On the Polygonal Wear Evolution of Heavy-Haul Locomotive Wheels due to Wheel/Rail Flexibility and Its Mitigation Measures

Wheel polygonal wear can immensely worsen wheel/rail interactions and vibration performances of the train and track,and ultimately,lead to the shortening of service life of railway components.At present,wheel/rail medium-or high-frequency frictional interactions are perceived as an essential reason of the high-order polygonal wear of railway wheels,which are potentially resulted by the flexible deformations of the train/track system or other external excitations.In this work,the effect of wheel/rail flexibility on polygonal wear evolution of heavy-haul locomotive wheels is explored with aid of the long-term wheel polygonal wear evolution simulations,in which different flexible modeling of the heavy-haul wheel/rail coupled system is implemented.Further,the mitigation measures for the polygonal wear of heavy-haul locomotive wheels are discussed.The results point out that the evolution of polygonal wear of heavy-haul locomotive wheels can be veritably simulated with consideration of the flexible effect of both wheelset and rails.Execution of mixed-line operation of heavy-haul trains and application of multicut wheel re-profiling can effectively reduce the development of wheel polygonal wear.This research can provide a deep-going understanding of polygonal wear evolution mechanism of heavy-haul locomotive wheels and its mitigation measures.

Research on uninterruptable power supply technology for auxiliary winding of electric locomotive while passing the neutral section

Purpose–Auxiliary power system is an indispensable part of the train;the auxiliary systems of both electric locomotives and EMUs mainly are powered by one of the two ways,which are either from auxiliary windings of traction transformers or from DC-link voltage of traction converters.Powered by DC-link voltage of traction converters,the auxiliary systems were maintained of uninterruptable power supply with energy from electric braking.Meanwhile,powered by traction transformers,the auxiliary systems were always out of power while passing the neutral section of power supply grid and control system is powered by battery at this time.Design/methodology/approach–Uninterrupted power supply of auxiliary power system powered by auxiliary winding of traction transformer was studied.Failure reasons why previous solutions cannot be realized are analyzed.An uninterruptable power supply scheme for the auxiliary systems powered by auxiliary windings of traction transformers is proposed in this paper.The validity of the proposed scheme is verified by simulation and experimental results and on-site operation of an upgraded HXD3C type locomotive.This scheme is attractive for upgrading practical locomotives with the auxiliary systems powered by auxiliary windings of traction transformers.Findings–This scheme regenerates braking power supplied to auxiliary windings of traction transformers while a locomotive runs in the neutral section of the power supply grid.Control objectives of uninterrupted power supply technology are proposed,which are no overvoltage,no overcurrent and uninterrupted power supply.Originality/value–The control strategies of the scheme ensure both overvoltage free and inrush current free when a locomotive enters or leaves the neutral section.Furthermore,this scheme is cost low by employing updated control strategy of software and add both the two current sensors and two connection wires of hardware.

Typical faults and safety analysis of brake controller for AC locomotive

Purpose–The brake controller is a key component of the locomotive brake system.It is essential to study its safety.Design/methodology/approach–This paper summarizes and analyzes typical faults of the brake controller,and proposes four categories of faults:position sensor faults,microswitch faults,mechanical faults and communication faults.Suggestions and methods for improving the safety of the brake controller are also presented.Findings–In this paper,a self-judgment and self-learning dynamic calibration method is proposed,which integrates the linear error of the sensor and the manufacturing and assembly errors of the brake controller to solve the output drift.This paper also proposes a logic for diagnosing and handling microswitch faults.Suggestions are proposed for other faults of brake controller.Originality/value–The methods proposed in this paper can greatly improve the usability of the brake controller and reduce the failure rate.

An algorithm to remove noise from locomotive bearing vibration signal based on self-adaptive EEMD filter

An improved ensemble empirical mode decomposition(EEMD) algorithm is described in this work, in which the sifting and ensemble number are self-adaptive. In particular, the new algorithm can effectively avoid the mode mixing problem. The algorithm has been validated with a simulation signal and locomotive bearing vibration signal. The results show that the proposed self-adaptive EEMD algorithm has a better filtering performance compared with the conventional EEMD. The filter results further show that the feature of the signal can be distinguished clearly with the proposed algorithm, which implies that the fault characteristics of the locomotive bearing can be detected successfully.

Utility of “loco-check,” self-checklist for “locomotive syndrome” as a tool for estimating the physical dysfunction of elderly people

Aim: A new concept of locomotive syndrome has been proposed by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association. The aim of this study is to clarify the utility of its self-checklist, “loco-check,” as a tool for estimating the physical dysfunction of elderly people. Methods: Subjects were 1124 community-dwelling Japanese people, 557 men and 567 women, aged 40-89 years. Information about the seven “loco-check” items was obtained from present inquiry sheets. Physical functions were examined by grip strength, knee extension strength, walking speed and one-leg standing time with open eyes. The averages of these test values, controlled for age and BMI, were compared between the “loco-check” (+) group and the “loco-check” (-) group. Also we examined about the trend of decline of physical function, together with SF36 physical function subscale score, as the number of the items chosen increased. Results: Adjusted average values of all four physical function examinations in the “lococheck” (+) group were significantly lower than those of the “loco-check” (-) group (all, p . Also the adjusted average values of the majority of four tests were significantly lower in those who checked each of the “loco-check” items than those who did not, for most of the items. It was also revealed that the more items subjects checked, the lower the adjusted average values were, except for one-leg standing time. It was also the case with SF36 physical function subscale score. Conclusion: We showed the utility of “loco-check” as a simple tool not only for noticing the physical dysfunction of elderly people, but also for estimating the extent of it, except for balancing ability, particularly by counting the number of checked items.

A multi-objective train-scheduling optimization model considering locomotive assignment and segment emission constraints for energy saving

Energy saving and emission reduction for railway systems should not only be studied from a technical perspective but should also be focused on management and economics. On the basis of relevant trainscheduling models for train operation management, in this paper we introduce an extended multi-objective trainscheduling optimization model considering locomotive assignment and segment emission constraints for energy saving. The objective of setting up this model is to reduce the energy and emission cost as well as total passenger- time. The decision variables include continuous variables such as train arrival and departure time, and binary vari- ables such as locomotive assignment and segment occu- pancy. The constraints are concerned with train movement, trip time, headway, and segment emission, etc. To obtain a non-dominated satisfactory solution on these objectives, a fuzzy multi-objective optimization algorithm is employed to solve the model. Finally, a numerical example is performed and used to compare the proposed model with the existing model. The results show that the proposed model can reduce the energy consumption, meet exhausts emission demands effectively by optimal locomotive assignment, and its solution methodology is effective.

Analysis of positioning of wayside charging stations for hybrid locomotive consists in heavy haul train operations

Hybrid locomotive concepts have been considered as a step towards converting the railway industry into a green transport mode.One of the challenges in integrating a hybrid locomotive in the train consist is that the battery pack in the locomotive needs to be recharged during a long-haul trip which requires stopping of the train.A typical battery pack requires about 1 h to recharge which is unacceptable.With the improvement in the charging system,it is now possible that the same capacity battery pack could be recharged in 10–12 min which can be a competitive option for the railway companies.This paper proposes a method based on simulation to evaluate the positioning of charging stations on a train network.A typical example of a heavy haul train operation hauled by diesel-electric and hybrid locomotives is used to demonstrate the method by using simulation softwares.The result of the simulation study show that the method developed in this paper can be used to evaluate the state of charge(SoC)status of a hybrid locomotive along the track.It is also shown that the SoC status obtained by the simulation method can be further used to assess the positions of charging stations along the track at the design stage.

Estimation of CO_2 Emissions of Locomotives in China(1975-2005)

基于中国铁路统计中心收集的年度统计数据，机车的 CO2 排出物在 1975-2005 期间被计算，当柴油机机车的与时间增加了时，排放紧张和它的动态特征是蒸气机车的 CO2 排出物减少了的 analyzed.The 结果表演，由于到柴油机和电的 locomotives.The 总数的从蒸气的连续移动，在中国的蒸气和柴油机机车的 CO2 排出物从 42.23

An optimization algorithm for locomotive secondary spring load adjustment based on artificial immune

In order to control the locomotive wheel(axle) load distribution, a shimming process to adjust the locomotive secondary spring loads was heretofore developed. An immune dominance clonal selection multi-objective algorithm based on the artificial immune system was presented to further improve the performance of the optimization algorithm for locomotive secondary spring load adjustment, especially to solve the lack of control on the output shim quantity. The algorithm was designed into a two-level optimization structure according to the preferences of the problem, and the priori knowledge of the problem was used as the immune dominance. Experiments on various types of locomotives show that owing to the novel algorithm, the shim quantity is cut down by 30% 60% and the calculation time is about 90% less while the secondary spring load distribution is controlled on the same level as before. The application of this optimization algorithm can significantly improve the availability and efficiency of the secondary spring adjustment process.

Air Compressor Control System for Energy Saving in Locomotive Service Plant

The actuality and disadvantages of traditional high power asynchronism motor drive air compressor in locomotive ser-vice plant are discussed. In order to reduce the energy consumption and obtain safe running, a variable frequency con-trol method to the motor is supplied. A PLC with touch screen is used for monitoring the status of the compressor and its control system. It also presents energy consumption analysis caused by the variable frequency control method in a locomotive service plant.

Design and analysis of an electric-locomotive turning system for coal mines

We describe a system for turning the accumulator electric locomotives used in coal mines. This improves transport efficiency and decreases mine construction and production costs. The operating requirements, principles, working features and transmission system are discussed. This system has a simple structure and can be manufactured, transported and assembled easily. It, therefore, can handle accumulator locomotives of middle and small size.

Problems,assumptions and solutions in locomotive design,traction and operational studies

Locomotive design is a highly complex task that requires the use of systems engineering that depends upon knowledge from a range of disciplines and is strongly oriented on how to design and manage complex systems that operate under a wide range of different train operational conditions on various types of tracks.Considering that field investigation programs for locomotive operational scenarios involve high costs and cause disruption of train operations on real railway networks and given recent developments in the rollingstock compliance standards in Australia and overseas that allow the assessment of some aspects of rail vehicle behaviour through computer simulations,a great number of multidisciplinary research studies have been performed and these can contribute to further improvement of a locomotive design technique by increasing the amount of computer-based studies.This paper was focused on the presentation of the all-important key components required for locomotive studies,starting from developing a realistic locomotive design model,its validation and further applications for train studies.The integration of all engineering disciplines is achieved by means of advanced simulation approaches that can incorporate existing AC and DC locomotive designs,hybrid locomotive designs,full locomotive traction system models,rail friction processes,the application of simplified and exact wheel-rail contact theories,wheel-rail wear and rolling contact fatigue,train dynamic behaviour and intrain forces,comprehensive track infrastructure details,and the use of co-simulation and parallel computing.The cosimulation and parallel computing approaches that have been implemented on Central Queensland University’s High-Performance Computing cluster for locomotive studies will be presented.The confidence in these approaches is based on specific validation procedures that include a locomotive model acceptance procedure and field test data.The problems and limitations presented in locomotive traction studies in the way they are conducted at the present time are summarised and discussed.

System integration of China's first PEMFC locomotive

In the face of growing environmental pollution, developing a fuel-cell-driven shunting locomotive is a great challenge in China for environmental protection and energy saving, which combines the environmental advantages of an electric locomotive with the lower infrastructure costs of a diesel-electric locomotive. In this paper, the investigation status and the development trend of the fuel-cell-driven shunting locomotive were introduced. Through innovation of the power system using fuel cells, an experiment prototype of a fuel-cell shunting locomotive was developed, which would reduce the effects on the environment of the existing locomotives. This was the first locomotive to use a proton exchange membrane fuel-cell （PEMFC） power plant in China. From October 2012, we started to test the fuel-cell power plant and further test runs on the test rail-line in Chengdu, Sichuan. The achieved encouraging results can provide fundamental data for the modification of the current individual fuel cell locomotives or further development of the fuel-cell hybrid ones in China.

Discuss about the Driving Device Suspension Mode of Locomotive

分析了机车驱动装置悬挂方式对轮轨在垂向动作用力的影响，介绍机车驱动装置悬挂方式主要结构和技术特点，说明了不同驱动装置悬挂方式在机车的运用。

Lightening Optimization for 200 km/h AC Locomotive Body under Static Strength

机车车体轻量化可以减少列车运行阻力，降低列车牵引功率，提高速度，改善列车的运行品质。近几年我国高速铁路的蓬勃发展，对机车车体轻量化的要求也越来越高。结合大同机车厂200km／h交流传动机车设计项目，在充分调研国内外机车轻量化研究现状的基础上提出了超拉丁方实验设计和可行方向法相结合的组合优化策略，并应用此方法对车体承载结构进行了轻量化优化，随后通过有限元强度分析来验证优化结果。结果证明，与传统方法相比，该方法对于求解类似非线性大型复杂结构的轻量化问题具有求解效率高和求解精度好等优点，具有广泛的应用前景。

Analysis and Research on the Load of the Box Girder Locomotive Turntable

The locomotive turntable is an essential device for the steering operation of the railway locomotive. This paper has introduced the structural composition and characteristics of the box girder locomotive turntable, has ana- lyzed its vertical load, horizontal load and torsional load, and has established a mechanical model for the symmet- rical structure of the box girder locomotive turntable under the action of positive and negative symmetric vertical loads. Furthermore, it has also demonstrated the safe and reliable structural performance of this type of locomotive turntable on the basis of the practical example of a 35 m box girder locomotive turntable.

Study of the Physiological Screening Indexes for Locomotive Trainman on Plateau Railway

In order to study the physiological screening indexes for locomotive trainman on plateau railway and confirm the standard appraisal value of physiological indexes, 500 locomotive drivers at Xige section of Xining Railway Branch Bureau were selected for appraisal experiment of indexes system. Results showed that the overall qualification rate of locomotive drivers at Xige section was 31.6%, which was influenced relatively great by age and altitude difference of train operation line. Study confirmed that the relatively sensitive physiological compensation indexes of plateau hypoxia included packed cell volume, leukocyte count, platelet count, saturation of oxygen in blood, blood sugar, glutamic oxalacetictransaminase, total bilirubin, bilirubin direct,urinary protein and urinary erythrocytic. These indexes could be used as physiological adaptability screening index. The sequence of physiologic indexes inducing checkup disqualification because of predicted inadaptable for plateau steering was heart function>liver function>saturation of oxygen in blood>pulmonary function >blood pressure>blood sugar> holding power>routine urine test>routine blood>kidney function. The paper presented that the selection of locomotive trainman on Qinghai-Tibet Railway should adopt two grade structural model including fundamental checkup and plateau adaptability checkup. The paper also established medical standard for checkup appraisal of plateau locomotive trainman, testing method and judging standard of qualification.

China’s Locomotive Focus

ChinAfrica： What made CSR stand out among other competitors to win the contract？ Com-pared with rolling stock produced by rival companies, what are the advantages of CSR＇s locomotives？CSR： The reasons include CSR＇s innovation capability, a well-established financing platform, a complete indus-trial chain, as well as our emphasis on win-win coopera-tion. Besides, the contract we won in 2012 to provide 95 electric locomotives to Transnet was efficiently completed in eight months from design, manufacture to delivery, praised as ＂a miracle in the history of rolling stock manufacturing.＂

Does Locomotive Syndrome, Associated with Sarcopenia or otherwise, Influence Quality of Life in Individuals Aged over 80 years? Third Wave of the LOCOMOV Project

Introduction:Locomotion is a determinant of intrinsic capacity of older people and can be limited by dysfunction in locomotory organs,characterizing Locomotive Syndrome(LoS).Knowledge on locomotive problems and sarcopenia,and their interface with quality of life,in the oldest old in the literature is scarce.Objective:To evaluate the correlation between LoS and sarcopenia and their influence on quality of life in oldest old.Methods:A cross-sectional study of an observational,descriptive and analytical epidemiological survey in independent older adults aged 80 and over from São Paulo,Brazil and who participated in the third wave of the LOCOMOV Project,was carried out.Sociodemographic data,comorbidities,functioning in activities of daily living,physical functioning,quality of life,and presence of sarcopenia and LoS were assessed.The statistical analyses included the Test-for-Comparing-Two-Proportions,Pearson's Correlation Coefficient,the chi-Square test and Student´s t-test.Results:Thirty oldest old with a mean age of 89.1 years were evaluated.The prevalence of LoS was high(53.3%)and correlated significantly with chronic pain(p-value 0.024),worse performance on the SPPB and Gait speed(p-value<0.001).Sarcopenia was not correlated with LoS,but worse quality of life on the physical domain was significantly associated with LoS(p-value<0.001)regardless of the presence of sarcopenia.Conclusions:LoS was highly prevalent among the oldest old studied and negatively impacted their quality of life,regardless of the presence of sarcopenia.

A novel speed sensor-less direct torque control system for mining locomotive haulage

A novel speed sensor-less direct torque control induction motor drive system for the mining locomotive haulage is presented in the paper. Rotor speed identification is based on the model reference adaptive control theory with neural network using back propagation algorithm. The system is implemented using a real-time TMS320F240 digital signal processor. The simulation study and experiment results indicate that the suggested system has good performance.