Substantion of the Environmental Efficiency of the Device for Parallel Retraction of Brake Shoes for Freight Wagons

Abstract

The lower transportation cost is of utmost importance for the railway infrastructure, where the technical condition and reliability of the rolling stock play a major role. The braking equipment is of primary importance for the traffic and environmental safety as well as for energy saving. However, at present there is a critical situation with over-normative wear of brake pads used for freight wagons. When a freight train moves without braking, the upper edges of brake pads are inclined and pressed to the rolling surface of wheels, therefore, they suffer excessive wear. It causes additional specific resistance to the train movement and increases the consumption of diesel fuel for the train haulage that results in the increased emissions of harmful gases into the environment. Due to the dual wedge-shaped wear, the service life of brake pads does not reach 50 % of its potential. Therefore, they are frequently replaced with new ones due to a threat to the traffic safety despite large residues of the working body; and old pads are sent to landfills