Train braking performance is important for the safety and reliability of railway systems. The availability of a tool that allows evaluating such performance on the basis of the main train features can be useful for train system designers to choose proper dimensions for and optimize train's subsystems. This paper presents a modular tool for the prediction of train braking performance, with a particular attention to the accurate prediction of stopping distances. The tool takes into account different loading and operating conditions, in order to verify the safety requirements prescribed by European technical specifications for interoperability of high-speed trains and the corresponding EN regulations. The numerical results given by the tool were verified and validated by comparison with experimental data, considering as benchmark case an Ansaldo EMU V250 train-a European high-speed train-currently developed for Belgium and Netherlands high-speed lines, on which technical information and experimental data directly recorded during the preliminary tests were available. An accurate identification of the influence of the braking pad friction factor on braking performances allowed obtaining reliable results.
A comprehension of railway dynamic behavior implies the measure of wheel-rail contact forces which are affected by disturbances and errors that are often difficult to be quantified. In this study, a benchmark test case is proposed, and a bogie with a layout used on some European locomotives such as SIEMENS E190 is studied. In this layout, an additional shaft on which brake disks are installed is used to transmit the braking torque to the wheelset through a single-stage gearbox. Using a mixed approach based on finite element techniques and statistical considerations, it is possible to evaluate an optimal layout for strain gauge positioning and to optimize the measurement system to diminish the effects of noise and disturbance. We also conducted preliminary evaluations on the precision and frequency response of the proposed system.
The forces that occur in the wheel-rail interface significantly affect vehicle dynamics, especially in the longitudinal direction. Conventionally, the tangential component of the force exchanged between the rail and the wheel is expressed as the product of the normal component of the force, and the so-called adhesion coefficient. This ratio depends on several parameters that are usually summarized in the term 'adhesion conditions'. When the adhesion conditions are degraded (for example, in cases of rain, fog, ice, dead leaves, etc.), and the vehicle is accelerating or braking, pure rolling conditions between the wheels and the rails do not hold any more, and macroscopic sliding occurs on one or more of the wheels. The aim of this work is to identify a relationship between adhesion coefficient and some parameters, namely wheel sliding and train speed, starting from a set of experimental measurements, obtained from test runs conducted with artificially degraded adhesion conditions.
This paper presents the development of a modular tool for the prediction of train braking performance. Particular attention is devoted to the accurate prediction of stopping distances, considering different loading and operating conditions, necessary to verify safety requirements prescribed by the European Technical Specifications for Interoperability of High Speed Trains (TSI-HS) and the corresponding EN regulations. Results are verified by considering, as a benchmark, the AnsaldoBreda EMU V250: a European train being developed for Belgium and The Netherlands’s high-speed lines. Technical information and experimental data were available for this train, directly recorded during preliminary supplier exercise. Validation results were encouraging, and allowed a more accurate identification of the pad friction factor influence on braking performance.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify an innovative solution for the power transmission gearbox of concrete mixers, according to the specifications provided by the company.
Design/methodology/approach
A tailored systematic design approach (inspired to the German systematic framework) has been adopted to comprehensively gather the company specifications and perform in-depth design space explorations. Subsequently, an iterative embodiment design approach has been followed to identify the size of the components for the preferred concept, by using acknowledged mechanical design procedures and finite element analysis tools.
Findings
An innovative cycloidal gearbox has been developed, by merging the kinematics underpinning the classical cycloidal drives and the Wolfrom planetary gearbox. The resulting concept provides high reduction rates with a very high overload capacity.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitation of the studies is the absence of in-depth evaluations usually performed in the detail design phase. However, this limitation is a direct consequence of the company specifications, which only asked to find a preferred concept and to perform preliminary evaluations. Accordingly, the subsequent design optimization are intended to be performed by the company’s staff.
Originality/value
The present paper shows an original design approach, opportunely tailored to the design of innovative gearboxes. It can be conveniently adapted and reused by designers involved in similar tasks. Moreover, the designed cycloidal gearbox paves the way for important innovations in the field of concrete mixers, allowing to design more robust and compact devices.
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