Rolling Stock & Components
Current projects for the Rolling Stock and Components Program include:
On-Board Monitoring and Control System (OBMCS)
Advanced Concept Train Systems (ACT)
Wayside Inspection and Detection Technology
Material Design Improvements
1. ON-BOARD CONDITION MONITORING AND CONTROL SYSTEM (OBMCS)
The train line communications systems on locomotives and rail cars can be used to control train functions and monitor the critical systems and its components for early signs of problems such as overheating of wheels, bearings, and brake pads that could be detrimental to safety. On-board monitoring will allow immediate notification to the locomotive engineer and appropriate personnel through the supporting communication network. The early notification will help reduce the ill effects of sudden equipment failure.
Brake System
New research initiatives are focusing on additional on-board detection and train health monitoring features to be incorporated alongside electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brake technology. These features include brake-cylinder piston travel sensor and handbrake position sensing, and a running indication of the brake system status. The ECP brake system will provide continuous monitoring of brake system health. This research program will be expanded during this five-year period. The majority of this work will be conducted in cooperation with the railroad industry. Safety evaluations of advanced braking systems will continue. An advanced handbrake for use on freight railroad cars will be evaluated and operated in conjunction with the ECP braking system on an ACT. The new handbrake will be user-friendly and promote safe and easy braking operations. The handbrake will allow remote activation, brake status monitoring, and require less force for brake release and set.
Bearing Temperature / Defects
If a problem such as overheating of bearings can be detected early, then steps may be taken to avoid catastrophic failures. The communications protocol and system architecture developed in conjunction with ECP braking systems can be extended to address these control and monitoring activities. Research has shown that bearing temperatures can increase rapidly in a defective bearing resulting in a final failure in as little as two minutes. Plans have been initiated to introduce onboard monitoring of bearing temperature and truck ride quality, requiring the development of low cost rugged transducers and associated instrumentation that will generally be compatible with onboard monitoring, communication and ECP braking systems.
Overall Systems
A revenue service demonstration system will showcase of smart sensors and the transmission of data via low earth orbital satellites to a central database for dissemination with an interval based system approach. A full demonstration of the OBMCS occurred in Birmingham, Alabama. Please click the button below for an update on the progress of the demonstration.
On-Board Monitoring and Control System (OBMCS)
2. ADVANCED CONCEPT TRAIN SYSTEM (ACT)
Following the independent demonstration and evaluation of the OBMCS, a project was initiated in to develop a 5 to10-car ACT consist to demonstrate advanced components and systems along with on-board condition monitoring capabilities. The system includes ECP brake systems, OBMCS with brake piston travel monitoring, ride quality monitoring, derailment detection, wheel overload conditions, advanced couplers incorporating air and electrical couplings, advanced parking brake with remote release and hot bearing detection.
This ACT will eventually be demonstrated on general service main line trains as well as industry switching service and yard operations. Collectively, the features of this train will reduce the risk to crews from injury by avoiding high-risk tasks, such as coupling cars. Continuous monitoring of onboard conditions will also reduce the potential for derailments and thus improve safety.
Additional technology features include on-board monitoring of various safety parameters. These will likely include ride-quality-related G-force monitoring to reduce in-train shock, and instantaneous derailment detection.
As additional companies enter the advanced braking systems arena, safety evaluations and other analysis will be required. Due to increased traffic, car and train weight increases are expected. Thus, more reliable brake rigging will also be addressed through further research. Further work on ECP brake systems would be desirable to permit the use of distributed locomotives within ECP-equipped trains. The ECP train line could be used as the communications link between the lead unit and locomotives positioned throughout the train.
3. WAYSIDE MONITORING
Development of a new generation of wayside equipment defect detectors, which have the ability to detect defects at their early stage of failure and with a high degree of confidence, is needed. These detection systems must show increased detection, ability, control, and improved reliability. Wayside detection research will continue to focus on improvements in this area, as well as focus on the development and establishment of advanced wayside inspection stations. Please click the button below for an update on the progress of our truck hunting detector demonstration at Flat Rock, KY .
Wayside Truck Performance Detectors (Multiple Detector System)
located in Loudon, TN
These inspection stations will consist of improved wayside detection systems, possibly using advanced imaging methods and nano-technology. Such systems will monitor wheel wear status, car and suspension dynamics, and improve reliability, maintainability and accuracy of hot box detectors as well as inspect railcar wheels to identify symptoms of brake defects, hot wheels, and "sliding" wheel detection.
Research efforts will focus on the development of advanced inspection stations. Those stations will be located in high traffic density locations where they can get the most significant coverage of defects. These stations will involve the inspection of bearing defects, worn wheels, worn trucks, and even truck hunting.
Such stations will provide more rigorous safety inspections and demonstrate increased reliability and detection ability. Research will also include incorporating high-speed thermal imaging into an advanced wayside inspection station. Thermal imaging improves reliability, maintainability, and accuracy of hotbox detectors and can also inspect rail car wheels to identify symptoms of brake defects (i.e., 'sliding wheel' detection). The thermal imaging system scans the entire wheel, bearing, and truck assembly. This system can operate as a stand-alone unit or with the addition of an Automatic Equipment Identification (AEI) reader. Many of the untapped capabilities of thermal imaging will certainly be explored further. Research will continue to determine equipment defect characteristics (i.e., bearing acoustic signatures) in an effort to develop the ability to predict defects and prevent failures before they occur.
3. MATERIAL DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS
Cast Steels
Continuing research is needed for material improvement. For instance, coupler material needs to be more crack tolerant with higher strength, improved fracture toughness, and cleanliness of the cast steels. The demand for cast steels that can be readily welded without pre- or post-heat treatments is growing. Research in the area of improved coupler material and better fatigue design characteristics is much needed. Additional work could analyze present cast steels to determine ways of modifying the material to meet the present and future demands on couplers. Test castings could be poured and tests on hardness, crack growth, and weldability may be run to determine possible material improvements. The "new" cast steel will be used for other railroad castings also.
Wheels & Bearings
Wheel research will continue to focus on nondestructive testing methods and the development of in-service inspection of wheels for limiting wear and related reasons for removal. There has been some occurrence of overheated wheels, particularly on commuter railroads.
Additional studies on wheel stresses from mechanical and thermal loads will be conducted to attempt to determine the cause and alleviate the problem of overheated wheels. Although few in number, the majority of wheel-related accidents are a result of mechanical/thermal loading. The presence of adverse stress gradients can result in crack initiation in the wheel rim and occur from thermal or mechanical abuse, caused by abnormal braking operations, faulty brake equipment, or damaged rail that could lead to wheel failure. Efforts will focus on the development of in-situ detection systems to assess the stress state in the wheel, as well as detect and define cracks and/or other flaws in the tread. Research to measure wheel wear in place will be initiated and supported. Also, FRA will continue to participate in the industry wide Wheel Research Consortium. The consortium is addressing wheel shelling, shattered rims, and built-up tread. FRA has sponsored work on built-up tread. Models are being developed at the Volpe Center in conjunction with the University of Cracow.
Bearing life with an increased axle load needs further evaluation and improvements. The effectiveness of short bearings is still worthy of examination It may even be necessary to further develop and evaluate new and improved bearing materials and designs. To this end basic research, applied research and laboratory testing will be conducted.
Fully Automatic Couplers
Current freight car couplers have no provision for automatically making the braking air connection or any electrical connections. These couplers have a limited gathering range (misalignment tolerance) and must be manually prepared for coupling, which poses a risk to the operator. Early research has resulted in a mechanically compatible knuckle type coupler which will couple to standard couplers and when coupled to a similar new design coupler will provide for automatic air and electrical connections.
Mechanically compatible knuckle type coupler
Automatic couplers will be demonstrated as part of the Advanced Concept Train. These Advanced Couplers will facilitate the implementation of ECP Braking on General Service Cars.
Advanced Cushioning Devices
Both freight and passenger car equipment is subject to yard impact loading. The longitudinal impacts are controlled with hydraulic cushioning devices which employ hydraulic metering of oil through small orifices, thereby preventing high coupler loads and acceleration from acting on the car and it’s lading. The travel associated with those devices is detrimental in over-the-road train operation. It results in excessive slack action that impacts safe operation. Train action forces may lead to derailments and/or gage spreading. An automatic or remote means to electrically lockout the orifices prior to trains departing yards has been conceived and developed under a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contract. The advanced cushioning device has been demonstrated as part of the Advanced Concept Train demonstration in 2004-2005.
Advanced Handbrake
Research was initiated in 1998 under the SBIR Program to develop an advanced ergonomically friendly handbrake to hold cars stationary on level track or on grade to prevent car runaway as with present handbrakes.
This new handbrake is intended to be compatible with the present air brake system and also be compatible with newly developed ECP brake systems. The initial design work and prototype development has been completed. Demonstration of the prototype installed on a Norfolk Southern car has also been completed. Further demonstration of the system occurred on the ACT in January, 2007.
