PRE2018 3 Group3: Difference between revisions

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==hoi==
==Project setup==
[[hiuu]]
The important information about this project can be found by following this link: [[Project setup]]


==Concept==
==Concept==

Revision as of 19:28, 17 February 2019

The Dutch railway network is one of the most crowded railway networks on the planet [?]. An intercity leaves the station every 10 minutes. The Dutch trains are also very punctual; 90% of the trains are on time [?] with a 5 minute tolerance. This is a rare accomplishment among railway companies. However, there is a downside to all of this; when something does go wrong, it goes wrong big time. Because the railway network is so crowded, one delay can create a congestion and in turn this can cause huge delays.

A major cause for delay are leaves or snow on the train tracks. Trains crush the leaves beneath them, which makes the track slippery. Snow has the same effect and this is bad, because the braking distance increases tremendously. This can lead to dangerous situations. Railway companies (like the NS) try to avoid these risks by canceling their trains. However, this leads to some confusion and frustration of the travelers, since a delay caused by a couple of leaves on the tracks does not sound very dangerous.

We as a group think we can improve this sticky situation by introducing a robot to the Dutch railway network that is able to clean the tracks from obstacles like leaves and snow. This wiki describes the whole process of this project.


Group Members

Name Study ID Number
Max Hanssen Industrial Design 1257269
Jorick van Hekke Electrical Engineering 1225185
Suryanto Horlez Computer Science 1286714
Joeri Schults Mechanical Engineering 1266330
Jules Vaes Mechanical Engineering 1263196

Project setup

The important information about this project can be found by following this link: Project setup

Concept

Our goal is to design a robot which is able to autonomously clean the railway tracks from different kinds of obstacles.

The robot should be able to clean the tracks autonomously, but it should have a camera installed so that an operator can inspect it from time to time (‘man-on-the-loop’). This is also important for exceptional cases in which the robot does not know what to do.

Initially, we did not know what the major problems on the train tracks were, so we decided to contact ProRail (the company in charge of the Dutch railway network). They told us that the main obstacles on the Dutch tracks are leaves and snow, so our robot should focus on addressing these issues.

The idea is to use sweepers to collect leaves and snow. The snow can be melted which makes it harmless for the tracks, while the leaves can be compressed and used as compost. At first we wanted the robot to combat rust as well, but ProRail said the following: “It is the case that the track is ridden every day so rust formation is actually not possible. In areas where fewer trains ride, empty trains are often used at night to prepare the track so that the formation of rust cannot actually occur or is prevented as much as possible.” Based on this statement, we decided that it was not worth focussing on.


Objectives

  • The system must be able to navigate through the Dutch railway system autonomously
  • The system must be able to recognize the different obstacles on the railway
  • The system must be able to clean the railway from obstacles autonomously.
    • For special occasions the system must alert the involved companies
  • The system must provide a short-term solution for certain problems
  • The system must avoid colliding with obstacles
  • The system must be deployable at any time
  • The system must not hinder the human operated train traffic


USE aspects

Users

For this project the focus has been put on the railroads in the Netherlands. This decision was made, because it is only possible to design the product for one certain type of railroad system. At this stage designing a product which can be used globally by adapting to different types of railway systems is too advanced. Furthermore, the project would have too many potential users to focus on, as they will differ per country. Therefore, it was decided to stick to the Netherlands, as this is the country which we had the most experience with. Although it was decided to keep the focus in this specific area, there is still a wide variety of users. For this design there are people who can use and influence the design directly, as well as people who get influenced indirectly by the design. Hence, a distinction can be made between primary and secondary users. The term primary users will be used to refer to the group of users who are directly interacting with the design. The term secondary users will be used to refer to the group of users who are not directly in contact with the design but still affected by it. The distinction between these two different users will be made more clear by defining both groups.

Primary users

For this design, the group who buys, uses and introduces the design into its target scenario are considered as the primary users. Hence, the organisations who are responsible for the railway system in the Netherlands belong to this groups. Thus, only Prorail is the primary user, as they are the ones responsible and can make direct changes to the railway system. The NS can not be fully considered as a primary user, as they only make use of the railway system, but are not responsible for the railroad itself. Prorail are the ones responsible for the construction, maintenance, management and security of the railway system in the Netherlands. When a product with the aim to clean the railroads is used, Prorail is the main company to introduce, use, and interact with the product.

Secondary users

For this design, the people who get influenced positively or negatively by this design in an indirect way are considered as the secondary users. As mentioned above the NS is not considered as primary user, instead NS can be considered as a secondary user. They make use of the railway system in the Netherlands by transporting people from location to location with trains that drive on the railroads. Therefore, they will not be in direct contact with this design, as they will only get positively influenced but cannot influence the design itself directly. The use of the design on the railroads will be a great advantage to the NS, as it will make the railroads free and safe which reduces the delay for trains of NS.

In addition to NS, this reduction in delay also has a positive effect on the users of NS. These users are people who make use of the trains of NS as transportation to get to their destination as fast as possible. Although NS and Prorail are in charge of the trains and railways in the Netherlands, this group of travelers is important and can also be considered as secondary users.

Occasionally, trains of foreign companies such as Thalys or NMBS also make use of the railway system in the Netherlands. As a result, these foreign train companies can also be considered as secondary users. However, this group of users will not be further addressed, as the main focus is put on the companies NS and Prorail.

Society

Obstacles on the railroads, which cause a delay for many travelers, can be considered as a problem to society. In some occasions the delay can come up to major amounts of time or even cancellations of trains, which leads to missing important meetings or appointments. Moreover, this can form a challenge to the government, as the NS is a Dutch state-owned company. This means that the government has significant control over the NS through majority ownership. For this reason, one of the main aims of the government is to make transportation more accessible to its users. To be able to make transportation on railway more accessible, the delays of trains need to be taken care of. This design can help with solving this challenge to society. The design of this project can not fully solve the challenge of it, as there are many factors which have an influence on causing delays in transportation. However, this design will still have a positive impact on this relevant problem. It has the potential to play a big role in the future of railroad maintenance which is beneficial to society.

Enterprise

In the USE aspects, enterprise is considered to be the relevant companies that are connected to the project. The main aim for these enterprises is to make as much profit as possible. The previously discussed primary user Prorail can be seen as a relevant enterprise to this design. Although currently Prorail is still a government task organisation company that is part of NS, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water is planning to make Prorail a public law independent administrative in 2021 [1]. As a result Prorail will become an organisation which conducts governmental tasks, while they are not under authority of the Dutch government. Hence, in the future Prorail will look at this design from a business perspective. They will only decide to make use of this design if it is profitable for the company. Unless they are forced by the government as they will be an independent administrative. Therefore, the design is required to be efficient in general, as well as cost-efficient so that Prorail will have good consequences from using the product.

Obstacles

Snow

Problem

In very cold periods like in the winter, snow and ice can build up on the tracks. The ice can block movable parts of the track and coat over the power lines or the third rail, preventing trains from drawing the power they need to run. Also icicles on bridges and tunnels can cause serious damage to passing trains. All these problems can cause the trains to have delays. https://www.networkrail.co.uk/feeds/keeping-trains-moving-snow-ice/
When a train has to slow down as it approaches a station or set of points, snow can get compact on the rails and turn into solid ice. This not just clogs the point but also enables them from working and can coat the rails, disconnecting the trains from getting the needed power. Ice sheets are a risk for dislodging and damaging trains, the steel rails can freeze together when it gets to cold what makes the signals stay red preventing the trains to move. When snow drifts are deeper than 30cm , trains can no longer run safely unless they have snow ploughs.
https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/looking-after-the-railway/delays-explained/snow-and-ice/

Solution

Bleach,Salt

Using these products we can lower the rate of freezing cause during the freezing and melting process some water molecules freeze while others melt, replacing each other in a state of equilibrium, while when one of these products are added in the mixture it disrupts this equilibrium. https://sciencing.com/way-melt-ice-heat-5505463.html

Laser

CO2 Lasers can be used to melt ice and snow with a wavelength of 10.6 μm ,which ice strongly absorbs, to drill (via melting) through ice. The resulting drilling speed is measured at several irradiation intensities, ice-snow densities, and beam angles relative to the horizontal axis. The speed increases nearly in proportion to the laser intensity. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165232X15002116

snow plough

A snow plough can be used to clear the train rails when there is more than 30cm of snow, we could use this one the robot to make it possible to clear the rails for other trains, at the moment this is already installed on normal trains when the snow is higher than 30cm. https://www.networkrail.co.uk/feeds/keeping-trains-moving-snow-ice/

Leaves

Problem

In the Autumn trees will drop their leaves which might land on the railway. At first the leaves will not cause any trouble, but during the day they will cause problems. If the leaves which landed on the railhead become moist and heavily compressed by the passing trains, they will result in a low-friction coating. Due to this low-friction coating the railway becomes slippery and the wheels of the train starts to block when it is starting to brake. Due to this blocking one side wheels will experience more wear than the other sides which results in “square-wheels” [2]. These “square-wheels” need to be repaired in workshop which costs time and money. Due to the malfunctioning and repairing of the train wheels less trains will be deployed on trajects which is not preferred by the travellers. Another problem due to the low-friction coating is that it can take up to 800 meters extra to come to a total stop [3].

Solutions

Leaf blower

A leaf blowers is used to blow loose leaves away from their initial position. This could be useful for the trains because they can blow the leaves away from the railhead. But this is not an option anymore. Due to the high compressing the leafy moist is stuck to the railway, therefore the leaf blower is not able to blow the leafy moist away [2].

Laser

Lasers are used for all kind of operations but when operating at a wavelength of 1064 nm it becomes useful for the railway. Due to a carefully designed optical set-up of mirrors and lenses the laser was able to produce a series of pulses, 25.000 per second, at this wavelength which cleared the track from debris. The highly compressed leaves on the railway absorbs the pulses, each with a temperature of 5.000 Celsius degrees. Due to this high temperature the leaves heats up rapidly which causes it to expand and lift of the railway [3].

Pressure washer

A pressure washer is used to clean object from a dirty layer which is stuck to the surface. Therefore the pressure washer can be used to remove the compressed layer of leaves from the railway. An example of a product which is already tested is the Nilfisk-ALTO developed by Nilfisk-Advance for the Banedanmark, the railway organization in Denmark. The Nilfisk-ALTO has a 7000 liter water tank and operates at a pressure of 500 bar and sprays 40 L/min. The wagon achieved to clean the railway from the leaves when it runs at an operating speed of 45 km/h [4].

Traction Gel Applicator

Traction gel applicator (TGA) is a substance which consists out of sand, metal particles and starch [5] . The TGA system consists of a sensor and 50 meters further the cabinet. The cabinet contains the electronics, a pump, a delivery hose, the substance and is solar powered. The sensor, which gets triggered by the wheels of the train, sends a signal to the cabinet that a train is coming. The pump of the cabinet then places some TGA on the railhead via a delivery hose. When the train passes the cabinet the TGA gets stuck on the wheels and this gives the train more traction for a short distance, 60 to 200 meters [6]. Due to this short distance the TGA cabinets are typically placed at the entries and exits of a train station [7].

Sweeper

A sweeper can be used to remove dirt from surfaces. The brushes can be made out of metal or pig’s bristles. For a train the brushes are made out of steel and the sweeper operates at a high torque (needs research for actual value) which makes it possible to remove snow, coal, stones, dust, sand, leaves, trash and dirt from the railway [8].

Rust

(Contacted prorail not really a critical problem)


Project setup

Approach

We will conduct a study and analysis and will come up with a design. If time allows it, we will make a shitty prototype as well.

Planning

Week Monday Thursday Remarks
1 Introduction + groups The plan Plan finished before Monday
2 Feedback session + research problem approach Research + contact NS Complete questions for NS
3 Feedback session + research solution Research solutions Complete possible solutions for the system
4 Feedback session + research components Components list Complete possible components for the system
5 Feedback session + integrating integrating Integrate the components in one coherent system
6 Feedback session + budget calculation Extra time to complete the above Gather feedback
7 Feedback session + finalize Finalize + presentation preparation Finish remaining tasks
8 Feedback session + finalize + presentation preparation Finalize + presentation preparation Make sure everything is according to the assignment

Milestones

  • First group meeting with everyone
  • Solutions ready
  • Integrating solution
  • Final report
  • Final design
  • Presentation
  • A program that differentiates glass, plants, snow from the other trash

Deliverables

  • Wiki (report)
  • Final presentation
  • (shitty prototype)

Who will do what

  • Sunny (Computer Science): the software of the design
  • Jorick (Electrical Engineering): the electronic components of the design.
  • Max (Industrial Design): the look and feel of the design.
  • Jules (Mechanical Engineering): the 3D model of the design and the general functioning of the design.
  • Joeri (Mechanical Engineering): the 3D model of the design and the general functioning of the design.
  • Everyone:comment/help on other peoples work

Logbook

Logbook group 3

State of the Art

The past project of PRE2016 3 Group 3 was conducted in a similar design case. Hence, the wiki of this project was analysed along with the 62 references of their wiki page (numbered 1 - 63). However, some of these references could not be found anymore, as this project was conducted in 2016. Under each analyzed reference a short sentence describes a summary and relevance to our project.

  1. Smith, O. (2016). No more commuter misery? Trains fight leaves with lasers. Retrieved from http://www.thememo.com/2016/09/12/train-leaves-leaf-zapping-trains-rail-safety-and-standards-board-are-arming-up-with-microwaves-and-lasers/
    Page not found; report: One of the recent developments in railway technology is a laser which can remove leaves from the railway tracks
  2. ETS SPOOR B.V. (n.d.). Railmonitor. Retrieved from http://www.etsspoor.nl/producten/meetapparatuur/railmonitor/
    Page not found; report:A monitor has been developed to check the condition of the tracks
  3. Statistics about railway disturbances in the Netherlands. Retrieved from https://www.rijdendetreinen.nl/statistieken/
    Page not found; report:There are many different causes for the disturbances in the Dutch railway system.
  4. Different kind of disturbances around railway tracks. Retrieved from https://www.prorail.nl/reizigers/storingen-op-het-spoor/
    Prorail has different disturbances on the railway system One of them is the switch disturbance
  5. Article about leaves on the railway tracks. Retrieved from http://www.metronieuws.nl/nieuws/binnenland/2016/11/die-rot-blaadjes-op-het-spoor-waarom-doen-ze-niets/
    Leafs on the railway damage the wheels of the train.
  6. Smith, O. (2016). No more commuter misery? Trains fight leaves with lasers. Retrieved from http://www.thememo.com/2016/09/12/train-leaves-leaf-zapping-trains-rail-safety-and-standards-board-are-arming-up-with-microwaves-and-lasers/
    Page not found; report:removing rust, snow, and leaves from the railway. All of these tasks are possible with state of the art lasers.
  7. Sorokanich, B. (2016). This Hand-Held Laser Makes Rust Literally Evaporate. Retrieved from http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/classic-cars/videos/a30597/best-rust-remover-laser/
    To clean up rust there already exists a hand held 1000W laser, P-Laser that is able to do that.
  8. P-Laser (2017). Laser cleaning applications. Retrieved from http://www.p-laser.com/applications_detail.aspx?AGUID=1f846979-8fea-4745-bcea-663800c027e5&LGUID=8565a502-c109-43ef-b1a1-dfba5f3edbf6/
    Page not found; report:The laser works by adding its energy to the dirt/rust layer, which evaporates, while the base material reflects and spreads most of this energy, thus remaining unaffected
  9. Schreiner, M. et all (2008) Handbook on the Use of Lasers in Conservation and Conservation Science. Retrieved from http://www.science4heritage.org/COSTG7/booklet/
    Handbook about conservation and conservation science by the use of lasers.
  10. Vega, R. et all (1990). Laser ice removal system. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/patents/US4900891/
    Laser ice removal system,the patent of Roger and Rose Vega describes an ice removal system for airplanes.
  11. Paper geometry railways. Retrieved from http://crema.di.unimi.it/~fscotti/ita/pdf/Scotti02.pdf/
    Page not found; report:Comparing the processed date digitally will also make the comparison more accurate than what humans can make of certain parts of railway tracks.
  12. Paper wear railways. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pdfs/US6218961.pdf/
    No preview available; report:The image processing method can be designed in such a way, that it can self-align itself.
  13. Railway monitor. Retrieved from http://www.etsspoor.nl/producten/meetapparatuur/railmonitor/
    Page not found; report: The RailMonitor is a mobile measuring system which can measure the cross direction profile of the railway tracks
  14. Drones with infrared cameras 1. Retrieved from https://www.prorail.nl/nieuws/proef-met-drones-controleren-wisselverwarming-met-infraroodcamera-s/
    Measuring the temperature of railway switches to see if they are frozen (locked) or not. This is done by using drones equipped with an infrared camera.
  15. Drones with infrared cameras 2. Retrieved from https://tweakers.net/nieuws/86694/prorail-zet-drones-in-om-verwarming-van-wissels-te-controleren.html/
    Page not found; report: The infrared images provide ProRail with information about the switches.
  16. Railway switches inspection robot Felix. Retrieved from http://research.loccioni.com/en/robotics/felix/
    The first mobile robot for automatic railroad switch inspection Felix.
  17. Europees Spoorweg bureau. System Requirements Specification (SUBSET-026). Paragraph 3.6.5. Retrieved from http://www.era.europa.eu/Document-Register/Pages/Set-3-System-Requirements-Specification.aspx
    The European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) is a single interoperable train control and command system in the European Union.
  18. European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). Retrieved from http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/european-rail-traffic-management-system-ertms/
    The ERTMS is a major industrial project being implemented to enhance cross-border interoperability through Europe by creating a single standard for railway signalling. ERTMS is a continuous communication-based signalling system.
  19. Falch (2017). cont jet 125 2500-26-0-e. Retrieved from http://www.falch.com/products/g588.html
    Working Page → http://www.falch.com/products/g569.html → Information about the base jet 125 2500-26-0-e high pressure water jet.
  20. Baveck Machines (2017). Rail infrastructure - Rust removing brush. Retrieved from http://www.baveck.nl/en/rail-infrastructure/24-rust-removing-brush/
    Information about a rust removing brush for the railways.
  21. Tackling a leafy issue, Railway Technology, retrieved from http://www.railway-technology.com/features/feature1457/
    The leafy issue on the railways can be tackled with a laser which causes to lift the leafy munch off the rails.
  22. Herfst, ProRail, retrieved from https://www.prorail.nl/reizigers/weersinvloeden/herfst
    The different measures ProRail takes during the autumn.
  23. Test met watersproeiers tegen gladheid door blaadjes op spoor geslaagd, Spoor Pro, 26 march 2015, retrieved from http://www.spoorpro.nl/spoorbouw/2015/03/26/test-met-watersproeiers-tegen-gladheid-op-spoor-geslaagd/
    An experiment with a water jet installation showed that this is a solution considering the slippery railways caused by leafs.
  24. Nu al herfst?, ProRail, 14 august 2014, retrieved from https://www.prorail.nl/reizigers/nieuws/nu-al-herfst
    During the autumn of 2014 ProRail started an experiment which involved a water jet installation and a laser to solve the leafy problem.
  25. Bladeren op het spoor weglaseren, Nemo Kennislink, 20 august 2014, retrieved from https://www.nemokennislink.nl/publicaties/bladeren-op-het-spoor-weglaseren
    Currently, the NS has developed a laser technique in collaboration with the Technical University of Delft. The lasers, mounted underneath the train, heat up the tracks. This causes leaves and other dirt not to attach to the tracks. This article specifies the method and accuracy of this technique.
  26. With Laser Railhead Cleaner your train will never be late because of leaves in its way, Wonderful Engineering, retrieve from http://wonderfulengineering.com/with-laser-railhead-cleaner-your-train-will-never-be-late-because-of-leaves-in-its-way/
    Gives another explanation of the laser technique that is researched by the NS in collaboration with the Technical University of Delft, with other interesting details of the laser method and it’s specifications.
  27. Zapping the leaves from the rails, Delta, 8 September 2014, retrieved from http://delta.tudelft.nl/artikel/zapping-the-leaves-from-the-rails/28710
    Page not found. Is another reference to an explanation of the laser technique, explained by the Technical University of Delft.
  28. Jaarverslag 2015, ProRail. Retrieved from http://www.jaarverslagprorail.nl/FbContent.ashx/pub_1000/Downloads/ProRail-jaarverslag-2015.pdf/
    Page not found. Yearly report of statistics of NS in 2015.
  29. Sprinter manufactured by Bombardier Technologies. Retrieved from http://www.bombardier.com/content/bombardiercom/en/transportation/projects/project.sprinter-netherlands.html?f-region=all&show-by-page=50&page=1&f-country=nl&f-segment=all&f-type=all&f-name=all
    Page not found. Refers to the sprinter light train of ProRail produced Bombardier Transportation, a Canadian company, in cooperation with Siemens.
  30. Sprinter manufactured by Bombardier Technologies. Retrieved from https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprinter_Lighttrain#cite_note-2
    The Wiki page of the Sprinter Light train that is currently still active in the Netherlands. This is the single type of train that the past project group had put their focus on.
  31. Type 10 Scharfenberger Coupler. Retrieved from http://voith.com/en/products-services/power-transmission/scharfenberg-couplers/scharfenberg-couplers-railcars-14310.html
    Reference to couplers for railcars. It is assumed that the type 10 general coupler is used for the Sprinter Light train.
  32. United States Patent, Obstacle Detection System, December 2000. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pdfs/US6163755.pdf
    Reference to a patent of a US obstacle detection system. From this patent it can be concluded that the system oan give real time feedback back to the driver of the train.
  33. Underground train map of Milan. Retrieved from http://italy4.me/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/karta-milan-metro.pdf
    Reference to the map of metro railway track in Milan. No relevance to our project.
  34. Bridge by Meppel (Netherlands) without catenary, retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overhead_line
    Reference to a picture of a train riding on an overhead line used on the wiki of their project. No further relevance to our project.
  35. Tesla Powerwall, retrieved from https://www.tesla.com/nl_NL/powerwall
    Tesla powerwall is a fully automated system which does not require any maintenance, it works best when combined with solar panels, so it can store excess energy so it can be used later.
  36. Examples of frontal areas of cars, retrieved from http://ecomodder.com/wiki/index.php/Vehicle_Coefficient_of_Drag_List
    List of coefficients of drag for different types of cars. Could be useful when designing the shape of the robot.
  37. Examples of drag coefficients, retrieved from http://www.brighthubengineering.com/hydraulics-civil-engineering/58434-drag-force-for-fluid-flow-past-an-immersed-object/#imgn_2
    Drag force equation. Could be useful when designing the shape of the robot.
  38. Examples of rolling resistance coefficients, retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_resistance
    List of different coefficients of rolling friction. Could be useful to look into when designing the wheels.
  39. More examples of different rolling resistance coefficients, retrieved from http://auto.howstuffworks.com/tire4.html
    Information about rolling friction, focussing on car tires. Only interesting when thinking of tires (not for train wheels).
  40. Information about the caternary, retrieved from http://energievoorziening.funnymedia.nl/bovenleiding%20nieuw/bovenleiding.htm
    Information on the caternary (bovenleiding) used in the dutch railway system. Is useful to read through.
  41. Meer spanning op het spoor?, ProRail, 8 january 2014, retrieved from https://www.prorail.nl/nieuws/meer-spanning-op-het-spoor
    Article from 2014 stating that ProRail is considering to raise the voltage on the train tracks. This would result in more punctuality. Is useful to read through.
  42. Jaarverslag NS 2016, retrieved from http://www.nsjaarverslag.nl/jaarverslag-2016/energie3/a1128_Energie
    Yearly report of the NS. Lists some good numbers for NS. Not directly interesting for our project.
  43. Mobiliteitsbeeld 2016, Rijksoverheid, retrieved from http://www.nsjaarverslag.nl/jaarverslag-2016/energie3/a1128_Energie
    Mobiliteitsbeeld of the NS in which the NS talks about their usage of green energy for the trains. Could be useful to read through.
  44. P-Laser (2017). Laser cleaning applications. Retrieved from http://www.p-laser.com/applications_detail.aspx?AGUID=1f846979-8fea-4745-bcea-663800c027e5&LGUID=8565a502-c109-43ef-b1a1-dfba5f3edbf6
    A company that makes laser cleaning machines that can remove rust or paint from a solid surface. Looks very effective in removing rust, so maybe the other group was right in using this technology?
  45. Adapt Laser Systems (2017). Lasersystem CL 1000, Most Powerful hand held laser on the market. Retrieved from http://adapt-laser.com/ourproducts.php?id=21
    Same as 44, but other company.
  46. Gray, R. (2015) End of the line for autumn train delays? Dutch begin trials to zap leaf litter from the tracks with LASERS. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2860418/End-line-autumn-train-delays-Dutch-begin-trials-zap-leaf-litter-tracks-LASERS.html
    Very important article about the testing of lasers on dutch trains to get rid of leaves and rust, which would be more effective than brushing the rails.
  47. Used ICCD camera, retrieved from http://www.stanfordcomputeroptics.com/products/iccd-framing-camera.html#features
    Very fast camera that the group wanted to use for their design.
  48. Calculations storage data, retrieved from http://eckstein.rutgers.edu/mis/handouts/storage-calcs.pdf
    Calculations for memory storage. Don’t know why this should be important.
  49. Height differences in the Netherlands, retrieved from http://www.geo-informatie.nl/geodesk/hgt-300dpi.pdf
    A map of the Netherlands is shown with its enormous height differences. Ranging from 5 meters below sea level in the Middle-West to around 300 meters above sea level in the south of Limburg.
  50. ProRail in cijfers. Retrieved from https://www.prorail.nl/over-prorail/wat-doet-prorail/prorail-in-cijfers
    The Netherlands has the busiest railways in all of Europe, in 2015 3.3 million train journeys have been made, which results in a total covered distance of 152 million kilometers (this is approximately the distance between earth and the sun). ProRail owns 7021 kilometers of tracks and there are 404 train stations, of which some are only used in special occasions.
  51. Onderzoek naar plotselinge slijtage op spoor. Retrieved from http://nieuws.nl/algemeen/20130226/onderzoek-naar-plotselinge-slijtage-op-spoor/
    Page could not be found; Nu.nl also reports an article about this: Every piece of the railway tracks get checked at least every month, however sometimes it is unclear how the tracks get affected by wear.
  52. Berke, C. (2016). Laser Rust Removal: Too Good To Be true? Retrieved from http://shortshift.co/laser-rust-removal/
    Laser rust removal device can clean up rust on metals, but applying it in an autonomous robot would cost a lot of money, since such devices are very expensive high-end industrial tools.
  53. Adapt Laser Systems (2017). Lasersystem CL 1000 Most Powerful hand held laser on the market. Retrieved from http://adapt-laser.com/ourproducts.php?id=21
    Page not found; Adaps Laser Systems’ website providing powerful (hand-held) lasers.
  54. 400W 808nm CW High Power Laser Diode Stack for Heat Treatment, Very Powerful ! Retrieved from http://www.ebay.com/itm/400W-808nm-CW-High-Power-Laser-Diode-Stack-for-Heat-Treatment-Very-Powerful-/270918323182/
    400W Laser Diode Stack with Collimated Beam Spot, used for heat treatment on mostly metals, basically burns everything put in front of it.
  55. Gampat, C. (2015). The Lifespan of a Difital Camera Is Way Too Short. Retrieved from http://www.thephoblographer.com/2015/09/11/the-lifespan-of-a-digital-camera-is-way-too-short/
    The lifespan of a digital camera have decreased from their analog counterparts, this is because of all the less-durable electronic parts, and the frequent technological advancements.
  56. Highspeed camera PCE-TC 225. Retrieved from https://www.pce-instruments.com/dutch/index.htm?id=google-nl&_artnr=3650570&_p=5438.95&_pmode=0&_pbexkey=74&_date=20170310000501&_pbhash=b6e2287ec9f5de8edebe8d8b4d2a1a4eed2f956ee5b8aa4175be524fd9261b0d&gclid=CjwKEAjwzKPGBRCS55Oe46q9hCkSJAAMvVuM4Fza-mwEB0kj6YoZD2SDZ1Y4IfdoLMq0Rj4KzlL5IBoCPhTw_wcB
    Professional high speed camera, recording up to 964 fps (allows for around 40x slow down time) with a resolution of 640 x 120
  57. Tesla Powerwall, retrieved from https://www.tesla.com/nl_NL/powerwall
    Tesla powerwall is a fully automated system which does not require any maintenance, it works best when combined with solar panels, so it can store excess energy so it can be used later.
  58. SpoorPro: Steeds vaker tekort treinonderdelen. Retrieved from http://www.treinreiziger.nl/spoorpro-steeds-vaker-tekort-treinonderdelen/
    Because of the increase in electronics and mechatronics in trains, the different parts are less available. The lifespan of the different parts of the train vary also, the train itself will be good for 50 years, but the software is unmaintainable after only a few years.
  59. W-SQ 20 Mobile. Retrieved from http://www.whisperpower.com/nl/4/5/37/producten/generatoren-1500-1800-rpm/w-sq-20-mobile.html
    W-SQ 20 Mobile Generator delivering a power of 20kW and outputting 230 @ 50 Hz (standard electricity grid in the EU).
  60. What is a CPUs Lifespan? Retrieved from http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-2567579/cpus-lifespan.html
    The usage of a CPU results in wear, the lifespan of silicon transistors in the CPU are around 20-30 years. Most CPU can last longer than a decade. It really is hard to specify the lifespan, since every unit is used differently and the chips are just different on microscopic level.
  61. Shewan, D. (2017). Robots will destroy our jobs – and we’re not ready for it. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/11/robots-jobs-employees-artificial-intelligence
    Robots will take over a lot of jobs in the future, everyone is aware of that, but a lot of people think their specific job will not be affected. Engineers are needed, especially with all the advancements made nowadays.
  62. Loonwijzer. Retrieved from https://www.loonwijzer.nl/home/salaris/salarischeck?job-id=5112020000000#/
    An engineer earns around 54,203 euros each year
  63. van de Velde, P. (2014). Hoogste salarissen na studie techniek. Retrieved from http://www.telegraaf.nl/dft/geld/werk-inkomen/22218328/__Hoogste_salaris_na_techniek__.html
    Page is not available anymore on Telegraaf.nl.


Next to the references found during the past project by PRE2016 Group 3, the following 25 new other references are analysed. These also include a short sentence under each reference to give a small description of the article or patent.

Volume 133, 2018.

This is a scientific paper about a rail cleaning robot for the indian railway tracks.
Patent for a Robot that collects garbage. By Liuyong Fei, 2014-10-01
Patent for a Automated waste sorting system. 2013-10-15. Invented by Scott R. Mallett, Randall C. Danta, James R. Benson, Alan D. Corey, Alan A. Davidner, Peter Regla and assigned to CareFusion 303 Inc
Patent for a railway track cleaning machine.1972-12-20. Invented by Robert V Dangremond, George P Lokotzke, Stuart H Shepley.
Patent for Robotic vehicle for performing rail-related actions.2013-11-12. Invented by Zahid F. Mian, assigned to International Electronic Machines Corp.
  • Daurelio, G., Chita, G., & Cinquepalmi, M. (1999). Laser surface cleaning, de-rusting, de-painting and de-oxidizing. Applied Physics A, 69(1), S543-S546.

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs003390051467.pdf

This research is about how different types of lasers affect the paint, rust and oxide on materials.
  • Pesticides and the environment. Retrieved from:

https://www.milieucentraal.nl/in-en-om-het-huis/ongediertebestrijding/bestrijdingsmiddelen-en-het-milieu/

This site is about how pesticides should be chosen and how they affect the environment.
  • Bijna 5.000 treinen vertraagd door dieren op het spoor (2018). Retrieved from:

https://www.ad.nl/binnenland/bijna-5-000-treinen-vertraagd-door-dieren-op-het-spoor~ab1c706d/

4861 trains in 2017 had delays due to incidents with animals on the railways.
  • Statics about the cause of failure: animals on the railway. Retrieved from:

https://www.rijdendetreinen.nl/statistieken/oorzaken/dier-op-het-spoor

This site gives information about train failures due to animals on the railways.
  • Gomez, A., Diez, G., Salazar, A., & Diaz, A. (2016, December). Animal identification in low quality camera-trap images using very deep convolutional neural networks and confidence thresholds. In International Symposium on Visual Computing(pp. 747-756). Springer, Cham. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-50835-1_67
This paper is about how a system can recognize animals and classify them by using a camera and a very deep convolutional neural networks.
Article which gives the main causes for the delays of trains in the Netherlands.
Gives examples of methods on cleaning the railway by autonomous machines which are used by the East Japan Railway Company.
Gives an example of methods of a machine that can be used to pick up magnetic objects from the railroad.
The main objective of this study was to compare the efficiency of three cleaning agents applied to contaminated railway ballast.
Explains what the causes are for delays of NS trains. Additionally, explains why certain simple solutions can not be applied to these delay problems.
Article about making a system that predicts train delays which is better than traditional methods
The national french railway company wants to have fully automatic trains by 2023. So this is a good argument why our robot should also be automatic.
  • Yang, Xiaomin & Wu, Wei & Liu, Kai & Kim, Pyoung Won & Kumar, Arun & Jeon, Gwanggil. (2018). Long-distance object recognition with image super resolution: A comparative study. IEEE Access. PP. 1-1. 10.1109/ACCESS.2018.2799861.
Article about long-distance object recognition. This could be useful for our design to be able to recognize object from far away, so that is able to stop in time.
The stopping distances of a normal train. Could be useful to keep in mind. Our design will probably be able to stop earlier.
These articles talk about what happens when a train hits a tree or a person. The emergency services are called, so this is what our robot should do as well.
Design methods of schedule NS (Dutch Railways)
Process for cleaning railway and improving the traction (pdf)
Future of Dutch rail network, exploring with optimization model
Improving railway network: A machine learning approach to predictive maintenance
Statistics of malfunctions, can be used in machine learning especially when combined with weather statistics to predict possible malfunctions in the future, for example there are more malfunctions in the winter.

Conclusion

Discussion

Literature search

Sources

  1. ↑ Kamerbrief 19 oktober 2018, Omvorming ProRail, October 2018. Retrieved from https://www.internetconsultatie.nl/wet_publiekrechtelijke_omvorming_prorail/document/3990
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 A.Pel (2016) Die rotblaadjes op het spoor; waarom doen ze niets? https://www.metronieuws.nl/nieuws/binnenland/2016/11/die-rot-blaadjes-op-het-spoor-waarom-doen-ze-niets
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Railway Technology (2007) Tackling a Leafy Issue https://www.railway-technology.com/features/feature1457/
  4. ↑ Nilfisk (2010) High pressure washer on track https://www.nilfisk.com/en/news/Pages/HPW_on_wheels.aspx
  5. ↑ Prorail (2013) Sandite: slim recept tegen blad op het spoor https://www.prorail.nl/nieuws/sandite-slim-recept-tegen-blad-op-het-spoor
  6. ↑ DIPOSTEL, Datasheet: Traction gel http://dipostel.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/gel-de-traction_ang.pdf
  7. ↑ jsdrail, Traction Gel Applicators http://www.jsdrail.com/engineering/traction-gel-applicators/9.htm
  8. ↑ Railroad Tools and Solutions (LLC), Rail Sweeper http://www.rrtoolsnsolutions.com/PowerTools/rail-sweeper.asp
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