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Energy harvesTing for signAlLing and cOmmunicatioN systems

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ETALON (Energy harvesTing for signAlLing and cOmmunicatioN systems)

Reporting period: 2018-12-01 to 2020-02-29

ETALON (Energy harvesting for signalling and communication systems) is a Shift2Rail IP2 Open Call project within the Horizon2020 Programme of the European Commission. ETALON contributed to the enhancement of train integrity functionalities, providing a suitable energy supply for train integrity (particularly targeted at cases where trains do not have any power supply available on the wagons) and a robust radio communication system between vehicles that could be the basis for a train integrity check.

ETALON also contributed to the reduction of cost, providing an energy harvesting solution for Smart Radio connected wayside objects and implementing an off-board radio communication system with object controllers that could minimise trackside infrastructure, particularly cabling.

By the end of the project, the action covered all the planned activities stated in the Grant Agreement and submitted all the planned deliverables. All the work was done in complete collaboration with complementary projects X2Rail1 and X2Rail2 to ensure the alignment with the activities of the complementary projects contributing to the main goals of the TD 2.5 On-board Train Integrity solutions and TD 2.10 Smart radio connected all-in-all Wayside Objects. The action achieved relevant results in both planned workstreams useful for the complementary projects that could be exploited in future S2Rail’s activities, in particular projects related to IP2. All the relevant information with regards the action was disseminated and communicated to the main stakeholders making them aware of the ETALON’s framework and their main results, through the designed and printed dissemination material and participation/organization of Events. Exploitation of project results were analysed and discussed with main rail stakeholders in the on-board train integrity prototypes meeting and the trackside energy harvesting prototype conference call organized by Etalon’s Stakeholders Committee in the second period. The terms of reference and the target groups were identified by the ETALON’s stakeholders committee during the first period.
Two technical WPs (WP4 and WP5) and some non-technical activities were active in this second and final period. Non-technical activities were mainly dedicated to the project management, alignment with Shift2Rail and dissemination/exploitation.

The activities of WP4 related to the development, adaptation and delivery of the on-board and trackside energy harvesting prototypes continued and finished in the second period. The prototypes designed and manufactured by WP4 used a different operating principle to convert input energy from a passing train to electrical energy for powering trackside devices. The energy conversion principles used by the devices were vibration, variable reluctance and displacement, all Trackside Energy Harvesters were made ready for test under WP5, where operation in controlled environment was analyzed.

WP5 was dedicated to organise and perform the validation and testing of the proposed prototypes: On-board Train Integrity (OTI) and Trackside Energy Harvesting prototypes. The assessment of the test’s results is a main activity of this second period which generated main project conclusions and system‘s potential for railway applications.

OTI prototype tests were performed in controlled and relevant environment. Controlled environment tests, performed in Barrow Hill, validated the communication devices (OTI nodes) performance. It was established that the system was capable of detecting a loss of train integrity, however testing of the OTI function with moving trains was not successfully achieve due to issues with the communication sub-systems. The shortfalls detected during the testing sequence of the OTI were eliminated through mitigation actions and additional improvements of the hardware/software elements of the system. All the mitigation measures were implemented prior next round of tests in relevant environment.

Relevant environment tests, performed in Athens, aimed to test OTI prototype under real operational conditions, carrying out a trip on a secondary line from the marshalling yard to the port. The tests demonstrated that prototypes were capable to monitor train integrity, detecting losses of integrity and also the insusceptibility of the communication solution to the failure of individual nodes. In addition it was demonstrated that the On-Train Vibration Energy Harvester (OT VEH) provided enough energy under certain conditions to power communications along a train related to train integrity

Finally, WP5 also performed Trackside Energy Harvesting (TEH) tests in controlled environment. The selected TEH technologies were tested in laboratory conditions to verify that, when exposed to representative energy inputs, the energy harvesting system(s) are collecting enough power to feed new Trackside Object Controllers. The power management equipment and test procedure adopted for each TEH technology was distinct from the others, as the characteristics of each TEH technology were different and thus different testing approaches were appropriate to represent the conditions relevant to the mode of energy harvesting being investigated. TEH technologies were tested in laboratory conditions to verify that, when exposed to representative energy inputs, the energy harvesting system(s) are collecting power.
ETALON provided a tested and validated OTI (On-board Train Integrity) system consisting of radio communication and an energy harvesting on-board prototypes that will contribute to the development of on-board train integrity detection. In addition, this solution also contributed to the reduction of the installation and maintenance costs through the elimination of the data communication cables and systems used to determine the location of the trains.

The radio communication system based on vehicle to vehicle safety exchange of data can serve as the basis for train integrity check with continuous monitoring of its consistency. It was also proved that the on-board energy harvesting system is compatible with power requirements of the on-board communication solution and the economic constraints for train integrity system to be installed on vehicles. The on-board energy harvesting system was mainly conceived to power electronic devices normally in freight wagons where no source power is available,

ETALON provided a second group of tested and validated prototypes basis on different operating principle to convert input energy from a passing train to electrical energy for powering trackside devices. The energy conversion principles used by the devices were vibration, variable reluctance and displacement where operation in controlled environment was analysed.
Project Structure