Onboard Detection of Low Adhesion
Overview
| Title: | Onboard Detection of Low Adhesion |
| Duration: | 1/11/2010 - 1/11/2012 (2 year) |
| Sponsor: | RSSB (project T959) |
| Value: | £285,046 |
| Keywords: | railway vehicles; condition monitoring; low adhesion; leaves on the line |
Abstract
The Onboard Detection of Low Adhesion project is funded by RSSB (project T959) and is a further investigation into the novel concept of detection low adhesion events in the wheel/rail interface (project T614) in real time. This research is driven by events where rail vehicles that are braking have greatly increased stopping distances, the most common cause of which is the ‘leaves on the line’ phenomena. The aim of the method is to detect areas of low adhesion in real time so that rail vehicle operation can be adjusted accordingly. The project specific objectives are:
- To determine the sensing requirements and develop processing techniques that can detect low levels of adhesion arising from the normal running of a rail vehicle
- To evaluate the developed techniques using data derived from a full-complexity non-linear railway vehicle dynamics software package
- To demonstrate the efficacy of the technique by means of a series of full-scale vehicle experiments
People
Principal Investigator
Co-investigators
- Dr Roger Dixon
- Dr Guy Charles (University of Nottingham)
- Dr David Fletcher (University of Sheffield)
Researchers
- Dr Christopher Ward
- Mr Stephen Lewis
Project Co-ordinator
Partners
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham provides innovative and top quality teaching, undertakes world-changing research, and attracts talented staff and students from 150 nations. Described by The Times as Britain's “only truly global university”, it has invested continuously in award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. Twice since 2003 its research and teaching academics have won Nobel Prizes. The University has won the Queen's Award for Enterprise in both 2006 (International Trade) and 2007 (Innovation — School of Pharmacy).
Nottingham was named ‘University of the Year’ by THE in 2006 and ‘Entrepreneurial University of the Year’ by THE in 2008.
University of Sheffield
The University's history stretches back to 1828, when the Sheffield School of Medicine was founded, and their University Charter was granted in 1905.
With over 24,000 students from 131 countries, and almost 6,000 staff, the University of Sheffield is a popular choice with under-graduate and post-graduate students. Teaching quality assessments rate the teaching very highly across a wide range of subjects, and official research assessments confirm its strong reputation as a centre for world-class research in many disciplines.
