Real Time L/V Force Prediction
LVSafe is an engineering based model with 48 degrees of freedom for each railcar.
Legend: LT - Lead Track, TT - Trailing Track, TT-Fwd - Forward Track, TT-Rev - Reverse Travel Direction
Real time calculation of L/Vs, for all axles, for both directions, for multiple car-types, at multiple speeds.
Existing track maintenance standards are based on individual threshold measures, which in isolation pose no derailment risk.
 The Lateral/Vertical force ratio at the gauge face is directly related to derailment risk. LVSafe considers the simultaneous dynamic stimulus of all seven geometry measures to predict L/V forces at the wheel-rail interface of all axles, of multiple cars, at multiple speeds, for both directions of travel.
Capacity
- Capacity for many more cars than presently validated.
- Cars added as validation data (derailment or test) are available.
- Real time operation has been bench-tested at 60 mph geometry car test speed with 60 car/speed combinations.
Implementation Status (March, 2005)
- Easily connected as a separate processor, linked to the existing onboard network.
- Canadian Pacific Railway will install LVSafe on their Track Evaluation Car in June, 2005.
- Performance will be compared with existing regulatory and in-house standards over a 9 month period.
Further Information?
- Do you have geometry data from a past derailment?
- Do you want to know what LVSafe predicts for your tracks?
- Do you 'bad actors' you would like included in the LVSafe consist?
- Do you want to arrange a demonstration run?
To Submit Data
- Standard 7-channel geometry data (1 ft. intervals preferred).
- Must be from an inertial measurement system.
- Must not be in 62 ft. MCO format (79 ft. space curve format preferred).
Project History
TranSys Research Ltd. project activities since 1994:
Economic Evaluation of Railway Bridges over
the Welland Canal-For the St. Lawrence Seaway
Authority, a review of the economic viability
of two railway bridges over the Welland Canal.
Devolution of Bridges over the Welland Canal-For
the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority, a review
of alternative services for rail customers
served by bridge number 20 across the Welland
Canal and development and presentation of
a devolution strategy for the SLSA board
of directors.
Railway Safety Management-For the Railway
Safety Act Review Committee, a review of
railways' approach to managing safety and
its views of present regulations.
Railway Track and Equipment Safety Inspections-For
the Railway Safety Act Review Committee,
assessed the effectiveness of existing safety
practices, reviewed alternative roles and
approaches for government oversight of safety
and made recommendations on government's
role with respect to railway safety standards
and safety inspections.
Track Modulus Investigation-For Toronto Transit
Commission, field tests and theoretical assessment
of expected vehicle response at the transition
between double-tie and floating slab track
designs.
Railway Accident Data Analysis-For Transportation
Development Centre, analyzed Canadian and
U.S. railway accident statistics with the
objective of identifying research priorities
and data needs (culminated in a working paper).
Track Geometry Deterioration-For CP Rail,
assessed track geometry deterioration and
scoped a research program to enhance geometry
maintenance planning.
Performance Measures from Track Geometry
Cars-Two separate projects, one for CP Rail
and a follow up one for Transportation Development
Centre, assessing the feasibility of predicting,
in real time from measured track geometry,
railcar response and track geometry defect
development.
Train Derailment Simulation Modelling-For
Association of American Railroads, Assessed
the status of computer models of train derailment
dynamics and outlined a development program.
Risk Review of Spent Nuclear Fuel Transport
by Rail-For the Association of American Railroads,
a confidential review of the risks of transporting
spent nuclear fuel by rail.
Spent Nuclear Fuel Transport Cask Crashworthiness-For
the Association of American Railroads, a
confidential assessment of the crashworthiness
of spent nuclear fuel casks.
Evaluation of derailment barrier-For the
Yonge and Summerhill Residents Association,
review of the risk impacts of a proposed
earth berm and noise barrier for a new residential
development adjacent to railway tracks.
Vehicle Dynamic Report Review-For National
Research Council's Centre for Surface Transportation
Technology, a confidential review of the
development and application a vehicle dynamic
model using the MEDYNA computer software
package.
High Speed Rail Assessment-For the government
of Taiwan, undertook a review of the suitability
of foreign standards, designs and operating
practices for Taiwan's conditions and assisted
in the evaluation of competitive bids for
a Build Operate Transfer HSR tender.
Technical Report writing-For NDT Technologies,
wrote a technical report of its development
and testing of 'ICEYE', an ice detection
technology for aircraft wings.
Rail / Wheel Life Assessment-For Toronto
Transit Commission, assessed TTC's existing
maintenance practices and evaluated the economics
of a number of alternatives (including profile
grinding) with the objective of prolonging
the service life of rail and wheels.
Rail Wear Limits-For ResCo Engineering, assisted
in the identification of rail wear limits
for BC Transit's sky train system.
Transit Simulation Workshop-For OC Transpo,
a user's workshop and demonstration of the
bus operations simulation model OPSSIM.
Transit Priority Measures-For Transportation
Development Centre, with steering committee
representation from OC Transpo and Region
of Ottawa Carleton, enhanced our transit
operations simulator to include traffic and
signalized intersections and undertook an
investigation of the energy and person-delay
impacts of introducing alternative transit
priority measures.
In addition to its own projects, TranSys
Research Ltd has undertaken a number of projects
in association with the Research and Traffic
Group of which Mr. English is a partner.
Following is a list of RTG projects in which
TranSys Research Ltd. participated.
Environmental Damage from Accidents-On behalf
of Transport Canada, Environmental Services,
prepared a policy discussion paper concerning
the minimization of environmental damage
from accidents.
Measures to Favour Passenger Modal Shift
for GHG Reduction-for Transport Canada, acting
in support of The National Climate Change
Process, Transportation Table, estimated
the Canadian domestic intercity passenger
sector's GHG emission, and identified and
reported on potential measures and to achieve
emission reduction through shifts in modal
choice.
Survey of Rail Industry Technological and
Operational Improvements-for Transport Canada,
acting in support of The National Climate
Change Process, Transportation Table, identified
and assessed the cost effectiveness of potential
measures for the Canadian railway sector
to achieve a pro-rata share of Canada's Kyoto
commitment.
Socio-Economic Issues Affecting the Railways'
Ability to Improve Greenhouse Gas Emission
Performance-for Transport Canada, acting
in support of The National Climate Change
Process, Transportation Table, identified
and assessed the regulatory and socio-economic
issues related to potential changes the Canadian
railway sector might consider to reduce its
GHG emissions.
The Competitiveness of the Great Lakes/Seaway
System for Forwarding Eastbound Grain-For
a consortium of twelve parties including
the provinces of Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec,
and as principal subcontractor to the University
of Manitoba Transport Institute, RTG was
responsible for the economic assessment of
the Great Lakes/St Lawrence and the eastbound
and southbound alternative modes and routes.
Economies from simplified and restructured
operations, and institutional adjustments
necessary to their achievement, were recommended.
St Lawrence Seaway Competitiveness Study-On
behalf of the St Lawrence Seaway Authority,
examined the competitive position of the
Seaway, evaluated the competitive advantages
enjoyed by its competitors and identified
opportunities and threats.
Ontario Freight Movement Study: Component
Two-For the Ministry of Transportation, used
company-specific case studies to assess the
prospects for CO2 emission reduction and
the consequences of these options for the
companies concerned.
Grain Transportation Costing-For Transport
Canada, Marine Policy, developed comparative
costs for movement of western grain by: the
Great Lakes/St. Lawrence system, direct rail
to Quebec, the Mississippi and direct rail
to New Orleans.
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