Comprehensive Technology to Improve Energy Efficiency and Operation Safety of High-speed Freight Trains

For increasing the amount of freight transported by railway, freight trains have become longer and faster in recent years. The rising speed brings large motion resistances, including wheel-rail contact forces, suspension forces, and wind forces. On one hand, larger motion resistances consume more energy, producing more carbon emissions. On the other hand, violent wheel-rail forces and wind forces lead to high risks of derailment and overturning for high-speed freight trains (HSFTs). To save energy consumed by motion resistances (ECMR), some scholars reduced wind drag forces on HSFT by adjusting the train composition, and some scholars regarded HSFT as a mass point to optimize switching points of accelerating, cruising, coast, and braking based on empirical equations of ECMR. Previous studies did not evaluate the complete ECMR of the wind-vehicle-track coupled system precisely, not to mention juggling ECMR and operation safety of HSFT. Thus, this project adjusts motion resistances of HSFT by optimizing its structural parameters and control strategy to simultaneously decrease ECMR and improve operation safety, thereby reducing induced carbon emissions safely.This project will establish the ECMR model for trains under wind actions. On this base, the train configuration and cargo loading position will be optimized for energy efficiency and operation safety. The operation condition of HSFT will be adjusted according to track conditions to reduce ECMR. Finally, a semi-active control strategy of suspension dampers will be proposed to decrease ECMR and carbody vibration.This project can provide an effective tool to evaluate ECMR and take comprehensive measures to realize multi-objective optimization for energy efficiency and operation safety. If widely applied within the EU, the research outcomes can save €1.3 billion and decrease 0.3 million metric tons of carbon emissions annually. This project will greatly support the EU’s blueprint for climate neutrality by 2050.