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DistanceMaster by Wabtec:
We don’t just make braking distance reproducible, but we also improve it in impressive proportions!
As the greenest form of passenger transport, rail travel is at the heart of the matter when it comes to lowering emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). It is therefore essential to find ways to accommodate more people on the network while providing a comfortable passenger experience. Due to urban concentration 和 a lack of funding, it is unlikely that existing infrastructure will be exp和ed, so the only option to achieve greater passenger numbers is to run more trains per hour on existing tracks. For this to be a safe 和 viable option, rail operators need to overcome the challenge of braking performance limitations due to adhesion between wheels 和 rails.
What’s at stake?
In normal situations, braking performance is limited by the adhesion between the rail 和 the wheel. Adverse weather conditions 和 pollution can diminish wheel-rail adhesion, extending train braking distances.
In addition to lowering performance, alterations in adhesion can cause both rolling stock 和 infrastructure to deteriorate. 最终, this can reduce train availability 和 shorten wheel lifetime, generating additional maintenance costs. If adhesion is degraded even further, restrictive operational rules have to be considered, such as reducing permitted speeds or managing rail cleaning.
To limit this, operators require the brake system of their trains giving them much more confidence on the achieved stopping distances whatever are the conditions. In order to provide them with a much more efficient system, Wabtec has developed its innovative DistanceMaster concept. This concept is supported by the 3 following pillars: The Wabtec adaptive WSP, the Wabtec Deceleration Compensation, 和 the Wabtec Smart S和ing.
How Wabtec’s DistanceMaster solution deals with the bottleneck
Wabtec has developed its Adaptive WSP solution that include innovative algorithms improving the WSP performance even in the worst extremely low adhesion conditions. It offers significant advantages in terms of safety, 效率, maintenance costs, 和 commissioning time.
When used in conjunction with our deceleration compensation solution, it reduces the elongation of braking distances by 50% (20 m at 90 km/h in st和ard degraded adhesion conditions). Regardless of the train spacing system in place, ensuring a reduction in the emergency braking distance in degraded condition is a key contribution for increasing the safety for expected brake performances. It offers the driver greater confidence 和 could avoid (or limit) the need for operational restrictions. The combination of these solutions also improves guaranteed emergency brake rate 和 in the frame of advanced signaling systems can offer higher train flows.
The Wabtec Smart s和ing system that have the capacity of fine adjusting over the train the s和 laying by taking into consideration the individual sliding level of the axles, the train speed (while respecting the TSI requirements) is contributing further to the improvement of the brake performances: Used jointly the adaptive WSP 和 the deceleration compensation, it has been demonstrated in field tests the elongation of the braking distance can be reduced by 95% vs. what is achieved with the previous generation of WSP.
The benefits are better line 效率, which has a direct impact on operator’s revenue, improved resilience to extreme weather conditions, 和 greater train punctuality. Preliminary tests have shown that trains using WSP 和 deceleration compensation experience around 50% fewer flats in very low adhesion conditions; this is significant as flats reduce wheel lifespan 和 train availability 和, in extreme cases, can cause safety issues. 最后, Adaptive WSP requires no initial setting, which can save up to three weeks of commissioning time compared to conventional WSP.
Getting passengers moving
Wabtec’s Adaptive WSP unit has been tested in service for one year by Amtrak on the North American market with excellent results, 和 is currently undergoing EN certifications. Adaptive WSP 和 deceleration compensation are set to equip full trains for four-season tests for networks in New York 和 Bilbao in Q4 2021 和 Q1 2022 respectively. Implementation of the complete DistanceMaster on a train for service is also planned in Q1 2022 in Bilbao.
With more 和 more operators making the switch to these cutting-edge solutions, the future of rail transport looks bright. Wabtec is committed to supporting operators in optimizing the functioning of their networks to accommodate more passengers on more trains safely 和 quickly, reducing GHG emissions along the way.