Author: Ian Parker, freelancer, ianfliesrussian@aol.com
The Covid lockdown and the recent severe weather have caused many people to re-examine their previous lives, and travel has been subject to special scrutiny-it is a major factor in pollution, and therefore contributes to global warming and climate change. We should all reduce travel and travel in different ways. One question is-what is the difference?
Whether the future of land transportation is road or rail (or both), one thing is certain-it is electric. For railways, this will involve expanding existing overhead and track electrification or generating on-board electricity from hydrogen-either simply burning it or powering electric motors in fuel cells. Tests for overhead electrification of roads are also underway, and trucks are equipped with pantographs, just like electric trains.
No matter what happens, a lot of fasteners will be needed, and they must be very strong, because high-speed rail (HSR) trains run at 250 mph in Japan, China, and many European countries. Keeping the wires and rails in place requires high-quality fasteners.
Another issue is security. Rail travel is the safest means of transportation. In the 50 years of development of the Shinkansen (bullet train) in Japan, it has carried more than 10 billion passengers. Despite frequent earthquakes and typhoons, there has never been a passenger death due to train derailments or collisions. Injuries and single deaths caused by the closing of passengers or their belongings; waiters are now hired on the platform to prevent such accidents.
With the introduction of self-driving cars, road safety and traffic flow may improve, but they are unlikely to cruise at 250 mph. Should the UK follow Japan's proven high-speed train network system with 25kV 60Hz overhead power supply? HS2 has encountered a lot of controversy, but such projects are always the case, especially in the UK, where NIMBY (not in my backyard) attitude often prevails. As an alternative to road and air travel, railways have many advantages in terms of convenience, speed, cleanliness and safety.
After investigating batteries and fuel cells, the Science and Technology Committee of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom called on the government to speed up the railway electrification plan in a report. The report-"Battery Strategy Flat: Net Zero Target at Risk"-called Britain's rail electrification plan "behind plan." The goal is to phase out diesel trains by 2040.
It should allow "more use of electric trains" and ensure that the parts that are not electrified are "within the capacity of trains powered by batteries and fuel cells." Otherwise, the cost of decarbonization may be higher or more challenging. This brings the risk that the necessary increase in freight and passenger railways may not occur, and in fact some uses may be transferred to roads. "
The report raised concerns that Britain’s electrification strategy is not so clear in some other countries and lacks long-term funding. One result is the "boom and bust cycle" of the supply chain, which is not conducive to the development of new technologies.
David Clark, technical director of the British Railway Industry Association (RIA), welcomed the report. "It is great to see that the Science and Technology Committee of the House of Lords supports the requirements of RIA's Railway Decarbonization 21 Campaign, which calls on the government to commit to a rolling plan for electrification and fleet orders for batteries and hydrogen locomotives-online and transportation decarbonization plans- Before COP26 in November," he said.
"This is now the third parliamentary committee to support the RIA campaign proposal, and it has demonstrated among policy makers the'power' to provide a clean, environmentally friendly and low-carbon railway network. We look forward to cooperating with colleagues and governments from different political fields to support The committee’s findings."
In the recently released overview of the British railway system, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) emphasized that “the lack of progress in reaching agreement on the specific and funding plans for railway electrification is disappointing”, which it said would pose a risk to the government’s net zero emissions. Target.
British rail and bus operator The Go-Ahead Group has signed a science-based goal initiative to approve its "industry-leading" carbon reduction schedule, which it announced in July last year. Go-Ahead hopes to reduce emissions by 75% by 2035 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.
The company expects that its "strict" goals will be achieved through a combination of investment in zero-carbon technology, combating waste, and substantially increasing the reuse and recycling of materials. These initiatives will be accompanied by initiatives to encourage active travel. The company calls on the government to encourage the shift from using cars to walking, biking, and public transportation.
Go-Ahead announced a "wholesale shift" from diesel to zero-carbon models (including electric and hydrogen traction) and stated that its goal is to achieve a fully decarbonized rail fleet by 2035, and on the same date. Fastener problems and examples
According to Yorkshire company Ellis Patents Ltd, the electrification of railways requires power cables and overhead line equipment (OLE). Upgrades and new construction programs must comply with the National Technical Regulations (NTR) of the railway industry and the European Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI).
Ellis said that it has the widest range of cable clamp designs on the market and therefore offers a range of products suitable for all applications in the railway industry.
The aboveground and underground railway departments use a wide range of cable types, including telecommunications, alarm and control cables, signal and data, and of course a series of power transmission and electrification cables. Many railway cables are installed using cable hangers. Ellis improved the design of the basic galvanized steel hanger, reducing weight, rounded corners (to reduce cable damage during installation) and convex hanger profile for cable sag.
Ellis manufactures cable hangers that are curved to fit the contour of the tunnel. Since the hangers can be directly connected to the tunnel profiles, these reduce the level of supporting steel structures required. These special-shaped hangers provide a simple solution when the motion envelope of the train is narrow and space is limited.
The No Bolts splint from Ellis Patents is designed for the specific tasks of Network Rail. The contractor was injured during the live cable work, and the metal part of the cable fixing part tore the cable sheath. Network Rail's new fixture design outline stipulates that metal parts and tools are not required for installation and maintenance. No Bolts Cleat successfully passed the development phase using rapid prototyping technology and was approved by Network Rail PAD within one year.
The product also fully complies with the IEC 61914 standard and has passed the 101kA short-circuit fault test. No Bolts Cleat was awarded the title of "2016 Best Innovative Product" by "Electrical Times".
Ellis approached in 2016 to provide cable fixtures for the Severn Tunnel Electrification Project, which is part of the GWEP project. The tunnel conditions are harsh, seawater ingress and highly corrosive environments. A design life of 60 years was specified. Therefore, Ellis adjusted its standard 2F products, including super duplex high chromium fixing plates, to meet the project requirements.
Agico in China provides a wide range of rail fasteners for high-speed rail applications. These include E-clamp fastening, Pandelu quick clip fastening, tension clip fastening, bolt clip fastening, tack joint and chair fastening, and steel spring key rails in chair fastening.
China has the world's largest and most widely used high-speed rail network-a total length of 37,900 kilometers by the end of 2020. 120 mph-220 mph). China's high-speed rail accounts for two-thirds of the world's total high-speed rail network. Almost all high-speed rail trains, tracks and services are owned and operated by China Railway Corporation under the China Railway High Speed (CRH) brand.
Over the past 15 years, high-speed rail has developed rapidly in China. The high-speed rail construction boom continues there, and the network will reach 70,000 kilometers (43,000 miles) in 2035.
China’s early high-speed trains were imported or built under technology transfer agreements with foreign train manufacturers such as Alstom, Siemens, Bombardier, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The train is now built by the local CRRC company.
The emergence of China's high-speed rail has greatly shortened travel time and changed China's society and economy. A study by the World Bank found that "many travelers of different income levels choose high-speed rail because of its comfort, convenience, safety and punctuality."
China's famous high-speed rail lines include the Beijing-Guangzhou line, with a total length of 2,298 kilometers (1,428 miles), which is the longest line in the world. The Beijing-Shanghai line is the fastest in the world. The Shanghai maglev (maglev) train can reach a speed of 430 km/h (267 mph). Last year, China began testing a maglev train with a speed of 600 km/h (372 mph), which is scheduled to be launched in 2025.
High-speed railways in Europe are becoming an increasingly popular and efficient means of transportation. Europe's first high-speed rail line was built in the 1980s and 1990s, improving travel time in domestic corridors. Since then, some countries have established extensive high-speed networks, and now there are several cross-border high-speed rail connections. Railway operators often run international services, and tracks are constantly being constructed and upgraded to international standards.
In 2007, Railteam, a consortium of European railway operators, emerged to coordinate and promote cross-border high-speed rail travel. The development of a trans-European high-speed rail network is the established goal of the European Union, and most of the cross-border railway lines are funded by the European Union. Several countries—France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, and the United Kingdom—are connected to the cross-border high-speed rail network.
As Europe invests heavily in tunnels, bridges and other infrastructure and development projects across the African continent, it is expected that more projects will be connected in the next few years, many of which are currently under construction. At present, there are many high-level manufacturers in Europe that design and build high-speed rail, with alliances and partnerships crisscrossed, including Bombardier, Alstom, Tyco and Siemens.
High-speed rail is quickly becoming the mode of transportation of the future because it is electric (and therefore clean), extremely safe and faster and faster. Combined with electric self-driving cars that can travel long distances on the train (such as the Channel Tunnel service), zero-carbon transportation is coming. The only thing left in the world is to choose it and fund it. Miles of tracks and overhead power lines will require a large number of high-quality fasteners.
Ian Parker graduated from Loughborough University in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in ergonomics, and then joined the staff of Flight International as an editorial assistant. In 1985, he joined Shephard Press, where he edited Space, Aerospace Materials, Helicopter World and Defense Helicopter magazines. In 1998, he joined the American publisher Access Intelligence as the European editor for Rotor & Wing, Avionics and Aviation Maintenance. In 2001, he became a freelancer, writing on a wide range of engineering topics. In 1997, he received the Excellent Communication Award from the International Helicopter Association. For many years, he has been a lecturer in the rating of Yakovlev 18T and 52 aircraft.
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