Engineering Commons^™

Optimizing Power Consumption Of Freight Railroad Bearings Using Laboratory Experimental Data, Carlos E. Lopez Iii, Constantine Tarawneh, Arturo A. Fuentes, Harry Siegal

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Based on projected freight truck fuel efficiency, freight railroad and equipment suppliers need to identify, evaluate and implement technologies and/or operating practices to maintain traditional railroad economic competitiveness. The railway industry uses systems that record the total energy efficiency of a train but not energy efficiency or consumption by components. Lowering the energy consumption of certain train components will result in an increase in its overall energy efficiency, which will yield cost benefits for all the stakeholders. One component of interest is the railroad bearing whose power consumption varies depending on several factors that include railcar load, train speed, condition …