Michał Stankiewicz

Simulations of motion of prototype railway wagon with rotatable loading floor carried out in MSC Adams software

The railway wagon with a low flat rotatable loading floor was analysed in the paper. Such a structure can be used for transporting various types of vehicles such as tractors, trucks, trailers, semitrailers, cargo containers. The railway wagon allows quick and fast loading and unloading without any platform infrastructure or terminals. Only a hardened flat surface is required. Each railway wagon can be loaded-unloaded individually (no cranes needed). This construction has a wide range of application and is easy to operate. The model of a railway wagon consisted of standard carriages, undercarriages, and a rotatable loading floor was developed. The model was built of rigid solids. Between individual elements of the model, the appropriate joints and contact connections were created. The model was analysed using MSC Adams code, which allows performance of the 3D kinematic – dynamic analyses of the entire model. The analyses were carried out with use of the model of the loaded semitrailer. Passage of the railway wagon with a trailer on horizontal rails, which are the smallest standard arc with a radius 250m, was simulated at different speed. Reactions occurring in couplings of the rotatable loading floor, which are the main element of connection between the rotatable loading floor and motionless undercarriages part of the frame of the wagon, were tested. The maximum velocity at which the railway wagon can move was analysed as well. There was also examined the speed at which the wheels separate from the rails, what results in derailment of the whole wagon.

HYBRID LOCOMOTIVES OVERVIEW OF CONSTRUCTION SOLUTIONS

Nowadays, transportation becomes a significant source, apart from factories and power plants, of air pollution. Therefore, due to legal restrictions on the emission of noxious gases, other power sources for vehicles are necessary. Some of these power sources allow replacement of the internal combustion engine completely, whereas the other ones only support the engine operation. Hence, a hybrid powertrain – alternative to the drivetrain equipped with an internal combustion engine only – is increasingly being used. The hybrid powertrain was mostly applied in cars and buses but recently it has been also used in railway vehicles such as locomotives and multiple units. The paper presents a shortened and brief overview of construction solutions of selected hybrid locomotives. A list of the applied hybrid drive systems as well as the basic data and properties are provided. The most important variants of vehicles are compared. The presented material allows identification of the development trends in the considered area. The hybrid locomotive usually uses an onboard rechargeable energy storage system, placed between the power source and the traction transmission system connected to the wheelsets. Modification of a classic diesel-electric locomotives is a relatively simple procedure since they have all the components of a series hybrid transmission except the storage battery. Therefore, the existing and operated diesel-electric locomotives can be modified to increase their efficiency and reduce operating costs and emissions.

Experimental and numerical studies of selected types of batteries - state-of-the-art

The purpose of this article is to provide—on the basis of the literature review—the current state of knowledge concerning the experimental and numerical studies of selected types of batteries. The authors focused their actions on batteries that could to be the base for an energy storage system possible to apply in hybrid shunting locomotive. Following standards, e.g. IEEE 1625, IEEE 1725, UL 1973 and UL 2271 were taken into consideration within the context of the experimental research. Numerical analysis based mostly on the original solutions proposed by research teams. In recent times, the significant growth of interest in hybrid vehicles can be observed. Therefore, appropriate design of the energy storage system for each case is necessary. Moreover, the battery working process in hybrid vehicles is very specific, hence determination of their working conditions depending on the vehicle application is required. Very often, the experimental studies related with the batteries are based on the parameters recorded during the test conducted during the regular operation of the vehicle. Furthermore, research teams also carry out numerical analysis based on e.g. the finite element method (FEM). Such analyses can be focused on the thermal analyses of single cell or cells, analyses of the electrochemical effects as well as a coupled electro-thermal analyses.

Crushing Behaviour of the PVC Foam Loaded with Beaters of Various Shapes

Abstract Statistically, at least 50% of all injuries experienced by police officers in the line of duty are due to assaults with blunt objects. Therefore, vests used by the police should provide not only good ballistic resistance, but also good protection against such threats. Foamed materials are possible to be used for body protectors or inserts of protective clothes. The effects of dynamic impact with beaters of different shapes onto behaviour of polymeric foamed material were determined. There were used four types of beaters: flat, cylindrical, edgy and cornered. Strikes with blunt objects such as a flat board, baseball bat, edgy brick, pavement brick or a sharp stone, to which a protective ware can be subjected, were simulated. The impact load was applied to the rectangular specimens, made of polyvinyl chloride foam, with a usage of a drop hammer. Plots of force versus compression for all the tested samples were obtained and analysed. The effects of impacts with beaters of different shapes onto foamed material samples were presented. A shape of the blunt object significantly influences crushing behaviour of the foamed material. The impact energy of a flat beater is absorbed effectively on a short distance, since it is spread on a relatively large surface. The cylindrical and edgy beaters did not cause fragmentation of the samples, however, on the upper surfaces of the samples, permanent deformations mapping the beaters shapes as well as some cracks occurred. An impact with a sharp object, for example, a cornered beater is very difficult to be neutralized by the foam material, because it is cumulated on a small area.

Strength testing of side connector of railway wagon for semitrailers transport

A prototype railway wagon with a rotatable platform for an intermodal system is developed in Military University of Technology. The special railway wagon is equipped with a rotatable low flat loading floor. It can be used for transporting various types of vehicles, for example, tractors, trucks, trailers, semitrailers, cargo containers. The special wagons allows quick and convenient self-loading and unloading of vehicles and containers (no cranes needed); no platform infrastructure is required, only hardened flat surface; there is no need for hubs, terminals or special logistics; each wagon can be operated separately. A considered wagon consists of the following elements: chassis with biaxial standard Y25 bogies, frame, platform body, pneumatic systems, buffer devices, other external devices, electric equipment and hydraulic systems. A mechanism blocking rotation of a rotatable platform during transport of the load (typical semitrailers) is very important from a functionality and strength point of view of the considered wagon. Construction of such a lock allows only transmission of longitudinal load. Based on the performed FE analysis and strength tests of the wagon, it was verified that the most strenuous component of the wagon with a rotatable loading platform is a connector (lock) coupling the side of the rotatable platform with the over bogie part of the frame wagon. The selected aspects of numerical and experimental studies of the prototype railway wagon and its components are presented in the paper. FE analyses of the side lock element separated from the wagon structure are discussed as well.

Research on heat flow in granite sample using thermal imaging camera

Research on heat flow in granite sample and sample of aluminium foam with the use of a thermal imaging camera is presented in the paper. Temperature distribution on the surface of the sample as a function of time was obtained on the basis of data from the thermal imaging camera. Thermovision is one of the most universal technology, which is applied for detection of infrared radiation. This technique allows observing and record infrared radiation emitted by objects located in the surrounding environment. This technology allows obtaining, in a short time, temperature distribution on the surface of the sample. The thermograms (pictures showing on the surface of the object) are types of photos showing temperature distribution on the tested object surface which is achieved on the base of a specified range of electromagnetic radiation. Accurate measurement of the temperature distribution on the heated granite sample surface was obtained using a thermal imaging camera FLIR SC 6000. Thermal imaging camera was connected to the computer equipped with control software FLIR ResearchIR Max. Heat source was applied in the experiment as a cast iron hotplate with high efficiency heating, gradual control and 1500W power. Obtained results showed regular temperature distribution over the surface of researched sample.

Experimental and numerical investigation of energy absorption elastomer panel with honeycomb structure

The paper presents a prototype design of elastomer energy absorbing panel made in a shape of honeycomb structure. The proposed panel was installed in a protected plate and tested on a specially designed test stand, where a shock wave from a small explosive charge was applied. The elastomer honeycomb structure was compared with a version of the panel made of solid elastomer materials, the same as used in the honeycomb structure and also with a protected plate without any panels. During the research, acceleration in the middle part of each investigated protected plate was recorded. The protected plates were scanned after the tests in order to measure their maximum deformation. Acceleration graphs and maximum deflections of all three considered structures were compared. The obtained results were used to validate numerical models of the designed structures and the test stand. A discreet model of the test stand and models of elastomer panels were developed with HyperMesh FEM software using shell and solid elements. The materials were described using a tabulated Johnson-Cook model and constitutive model for the rubber parts; all available in the material library of Ls-Dyna software. The blast loading was simulated using the CONWEP method. This model generates a boundary condition, based on the experimental data and TNT equivalent mass, which substitutes the wave propagation with a pressure. Finally, the experimental results of acceleration and deformation of the plates were compared with the corresponding results of the numerical analyses carried out using finite element method. The numerical models can be utilised in the future research as a virtual range stand. The developed elastomer honeycomb structure can be modified to meet various requirements of ballistic protection levels, by applying elastomer of different stiffness or optimizing shape and dimensions of the honeycomb structure.

Experimental evaluation of energy absorbing properties of selected elastomer materials

The paper presents identifying studies of mechanical properties of the selected materials from the group of elastomers including Asmathane (65 ShA), Easyprene FPS (30 ShA), Biresin (U1305). The tests were carried out at the Laboratory of Strength of Materials, the Department of Mechanics and Applied Computer Science, with the use of an especially designed stand for testing the energy absorption of materials. The research aims were to determine the basic properties and characteristics of the selected materials as well as to compare them and identify the material with the best energy-absorbing characteristics. For a single load-unload cycle, applied dynamically, the hysteresis loops were recorded. Energy-absorption of individual materials and maximum strength were determined. During the experimental test, a fast speed camera was used for accurately register the progress performance of the test. The pictures of the dynamic tests of materials behaviour are shown. The curves of the tested materials are compared in the graphs. The resulting data will help to create constitutive models of the tested materials, which in the next stages of the project will be used in numerical studies on the impact of detonation on the designed protective panel.

Experimental and numerical tests of separated side lock of intermodal wagon

The object of the paper is to investigate the strenght of a separated subsystem of a wagon for transport of trucks semitrailers. The wagon designed in the Department of Mechanics and Applied Computer Science, Military University of Technology, allows easy and independent loading, transport and unloading without any special equipment or additional platform infrastructure. It is possible to utilize it for transport of various vehicles types such as tractors, cars, semitrailers, containers, heavy equipment. The tests presented in the paper concern a wagon separated construction element – a side lock. It is a key subsystem of the platform allowing transfer of its loads generated in the transport position (a wagon ready to go) to the form of longitudinal forces operating in the sides of the structure. The locks are simultaneously the most strained parts of the wagon. There were carried out the numerical analyses and experimental studies of a single lock were carried out. Owing to the application of Aramis non-contact optical system of strains measurement, the lock deformations as well as the areas of the minimum and maximum main deformations were defined.

Numerical analysis of impact between shunting locomotive and selected road vehicle

The main aim of this study is to carry out dynamic finite element analysis of a crash between shunting locomotive and selected road vehicle. Numerical simulations include side impact of the running locomotive in the vehicle situated across the track. A considered locomotive based on a popular Polish shunting locomotive – SM42. However, the tested locomotive was slightly modernized in comparison with the original one. Finite element model of the locomotive was developed by the authors whereas the vehicle FE model was download from the free database of such models. FE analysis was carried out according to the PN-EN 15227 standard which provides crashworthiness requirements for railway vehicle bodies. 15 tons large truck was selected as a representative for the study. One of the design collision scenario includes such deformable obstacle for railway vehicles operated on national and regional networks. LS-DYNA computer code was used for the simulations. The paper presents selected results of analysis generally focused on the locomotive frame behaviour. Contours of stress for selected moments of time are presented. Moreover, time histories of selected parameters are depicted. The energy balance was also checked in order to confirm the accuracy of analysis. The current study is a part of the project focused on modernization of the SM42 locomotive. Therefore, it is required to evaluate the locomotive behaviour during the impact test. Dynamic numerical simulation are acceptable since the experimental tests on the complete objects under consideration are impractical and impossible at the moment.