Search

Train is one of the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation. However, currently there are still some types of locomotive designed to be opened (such as CC201); hence, the generated noise can potentially affect the health of the workers, particularly cabin personnel (i.e. train driver and assistant of driver). The objective of this study are to analyze the noise levels exposed to cabin personnel and to estimate the excess risks of occupational noise-induced hearing loss in the locomotive. The cabin personnel were considered as exposed group while the office workers of the train station (Poncol Station) was the control group. The noise levels were measured continuously during the working hours using noise dosimeter. The audiometry test was also conducted to both case and control group. The data were analyzed using chi-square statistical test and NIOSH 1998 method of excess risk estimation. The measured noise exposure level in the locomotive- CC205 during the working hours (4-5 hours) ranged from 71.2 dBA until 123.4 dBA. However, the excess risks of the respondents were only 0.75% higher than the control group. This might be due to the short working period of the participants (no more than 10 years). The noise exposure to the case group workers were higher than time-weighted average noise level. Based on the chi-square statistical test, it is concluded that the noise levels affect the noise-induced hearing loss of the cabin personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews and analyzes available theoretical and experimental studies aimed at improving the tractive and dynamic characteristics of locomotives. Based on the information received, the authors formulated the following tasks of further research to increase and stabilize traction and coupling qualities of the locomotive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to introduce measurements and analysis of a 1:8 scale model railroad in order to provide the possibility to use modern locomotive design methods in this application. Tractive force and vehicle speed are necessary for this analysis and therefore a measuring train car has been developed. On-board strain gage and a magnetic encoder are used to obtain the necessary data. Therefore a part of this paper is devoted to describing the usage of these sensors. Obtained data is processed, analyzed and also compared to a full scale railroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies is the property of PC TECHNOLOGY CENTER and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies is the property of PC TECHNOLOGY CENTER and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Diesel–electric locomotives have significant fuel consumption. In this study, fuzzy look-ahead control is considered as an online approach for fuel consumption optimization. A fuzzy controller will modify the desired speed profile by accounting for the gradient and speed limits of the path ahead. Journey time increment is used as an optimization constraint. The existing models for train motion simulation are calculating the fuel consumption by an indirect index. A new model for train-movement simulation is proposed to calculate fuel consumption more accurately. This model considers the locomotive subsystems and satisfies the experimental fuel consumption data specified in the locomotive's catalog. Simulation of a train with a GM Sd40-2 on three local tracks showed considerable reduction in fuel consumption along with an acceptable journey time increment. Simulation results also showed that fuzzy look-ahead controller has very faster calculations in comparison with the controller based on the dynamic programming method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active steering control in the form of secondary yaw control (SYC) and actuated wheelset yaw (AWY) have been in prototype development. This paper presents a new active steering bogie design, actuated yaw force steering (AY-FS), that is able to steer under high traction loads in tight curves. The AY-FS bogie design is compared with the AWY design. The steering performance AWY under high traction loads has not been previously reported. This paper examines five control methods, three for AWY and two for AY-FS bogies and assesses the traction curving and stability control performance of the alternative designs and control methods compared with each other and to passive steering bogie designs. The curving performance results showed considerable advantage in the proposed AY-FS bogies over the AWY. It was shown that control must be applied to both the yaw angle and the steering angle of the bogie to achieve the best traction steering performance which was not possible with the AWY bogies. The proposed new bogie designs of AY-FS overall give better traction curving and stability performance than the AWY designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we consider the frictional (tangential) steady rolling contact problem. We confine ourselves to the simplified theory, instead of using full elastostatic theory, in order to be able to compute results fast, as needed for on-line application in vehicle system dynamics simulation packages. The FASTSIM algorithm is the leading technology in this field and is employed in all dominant railway vehicle system dynamics packages (VSD) in the world. The main contribution of this paper is a new version 'FASTSIM2' of the FASTSIM algorithm, which is second-order accurate. This is relevant for VSD, because with the new algorithm 16 times less grid points are required for sufficiently accurate computations of the contact forces. The approach is based on new insights in the characteristics of the rolling contact problem when using the simplified theory, and on taking precise care of the contact conditions in the numerical integration scheme employed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the construction of Gresley class P2 No 2007 Prince of Wales passenger steam locomotive by A1 Steam Locomotive Trust. Topics include views of Mark Allatt, chairman of the A1 Trust on the same, the main aim of the P2 design project being to improve the original design, and the commercial sponsors for the P2 project included William Cook Cast Products Ltd. which has case wheels and several other steel parts of the locomotive.

Abstract: While whole body vibration (WBV) levels on North American locomotives are low, it has been suggested that isolated shocks and impacts in the overall vibration environment may pose greater health risks for crew members. In this paper, the shock and impacts measured on locomotives are evaluated through the vibration dose value (VDV) and spinal stress methods given in international standard ISO2631. More than 90h of measurement data are used in this analysis. This analysis found that shock and impact present a low probability of adverse health effects. For this data, the health guidance provided in ISO2631 for the VDV is more stringent than the health guidance for the spinal stress. The effects of occupant motion and other data artifacts are also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Considering the specific case of a concentrated power locomotive with motors mounted on the bogie frame, the paper reviews the criteria for nonlinear assessment of vehicle stability based on the simulation of vehicle response to random track irregularity, showing the need for more objective criteria than the ones based on physical testing for vehicle homologation. The effect of elastic motor connection on the bogie frame is examined by linear and nonlinear calculations, which shows that stiffness and damping properties of motor connection have a strong influence on vehicle stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, railway vehicles have become lighter, corresponding to improvement in the running speed. However, this causes the deterioration of the body rigidity, and leads to the increase in a vertical bending vibration of the body, because the natural frequency of the first bending vibration overlaps with a human's uncomfortable and sensitive frequency band. Many vibration suppression strategies have been proposed, i.e. a method to conduct active control for the secondary suspension system between the body and bogie, and a method to attach visco-elastic layers and constraint layers on the outside sheeting of the car body. In this paper, new control methods by shunt damping using stack type piezoelectric devices are proposed and the effectiveness and the robustness of designed circuits were confirmed through 1/6 scale model experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Humanities & Social Science (1407-9291) is the property of RTU Publishing House and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article reports that the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in Great Britain will launch Railway Challenge, a competition wherein students and apprentice teams will design and produce the most efficient, small-scale locomotive.

In the US, BNSF Railway Company is building an experimental shunting locomotive powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The engine, which is being assembled at the company''s workshop in Topeka, Kansas, will serve as a test bed for reducing diesel fuel used by North America''s railway, according to a report in Railway Gazette International [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article offers information on the federal freight locomotive crashworthiness standards. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) said that the regulation is intended to dissuade the locomotive cab from being crushed during a head-on collision with another locomotive, or when it hits the rear of another train, or a vehicle at a highway-rail crossing, or a shifted load on a train on an adjacent track. FRA Administrator Joseph Boardman said that the crashworthiness standards include upgraded structural elements such as stronger collision posts and the inclusion of anticlimbing equipment to keep the train upright and in-line on the tracks after a collision.

The article reports that 15 reconditioned locomotives from India rail giant Rites will be leased by the Tanzania Railways Ltd (TRL) in order to replace its dilapidated fleet. It mentions that leasing will be for five years and will cost TRL $30 million and that the five locomotives are expected to run in Mid-January. According to Narasimhaswami Jayaram of the TRL that the East African is facing a locomotive shortage giving frustrations to the schedules for cargo and passengers as well. It discusses that the routes have the potential to serve five million passengers and 20 million tonnes of cargo per year.

Reports that Leicestershire, England-based Brush Traction will start building hybrid locomotives known as Green Goat under a licensing agreement with Canada's RailPower Technologies Corp. Key features of Green Goat locomotives; Modifications made by Brush Traction to old diesel-electric engines; Comments of executives regarding the agreement.

The article describes the rebuilt engineering laboratory of Purdue University which was destroyed by fire in January 1894. The facilities for constructive locomotive engineering have been relocated to a new building and made to be adjustable for all sizes of locomotives. The Baldwin locomotive works has provided two engines of a Vauclain compound locomotive which are now situated in the general laboratory in the department of steam engineering.