Holistic model of the formation of requirements for freight cars on the example of the “Northern Latitudinal Railway” project

In the context of economic integration, an important factor is increasing the efficiency of rail transport. It depends both on the quality of the transportation process as a whole and on the quality of its individual elements. It is especially worth highlighting the rolling stock, and in particular freight cars, since it is with the car along the route that labor-intensive technological operations are performed, including shunting, technical and commercial maintenance, unscheduled repairs, as well as starting and finishing operations — loading and unloading. Therefore, the efficiency of freight transportation does not depend to a small extent on the quality of cars.

In this regard, the article highlights the results of the development of a holistic model for the formation of requirements for freight cars that increase the efficiency of the transportation process, taking into account the features of specific transportation conditions. In this case, a holistic model is applied to the conditions for the export of freights from fields in Western Siberia along the routes of the Northern Latitudinal Railway project.

A holistic model for the formation of requirements for the cars of the Northern Latitudinal Railway includes:

• operational and functional model, containing the substantiation of the technical and economic parameters of the cars and the model of their operation ranges, taking into account the technological operations performed;

• reliability model containing justification of the reliability indicators of cars and the parameters of the system of their maintenance and repair;

• model for evaluating and confirming efficiency based on the results of calculating a complex of technical and economic indicators of cars.

The holistic model makes it possible to formulate rational requirements for cars of different levels of specialization for specific operating conditions. The model also makes it possible to predict the effects of participants in the transportation process when using cars with given characteristics in specific transportation conditions.

This contributes to the use of the principles of dynamic pricing of tariffs, depending not only on the type of freight and the region, but also on the route, distance of transportation and other parameters. As a result, the advantages and competitiveness of rail transport will be provided.

Relational model of public-private partnership in railway transport

The main task facing the state is the solution of publicly significant issues to achieve public interests. Moreover, not every country has the necessary resources, especially in an unstable economic situation. In this case, increasing the efficiency of natural monopolies in the conjuncture of the transport market becomes the most relevant direction in government activities.

The article is devoted to the issues of public-private partnership in railway transport. First of all, projects with private capital that are being implemented should eliminate the limiting sections of the Russian railway network and ensure the development of large industrial regions by creating an extensive transport network, the formation of which is impossible without the participation of the state.

To increase the attractiveness of public-private partnership projects, the authors, taking into account the foundations of human capital management, have considered aspects of the additional effect for partners, which are defined by the concept of “relational effect”. Positive dynamics of socially oriented indicators, unaccounted in the agreement of the parties, reflect the presence of benefits from joint activities and positive relational effect, while negative change — about its absence.

Based on the studies performed, a mechanism for controlling operating costs based on an integral assessment has been proposed, which makes it possible to analyze the actual direct costs of partners and compare deviations from the established standards. This mechanism is used in the state vertically integrated procedure for centralized training of authorities in public-private partnership. The general algorithm of the relational model of interaction between investment parties is formalized, illustrated by the example of the implementation of a project for the construction of a railway transport infrastructure.

Mathematical support for the process of considering information on the project and making a decision on concluding an agreement on public-private partnership was carried out in the program “Automated system for consolidation, selection and control of the implementation of innovative projects of concession forms of management in railway transport”. The results obtained are integrated into the software complex for innovative development of facilities and are tuned for transformation, effective use of the potential of partners, investors, performers and industry enterprises.

Influence of long irregularities of the longitudinal profile on traffic safety under conditions of intensification of the transportation process

The key directions of intensification of the transportation process are described and their influence on the infrastructure is indicated. The concept of long irregularities of the longitudinal profile is defined and a method is proposed that allows one to study the geometric parameters and the growth rate of long irregularities. An assessment of the influence of long irregularities on energy consumption during the traction of trains is given.

In the article, much attention is paid to the influence of long irregularities of the longitudinal profile on traffic safety. The article presents the results of the state analysis of the railway track section, where there was a derailment of the freight cars. The results of calculations of the level of forces arising in the automatic coupling and the coefficients of the vertical dynamics of the first stage of suspension for cars in a train when moving uphill along long irregularities are presented. Based on the results of the research, the main conclusions are formulated and the direction of further research is proposed.

On the creation of the Intelligent multimodal transport system of Russia and the project “Intelligent container chain“

In the article, the ideas for the development of unmanned freight vehicles and the construction of high-speed railways are transformed into an innovative resource-efficient and high-tech solution — the creation of an Intelligent Multimodal Transport System of Russia, and the development of projects and structures for unmanned vehicle freight traffic — into the “Intelligent Container Chain” project. The proposals put forward are based on an analysis of the potential of the Russian railways and its implications for the spatial development of the Russian Federation.

The trends in the development of unmanned vehicles are analyzed and it is concluded that its implementation in Russia will require the construction of specialized road, energy and digital infrastructure with the appropriate allocation of land allocation and supply of energy, communications and other technological communications. The need to search for new scientific, technological and organizational solutions is shown to achieve synergy between the demand for container road transport and the infrastructural and technological capabilities available in the railway transport system. As such a decision, the expediency of developing a new Intelligent Multimodal Transport System under the auspices of the Russian Railways was substantiated. Priority directions for the development of this system, as well as technical and investment solutions and scientific and technological tasks necessary for its implementation, have been determined. At the same time, questions have been formulated that require scientific study. The advantages of the proposed system for increasing the efficiency of using the transport space and developing a breakthrough competitive infrastructure business of the Russian Railways are disclosed. The prospect of the formation on this basis of unique high-tech groundwork is shown, which makes it possible to realize the potential of Russian science and the transport complex and has a high export potential.

Development and implementation of the first domestic automobile-carrying cars for the transportation of automobiles in the passenger trains

One of the activities of the JSC “FPK” is the creation of competitive advantages for passenger rail transport by formulating proposals for the provision of new services in long-distance trains. Currently, there is a need for intercity and even international transportation of automobiles for passengers traveling on longdistance trains.

To resolve this issue, the JSC “FPK” developed a technical task, according to which the PKTB L JSC “RZD” designed a specialized passenger car for the transportation of automobiles in the longdistance trains. It was created on the basis of a 47D model car built in Germany, which was modernized during its overhaul.

Prototype of the new car has passed a full range of tests in accordance with the requirements of the technical regulations of the Customs Union (TR CU) 001/2011 at the test center of the JSC NO “TIV”. Based on the positive results of the dynamic-strength, fireprevention, electrical and other tests, the Voronezh Car Repair Plant received from the Federal Agency for Railway Transport a certificate

of compliance with the requirements of the TR CU and the right to manufacture an initial batch of cars.

During impact tests, the low reliability of the standard thrustscrew fastening of the car wheels was established. In order to eliminate the noted drawback, a lock-cable mount was developed. Repeated impact tests have confirmed the effectiveness of the new wheel mounting design.

Operation of the first batch of cars (8 and 5 units) showed a great demand for this type of service, especially on the directions Moscow — St. Petersburg — Moscow, Moscow — Helsinki — Moscow, Moscow — Adler — Moscow. In this regard, the issue of the development and manufacture of new cars with improved performance indicators (increasing the number of transported automobiles to 8 – 10 units instead of 4 – 5 units in the operated cars) is being worked out.

Scientific priorities for the use of alternative energy sources in railway transport

Alternative energy sources, mostly related to “green” energy, are one of the promising trends in the development of energy generation, including for the global railway sector. This is due, firstly, to its desire to preserve its environmental advantages by reducing carbon dioxide emissions into the environment and increasing energy efficiency, and secondly, to a reduction in the use of such sources as oil and coal as fuel resources in the coming decades. In a world where 95 % of motorized vehicles use oil as fuel, the greenhouse gas emissions per passenger-kilometer for rail transport are five times less than for road transport and 20 times less than for air transport. Therefore, one of the key tasks in the development of railway transport is the creation of high-speed highways that will serve as an alternative to road and air communications over short distances.

In addition to the well-known alternative energy technologies, the railway transport traditionally conducts scientific research to improve energy-saving technologies, which include the use of excess recuperation energy when rolling stock braking.

Also, projects for the use of renewable energy sources — heat pump installations — have proved their effectiveness in railway transport: heating switches from the ground, use of heat from compressors of hill complexes to heat electrical centralization posts and heat transformers of traction substations for its own needs.

The role of alternative energy sources in railway transport is constantly growing. The efficiency of using alternative energy sources at the Russian Railways is largely determined by a scientific approach that allows, based on own experience or experience in introducing innovations in related industries, to determine the place, time and degree of their implementation, taking into account technical and technological features of production processes inherent in a particular structural unit companies. Among the innovative technical solutions in railway transport, the most priority ones are solutions aimed at the development of high-speed lines, recuperation systems, as well as heat pump technologies.

Some aspects of the use of natural gas motor fuel in diesel locomotives

Due to the increase in the cost of diesel fuel, much attention is paid to the use of alternative types of fuel on diesel locomotives. Variants of using fuel obtained from coal, plants, gas fields and hydrogen are considered. Natural gas is the cheapest and most accessible today. The use of specially designed gas-piston engines on diesel locomotives, operating when the gas-air mixture is ignited from an external source, is the most attractive option. However, this approach has certain disadvantages:

• it is necessary to create a new engine, since the modernization of existing engines requires serious structural changes;

• gas piston engine operates essentially according to the Otto cycle and has lower efficiency and power indicators as compared to a diesel engine;

• when modernizing existing diesel locomotives, switching to the Otto cycle excludes the possibility of using diesel fuel.

Conversion of diesel locomotives to gas fuel must be carried out using the gas-diesel cycle. This approach is most acceptable for the modernization of diesel locomotives of the existing fleet, since it preserves the thermal performance of the engine and makes it possible to transfer diesel locomotives back to operation on diesel fuel. The main obstacle to the transfer of diesel locomotives to the gas-diesel cycle is the low degree of replacement of diesel fuel with gas. This circumstance is determined by the significant difficulties in ensuring the operation of the engine in the gas-diesel cycle at low loads and idling. It is necessary to ensure a stable supply of ignition fuel in these modes and guaranteed ignition of the gas-air mixture from it. The solution to this problem is ensured by maintaining a given stoichiometric ratio in the gas-air mixture and a temperature sufficient to ignite the ignition portion of the fuel.

The main way to regulate the stoichiometric ratio is to reduce the amount of air entering the cylinders by throttling it at the engine inlet. This article discusses the methodology for calculating the performance of the engine when throttling the air inlet.

About structural elements of polymer insulators of the contact network

The high load on electrified lines makes tougher the requirements for the reliability and maintainability of power supply devices. Insulators are a critical element of the overhead contact network, and great attention is paid to improving their characteristics — electrical and mechanical strength. Advantages of polymer insulators in comparison with traditional ones made of porcelain and glass are generally recognized: manufacturability, low weight, compactness, ease of installation and transportation, high mechanical strength and shock resistance.

The article presents the results of comprehensive studies of the electrophysical characteristics of fiberglass rods and bars made of AG-4S carried out by the University of Railway Engineers (MIIT), which were used in the developed polymer structures of the contact network. Recommendations are given on the maintenance of fiberglass rods and bars from AG-4S and their engineering support.

The issues of the mechanical strength of polymer insulators of the overhead contact network are covered quite fully, therefore, this article offers the basic principles for calculating their electrical strength. The main requirements for modern polymer insulators and design features are briefly presented for each type: suspended, tension, cantilever, fixing and supporting.