Radiative Heat Transfer Analysis of Railroad Bearings for Wayside Hot-Box Detector Optimization

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur Mealer ◽  
Constantine Tarawneh ◽  
Stephen Crown
Keyword(s):  
Temperature Data ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Heat Transfer Analysis ◽  
Infrared Sensor ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Detection Systems ◽  
Railway Safety ◽  
Railroad Bearings ◽  
Railroad Bearing ◽  
The University

The railroad industry utilizes wayside detection systems to monitor the temperature of freight railcar bearings in service. The wayside hot-box detector (HBD) is a device that sits on the side of the tracks and uses a non-contact infrared sensor to determine the temperature of the train bearings as they roll over the detector. Various factors can affect the temperature measurements of these wayside detection systems. The class of the railroad bearing and its position on the axle relative to the position of the wayside detector can affect the temperature measurement. That is, the location on the bearing cup where the wayside infrared sensor reads the temperature varies depending on the bearing class (e.g., class K, F, G, E). Furthermore, environmental factors can also affect these temperature readings. The abovementioned factors can lead to measured temperatures that are significantly different than the actual operating temperatures of the bearings. In some cases, temperature readings collected by wayside detection systems did not indicate potential problems with some bearings, which led to costly derailments. Attempts by certain railroads to optimize the use of the temperature data acquired by these wayside detection systems has led to removal of bearings that were not problematic (about 40% of bearings removed were non-verified), resulting in costly delays and inefficiencies. To this end, the study presented here aims to investigate the efficacy of the wayside detection systems in measuring the railroad bearing operating temperature in order to optimize the use of these detection systems. A specialized single bearing dynamic test rig with a configuration that closely simulates the operating conditions of railroad bearings in service was designed and built by the University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS) research team at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) for the purpose of this study. The test rig is equipped with a system that closely mimics the wayside detection system functionality and compares the infrared sensor temperature reading to contact thermocouple and bayonet temperature sensors fixed to the outside surface of the bearing cup. This direct comparison of the temperature data will provide a better understanding of the correlation between these temperatures under various loading levels, operating speeds, and bearing conditions (i.e. healthy versus defective), which will allow for an optimization of the wayside detectors. The impact on railway safety will be realized through optimized usage of current wayside detection systems and fewer nonverified bearings removed from service, which translates into fewer costly train stoppages and delays.

scholarly journals Optimizing Power Consumption of Freight Railroad Bearings Using Laboratory Experimental Data

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos E. Lopez ◽  
Constantine Tarawneh ◽  
Arturo Fuentes ◽  
Harry Siegal
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Power Consumption ◽  
Optimal Operating ◽  
Speed Condition ◽  
Load Train ◽  
Train Speed ◽  
Railroad Bearings ◽  
Railroad Bearing ◽  
The University

Abstract Based on projected freight truck fuel efficiency, freight railroad and equipment suppliers need to identify, evaluate and implement technologies and/or operating practices to maintain traditional railroad economic competitiveness. The railway industry uses systems that record the total energy efficiency of a train but not energy efficiency or consumption by components. Lowering the energy consumption of certain train components will result in an increase in its overall energy efficiency, which will yield cost benefits for all the stakeholders. One component of interest is the railroad bearing whose power consumption varies depending on several factors that include railcar load, train speed, condition of bearing whether it is healthy or defective, and type of defect. Being able to quantify the bearing power consumption, as a function of the variables mentioned earlier, would make it possible to obtain optimal operating condition ranges that minimize energy consumption and maximize train energy efficiency. Several theoretical studies were performed to estimate the power consumption within railroad bearings, but those studies lacked experimental validation. For almost a decade now, the University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS) at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) has been collecting power consumption data for railroad bearings under various loads, speeds, ambient temperatures, and bearing condition. The objective of this ongoing study is to use the experimentally acquired power consumption to come up with a correlation that can be used to quantify the bearing power consumption as a function of load, speed, ambient temperature, and bearing condition. Once obtained, the model can then be used to determine optimal operating practices that maximize the railroad bearing energy efficiency. In addition, the developed model will provide insight into possible areas of improvement for the next generation of energy efficient railroad bearings. This paper will discuss ongoing work including experimental setup and findings of energy consumption of bearings as function of railcar load, train speed, condition of bearing whether it is healthy or defective, and type of defect. Findings of energy consumption are converted into approximations of diesel gallons to quantify the effect of nominal energy consumption of the bearings and show economic value and environmental impact.

Sealing Technology: Rub Test Rig for Abrasive/Abradable Systems

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrich Rathmann ◽  
Sven Olmes ◽  
Alex Simeon
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Tip Clearance ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Visual Appearance ◽  
Major Interest ◽  
Rubbing Behavior ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Detailed Assessment ◽  
The University

Performance and efficiency optimization is one of the major tasks in the turbo machinery industry. Therefore efforts for scientific and technical improvements focus on optimization and reduction of losses. Secondary losses are of major interest because of their parasitic character related to stage efficiency and power output. One of these losses is over tip leakage of blades. Common practice is a minimization of this clearance with abrasive/abradable combinations. With this technique the blade tip (abrasive material) can rub into its counterpart (heat-shield, abradable material on casings or liners) and therefore minimize the operating tip-clearance. This technology is well established in compressor and turbine engineering since many years [1]. Field experience shows that abrasive/abradable systems do not always work as intended. In some cases rubbing conditions are reversed so that the intended abradable cuts into the abrasive. Any benefit on operating tip-clearance will then be minor at best or even negative. Rubbing behavior is difficult to predict, especially for new materials or geometries where no experience is available. In close cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences Rapperswil (Switzerland), ALSTOM has developed a test rig that allows simulating engine-operating conditions and therefore evaluate abrasive/abradable combinations before actual implementation into an engine. The rig is designed to reproduce circumferential velocities and incursion rates that are typical for gas turbine engines in the compressor as well as in the turbine. Forces and temperatures are measured as quantitative data, visual appearance and metallographic condition of test specimens are recorded as qualitative data that allow a more detailed assessment of material combinations and operating conditions. This paper describes the design of a high-speed wear rig facility to test single blade and fully shrouded rub configurations. In addition the validation of the test rig against real engine experience and knowledge is shown.

Defect Prognostics Models for Spall Growth in Railroad Bearing Rolling Elements

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy De Los Santos ◽  
Constantine M. Tarawneh ◽  
Robert E. Jones ◽  
Arturo Fuentes
Keyword(s):  
Monitoring System ◽  
Health Monitoring ◽  
Safety Concern ◽  
Continuous Growth ◽  
Health Monitoring System ◽  
Bearing Condition Monitoring ◽  
Railroad Bearings ◽  
Railroad Bearing ◽  
The University ◽  
Proactive Maintenance

Prevention of railroad bearing failures, which may lead to catastrophic derailments, is a central safety concern. Early detection of railway component defects, specifically bearing spalls, will improve overall system reliability by allowing proactive maintenance cycles rather than costly reactive replacement of failing components. A bearing health monitoring system will provide timely detection of flaws. However, absent a well verified model for defect propagation, detection can only be used to trigger an immediate component replacement. The development of such a model requires that the spall growth process be mapped out by accumulating associated signals generated by various size spalls. The addition of this information to an integrated health monitoring system will minimize operation disruption and maintain maximum accident prevention standards enabling timely and economical replacements of failing components. An earlier study done by the authors focused on bearing outer ring (cup) raceway defects. The developed model predicts that any cup raceway surface defect (i.e. spall) once reaching a critical size (spall area) will grow according to a linear correlation with mileage. The work presented here investigates spall growth within the inner rings (cones) of railroad bearings as a function of mileage. The data for this study were acquired from defective bearings that were run under various load and speed conditions utilizing specialized railroad bearing dynamic test rigs owned by the University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS) at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). The experimental process is based on a testing cycle that allows continuous growth of railroad bearing defects until one of two conditions are met; either the defect is allowed to grow to a size that does not jeopardize the safe operation of the test rig, or the change in area of the spall is less than 10% of its previous size prior to the start of testing. The initial spall size is randomly distributed as it depends on the originating defect depth, size, and location on the rolling raceway. Periodic removal and disassembly of the railroad bearings was carried out for inspection and defect size measurement along with detailed documentation. Spalls were measured using optical techniques coupled with digital image analysis, as well as, with a manual coordinate measuring instrument with the resulting field of points manipulated in MatLab™. Castings were made of spalls using low-melting, zero-shrinkage bismuth-based alloys, so that a permanent record of the spall geometry and its growth history can be retained. The main result of this study is a preliminary model for spall growth, which can be coupled with bearing condition monitoring tools that will allow economical and effective scheduling of proactive maintenance cycles that aim to mitigate derailments, and reduce unnecessary train stoppages and associated costly delays on busy railways.

An Analysis of the Efficacy of Wayside Hot-Box Detector Data

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constantine Tarawneh ◽  
James A. Aranda ◽  
Veronica V. Hernandez ◽  
Claudia J. Ramirez
Keyword(s):  
Field Test ◽  
Dynamic Test ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Temperature Measurements ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Similar Distribution ◽  
Infrared Sensor ◽  
Ir Sensor ◽  
The University ◽  
Class F

Wayside hot-box detectors (HBDs) are devices that are currently used to monitor bearing, axle, and brake temperatures as a way of assessing railcar component health and to indicate any possible overheating or abnormal operating conditions. Conventional hot-box detectors are set to alarm whenever a bearing is operating at a temperature that is 94.4°C (170°F) above ambient, or when there is a 52.8°C (95°F) temperature difference between two bearings that share an axle. These detectors are placed adjacent to the railway and utilize an infrared sensor in order to obtain temperature measurements. Bearings that trigger HBDs or display temperature trending behavior are removed from service for disassembly and inspection. Upon teardown, bearings that do not exhibit any discernible defects are labeled as “non-verified”. The latter may be due to the many factors that can affect the measurement of HBDs such as location of the infrared sensor and the class of the bearing among other environmental factors. A field test was performed along a route that is more than 483 km (300 mi) of track containing 21 wayside hot-box detectors. Two freight cars, one fully-loaded and one empty, and one instrumentation car pulled by a locomotive were used in this field test. A total of 16 bearings (14 Class F and 2 Class K) were instrumented with K-type bayonet thermocouples to provide continuous temperature measurement. The data collected from this field test were used to perform a systematic study in which the HBD IR sensor data were compared directly to the onboard thermocouple data. The analyses determined that, in general, HBDs tend to overestimate Class K bearing temperatures more frequently than Class F bearing temperatures. Additionally, the temperatures of some bearings were underestimated by as much as 47°C (85°F). Furthermore, the HBD data exhibited some false trending events that were not seen in temperature histories recorded by the bayonet thermocouples. The findings from the field test suggest that HBDs may inaccurately report bearing temperatures, which may contribute to the increased percentage of non-verified bearing removals. To further investigate the accuracy of the wayside detection systems, a dynamic test rig was designed and fabricated by the University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS) research team at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). A mobile infrared sensor was developed and installed on the dynamic tester in order to mimic the measurement behavior of a HBD. The infrared temperature measurements were compared to contact thermocouple and bayonet temperature measurements taken on the bearing cup surface. The laboratory-acquired data were compared to actual field test data, and the analysis reveals that the trends are in close agreement. The large majority of temperature measurements taken using the IR sensor have been underestimated with a similar distribution to that of the data collected by the HBDs in field service.

Application of an Enhanced 1D Network Model to Calculate the Flow Properties of a Pre-Swirl Secondary Air System

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.-K. Benra ◽  
H. J. Dohmen ◽  
O. Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Network Model ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Design Flow ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Air System ◽  
Secondary Air ◽  
The University

Former investigations [10] were focused on the design point of the secondary air system. This paper discusses further enhancements to the modelling to describe the flow in the pre-swirl cavity more precisely at off design flow conditions. Special focus was drawn to mixing of the pre-swirl nozzle flow with the flow in the cavity. Together with the description of the friction losses and the surging effects of the boundary layers with new modules in a 1D network model the flow in the mixing region is now appropriately reproduced. 3D CFD investigations were used for calibration of the correlation approach. The 1D network model so enhanced was then used to simulate the flow in the pre-swirl test rig at the University of Duisburg-Essen over a wide range of operating conditions. A comparison of the experimental results from the test rig to the results of the enhanced 1D network model reveals that the crucial parameters can be now determined over the complete operating range of the test rig. It is demonstrated that the accuracy of the estimated pressure ratio, the temperature and the swirl ratio of the pre-swirl system is now much better.

Using Taguchi Experimental Design to Investigate Operating Variables That Significantly Affect Wear in Mud Pumps

1995 ◽  
Vol 209 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-40
Author(s):  
S H Mok ◽  
D G Gorman
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Design ◽  
Normal Load ◽  
Drilling Fluid ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Taguchi Experimental Design ◽  
Drilling Mud ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Offshore Drilling ◽  
Wear Rates ◽  
Operating Variables

Maintenance of offshore drilling mud pumps is normally based on running hours. It is generally accepted, however, that time does not provide an accurate means of scheduling maintenance, given the varying operating conditions of the reciprocating mud pumps. The energy expended at the interaction of sliding surfaces is hypothesized to be a better alternative. The effects of operating variables on wear rates are investigated. A Taguchi experimental design was used to identify those factors that significantly affect wear. Within the confines of an experimental test rig, the normal load and abrasive sand content was found to have a significant effect on the specific wear rate of nitrile rubber sliding on steel in drilling fluid.

Subsynchronous Vibration Patterns Under Reduced Oil Supply Flow Rates

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. R. Nichols ◽  
R. L. Fittro ◽  
C. P. Goyne
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
System Stability ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Oil Supply ◽  
Bending Mode ◽  
Wide Range

Many high-speed, rotating machines across a wide range of industrial applications depend on fluid film bearings to provide both static support of the rotor and to introduce stabilizing damping forces into the system through a developed hydrodynamic film wedge. Reduced oil supply flow rate to the bearings can cause cavitation, or a lack of a fully developed film layer, at the leading edge of the bearing pads. Reducing oil flow has the well-documented effects of higher bearing operating temperatures and decreased power losses due to shear forces. While machine efficiency may be improved with reduced lubricant flow, little experimental data on its effects on system stability and performance can be found in the literature. This study looks at overall system performance of a test rig operating under reduced oil supply flow rates by observing steady-state bearing performance indicators and baseline vibrational response of the shaft. The test rig used in this study was designed to be dynamically similar to a high-speed industrial compressor. It consists of a 1.55 m long, flexible rotor supported by two tilting pad bearings with a nominal diameter of 70 mm and a span of 1.2 m. The first bending mode is located at approximately 5,000 rpm. The tiling-pad bearings consist of five pads in a vintage, flooded bearing housing with a length to diameter ratio of 0.75, preload of 0.3, and a load-between-pad configuration. Tests were conducted over a number of operating speeds, ranging from 8,000 to 12,000 rpm, and bearing loads, while systematically reducing the oil supply flow rates provided to the bearings under each condition. For nearly all operating conditions, a low amplitude, broadband subsynchronous vibration pattern was observed in the frequency domain from approximately 0–75 Hz. When the test rig was operated at running speeds above its first bending mode, a distinctive subsynchronous peak emerged from the broadband pattern at approximately half of the running speed and at the first bending mode of the shaft. This vibration signature is often considered a classic sign of rotordynamic instability attributed to oil whip and shaft whirl phenomena. For low and moderate load conditions, the amplitude of this 0.5x subsynchronous peak increased with decreasing oil supply flow rate at all operating speeds. Under the high load condition, the subsynchronous peak was largely attenuated. A discussion on the possible sources of this subsynchronous vibration including self-excited instability and pad flutter forced vibration is provided with supporting evidence from thermoelastohydrodynamic (TEHD) bearing modeling results. Implications of reduced oil supply flow rate on system stability and operational limits are also discussed.

Experimental Study of Water Flow in Full-Size Test Rig for Water-Cooled Turbo-Generator Rotor

1966 ◽  
Vol 181 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. K. Csillag
Keyword(s):  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Air Cooling ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Full Size ◽  
Generator Rotor ◽  
Turbo Generator ◽  
Hydrogen Cooling ◽  
Major Factors ◽  
Design And Manufacture

The demand for electric power has doubled in the last decade. The most economical way to meet this demand is by building large-output generating units. The study of the major factors which determine the output of such generators shows that the only effective way to increase the output is by improving the cooling of their windings. For that reason design has progressed from air-cooling to indirect hydrogen-cooling, then to direct hydrogen-cooling. Now the trend is towards direct water-cooling where the water is in direct contact with the copper windings. The introduction of water into the stator winding was established in 1956 (1)† and was in fact directly responsible for the present increase in unit rating. The introduction of water to a rotating winding presents difficult problems in both design and manufacture. The test rig dealt with in this paper was built to study some of these problems and to carry out experimental investigations on a full size model of the special hydraulic features for a water-cooled turbo-generator rotor. The investigations were concentrated around the following five different problems which are dealt with in detail: (1) increase in pressure drop due to rotation; (2) free-rotating seal (inlet seal) (2); (3) vacuum-breaking device (water outlet) (3); (4) loss-distribution in the rotor; (5) measurement of the rotor vibrations in various operating conditions.

Modelling of Thermoacoustic Combustion Instabilities Phenomena: Application to an Experimental Rig for Testing Full Scale Burners

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Laera ◽  
Giovanni Campa ◽  
Sergio M. Camporeale ◽  
Edoardo Bertolotto ◽  
Sergio Rizzo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Fem Analysis ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
System Modelling ◽  
Combustion Instabilities ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Pressure Oscillations ◽  
Secondary Air ◽  
Actual Geometry

This paper concerns the acoustic analysis of self–sustained thermoacoustic pressure oscillations that occur in a test rig equipped with full scale lean premixed burner. The experimental work is conducted by Ansaldo Energia and CCA (Centro Combustione Ambiente) at the Ansaldo Caldaie facility in Gioia del Colle (Italy), in cooperation with Politecnico di Bari. The test rig is characterized by a longitudinal development with two acoustic volumes, plenum and combustion chamber, coupled by the burner. The length of both chambers can be varied with continuity in order to obtain instability at different frequencies. A previously developed three dimensional finite element code has been applied to carry out the linear stability analysis of the system, modelling the thermoacoustic combustion instabilities through the Helmholtz equation under the hypothesis of low Mach approximation. The heat release fluctuations are modelled according to the κ-τ approach. The burner, characterized by two conduits for primary and secondary air, is simulated by means of both a FEM analysis and a Burner Transfer Matrix (BTM) method in order to examine the influence of details of its actual geometry. Different operating conditions, in which self–sustained pressure oscillations have been observed, are examined. Frequencies and growth rates of unstable modes are identified, with good agreement with experimental data in terms of frequencies and acoustics pressure wave profiles.

Performance of Stern Tube Bearings under Different Lubrication and Operating Conditions

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan H. Andersen ◽  
Hiroyuki Sada ◽  
Seiji Yamajo
Keyword(s):  
Journal Bearing ◽  
Hydrodynamic Lubrication ◽  
Journal Bearings ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Experimental Performance ◽  
Shaft Alignment ◽  
Alignment Analysis

This paper presents the results of an investigation into the theoretical and experimental performance of oil lubricated journal bearings. DNV has developed a new calculation tool for the analysis of journal bearing performance as part of shaft alignment analysis. The results of the calculation tool have been compared to other research and analysis methods under static and dynamic conditions. In addition, white metal bearings were tested with decreasing Sommerfeld number until loss of hydrodynamic lubrication. The experiments were carried out in a bearing test rig and with three different lubricants, normal mineral oil, emulsifying oil, and water-soluble oil. The tests were done with increasing water content in the lubricant. Results from the test were compared with calculation using the DNV analysis tool.

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