EUREKA PROJECT > 3861 JEWEL
CZECH REPUBLIC
IMPROVEMENT OF COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT FOR RAILWAY WAGON MONITORING AND DATA COLLECTION
DEVELOPMENT OF RAIL WAGON ACCESSORY UNIT BASED ON SATELLITE POSITIONING SYSTEM, OFFERING COMMUNICATION WITH A CENTRAL SYSTEM AND MONITORING OF WAGON PARAMETERS, AND WITH THE AIM OF MEETING ALL SYSTEM DEMANDS FOR OPTIMAL INTEGRATED STANDARD EQUIPMENT.
Status > FINISHED - 30-Mar-2011 Technological Area Market Area Start Date > 01-Mar-2007 Duration > 46 Months Participating countries > SLOVAK REPUBLIC, CZECH REPUBLIC | Main contactLEVEL S.R.O. ING. MICHAL FALTA > Director Organisation type > SME |
Project Description
The aim of the project is to improve and develop new additional communication equipment for wagons used in rail freight transport with the goal of developing an optimum solution that fulfils all necessary requirements and connects and satisfies all demands for such types of system with single-purpose equipment that will become a feature of new manufactured railway wagons and an all-European standard for starting the operation. The equipment is a communication unit mounted on a rail wagon that detects the position using a satellite positioning system and transmits the coordinates to the control centre using a GSM (Global Standard for Mobile) network in predefined intervals. At present, the communication unit consists of two main modules: (1) Global satellite positioning system (GPS module) consists of a receiver of GPS (Global Positioning System) positions that follows satellites, evaluates the geographical coordinates and saves these positions. (2) Communication part (GSM module); this module is able to process information in time intervals, activate sensors, transfer data into a centre and set the mode via communication with a central system. The main activities within this project are research and development of new principles to improve the existing communication unit in the following areas: * Long-term exploitable energy source (battery) for the lowest price. * Energy acquisition directly on the wagon. * Energy conservation system. * Most suitable placing of the unit on the railway wagon resistant to vandalism. * Adaptation of placing on different types of wagons. * Energy modest sensors of various wagon parameters. * Optimisation of data transfer between the unit and external sensors on the wagon. * Optimisation of data transfer between the equipment and a central system. * Standardisation and certification of the unit. * Fulfilment of TSI standards. The unit will be connected with external sensors monitoring various wagon parameters and conditions such as doors and other openings (open/closed), temperature, pressure, weight, movement of the wagon, tachometer, loading of goods, shock, alarm, etc. The new complex unit will have the following functions: - Position determination (tracking and tracing of wagons). - Preparing for new European global satellite positioning system GALILEO. - Monitoring of wagon parameters. - Data and information collection. - Data transfer and communication. - Supervision of rail wagons by wagon localisation and monitoring. - Standard adjustment on rail wagons. - Decrease of costs for manufacturing the unit. - Testing and verification in real operations. - Entering into real operation. - Connection to a complex central system for rail wagon control and information providing (communication, rail wagon fleet management, database of wagons, positioning in the map, etc.). Keywords: railway wagons, equipment, communication.
Technological Development Envisaged
Given that railway transport provides better ecological parameters than road transport, rail freight is currently facing a sharp decline in orders. One of the reasons is a lack of information on rail wagon locations and conditions. In comparison with road transport, railway transport is specific given the movement of non-accompanied vehicles, and the presence of people only on a locomotive. Data on wagon positions can only be gathered manually at railway stations by typing in information about the transit of trains through the station and by sending data to the centre, bearing in mind that in the centre there is also information on train wagon formation. The second possibility for collecting information on wagon locations is to equip wagons with a special unit that detects the position and communicates with a centre. According to the research that has been carried out by the main participant, it is evident that nowadays there is no standard equipment that satisfies all requirements. At most, hundreds of rail wagons equipped with several types of communication units have been put into test operation on railways. Their weak point is a limited energy source, because as more information and functions are required from the unit, the demand for energy consumption grows. At the same time, they mostly do not fulfil conditions set by international technical regulations, including their certification. JEWEL is one of the projects that clearly supports railway transport by providing a solution to this situation. The subject of the project is research and development of new principles, verification in prototypes and short-run production, certification of the equipment and then introduction into use with connection to a complex system for providing information on wagons in railway cargo transportation. The development consists of designing the product and its electronic circuits, developing software of microprocessors, and designing mechanical parts along with its external design. The project includes research and development of energy harvesting and conservation systems on the basis of vibration, solar energy, air flow and wheel revolution power sources as well as research and experimental verification of the unit placement on the wagon body within the context of the different antenna types, influences on the rate of position identification, energy consumption and identified position accuracy. The innovative part of the JEWEL project should be highlighted: - To improve the unit that collects wagon route positions and wagon parameters in a memory. - To develop equipment with an energy conservation system and ultra low power consumption. - To ensure long-term exploitable batteries and energy acquisition directly on the wagon. - To develop energy modest sensors and place them on various parts of the wagon. - To optimise data transfer of the unit with wagon sensors and with a centre. - To find out the most suitable placement of the unit on different types of wagons. - To design robust resistant equipment with a wide range of working temperatures. - To ensure easy installation and an extremely long period of maintenance-free operation. - To debug and test the equipment and bring highly reliable equipment into standard operation within Europe. The project result should be a final and optimal solution satisfying all requirements, such that after finishing the project, the equipment will be assembled into new manufactured railway cargo wagons as a default.
Main contactCETRA - USTAV DOPRAVY
UNIVERSITY OF ZILINA DOC. ING. PHD. PETER FABIAN > DIRECTOR Organisation type > University |
Contribution to project
The University will contribute to the project with its expertise in the branch of electronics, electronic systems, design and applications of electronic devices and involvement in particular tasks to be carried out by graduate and undergraduate students. The main tasks are as follows: * Research and development of energy harvesting and conservation systems on the basis of vibration, solar energy, air flow and wheel revolution power sources. * Research and experimental verification of the GPS emplacement on the wagon body within the context of the different antenna types, the influence on the rate of the position identification, the energy consumption and the identified position accuracy.
Expertise
The University holds a significant position in the area of railway transport in SLOVAKIA as well as in the all-European context by preparing highly educated people for their future professions in the rail branch. The University supports the growth of railway transport, and keeps abreast of the latest information technology applications and development of legislation in rail freight transport in Europe. The UNIVERSITY OF ZILINA is a modern university providing a full range of technological, economic, management, and a limited range of humanistic and natural science education at undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels. The University has gained recognition in the international arena and cooperates with other European universities and higher education institutions on bilateral cooperation agreements. The University staff were actively involved in 5 projects of the EU 5th Framework Programme. Among these, the projects CETRA and INTRANSNET, in which the University is a contractor and coordinator, are of high importance. The establishment of CETRA as a recognised centre of excellence for supporting research activities in transport at the highest level was a significant result. University research teams are also active in nationally financed research projects. The results of scientific research are applied in industry through projects of business activities. The University initiated the foundation of the scientific and technological park in Zilina for promoting the transfer of new technologies into industry. The University has extensive cooperation with academic and entrepreneurial bodies abroad. Numerous international projects have been carried out successfully within the framework of TEMPUS, LEONARDO and SOCRATES, CEEPUS, COPERNICUS, etc. The University is a participant in the EUREKA E!3579 LOGCHAIN NARVIK project.
Main contactLEVEL S.R.O. ING. MICHAL FALTA > Director Organisation type > SME |
Contribution to project
The main task of the co-ordinator includes effective leadership and coordination of participating research teams working on the development and production of electronic wagon equipment. DEFINITION PHASE: - Assessment of all possible research leading to the goal of the project. - Detailed background research on the Internet of available solutions or their parts. - Market research and gathering of customer demands. - Assessment of monitoring target parameters and their limit values. - Assessment of a range of tests and validations. - Choosing software tools. - Choosing measuring and testing instruments. - Purchase of specimens of new components and their testing. - Verification of the functionality of new principles. DEVELOPMENT AND PROTOTYPE VERIFICATION PHASE: * Development and production of all variants of testing prototypes. * Laboratory verification of prototypes. * Measuring and validation. * Sequential adding of communication functions. * Sequential adding of connecting able sensors. * Verification of prototypes in experimental applications on wagons. * Preparation of documentation. PROTOTYPE VERIFICATION AND PRODUCTION PREPARATION PHASE: - Verification of prototypes on various wagon types. - Finalisation of production documentation. - Preparation of production and construction of production tools. - Production of test series. - Adding of user and communication functions. MADE PRODUCT VERIFICATION PHASE: * Creation of technical and user documentation. * Aerial extension into testing applications. * Tests of behaviour in extreme conditions. * Certificates for explosive environment acquisition. * Correction of production tools and procedures. * Promotion and marketing.
Expertise
The main product range of the LEVEL Company: - Telecommunication technology. - Safety and security systems. - Logistics, localisation and navigation systems. - Industrial technologies. - Light advertising and information system. DEVELOPMENT The development consists of researching and designing the products and their electronic circuits, developing software for microprocessors, designing mechanical parts for the products as well as carrying out their external design. The Development Department is provided with accurate measurement devices and testing instruments such as TEKTRONIX, HEWLETT PACKARD or Computer-aided design (CAD) software systems. PRODUCTION The production consists of purchasing components, fitting printed circuit boards with the SMT technology, debugging and testing electronic units, and designing and producing mechanical parts. The top quality of the products is controlled by the output testing of every single product using diagnostic devices. GENERALLY The main goal of LEVEL is customer satisfaction, not only with the quality and the utility properties of the products, but also with sale and after-sale services. The sale of LEVEL products on the domestic market is ensured by a network of approximately 1,000 business partners. The sale of the products in foreign countries is provided by local national distributors. * More than 50% of the production is exported mainly to other EU countries. * Products for more than 20 foreign country destinations. * All processes are covered and checked by an ISO 9001 certified (International Standards Organisation) quality management system. * Approximately 25 staff members: professionals with long-standing know-how in electronics. * 15 years of experience in the development and production of electronics.