Rail vehicles: traction control, air conditioning, retrofits

Control engineers for the next generation of traction drives are scarce

What happens. New traction drives use new semiconductors, new motors and tighter efficiency targets. The control has to be redesigned, and that needs people who know both the drives and the dynamics of the wheel-rail contact. The posts stay open.

What it costs. Delays in the development of a vehicle series, a longer test phase and drives that run below their potential in efficiency or traction.

Why the usual fix fails. Adapting the control of the old drive is quick, but carries limits. Hiring on a permanent basis does not match a peak workload in a project.

How a fixed-price remote diagnosis checks it. From the drive models, test-bench data and the control code you have, I check where control design is the bottleneck and what could be outsourced. The fixed-price remote diagnosis gives you a plan with the work separated into parts.

Background: Predictive drive control

Few models exist to design and test train air conditioning

What happens. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning of a train must cope with changing crowds at stations, open doors, sun on one side and outside temperatures from frost to heat. The control is mostly written and checked on the real vehicle.

What it costs. Comfort complaints, energy use that is higher than it needs to be and long tests on vehicles that are needed for service. Problems found late are expensive to fix.

Why the usual fix fails. Simple thermostat rules are easy to commission and fail under the varying load. Building a vehicle model is a job of its own that development teams rarely have time for.

How a fixed-price remote diagnosis checks it. From vehicle drawings, existing control settings and measured temperatures, I check what a compact simulation model needs and how much testing it could replace. The fixed-price remote diagnosis tells you if the effort pays off.

Background: Predictive control of process plants

Fitting train protection to existing vehicles needs engineering for every series

What happens. Existing vehicles are to be fitted with the European train control system on board. Every vehicle series has its own wiring, its own brakes and its own controller, so every series needs its own integration and test engineering.

What it costs. An engineering bottleneck: few teams can do the integration, and every series waits for its turn. Funding is time-limited, and the targets are seen as hard to reach.

Why the usual fix fails. Repeating one series’ solution does not carry over to the next. More workshops do not help without the engineers who know the on-board systems.

How a fixed-price remote diagnosis checks it. From vehicle documentation, interface descriptions and earlier retrofit plans, I check which parts of the integration and test work are common to several series and which can be done separately. The fixed-price remote diagnosis tells you where outside capacity could help.