Creating Smart Resilient Affordable & Reliable Infrastructures in Rail

可靠的铁路网络对英国各地的人员和货物运输至关重要，英国的客运里程为710亿英里，货运总量为180亿吨。铁路基础设施使用数以百万计的螺纹紧固件。虽然螺母和螺栓是简单的部件，但它通常是安全和性能至关重要的，即如果它发生故障，将导致灾难性事故或基础设施的严重退化。因此，检查和维护这些安全和性能关键的紧固件对基础设施所有者来说意味着相当大的成本，并且在进行维护时减少了产能。错误的安装、损坏、磨损或疲劳都可能导致故障。在铁路网络中，大约有26000个开关机（点），使火车能够从一条轨道引导到另一条轨道，例如在铁路枢纽或支线。开关机的组成部分包括开关导轨，拉伸杆和开关驱动电机。当有两条轨道相互交叉时，有一条铸成的x形轨道称为交叉。它们统称为S&C，是一种复杂的资产，受到垂直和水平的极端载荷的影响。此外，他们还暴露在各种各样的天气条件下。所有这些都导致S&C成为铁路基础设施中成本最高、最安全的资产类别。智能组件技术公司（SCT）与网络铁路和伦敦地铁合作，开发了“智能垫圈”，用于测量安装和维护期间紧固件的夹紧力。这减少了时间、成本和错误。此外，智能洗衣机提供24/7远程监控模式，具有灵活的警报系统，可以进行预防性维护并提高网络的可靠性。智能洗衣机可以做更多的事情，因为它还包含其他传感器，特别是一个3轴加速度计。这使得整个S&C的运行和机械状况以及轨道床的任何恶化都可以远程监控。SCT通过提供无线通信、数据管理和分析、用户界面和软件服务，完成了端到端解决方案。这样的解决方案是智能组件技术的目标，也是智能资产和基础设施管理的核心。尽管所有这些世界领先的技术已经准备好发射，但它还没有被部署到现实生活环境中，以证明一个引人注目的价值主张，并验证一个可扩展和重复的商业模式。这个项目的目的就是做到这一点。SCT与网络铁路、伦敦地铁和许多一级合作伙伴合作，计划在12个月的时间内部署和测试智能洗衣机技术的各个方面。随着技术的验证和战略合作伙伴关系的建立，SCT将能够在英国各地快速推出，并为其技术开发全球市场。智能组件技术是一种广泛的平台技术，可直接应用于所有主要基础设施，如能源系统、核能、海上风电等。未来3年，各种智能组件类别和基础设施领域也将得到非常积极的发展。

Reliable rail networks are vital for the movement of people and goods across the UK accounting for 71 billion passenger miles and 18bn tonnes of freight. The rail infrastructure uses millions of threaded fasteners. Although a nut and bolt is simple component, it is often safety and performance critical i.e. should it fail, it would lead to catastrophic accidents or significant degradation of the infrastructure. As a consequence, the inspection and maintenance of such safety and performance critical fasteners represents a sizable cost to infrastructure owners as well as reducing capacity whilst maintenance is taking place. Failure can occur through incorrect installation, damage, wear or fatigue. Within the rail network there are around 26,000 switch machines (points) which enables trains to be guided from one track to another such as at a railway junction or a spur. Components of the switch machine include switch rails, stretcher bars & a switch drive motor. When there are two tracks crossing each other, there is a single cast X-shape rail known as the crossing. Collectively abbreviated to S&C’s, they are complicated assets subject to extreme loading both vertical and horizontal. Furthermore, they are exposed to a wide range of weather conditions. All of which results in S&C’s being the most costly and safety critical asset category in the rail infrastructure. In conjunction with Network Rail and London Underground, Smart Component Technologies (SCT) has developed the "Smart Washer" to measure the clamp force of fasteners during installation & maintenance. This reduces time, cost and error. In addition, the smart washer provides a 24/7 remote monitoring mode with a flexible system of alerts allowing for preventative maintenance and increasing the reliability of the network. The smart washer does a lot more as it also contains other sensors, in particular a 3-axis accelerometer. This allows for the operation and mechanical condition of the entire S&C to be remotely monitored as well as any deterioration of the track bed. SCT completes the end-to-end solution with the provision of wireless comms, data management & analytics, user interfaces and software services. Such a solution is the aim of smart component technology and at the heart of intelligent asset & infrastructure management. Although all this world-leading technology is ready for lift-off, it has not yet been deployed in a real-life environment that proves a compelling value proposition and validates a scalable and repeat business model. The purpose of the project is do exactly that. Working with Network Rail, London Underground and a number of Tier 1 partners, SCT aims to deploy and test every aspect of the smart washer technology over a 12 month period. With the technology validated and a strategic partnership in place, SCT will be able to roll-out, at speed, across the UK and develop the global market for its technology. Smart component technology is a broad platform technology and directly applicable in all major infrastructures, for example energy systems, nuclear, offshore wind. The full range of smart component categories and infrastructure sectors will also be very actively developed over the next 3 years.