Abstract: A running gear for a rail vehicle includes a front and a rear wheel sets, each provided with left and right wheels. A passive hydraulic wheel set steering system includes a control valve hydraulically connected to hydro-mechanical converters for converting motion of each of the wheels towards and away from the median transverse vertical plane. The control valve is movable between a first position in which the front left and right hydro-mechanical converter assemblies are disconnected from the rear left and right hydro-mechanical converter assemblies, and a second position in which each of the front left and right hydro-mechanical converter assemblies is connected to at least a respective one of the rear left and right hydro-mechanical converter assemblies.

Abstract: A rail vehicle includes a car body having both a passenger space and a stowage space that is provided with a controller and at least one station for accommodating light electric vehicles. The stations have a chassis, a holding structure, a locking mechanism, and a power outlet. The holding structure can hold the light electric vehicle stationary. The locking mechanism can retain the light electric vehicle in the holding structure. The power outlet can deliver electrical power to a battery of the light electric vehicle when the light electric vehicle is secured in the holding structure and connected to the power outlet. The power outlet can be connected to an electrical power network of the rail vehicle. The controller can selectively send a release signal to the locking mechanism, so as to release the locking mechanism, and to selectively operate the power outlet so as to deliver the electrical power.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electrical system of a rail vehicle, the electrical system comprising a first power converter, at least one other power converter, and at least one transformer, an intermediate circuit section of the first power converter being electrically connectable, by at least one intermediate circuit electrical connection, with an intermediate circuit section of the at least one other power converter, the at least one part of the electrical intermediate circuit connection being routed through a transformer case, as well as a rail vehicle and a process for operating the electrical system.

Abstract: A monorail switch for a monorail guideway comprises a moveable guide beam having lateral running surfaces and an actuating mechanism. The actuating mechanism, equipped with a counterweight, is operative to move the moveable guide beam from a tangent position, where the moveable guide beam is aligned with a tangent travelling direction, to a turnout position, where the moveable guide beam is aligned with a diverting direction. Potential energy stored in the counterweight is released and at least partially stored in the form of elastic potential energy in the lateral running surfaces when the moveable guide beam is moved from the tangent position to the turnout position. Similarly, the elastic potential energy stored in the lateral running surfaces is released and at least partially stored in the form of potential energy by the counterweight when the moveable guide beam is moved from the turnout position to the tangent position.

Abstract: An electric machine with a rotor (4) rotatably disposed within a stator (1) with a stator winding (3) has a plurality of permanent magnets (8) received therein. A casing (17) encloses the stator and the rotor, and an impeller (13) with blades is fixed to an axle (7) of the rotor so as to generate a flow of air through the casing for cooling end-turns (25) of the stator winding by drawing air through an inlet opening (18) at one end of the casing and blowing it out of the casing through an outlet opening (19) at the other end of the casing. At least one shutter is arranged to close the outlet opening (19) when the temperature of the cooling air through the outlet opening reaches a predetermined level well above a maximum level of the temperature possible to be reached under normal operation of the electric machine so as to close the outlet opening upon occurrence of arcing in the end-turns. A temperature dependent member is arranged in the air flow through the outlet opening to obtain such closing.

Abstract: A rail vehicle includes an airbag assembly having a housing, an airbag, a lid, at least one vessel and an aesthetic body panel. The airbag assembly is installed at an end of the rail vehicle. The airbag is placed inside the housing and the lid closes the housing. The lid is attached to the airbag so that it is located at a bottom portion of the airbag when the airbag is fully deployed. The lid and the aesthetic body panel, distant by a gap when the airbag is stored, are provided with compatible connecting interfaces so that the aesthetic body panel attaches to the lid through interconnection of the connecting interfaces upon inflation of the airbag with the pressurized fluid. The aesthetic body panel protect the inflated airbag from wear against the ground on which the rail vehicle travels.

Abstract: A method of repairing a defect in a damaged rail of a railroad track comprises positioning a rail profiling device on the rails of the railroad track proximate a defect; securing the rail profiling device to the railroad; adjusting its grinder according to a selected value of wheel cone angle to create a profiled running surface over a portion of the damaged rail; creating a median zone using the grinder to remove material from the damaged rail adjacent the defect at a depth corresponding to at least a maximum depth of the defect; creating an incline from the top of the rail and leading to the median zone and one incline leaving the median zone to the top of the rail by using the grinder to grinding material off the damaged rail.

Abstract: An electric machine (1) has a stator (2) with a stator body (3) and a stator winding (4) and a rotor (5) rotatably disposed with respect to the stator and having a rotor body (6) with a plurality of permanent magnets received therein. The rotor is disposed with an air gap (14) between the rotor body and the stator body and to make a magnetic flux to pass between the permanent magnets of the rotor body and stator poles of the stator body through this air gap. The machine further comprises at least one member (15, 16) or an agent of a material having a high magnetic permeability configured to be positioned with respect to the stator body (6) so as to reduce the magnetic flux (A) from the permanent magnets through said air gap.

Abstract: A retaining system for a mass-transit vehicle adapted to travel on a guideway includes a longitudinal retaining track having two retaining rails. Each retaining rail has a projection projecting inwardly toward the other retaining rail. A grabbing mechanism of the mass-transit vehicle has grabbing portions extending outwardly underneath the projections of the retaining rails. The grabbing portions are pivotally and resiliently connected to a wheelset of the mass-transit vehicle proximate a midplane of the body. When the mass-transit vehicle rolls on one side past a predetermined angle, an opposite one of the grabbing portions is operative to contact a corresponding one of the horizontal projections. The roll of the mass-transit vehicle is thereby gradually stopped under a force developed by a corresponding resilient element.

Abstract: The invention relates to a cable bearing element, to an arrangement of cable bearing elements and to a method of manufacturing a cable bearing element. The cable bearing element is adapted to position and/or to hold at least one line section of an electric line, wherein the cable bearing element provides at least one guiding channel for the section of the electric line, wherein a base of a first section of the guiding channel is arranged within a first plane and a base of another section of the guiding channel is arranged within a second plane, wherein the second plane is parallel to the first plane and spaced apart from the first plane with a first predetermined distance, wherein the guiding channel comprises a base part and side walls, wherein a geometry or size of the guiding channel is adapted to the diameter of the electric line or cable which is to be arranged within the guiding channel.

Abstract: A railcar body comprises at least one panel assembly having a first panel and a second panel, both extending longitudinally along the railcar body and adjacently to each other. The inner wall of the first and second panels, which are longer than their outer wall, respectively have at least a first and a second mating interface which are different from each other and compatible so as to be located at a predetermined distance from each other, thereby creating a gap of a predetermined width between two juxtaposed edges of the panels. This panel assembly is designed to be compatible with a laser welding process.

Abstract: A linear induction motor (LIM) including a primary core extending longitudinally and having a front portion and a rear portion. Coils are mounted on the primary core. The coils include a first set of coils mounted on the front portion and spaced apart from each other by a first pitch. The coils further having a second set of coils, between the first set of coils and the rear portion, which are spaced apart from each other by an industry-standard distance. Each one of the first pitch is greater than the industry-standard distance for reducing an end effect onto the LIM when the LIM travels forward. The first set of coils may have different spaces between its coils and may also include equally spaced coils.

Abstract: In a system for providing computer network connectivity to transit cars that each include first and second mobile radios, and a memory and a processor in each car performing the steps of (a) causing the first and second mobile radios of the car to enter into a far-field mode of operation in communication with a wayside radio; (b) following step (a), the processor of a first car causing its second mobile radio to enter into a couple mode of operation with a first mobile radio of a proximate car; and (c) following step (a), the processor of a second car causing its first mobile radio to enter into a couple mode of operation with a second mobile radio of a proximate car. In the couple mode of operation, first and second mobile radios in proximate cars communicate only with each other.

Abstract: An automated method for straightening/correcting deformations made to panels when welded to metallic structural components is disclosed. In the train industry, when an aluminum component, such as a vehicle's exterior shell, is welded to hidden structural parts, deformations thereon may occur. Such deformations need to be subsequently corrected, and the present method uses robots and optical measuring of the deformed surfaces to conduct a straightening thereof. The method includes four main steps. First, the deformed surface is scanned with an optical sensor to make physical measures/characterizations thereof. Second, the gathered data are compared with the desired resultant by a software. Third, once the comparison is done, the software performs an analysis to select the proper parameters to be used in the straightening method that will be applied at each area requiring straightening. Finally, a robot executes the operations specified by the software to perform the straightening process.

Abstract: A bogie assembly for a rail vehicle comprises a bogie frame, two wheel axles supporting the bogie frame, a primary of a linear induction motor and two motor mounts. The two motor mounts are located proximate a different extremity of the primary and support the linear induction motor underneath the bogie frame. Each one of the two motor mounts has a bogie interface, a motor interface, a first spring, a conical spring, a core pin and a nut. The first spring is connected to the bogie interface on the bogie side while the conical spring is connected to the same bogie interface on the motor side. The core pin extends sequentially from the motor interface through the conical spring, then through the bogie interface and finally through the first spring where it is held in place by the nut on the other side of the first spring.

Abstract: A monorail vehicle includes a chassis supporting a vehicle body that includes a passenger floor, a first side wall, and a second side wall and first and second propulsion systems. Each propulsion system includes an electric motor and a drive wheel coupled to a rotor of the electric motor. Each electric motor and the drive wheel coupled to the rotor of the electric motor are positioned on both sides of an imaginary plane extension of the passenger floor. First and second shells cover portions of the first and second propulsion system. The first shell is positioned proximate to the first side wall and defines a first space between the second side wall. The second shell is positioned proximate to the second side wall and defines a second space between the first side wall.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for monitoring an electric network in a rail vehicle. The electric network includes at least one power converter, at least one permanent magnet machine, and at least one first phase line for the electrical connection of the at least one power converter and the at least one permanent magnet machine. The first phase line is interrupted. A potential difference is determined between a machine-side part of the first phase line and a reference potential and a potential-difference-dependent variable, wherein a speed of the permanent magnet machine and, as a function of the speed, a speed-dependent reference variable are determined. A deviation of the potential-difference-dependent variable from the speed-dependent reference variable is determined, wherein a network fault is detected if the deviation is greater than a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: A self-ventilated bi-directional traction drive unit (10) comprises a bi-directional motor (12), an asymmetric fan (14) for ventilating the motor (12), and a mechanical transmission (14) between a motor shaft (24) of the motor (12) and an asymmetric fan rotor (38) of the fan (14). The mechanical transmission (14) is operative to drive the fan rotor (38) in a preferred fan direction (102) with a first constant gear ratio Ri when the motor shaft (24) rotates in a first traction direction and to drive the fan rotor (38) in the preferred fan direction with a second constant gear ratio R2 when the motor shaft (24) rotates in a second traction direction opposite to the first traction direction.

Abstract: Disclosed is a DC circuit breaker including at least one contact configured to be coupled between a source of DC power and a DC load and a method of controlling the closed and open state of the contact. The DC circuit breaker includes a thermomagnetic trip circuit and an electronic trip circuit. The electronic trip circuit is responsive to a sensed level of DC current flowing in the contact in a closed state for accumulating an indication of the total time the DC current is sensed. The accumulated indication of the total time the DC current is sensed is compared to a predetermined value or level and, in response to the accumulated indication exceeding the predetermined value or level, the contact is caused to switch from a closed state to an open state.

Abstract: In order to optimize the failure safety of electrical and electronic components located in an engine compartment of a rail vehicle, which additionally comprises at least one driver's cab, the rail vehicle is operated with an air conditioning system, which is provided to generate overpressure in the engine compartment and to control the climate of the at least one driver's cab. The air conditioning system includes a first air guidance system to introduce fresh air into the at least one driver's cab and a second air guidance system to transmit at least one part of the fresh air introduced into the at least one driver's cab into the engine compartment.