the system creates a certain threshold for the parametric excitation coefficient. The paper shows that when studying the rolling stock dynamics, it is necessary to switch from the system paradigm of ordinary differential equations with constant coefficients to the paradigm of differential equations with variable (periodic) coefficients.

The extreme high cooling capacity thermoelectric cooler optimal design for kilowatts scale thermoelectric air-conditioner of high-speed railway carriage

In recent 20 years, the rapidly development of thermoelectric materials promotes thermoelectric s application in large scale cooling area, i.e. air-conditioner. To provide quiet working environment for the driver of high-speed railway, a kilowatt scale air-conditioner was designed. Firstly, a novel thermoelectric cooler with maximum cooling capacity of 450 W was designed with 199 thermoelectric elements, and the cooling performance were investigated under different cold and hot side heat exchange capacity. Second, the hot and cold side heat exchangers were optimized adopting genetic algorithm. Finally, a high coefficient of performance (COP) thermoelectric air conditioning (TEAC) system was designed for high-speed railway locomotive. The TEAC system comprising 16 TECs achieved a cooling capacity of 2342 W with a COP of 0.5 in cooling mode, and meets one 1HP TEAC requirements. The temperature field inside the locomotive was uniform and exhibited a linear correlation with the supplied air temperature. This research demonstrates the utility of high-power TEAC in high-speed railway carriages, providing valuable insights for the application of TEAC technology.

Wood Fibre Properties and Genetic Divergence in Haldina cordifolia (Roxb.) Ridsdale

Haldina cordifolia is a multipurpose tree species. It is one of the best Indian timbers suitable for flooring, panelling and for railway carriages. It is also suitable for pulp and paper, construction, window frames, furniture, bobbins, piano keys and rulers. Wood is also used for pencil manufacturing. Though many phyto-chemicals and pharmacological compounds have been identified from this tree species, the species has not been domesticated so far. ICFRE-Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, Coimbatore has initiated a tree improvement programme in this tree species since 2018 and plus trees numbering 141 have been selected from the state of Kerala. Eucalyptus spp., Casuarina spp., and Poplars are the major sources of wood pulp used by the paper industries in India. Efforts are being undertaken by various research institutions in India to find alternate indigenous tree species suitable for pulp. Therefore, a study was undertaken to understand the wood fibre properties of select Plus Trees of H. cordifolia. Wood samples collected from 30 select plus trees have been subjected to wood fibre analyses and genetic divergence studies. Wood specific gravity varied from 0.62 to 0.71. Various wood fibre ratios were also studied. Among the 30 Plus Trees studied, HC 01, HC 03, HC 04, HC 05, HC 18, HC 26 and HC 27 have registered ideal values for using them for paper making. The maximum value for broad sense heritability was recorded by Felting coefficient (0.75). Coefficient of fibre flexibility, Isenberg coefficient, Runkel’s ratio and Lumen diameter also registered reasonably higher values for H2. Application of Mahalanobis’ D2 statistics and Tocher’s clustering method resolved 30 Plus Trees into 6 clusters. The cluster strength varied from one in cluster 6 to 21 in cluster 1. The remaining 4 clusters contained two trees each. Genetic divergence studies have shown that Plus Trees namely, HC 22, HC 23, HC24, HC 27, HC 28, HC 29 and HC 30 could be utilized for further tree breeding programmes.

Маркетинговое исследование логистики железнодорожной перевозки грузов в съемных кузовах

Purpose: To create a portrait of a potential consumer and a target image of a new transport and logistics product — railway transportation of freight in swap bodies. Methods: Marketing tools of questionnaires, statistical processing and visualization of results have been used. Results: Based on the results of the work, the concept of a transport and logistics product with attributes that meet the needs of the target potential consumer has been formulated. Practical significance: The list of key parameters of a railway carriage for the transportation of swap bodies, swap bodies themselves, as well as additional services, which are fundamentally important for a potential consumer, have been identified. The results will be applied when the new design enters the market, as well as when “launching” a transport and logistics service for the freight transportation in swap bodies by rail.

A catastrophic high-speed train crash caused by a small-scale debris flow in China

On June 4, 2022, a D-series high-speed train was struck by a small-scale debris flow composed of landfill-based source materials in Guizhou, China. The accident caused two railway carriages to derail, killing the driver, and injuring 12 people; the remaining 132 passengers were evacuated. Based on the investigation, the debris flow was related to uncompacted waste soil produced during expressway construction above the railway. On the day of the accident, the region experienced a short period of heavy rainfall, which led to soil saturation and shear strength reduction. The unstable landfill provided the source materials for the debris flow. Impact analysis between moving trains and hazards such as debris flows is a useful tool to mitigate the propagation of adverse consequences. Few studies quantify the train impact probability from a real-time evaluation perspective. The effect of the application of an early warning system on the impact results has also been rarely studied. To better understand the debris flow event, and provide corresponding suggestions for improving the warning system based on the proposed impact probability, this study explored the basic characteristics of the debris flow based on multisource information and analyzed the initiation mechanisms: landsliding. A quantitative method considering timetable information for assessing the real-time impact probability between a moving train and runout materials along the track was developed. Analysis of the implementation of an early warning system showed that the impact probability between a moving train and on-track deposited materials was reduced given a shorter warning interval. A warning interval of 46 s and a working time between 8:00 and 20:00 could be reasonably suggested for early warning system applications in this case. The developed approach and relevant suggestions could facilitate the improvement in future early warning systems along railway lines.

БЕЗОПАСНАЯ ЭКСПЛУАТАЦИЯ ВАГОНОВ ПРИ НАЛИЧИИ НЕИСПРАВНОСТЕЙ

A study of various types of malfunctions in railway transport is conducted. Their critical impact on the safety of operation is evaluated. The research is aimed at studying statistical data on appearing failures and malfunctions both on rolling stock and on railway tracks. At high loads on mechanical components, the probability of various defects is high, which requires the most thorough study of the reliability of structural elements. Any deviation can lead to significant breakdowns and cause huge damage, especially for rolling stock for passenger transportation or transportation of dangerous goods. It is also necessary to predict the indicators of reliability and stability of the system to various impacts. In this regard, the study is aimed at evaluating the failures of railway systems and their critical impact on traffic safety. Despite such a great interest in the problems of evaluating and ensuring the safety of railway transport, there is still no unambiguous evaluation of the parameters of railway carriages and the track for the maximum stability coefficient, if exceeded, the train is highly likely to derail.

‘Our Chinese comrades are determined to split and struggle’. The influence of the Sino-Soviet split on technological cooperation between Hungary and China

ABSTRACT Using the case of a 1962 incident involving Hungarian railway experts in China, this article examines the relationship between political disputes and economic cooperation. It seeks to answer the questions of why, how and for how long could economic, and scientific and technological cooperation be maintained between Hungary, a country belonging to the Soviet sphere of interest, and China, which increasingly regarded the Soviet Union as an enemy, in a period of political disputes and deterioration of Sino-Soviet relations. Relying mainly on Hungarian archival documents, including minutes of HSWP Central Committee and Politburo meetings, Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports and analyses, and Ganz-MÁVAG files, the article argues that while the deterioration of Sino-Hungarian political relations went hand in hand with the worsening of Sino-Soviet relations, the break in trade, and scientific and technological cooperation, happened slower. Although, as political disputes escalated, the Chinese made interstate relations with the Soviet bloc countries increasingly difficult, the Beijing leadership sought to maintain partnerships in areas that it found beneficial for China’s economy. As the Sino-Hungarian economic and technological disputes fit into a larger Sino-Soviet political conflict, the article puts the case of Ganz-MÁVAG Locomotive and Railway Carriage Manufacturers and Mechanical Engineers Hungary in context by reviewing the process of deterioration of Sino-Soviet relations and its influence on Sino-Hungarian relations.

Integrated hydrogen and battery energy systems as emergency backup in electric trains

Moving towards sustainable transport by adopting alternative energy sources to traditional ones is, in these times more than ever, of fundamental importance for humanity. In this paper, the possibility of using fuel cell- and/or battery-based energy systems to replace the Diesel engine of a conventional electric train (the Hitachi Blues), is studied.Four different system configurations are proposed, all satisfying the common characteristic of being perfectly placed in rooms previously occupied by Diesel engines. Their sizing, layout and weight have been thoroughly discussed in the paper.Furthermore, to analyze the application limits of these configurations, their installation on an electric train running along a real railway line in the Calabria region (Italy) was simulated. To size the components and define the layout of the plant, computer-aided design software (CAD 3D) was used, starting from the original construction drawings of the railway carriages. Numerical and dynamic zero-dimensional simulations were implemented to evaluate the performance rating of the systems. Among the tested powertrains, two of the proposed configurations (a full-battery and a hybrid fuel cell-battery systems) have proved to be more than adequate to replace the overhead line, reaching an average driving range of about 100 km. Moreover, two different overhead line malfunction scenarios were assumed to evaluate the train performance. In each case, the innovative powertrains allow the train to travel the entire journey. In detail, the overhead line provides more than half of the energy, while the fuel cell reaches almost 25 % of the overall energy demand, consuming the whole amount of hydrogen stored on board, approximately 24 kg. The battery supplies a maximum of 545 kWh (roughly 40 %), conserving a 45 % State of Charge, and up to 165 kWh (over 10 %) can be recovered through regenerative braking strategies.

Identification of objects based on the data of tenzometrical systems with using methods of machine learning

Objective. To increase the quality of work of tensometric systems, using data obtained from the strain gauge system in the form of maps of the passage of moving objects, it is necessary to conduct research on the data of the strain gauge system and develop a set of algorithms, thanks to which it is possible to obtain the characteristics of railway cars in rolling stock and carry out identification of railway objects objects with a minimum error for further use of the obtained results in the construction of a system of identification and weighing of moving objects through tensometric systems. Research methods. To build a system for identifying different types of moving objects through single-platform railway scales in motion, it is proposed to use machine learning methods, namely neural networks and clustering algorithms. The software implemented as part of scientific research is written in the Python programming language using numPy, sklearn, statistics, and other libraries. Findings. Using such methods of machine learning as convolutional neural networks, clustering, perceptron and relying on the reference data of railway objects that can be used on the territory of Ukraine, a number of algorithmic solutions were obtained and implemented in the form of software, which identify the type of car by such characteristics such as the axle of the cart, the axle of the wagon, the ratio of the base of the wagon to the length of the wagon between the couplings, the weight of the axles. Using the weight coefitient for a specific tensometric system, during the calibration of the scales, the dependence of the weight of the car on its type and the mass of each of the axles was obtained. The originality. After conducting a study of the data on the passage of railway carriages and auto couplings through single-platform scales, it was established that the types of wagons can be categorized by such characteristics as the ratio of the base of the wagon to the length of the wagon between the auto couplings, the axle, weight. To obtain the ratio of the wagon base to the length of the wagon between autocouplings, it is necessary to perform data segmentation and clustering as follows - the wagon base is found as the distance between the middle of two bogies, and the length of the wagon between autocouplings as the middle of the distance between the bogies to the middle of the autocoupling. Practical implications. Using such methods of machine learning as convolutional neural networks, clustering, perceptron and others, an algorithmic solution for data processing of strain gauge systems was obtained, which allows to increase the accuracy of the identification of wagons, while reducing the dependence of the results on the speed of the wagons, which allows to increase the capacity of weighing systems of enterprises

The politics of emotion as affective judgement: bike-and-ride transit in Greater Sydney, Australia

The promotion and uptake of commuter cycling as part of economic revitalisation plans has been critiqued by feminist scholars for its gendered, classed and racialised dimensions. What is often missing from these conversations is feminist knowledge on affect to analyse the politics of emotion. We aim to help fill this gap by building on feminist geographers’ engagement with the work of Deleuze and Guattari. Here, Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of ‘lines’ is a guiding tool to analyse the politics of emotion as affective judgements. The article draws on online semi-structured interview data and sketches collected from 19 people who bike-and-ride transit in Greater Sydney, Australia. To illustrate what emotions do, the article focuses on two events narrated by our participants, peak hour railway carriages and ascending station stairs. We argue that the concept of lines that focuses on the emotive/affective body extends feminist knowledge on the politics of emotion by engaging with both structural macropolitical forces and micropolitical transformations that occur through events and encounters when commuting. In conclusion, we argue that Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of lines is valuable for feminist geographers’ research on the politics of emotion as affective judgements by drawing attention to the transformative possibilities of extraordinary affects.

Vulnerability assessment of existing bridges to scour, based on an indirect monitoring approach and machine learning tools

Detecting scour is possible by locating sensors on a railway carriage and processing these signals. In the first stage of the simulation phase of this study, the bridge ‘apparent profile’(AP) is computed by a Finite Element model. The model is used to derive the Moving Reference Influence Lines. Reducing support spring stiffnesses will correspond to the scoured case. In the second phase, off-bridge conditions will be taken into account. Then, measured AP, i.e., signals from the instrumented in-service train carriage both for scoured and scour-repaired cases, will be processed. Lastly, the foundation stiffnesses of the bridge will be computed by minimizing the sum of squared differences between the calculated AP and the corresponding measured AP. Loss of foundation compared to a healthy condition will prove the existence of scour.

Victorian Hospitality and the Ethics of Social Relations

ABSTRACT: This introduction theorizes hospitality as an ethical practice and looks at how technological and other cultural shifts in the Victorian period changed hospitality standards. Hospitality implicates various contexts, including charitable home visits, travel and tourism, and the domestic sphere. Examples from Victorian newspapers, periodicals, and fiction demonstrate attitudes on the parts of both hosts and guests. Spaces such as railway carriages and country houses offer instances where the traditional host / guest relationship was renegotiated. The Great Exhibition, as both an event and a space, represents the international scope of hospitality during Britain’s era of imperial expansion. These various examples demonstrate the ubiquity of hospitality and its importance as a consideration in the ethics of social relations.

Dynamic recognition and positioning of coal-carrying railway carriages based on binocular vision

Dynamic recognition and positioning of coal-carrying railway carriages based on binocular vision

Effective organization of technologies for speeding up freight transportation in railway transport

The modern measures necessary to elihourate the stopping of cars during the delivery of cargo have been analyzed the regulatory and legal framework for the delivery of goods by rail. A mathematical model was developed for the relationship between the daily run of wagon consignments and the distance of transportation on the basis of drawing up a technological scheme that takes into account the entire sequence of operations performed with wagons along the route. This made it possible to deterhoure the impact of the delivery of goods “just in time” on operational standards, taking into account the features of technological processes of railway transport. The authors have developed a formula for determining the total number of operations from the train station to the specified stations, as well as the scheme of calculation of railway carriages from the waggages to the designated station.