Protection and Resilience for OLE using ComputerVision Techniques (PROLECT)
This project was one of the winners in the First Of A Kind 2022 competition run by Innovate UK.
In this document, this is said about the project.
Project No: 10037158
Project title: Protection and Resilience for OLE using ComputerVision Techniques (PROLECT)
Lead organisation: ONE BIG CIRCLE LTD
Project grant: £247,115
Public description:
This project will utilise Computer Vision techniques applied to existing video footage and capturing
a new type of video sensor to address two main challenges which are exacerbated by weather
events and can result in the railway being closed. Providing means in which these type of challenge
can be predicted and prevented will help provide the railway to become more resilient to weather
events and season agnostic.
The following two areas will be addressed:
- Extreme hot weather causes OLE wires to extend and cause the tensioners to come into contact with the ground which can reduce tension and cause damage or event dewirement. Utilising existing video footage this project will automatically identify OLE tensioners, position and measure them and generate an live asset map with current status level. This can be utilised as part of a digital twin model and fed into systems which are able to alert maintainers to the issue so they are able to take preventative action.
- Hot, cold and humid weather can also have an impact causing Corona discharge from electrical assets such as insulators. The Corona discharge is an early warning sign of potential damage and failure of the equipment and can be measured as part of a predictive maintenance regime to prioritise preventative maintenance activities. This project will install a UV Corona camera onto a measurement fleet or in-service train and enable automated data capture with real-time data transmission and processing. The results will be evaluated by experienced working groups to tune and amend the level of Corona events to ensure an optimum level of precision and recall ensuring an operationally useful tool.
Both of these events can have very impacts on the railway in terms of delay, safety and customer
experience. By providing tools which have the capability of preventing these from occurring the
railway will have an increased resilience to the weather conditions.
My Thoughts And Conclusions
NextGen Data-Driven Timetable Performance Optimisation Tool
This project was one of the winners in the First Of A Kind 2022 competition run by Innovate UK.
In this document, this is said about the project.
Project No: 10037862
Project title: NextGen Data-Driven Timetable Performance Optimisation Tool
Lead organisation: ARTONEZERO LIMITED
Project grant: ££157,826
Public description:
During the pandemic, the on-time reliability of services significantly increased due to the reduction
in the number of services and passengers.
However, as passengers have returned to the railway performance has once again deteriorated.
This has an even greater impact on the industry post-pandemic as passengers’ expectations for services that are reliable and run on-time is even higher. Increased delays and passenger dissatisfaction therefore leads to an even greater decreased revenue from ticket sales.
Poor performance is in large part due to a poorly planned timetable that is often operationally unachievable or cannot handle minor perturbations. This is due to the timetable usually being planned with simulations and the method does not in how trains performing in reality at junction or stations.
Through years of working closely with performance, planning and operational teams, we’ve identified that by using granular train movement data and machine learning techniques, the actual performance of the existing timetable could be accurately calculated. This would enable planners with accurate information to make faster and better planning decisions that are based on real-world evidence.
Our Timetable Analysis tool will deliver automatically updated insights and recommendations to planners that is highly aligned to the planning process. Utilising both on-track (track circuit) and onfleet (GPS and OTMR) data, the tool will provide an integrated view to both Network Rail and TOC teams.
Fundamentally this tool will result in a step change in the speed and quality of timetable planning, moving away from the use of limited simulations and anecdotal experience to a fully evidenced-based approach.
EventGo – Intelligent Rail Service Demand Forecasting for Event-Based Travel
This project was one of the winners in the First Of A Kind 2022 competition run by Innovate UK.
In this document, this is said about the project.
Project No: 10037294
Project title: EventGo – Intelligent Rail Service Demand Forecasting for Event-Based Travel
Lead organisation: YOU. SMART. THING. LIMITED
Project grant: £249,946
Public description:
Aim: EventGo will demonstrate a first-of-a-kind solution for accurately predicting how large visitor events impact demand for specific railway services, generating advance insight on rail capacity, and enhancing the ability of TOC planning teams to optimally plan and deliver railway timetables and services. Data-enabled decision-making is expected to improve overall TOC operational performance, as demand is more precisely matched with supply in order to realise new cost efficiencies, improve yield, and deliver enhanced customer experiences. The project outcomes address the competition’s plan resilience and recoverability theme.
Challenge: Large visitor events create extreme demand peaks within the railway network. Though such events are often scheduled months in advance, accurately predicting how this demand is likely to impact a specific scheduled railway service is notoriously complex due to the lack of advance data about visitors’ travel plans. In leu, TOCs often rely on best guess estimations. As recent UEFA Champions League finals in Pairs demonstrated, underestimating visitor travel can have severe consequences for an organisation’s reputation, and visitor safety.
Project: A mature EventGo prototype solution will be deployed by UK TOC planning team to predict how a series of sporting fixtures between January and March 2023 in the Yorkshire region are likely to impact time-tabled railway services. During this period, partners will investigate how advanced insight generated by EventGo can be exploited by planners to make intelligent adjustments to scheduled services, e.g., adding capacity to specific services to match high
demand, to ensure optimal asset utilisation and deliver the highest level of customer experience.
Value: Demonstration in a live railway environment allows partners to both verify the accuracy of the model’s rail travel demand prediction, and to evidence the business value such intelligence can have on TOC operations. In addition, accrued results will facilitate product approval procedures and raise the visibility of the novel solution in the target market.
Consortium: The project is led by You. Smart. Thing. (“YST”), a specialist in intelligent mobility solutions, and supported by two UK TOCs, a top-tier sporting institution and stadium management company, and regional government partners. Professional project management is provided by In The Round (“ITR”), a UK-based consultancy specialising large visitor events travel management.
My Thoughts And Conclusions
I have been caught up in bad event planning several times and feel that this project could be very useful to plan passenger movement at large events.
I doubt, it will be a solution, that only has UK applications.
ERiCS – Emissions Reductions in Closed Stations
This project was one of the winners in the First Of A Kind 2022 competition run by Innovate UK.
In this document, this is said about the project.
Project No: 10038627
Project title: ERiCS – Emissions Reductions in Closed Stations
Lead organisation: PORTERBROOK LEASING COMPANY LIMITED
Project grant: £59,459
Public description:
We have previously developed an exhaust aftertreatment system to install on Porterbrook’s Class 170 and Class 158/9 vehicles. This technology successfully showed we could significantly reduce the emissions from mid-life diesel trains.
All aftertreatment systems, including those fitted to new diesel engines, work effectively at higher exhaust temperatures but when the train is idling in a station, the aftertreatment is much less effective. This innovation is to develop a new exhaust gas heating solution with geo-fencing capability to dramatically improve the effectiveness of the exhaust
aftertreatment system in covered stations.
The innovation is a development of an electrically heated catalyst which has been used in road applications but is entirely new to rail and could unlock the in-station benefits of aftertreatment systems on diesel trains. This will specifically target NOx and complement PM reduction in stations caused by trains idling and provide a viable retrofit option until full electrification is available.
The innovation will be led by rolling stock asset owner Porterbrook with their partner Eminox who has supplied rail exhaust solutions to diesel engines for several decades. In Phase 1, the project will carry out work to prove the technology on a bench test at Eminox’s test facility. Later in Phase 2, if we are successful, working with our operating partner East Midlands Railway, we propose to demonstrate the additional benefit in emissions reductions in stations by fitting the equipment onto a suitable DMU, and validating the test results in passenger service. This new innovation enhances the business case for fleet roll out of this technology by offering additional benefits where it matters to passengers, staff and neighbours at railway stations. Both Porterbrook and Eminox are delighted to continue the development of their after-treatment system to specifically target emissions in stations, this will take abatement solutions to the next level and provide greener railways. Neil Bamford, Fleet Director at East Midlands Trains said, “The project aligns well to our sustainability objectives, as it offers the opportunity to provide tangible benefits for emissions reduction in stations. We look forward to working with the consortium”
My Thoughts And Conclusions
Zero Emission Powering of Auxiliary Loads In Stations
This project was one of the winners in the First Of A Kind 2022 competition run by Innovate UK.
In this document, this is said about the project.
Project No: 10038972
Project title: Zero Emission Powering of Auxiliary Loads In Stations
Lead organisation: WABTEC UK LIMITED
Project grant: £59,921
Public description:
This project provides a solution to substantially reduce emissions including NOx and PM when diesel passenger trains are idling.
There are over 3,500 passenger rail vehicles in the UK currently fitted with a diesel engine, the large majority of these would significantly benefit from emissions reduction, especially in and around stations, where diesel engines currently continue to idle, or elevated idle whilst stationary, sometimes for up to 30 minutes at a terminal station. This is a significant contributor to local air quality issues from NOx, PM emissions etc.
Brecknell Willis aim to further develop their existing current collection product portfolio by producing
a low-cost, automated shore supply for powering the auxiliary loads of each vehicle and enabling
the diesel engines to be disabled while stationary.
This project will enable several key cost and decarbonisation benefits to the railway.
- It shall enable zero emissions, including NOx and PM, in and around the station, by
enabling a DMU to dwell at any enabled station or depot with the engine switched off
through an automated shore supply. - It shall enable a proportional average reduction in all emissions, through reduced fuel consumption due to not using the diesel engine whilst the vehicle is stationary.
- It shall enable reduced operating costs for the train operator through fuel saving.
- It will not require any modification to the existing diesel engines or drivetrain and will compliment any other decarbonisation initiatives.
- It shall provide a substantially lower cost and risk solution when compared to any other previous or current hybrid solutions.
My Thoughts And Conclusions
Axle Mounted Motor For Retrofit To DMU’s To Enable Zero Emissions In Stations
This project was one of the winners in the First Of A Kind 2022 competition run by Innovate UK.
In this document, this is said about the project.
Project No: 10038683
Project title: Axle Mounted Motor For Retrofit To DMU’s To Enable Zero Emissions In Stations
Lead organisation: WABTEC UK LIMITED
Project grant: £59,450
Public description: This project provides a solution to substantially reduce emissions including NOx and PM when
diesel passenger trains are idling.
There are over 3,500 passenger rail vehicles in the UK currently fitted with a diesel engine, the
large majority of these would significantly benefit from emissions reduction, especially in and
around stations, where diesel engines currently continue to idle, or elevated idle whilst stationary,
sometimes for up to 30 minutes at a terminal station. This is a significant contributor to local air
quality issues from NOx, PM emissions etc.
Furthermore, rail vehicles require large amounts of energy and power to accelerate (and therefore
contributing more emissions), and yet, on the approach to stations significant amounts of energy
are “lost” through “braking”.
This project will address both issues by recovering the braking energy during deceleration and reusing it for auxiliary loads in station and traction to accelerate out of station, this will enable diesel
engines to be isolated in and around stations, whilst also reducing the average emissions such as
PM and NOx over a complete drive cycle by up to 35% and operational costs by up to 30%.
Our objective is to develop and integrate a small, low mass, yet high peak torque and peak power,
axle mounted motor, for retrofit and upgrade for DMU/DEMU passenger vehicle applications. This
motor shall enable kinetic energy recovery during the braking application and also provide power to
the trailer bogie wheels whilst accelerating.
This project will enable several key cost and decarbonisation benefits to the railway.
- It shall enable zero emissions, including NOx and PM, in and around the station, by
enabling a DMU to approach, dwell and depart from a station with the engine switched off. - It shall enable a proportional average reduction in all emissions, through reduced fuel consumption resulting from the electrical energy recovery from regenerative braking and re-deployment through auxiliary and traction use.
- It shall enable less brake wear thus reducing particulate emissions from brake pads especially around stations.
- It shall enable reduced operating costs for the train operator through fuel saving, engine/transmission maintenance savings and brake pad saving.
- It will not require any modification to the existing diesel engines or drivetrain and will compliment any other decarbonisation initiatives.
- It shall provide a substantially lower cost and risk solution when compared to any other previous or current hybrid solutions.
My Thoughts And Conclusions
This is a classic simple solution, that could have big benefits.
I suspect, it can also be paired with Wabtec’s other proposal; Zero Emission Powering of Auxiliary Loads In Stations.
25kV Battery Train Charging Station Demonstration
This project was one of the winners in the First Of A Kind 2022 competition run by Innovate UK.
In this document, this is said about the project.
Project No: 10037158
Project title: 25kV Battery Train Charging Station Demonstration
Lead organisation: SIEMENS MOBILITY LIMITED
Project grant: £59,910
Public description: The UK rail industry is committed to decarbonisation, including the removal of diesel trains by 2040.
Replacing diesel trains with electric, hydrogen or battery bi-mode rolling stock provides faster, smoother and more reliable journeys, as well as eliminating local pollution and greatly reducing carbon dioxide. To enable clean, green electric bi-mode operation without continuous electrification requires enhancement of the power supply to existing electrification and novel charging facilities to support bi-mode trains. No small, low-cost solution is currently available for charging facilities that are compatible with standard UK trains and locally available power supplies and space.
Siemens Mobility, working with ROSCO, TOCs and Network Rail, will deliver a novel AC charging solution enabling simple installation of small, low-cost rapid charging facilities fed from existing standard local power supply cables. Compatible with all OLE-powered trains, the novel design enables the removal of diesel passenger train operation on non-electrified routes across the UK, while minimising land requirements and modifications required to existing station structures.
My Thoughts And Conclusion
Consider.
- The solution works with all 25 KVAC trains.
- It looks like it is a compact overhead electrification system, which might have originally been designed for a European tram or German S-Bahn system.
- It is claimed to be low-cost.
- Siemens were not asking for a lot of money.
- ROSCO, TOCs and Network Rail are all involved, which must be good.
It looks to me, that someone at Siemens has raided the parts bin and found some small, low-cost overhead electrification, that can be installed in the UK gauge and powered by a fairly standard mains supply.
It strikes me, that this system would be ideal to install in a station like Marylebone, if services to the station were to be run by battery-electric trains.
A Rapidly Deployable Rail Stress Sensor For Next Generation Freight Monitoring
This project was one of the winners in the First Of A Kind 2022 competition run by Innovate UK.
In this document, this is said about the project.
Project No: 10039559
Project title: A Rapidly Deployable Rail Stress Sensor For Next Generation Freight Monitoring
Lead organisation: PEAK TO PEAK MEASUREMENT SOLUTIONS LTD.
Project grant: £263,725
Public description: As UK rail freight growth increases, a detailed live understanding of the network condition is
essential and is driving the need for industry digitalisation in the form of real-time and in-situ condition monitoring.
This is also a key enabler of automated networks and the adoption of autonomous vehicles.
In the UK many of the existing wayside rail measurement technologies (e.g. Weigh-in-Motion[WiM] and Wheel Impact Load Detector [WILD]) are expensive, time consuming to install, and permanent.
Thus, the adoption of measurement technologies for improving service offerings is becoming increasingly important. Some proposed data streams are unmeasurable using commercially available technologies; other smaller rail sensors on the market only offer very basic measurements (such as vibration and temperature). Some can be achieved through strain gauging, weighbridges or manual inspection. However, Peak to Peak Measurement Solutions (PktoPk)’s solution is more robust, has longer term stability, is rapidly deployable, offers higher measurement frequency and is significantly cheaper/faster to deploy than any of the competing technologies. It builds on similar systems PktoPk have deployed to non-competing industries such as automotive, large marine diesel, and injection moulding.
PktoPk proposes a novel technology to take key measurements using an ultrasonic array transducer mounted in a robust clamp that can be rapidly fixed under a rail of any gauge. Measurements will be taken in real-time and uploaded to a cloud platform. This solution is fast, portable and excellent value for money whilst providing tangible, reliable and cost-saving data.
The system benefits to asset owners include; reducing possession duration, reducing inspection/maintenance downtime and providing rail operators with easy access to all the data streams listed below.
- Dynamic lateral and vertical force (L/V)
- Wheel-rail contact position and shape
- Wheel-rail interfacial stiffness
- Axle load/weight (ALM)
- Additional ‘standard’ measurements (temperature/noise/vibration)
The project will utilise PktoPk’s close relationship with University of Sheffield, where the IP and right to operate is also shared, and will work with other local partners to create a demonstration of their novel technology to key rail stakeholders in a live rail environment.
This event will also be broadcast with some international stakeholders who have already expressed their excitement about the demonstration.
My Thoughts And Conclusions
Automating Freight Access Right Management And Spot Bidding Using Novel And Modern Software To Drive Modal Shift From Road To Rail
This project was one of the winners in the First Of A Kind 2022 competition run by Innovate UK.
In this document, this is said about the project.
Project No: 10039135
Project title: Automating Freight Access Right Management And Spot Bidding Using Novel And Modern Software To Drive Modal Shift From Road To Rail
Lead organisation: HACK PARTNERS LTD.
Project grant: ££322,420
Public description: Automating today’s manual processes associated with access right management and spot bidding and wrapping these digital processes in an intuitive, integrated, modern, bespoke and scalable user system. The benefits of this innovation are not only cost efficiency but also enabling a much better experience to freight customers to drive modal shift.
Transforming High-Speed Rail Logistics
This project was one of the winners in the First Of A Kind 2022 competition run by Innovate UK.
In this document, this is said about the project.
Project No: 10038447
Project title: Transforming High-Speed Rail Logistics
Lead organisation: VARAMIS LTD
Project grant: £396,467
Public description:
Our project is to transform high-speed rail logistics combining a repurposed all electric passenger unit and bespoke consignment device technology to support the conveyance of parcels. This technology, offered alongside a new approach to using space at stations to create easily accessible city-centre distribution hubs, will enable the operation of a new high-speed non-letters parcels service.
The project meets the competitions challenge and scope through: Development and application of new technologies and approaches to rail, innovative reuse of existing rail assets (such as passenger rolling stock converted for light freight), repurposing of space at station hubs (which has been released due to changing passenger demand) and engagement with new to rail logistics operators to develop and grow new high-speed rail freight services.
Furthermore, the project is in support of permanent modal shift from road to rail, delivering rail freight growth, meeting future customer needs, and realising significant emissions reductions which supports the UK’s low emissions target of a 68% reduction by 2030, compared to 1990 levels through modal diversion from road.
My Thoughts And Conclusions
The Anonymous Widower 