Simone Panconi

Tilting Pad Journal Bearing TEHD Analysis: An Innovative Model

Tilting Pad Journal Bearings (TPJBs) are widely used in the turbomachinery field due to their superior dynamical performances, but their operation involves several different physical phenomena. In this research work the authors propose an innovative 3D ThermoElastoHydroDynamic (TEHD) model for the analysis of TPJBs behaviour developed and experimentally validated in cooperation with General Electric Nuovo Pignone: the model is able to perform a nonlinear transient coupled analysis taking into account fluid dynamical, thermal and elastic effects and reaches a good compromise between the accuracy of the results and the computational efficiency.

Braking Energy Recovery in High Speed Trains: An Innovative Model

Modern railway development trend is pushing towards a strong enhancement of the energy efficiency of lines and vehicles, with particular attention to braking energy recovery. In this research work the authors have developed an innovative and numerically efficient vehicle-line coupled model, using the object oriented Simscape language: the model has been validated considering a set of experimental measurements concerning the Italian High Speed train ETR 1000 and has then be used to analyze the feasibility of the application of energy storage systems in high speed application. This analysis has shown that the use of stationary energy storage devices can provide significant energy savings even in high speed applications.

An extended library of models of railway vehicles for fast simulation and optimization of regenerative braking and energy management

As a part of the Tesys Rail Project authors have developed a parametric and computationally affordable model of a railway DC line in order to analyze the complex energetic interactions arising between different travelling vehicles. In order to fully exploit the features of the proposed approach and its capability to investigate complex operating scenarios, the authors have further developed the model by including a wider variety of on-board functionalities and a more extended list of simulated vehicles. In this research work, the authors expose some improvements of a previously developed High Speed train model (based on the ETR 1000) and the development of additional models of older Italian High Speed Trains, such as the ETR 500, which are still in service on Italian High Speed lines.