A concept of adaptive control system for rail grinding

Abstract

Rail grinding with the use of rail grinding trains under railway track conditions provides an increase in the rail lifecycle. A main task of rail grinding is to form a rail transverse profile to reduce the contact loading and wear from rolling stock wheels. At present, providing the accuracy of forming a rail repair profile remains a challenge, which overcoming is hampered by the technological features of rail grinding trains. To solve this problem, the paper proposes a concept of adaptive control system for rail grinding process. This system is intended to work as a part of rail grinding train and provide inspection of the results of operations on rail machining and, if required, adjusting grinding modes. The main objectives of this system are: providing accuracy and quality of rail machining by grinding, optimisation of time consumption within a track possession for rail grinding and developing a database to enhance planning of the rail grinding works. Siberian Transport University and JSC “Remputmash” Kaluga Plant are now implementing the introduced concept of adaptive control for grinding in a collaborative project for the development of a new RGT 2.0 rail grinding train.