Very-high-speed tests on the french railway track

The campaigns conducted by SNCF at very high speeds allowed improvement in the knowledge of the actual TGV vehicle/track system and, in particular of the dynamical behavior of numerous components, which were obtained under very hard working conditions, for instance:

• — mechanical components (axle boxes, transmissions, etc.)
• — suspensions, damper particularly,
• — bogies,
• — pantograph,
• — electrical traction equipments (transformer of power, electric motors, power electronics, cooling systems),
• — signalling equipment.

Made with a TGV Atlantic series train set equipped with series components, it allowed demonstration to our passengers the very large safety margin of the whole system, track and vehicle as well, for revenue speeds of 300 km/h. At last, the tests allowed dramatically to raise the limit of the wheel and rail system, up to the mythic figure of 500 km/h, thus demonstrating that railways will reamin the first guided transport system during the 21st century.     

摆式列车综述(续1)

2.2.2 高舒适度车辆(13) 20世纪60年代末,鉴于头几列跨欧特快列车(TEE)的成功,法国国营铁路决定制造2种适用于这一运输形式的车辆.一种是高舒适度车辆,速度为200 km/h,装用Y 28 F型转向架和适合这一速度的制动装置(De Dietrich公司制造);另一种是不锈钢车辆,由Carel和Fouché工厂制造,速度限制在160 km/h (Y 28 E型转向架).     

The effectiveness of a European speed limit versus an international bunker-levy to reduce CO2 emissions from container shipping

In the fight to reduce CO₂ emissions from international shipping, a bunker-levy is currently under consideration at the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Faced with the inability of the IMO to reach an agreement in the short term, the European Commission is now contemplating a unilateral measure of a speed limit for all ships entering European Union (EU) ports. This paper argues that this measure is counterproductive for two reasons. Firstly, because it may ultimately generate more emissions and incur a cost per ton of CO₂ which is more than society is willing to pay. Secondly, because it is sub-optimal compared to results obtained if an international bunker-levy was to be implemented. These elements are illustrated using two direct transatlantic services operated in 2010.     

A risk model for the operation of container vessels

Commercial shipping of containerized goods involves certain risks for human safety and environment. In order to actively manage these risks, they must be identified, analyzed, modeled, and quantified. This requires a systematical analysis of design and operation of container vessels. Within the EU-funded research project SAFEDOR, a Formal Safety Assessment has been applied to establish the current safety level of generic container ships and to identify potential cost-effective risk control options. This paper describes a structured approach to develop the underlying high-level risk model. It is structured as risk contribution tree consisting of a series of fault trees and event trees for the major accident categories. Statistical analysis of casualty data is used to estimate the probability of occurrence. Finally, the summation overall individual risk contributions yields the current risk pro file for the operation of container vessels is presented as FN-curve.     

Application of a 3-D variational inverse model to the analysis of ecohydrodynamic data in the Northern Bering and Southern Chukchi Seas

In the scope of the Inner SHelf Transfer And Recycling Program, extensive oceanographic surveys were conducted in the Northern Bering and Southern Chukchi Seas. A vast amount of hydrographic, chemical and biological data were collected in order to increase the information available on the system and to test if biological observations are indeed compatible with the dominant hydrographic regimes. An original model, based on the variational inverse method, was developed with the aim of reconstructing realistic three-dimensional fields of the variables of interest and giving an interpretation of the observations consistent with the physics of the general circulation. The basic formulation of the model is quite general and provides a very helpful tool in the context of interdisciplinary studies. In a first stage, the vertical and horizontal structures of physical variables are reproduced and discussed. Secondly, a sketch is proposed to explain the driving mechanisms of the primary productivity in the Northern Bering Sea. In particular, one shows that the hydrodynamic regimes strongly condition the behaviour of the ecosystem and are mainly responsible for the very fertile environment that characterizes the Southern Chukchi Sea.     

宽带声矢量场的表征(英文)

Compared to a scalar pressure sensor, a vector sensor can provide a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) signal and more detailed information on the sound field. Study on vector sensors and their applications have become a hot topic. Research on the representation of a vector field is highly relevant for extending the scope of vector sensor technology. This paper discusses the range-frequency distribution of the vector field due to a broadband acoustic source moving in a shallow-water waveguide as the self noise of a surface ship, and the vector extension of the waveguide impulse response measured over a limited frequency range using an active source of known waveform. From theory analysis and numerical simulation, the range-frequency representation of a vector field exhibits an interference structure qualitatively similar to that of the corresponding pressure field but, being quantitatively different, provides additional information on the waveguide, especially through the vertical component. For the range-frequency representation, physical quantities that can better exhibit the interference characteristics of the waveguide are the products of pressure and particle velocity and of the pressure and pressure gradient. An image processing method to effectively detect and isolate the individual striations from an interference structure was reviewed briefly. The representation of the vector impulse response was discussed according to two different measurement systems, also known as particle velocity and pressure gradient. The vector impulse response representation can not only provide additional information from pressure only but even more than that of the range-frequency representation.     

Energy savings in transport

A decade of increasing Federal attention to urban transportation needs has culminated in the 1970 Urban Mass Transportation Assistance Act. This Act is intended to provide 10 thousand million dollars over the next 12 years in Federal assistance money to urban public transportation systems. This paper examines the needs of selected U.S. cities as a basis for (1) understanding the vast, various and complex transportation needs of urban areas throughout the country, and (2) assessing the sufficiency of these funds. The sample cities have been placed into three broad categories based on the state of development of their transportation systems. In Category I cities, the essential need is to ensure the survival of bus systems for the use of non‐drivers, or to provide some other viable alternative to the automobile; in Category II cities, the primary needs are to relieve auto congestion and to improve public transportation components, while in Category III cities, the primary need is massive investment to improve and to extend public transportation facilities. It is concluded that the presently intended Federal funding level for transportation will not meet the financial requirements of the Category III cities.     

Vehicle response-based track geometry assessment using multi-body simulation

The assessment of the geometry of railway tracks is an indispensable requirement for safe rail traffic. Defects which represent a risk for the safety of the train have to be identified and the necessary measures taken. According to current standards, amplitude thresholds are applied to the track geometry parameters measured by recording cars. This geometry-based assessment has proved its value but suffers from the low correlation between the geometry parameters and the vehicle reactions. Experience shows that some defects leading to critical vehicle reactions are underestimated by this approach. The use of vehicle responses in the track geometry assessment process allows identifying critical defects and improving the maintenance operations. This work presents a vehicle response-based assessment method using multi-body simulation. The choice of the relevant operation conditions and the estimation of the simulation uncertainty are outlined. The defects are identified from exceedances of track geometry and vehicle response parameters. They are then classified using clustering methods and the correlation with vehicle response is analysed. The use of vehicle responses allows the detection of critical defects which are not identified from geometry parameters.     

Influence of wheel and rail profile shape on the initiation of rolling contact fatigue cracks at high axle loads

The influence of wheel and rail profile shape features on the initiation of rolling contact fatigue (RCF) cracks is evaluated based on the results of multi-body vehicle dynamics simulations. The damage index and surface fatigue index are used as two damage parameters to assess the influence of the different features. The damage parameters showed good agreement to one another and to in-field observations. The wheel and rail profile shape features showed a correlation to the predicted RCF damage. The RCF damage proved to be most sensitive to the position of hollow wear and thus bogie tracking. RCF initiation and crack growth can be reduced by eliminating unwanted shape features through maintenance and design and by improving bogie tracking.