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IP1 Traction TD1 and Brakes TD5 – Phase 2

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - PINTA2 (IP1 Traction TD1 and Brakes TD5 – Phase 2)

Período documentado: 2020-01-01 hasta 2021-02-28

Context:
the PINTA2 project is following the PINTA project implemented within Shift2Rail (S2R) Innovative Program 1.
This project has been developed as Phase 2 of the work developed within the Technical Demonstrators Traction (TD1.1) and Brakes (TD1.5) of S2R.
The main problems and issues are to improve technical performances of Traction systems, Brakes systems used under low adhesion conditions (like wet rails) and to master new technologies at affordable Life Cycle Cost (LCC) in line with general Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of S2R.
Technical performances are covering: less energy, noise, weight, volume, more reliability and some other specific performances like reduction of braking distances under low adhesion.
It’s important for society as the Traction and Brakes sub-systems are contributing to higher performances trains, helping to achieve the agreed S2R KPIs (LCC reduction, higher reliability and punctuality, higher train or line capacities) and then stimulate passengers modal shift from road to rail.
The final main objectives, at the end of S2R (PINTA3 project) are to demonstrate on trains several new technical solutions, both proving that they are technically functioning and that they bring major technical and economical benefits.

In more details,
This project is tackling the the following topics:
On Traction
1) Master technology breakthroughs applied to different railways tractions applications like driven independently rotating wheels for High Speed Train (HST) or Silicon carbide (SiC) based Traction systems;
2) Contribute to the implementation of new methodologies, tools, norms and standards of reliability, noise, virtual validation/certification and smart maintenance.
Continue and extend early work started on Traction components in the PINTA project. The Traction sub-project has worked on:
• 7 Traction KPIs progress quantification on a yearly basis, developing and testing up to TRL5-6 Traction sub-systems, paving the way for future TRL7 on trains full Traction sub-system demonstrations later in PINTA3.
• Continuing to improve methods and tools on noise reduction, reliability, availability, and smart maintenance for semi-conductors; virtual validation and certification methods and Tools.
• Extending pre-standardization work on different fields by interfacing with Standardisation Cross Cutting Activities (CCA) of S2R and normalisation bodies.

On Adhesion
The wheel rail contact is a great source of uncertainty in the prediction of braking distances. This affects a large number of rail traffic characteristics, like headways, punctuality and safety.
The main brakes objective is to find effective adhesion management solutions for a still safer and better performing brake system in low adhesion conditions, improve the overall train safety and reduce wheels LCC.
During the previous project PINTA and PINAT2 Period 1, the focus was on collaborative work to better describe the properties of different adhesion conditions and also the effect of certain train parameters on adhesion. This was also fed into the development of a new Wheel Slide Protection (WSP) test rig. Within this PINTA2 Period 2 project, the information has been used for the development of products up to TRL4.Demonstrations on trains will take place in PIVOT2 project
The project has achieved all of its work content (described in the Grant Agreement 2nd amendment). Demonstrations on train began (SiC tramway traction in Germany, SiC Metro Traction in Spain). Other demonstrations are scheduled on SiC Regional Traction (2021) and Wheel motor for HST (2022) via PINTA3 project). The Brakes demonstration will take place in PIVOT2.

The PINTA2 Consortium has written fact sheets public Report on April 2021 .
On exploitation and dissemination the D10.3 – Final Report on Dissemination activities describes all of results and informations dissemination actions done.
We propose to use this documents -publishable under S2R web site- to inform public on the PINTA2 results.
The PINTA2 progress beyond the state of the art has not changed at the end of Period2 compared to what has been written in the §1.4.1 submitted Proposal.
The ambitions of S2R which are inherited by PINTA2 require substantial ground-breaking improvements in the Traction and Brakes systems addressed by the Project.

PINTA2 State-of-the-art and needed progress :
Traction equipment are heavy and large (volume) : we developed smaller,lighter; enrgy efficient, reliable Traction components (transformers, Traction case, traction components innovative cooling systems, gearbox, motors) thanks to new SiC semi-conductor technology used in an optimised manner
Non-driven independent wheels in low floor High Speed Trains (HST) : we designed new motor for higher line capacity due to a reduction of dwell time at stations thanks to new independent driven wheel assemblies integrated in low-floor HSTs
To reduce development cycles duration of the Traction system, we developped and tested new early stage low noise traction component design thanks to predicted noise signature, and more generally speaking implemented new methofdologies and 3D simulation tools to reduce cost of design, validation and certification. Electric,electro-magnetic, thermal, mechanical, combined physics are covered by this new approach. That allow to better design, elimination of potential mistakes at early stage of the design, reducing prototype test bench stage tuning, and moreover huge cost to correct problems if they are lately discovered on trains
Reliability of Traction is improved and life time prediction of semi-conductors in real train operational conditions is on the right track (even if it still needs some work in PINTA3).We developed -with a real European cooperation- a new and exhaustive methodology to predict semi-conductors lifetime, to achieve significant progress in maintenance costs of Traction.
The virtual validation & certification of the traction systems and components has significantly progressed. The cooperation across IP1 train sub-systems has been discussed via a workshop led by the CCA virtual certification leader ( SNCF). Apart progressing on more virtual proofs to save time and cost on components and sub-sytems validation& certification, it also paves the way for further Digital Twin work within Europe’s Rail future J.U. (expected to start end of 2021)

Adhesion
Highly changeable properties of the wheel-rail contact are influencing rail traffic characteristics, including safety and punctuality. Sanding and Wheel Slide Protection are typically employed, but are improvable : we developed new technologies of wheel-rail contact braking to better cope with the variance of the adhesion characteristics and, combined with a more sophisticated WSP technology, allowing the reduction of braking distances in low adhesion condition, improving the overall train safety, and reduce the wheel and track LCC.
The developments done open the demonstrations phase ( for Faiveley Italy and Knorr Bremse Germany) in PIVOT2 project.


Societal impact : improvement of Life Cycle Cost of the trains, improvements of technical performances of Traction and Braking system and components like weigh savings, energy and maintenance savings, noise reduction, volume savings, reliability improvements are contributing to S2R Kpis ( LCC, capacity, reliability/punctuality) and will help to have more productive and attractive trains.
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