The DYNAFREIGHT project embeds a strong innovation potential in many of the expected results.
Innovation in materials
New stronger, tougher, and more easily formable materials to be used in freight locomotive bogies in order to reduce weight and improve performance at no cost penalty (similarly to what happened in the automotive sector).
Innovation in noise reduction solutions
Improvements at the level of gear box, wheels, bogies can bring to a significant decrease in the noise emissions of freight locomotives.
Innovation in passive and mechatronic systems
The use of non-conventional bogie design, particularly of passive steering bogies and of mechatronic technologies, represents a paradigm shift, so that excellent running stability is ensured together with substantially reduced lateral forces in curve. This in turn implies important benefits in terms of reduced wear and RCF (Rolling Contact Fatigue) on the wheels, noise reduction, improved energy efficiency and less impact of the vehicle on the track.
Innovations in bogie monitoring systems
Monitoring solutions will allow a bogie smart maintenance management, which will enlarge the useful life of some bogie components and reduce the needed repairing times, so achieving an improvement in the total life cycle cost of locomotives.
Innovations in radio controlled systems
Following the results achieved by the Marathon project, related to the pilot test operation of long freight trains with radio remote controlled solutions, new technical and operational functionalities for a radio remote controlled system will be defined, including safety aspects and TCMS interfaces.
Innovations in safe operations of long trains
This activity will support a safety management system for long-train operation with two innovative elements:
- Guidelines on possibilities and limitations with different train/wagon configurations including payload (“smart loading”).
- Definition of strategic traction and braking actions at different scenarios (“smart braking”). This is a decision support to handle critical situations during train operation.
Innovations in infrastructure for long train operations
Key infrastructure-related operational and constructional factors dealing with the movement of a train of 1500 meters will be analysed in detail, both for single-track and double-track lines, so that needed restrictions and constructive modifications can be identified.
