Effective Gauge Face/Wheel Flange Lubrication: A Solutions Based - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Effective Gauge Face/Wheel Flange Lubrication: A Solutions Based Approach Marco Santoro L.B. Foster Company 1 Overview Benefits of Lubrication Application Systems Mobile (solid sticks and onboard oil spray) Trackside

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Effective Gauge Face/Wheel Flange Lubrication: A Solutions Based Approach

Marco Santoro

L.B. Foster Company

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SLIDE 2

Overview

  • Benefits of Lubrication
  • Application Systems
  • Mobile (solid sticks and onboard oil spray)
  • Trackside (wayside, drilled rail and spray)
  • Implementation
  • Case Studies
  • Conclusions

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SLIDE 3

Flange/Gauge Face Lubrication

  • Friction to a minimum level
  • Gauge face lubrication widely

implemented in the world

  • Rail/Wheel Wear is the primary issue
  • Impacts:

– Rail Wear (gauge face/corner/restraining) – Wheel Wear (flange/back of flange)

High Rail

=0.1‐0.2

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not scaled

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SLIDE 4

Additional Benefits

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Flange Noise Energy Efficiency Derailment Potential Rail / Wheel Wear

RCF Development

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Lubrication Approaches

Application Trackside Wayside Drilled Rail Trackside Spray Mobile Solid Sticks Onboard Spray

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Onboard Spray Systems

Oil Spray Components:

  • Controls
  • Reservoir
  • Pump [usually piston]
  • Spray nozzles

Key Features:

  • Air or airless versions
  • Curve sensors
  • Multiple vehicle types

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Obtained from www.skf.com

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SLIDE 7

Onboard Solid Sticks

Primary Components:

  • Interface Bracket
  • Connects frame and applicator
  • Applicator
  • Houses sticks

Key Features:

  • Safety: design validation
  • Optimized for installation and

adjustment

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Mobile: Considerations

Spray Systems:

  • Large install base, commonly used in Europe
  • Single application system per train
  • Fine tuned controls often with curve sensing capability

Solid Sticks:

  • Large install base generating large volumes of engineering

and performance data

  • High quality lubrication, consistent

application/performance with no tread/TOR migration

  • Simple, clean system, easy to maintain

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Lubrication Approaches

Application Trackside Wayside Drilled Rail Trackside Spray Mobile Solid Sticks Onboard Spray

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Trackside Lubrication

History:

  • Historical approach to stationary track

lubrication

  • Many advances in technology over the

years [output control, bars]

  • Multiple suppliers of equipment

Application Strategies:

  • Wayside lubricators
  • Drilled rail
  • Trackside spray

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Wayside Lubricator

Accepted industry standard Primary Components:

  • Tank [reservoir/electrical]
  • Control System
  • Pump/motor
  • Wheel/train sensor
  • Distribution hoses
  • Application bars
  • DC or AC power

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Application Bars

Interface with Rail/Wheel:

  • Key component of a trackside lubricator

for lubricant pickup and distribution Key Features:

  • Multiple distribution ports
  • Trough or guide
  • Application to running or restraining

rails

  • Easy to install/maintain

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Trackside: Drilled Rail

Drilled Rail Lubricator:

  • Wall or pole mounted
  • Controls, pump, reservoir

Key Features:

  • Application via holes drilled in

the head of the rail

  • Suitable for embedded track

sections

  • Gauge, restraining rail, U‐rail

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Trackside: Spray

Spray System Features:

  • Wall or pole mounted
  • Controls, pump and reservoir
  • Application by nozzles

Key Features:

  • Application via nozzles aimed

at the wheel or the head of the rail

  • Multiple manufacturers

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Trackside: Considerations

Wayside:

  • Effectively coats entire circumference of the wheel

providing longer carrydown distance

  • Broad range of application rates

Drilled Rail:

  • Can be installed on embedded track, including U‐rail

guideway Spray Systems:

  • Ability to apply grease or oil

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What is the Right Consumable?

  • Mobile

– Solid Sticks – Oils

  • Trackside

– Grease – Oils

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Onboard Spray

Onboard Spray System consumable characteristics:

  • Oils or low viscosity greases [NLGI 000]
  • May contain oil soluble additives or

solid lubricants

  • Generally single grade
  • Multiple suppliers
  • Biodegradable varieties available

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Solid Lubricant Sticks

Solid Stick features:

  • Solid lubricant in thermosetting resin or
  • ther carrier
  • Contains no oil or liquid components
  • Consistent performance without

migration to tread/TOR

  • No contamination of the track structure,

ballast or vehicle equipment

  • Sticks are self extinguishing and non‐

toxic

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Trackside Grease

Characteristics:

  • Compositional components
  • Stability and consistency
  • Retentivity/carrydown is a key feature for performance
  • Functional temperature range
  • Manufacturing consistency

Three Main Families:

  • Ultra High Performance – synthetic or highly refined base oils
  • Petroleum Based – industry standard
  • Bio Based – readily biodegradable for environmentally sensitive areas

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Trackside Grease: Considerations

Ultra High Performance:

  • Advantage: excellent carrydown at low application rates, wide

temperature range

  • Limitations: high cost per pound/kg

Petroleum Based:

  • Advantage: good performance at intermediate price
  • Limitations: wide range of qualities, seasonal temperature range

Bio Based:

  • Advantage: ranges of biodegradability
  • Limitations: carrydown performance, seasonal temperature range

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Consumable Selection

  • Multiple suppliers of consumables
  • Different components/formulations
  • How to understand the differences?
  • Field data and published literature
  • Twin Disk ‐ Laboratory testing

designed to simulate rail wheel interface

  • Friction levels
  • Retentivity

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Solid Stick Lubricant Composition

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Twin disk testing of retentivity of various stick compositions

STICK A STICK B

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Grease Retentivity

2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 18000 20000

Premium Grease Conventional Petroleum Grease Biodegradable Grease

Twin Disk Retention Time (Sec)

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Implementation

Standards: Application/Equipment

  • Standards for lubricant application and

equipment are in place in Europe, UK, AUS and North America

  • Mainly focused on equipment

positioning/usage but beginning to look at consumables

  • Rigid process for approval and focused on

risk mitigation to fleet operation

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Implementation

Standards: Consumables

  • Standards for lubricants such as the NLGI

specifications

  • Tests developed from industrial application but

they may not directly correlate to effectiveness in a rail environment

  • Do not allow for alternative or new materials
  • Improved standards is an area of opportunity

for the rail industry

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Implementation

Railroad/Infrastructure

  • Technical Considerations
  • System Details
  • Organizational Characteristics

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Technical Considerations

“Raw” Engineering Issues:

  • What is the issue to be addressed?
  • Wheel wear, rail wear, noise.
  • Is it an isolated issue or multiple locations
  • r system wide?
  • How severe is the issue?
  • Is the track or vehicles accessible?
  • What is practical for the application?

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System Details

Characteristics:

  • Is the system old or new?
  • Were the changes to track or vehicles?
  • Who owns/operates the track and vehicles?
  • Outside party contracts?
  • Is the track shared by multiple users?
  • Vehicle type(s) and configuration?
  • Track considerations?

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Organizational Features

Culture/Personnel:

  • Who has the key decision making power?
  • Vehicle and track departments working

relationship?

  • Where do the concerns come from?
  • Who has the budget?
  • Who realizes the benefits?
  • Commitment to maintenance?

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Case Study 1

Solid Sticks – Wheel Flange Wear Metro System [Suburban]

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Wheel Flange Wear: Solid Sticks

  • Kuala Lumpur Airport

Express with moderate curvature

  • Commissioning tests

indicated excessive flange wear on all vehicles

  • Projected wheel life of

170,000 km (4.5 months

  • peration)

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Wheel Flange Wear: Solid Sticks

Short term action:

  • Manual greasing increased

projected wheel life to 290,000 km

  • Manual application had a high

labor costs.

  • Misapplication of grease to

railhead caused skid flats.

  • Concerns about contamination

from wayside lubricators

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Wheel Flange Wear: Solid Sticks

  • Decision to implement train mounted

solid sticks on fleet as a permanent solution.

  • Fleet was initially outfitted at 30%

coverage.

  • Manual lubricant application stopped
  • Wheel flange life extended by 10x at

30% coverage.

  • Wheel flange life extended by 14x at

45% coverage.

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  • Reduction in rail wear –

extending life of track.

  • Increased train availability.
  • Environmental cleanliness,

both track and train.

  • Net savings >US$ 2,000,000

in wheel‐related costs.

500 1000 1500 2000 2500

CONTROL MANUAL GREASING SOLID STICKS ‐ 30% SOLID STICKS ‐ 45%

170 290 1700 2430 Wheel Life (kkm)

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Wheel Flange Wear: Solid Sticks

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SLIDE 35

Case Study 2

Solid Sticks – Gauge Face Wear Metro System

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Rail Wear: Solid Sticks

Ankara Turkey

  • Excessive rail gauge corner wear 9 months after commissioning.
  • No lubrication planned in the design stages
  • Temporary hand application of dry‐film lubricant was introduced to

mainline switches and some yard check rails.

  • Initial reduction of wear rates with hand application of liquid lubricant.
  • Concerns over top of rail contamination from onboard or trackside
  • il/grease application affecting acceleration/braking.

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Rail Wear: Solid Sticks

  • Train mounted solid sticks were introduced

due to the following advantages:

  • Continuous application
  • Precise application ‐ no lubricant

migration to TOR

  • Simple, reliable, low maintenance

requirements

  • Clean, non‐toxic, non‐flammable
  • Proven track record

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  • 25% wheel coverage
  • 200‐500% reduction in

wear achieved

  • Extended mainline

R300m curve rail life to 20 years

  • Also saw reductions in

wear on yard curves and switches

0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 1 2 3 4

Side Rail Wear Rate (mm/month)

Curve Locations

Unlubricated Solid Sticks 38

Rail Wear: Solid Sticks

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Case Study 3

Trackside Grease – Noise Control Light Rail System

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Noise Control: Trackside

North American Transit: Concern over high noise levels in a new line being constructed.

  • Concern in curves with a radius less than

400 meters.

  • Trackside application of grease to mainline

rails on existing lines had been successful for controlling noise.

  • Required carrydown of 0.5 miles to cover

multiple curves

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  • Tribometer

measurements used to verify application

  • Sounds level

measurements taking in revenue service

  • Successfully controlled

noise levels

0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70

Coefficient of Friction

North American LRT Gauge Corner Friction Level Measurements

Baseline Product 41

Noise Control: Trackside

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Conclusions

  • Effective gauge face/wheel flange lubrication can successfully:

– Mitigate high wear rates of both wheel flanges and rail gauge face/corner – Provide additional benefits

  • Variety of application strategies and consumable options.
  • Selection needs to include review of system details, technical

aspects and the railroads culture.

  • Ideally looked at with a systems approach as the benefits are

realized by both the vehicles and track.

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Thank You for Your Attention

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