Research work of the department

RESEARCH WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT

Main directions of scientific research of the department

1. Development, improvement and research of modern systems of railway automation:

• development, improvement and implementation of modern microprocessor and relay-processor control systems for points and signals;
• development and implementation of automatic and semi-automatic interlocking systems;
• research, development and improvement of automatic crossing systems;
• development and improvement of rolling stock axle counting systems and coordinate train control systems;
• development and research of information and control systems at sorting stations;
• development and implementation of microprocessor systems for dispatch control over train movement and condition of railway automation devices;
• development and improvement of power supply devices of railway automation systems;

2. Research of reliability and functional safety of microprocessor systems of railway automation.
3. Research of electromagnetic compatibility of microprocessor and relay systems of railway automation, development of protection devices against lightning and electromagnetic interference effects.
4. Increasing the reliability of proof of functional safety of railway automation systems and their certification.
5. Expertise and proof of the functional safety of railway automatics.
6. Research and modernization of the equipment of tonal rail circles.
7. Research of methods and means of technical diagnostics of railway automation systems.
8. Research of methods and means of maintenance of systems and devices of railway automation.
9. Research and development of methods of technical vision and automation of video surveillance.
10. Thermal imaging diagnostics of railway automation devices.

During the existence of the department, its teachers and staff performed a large number of research works commissioned by the Ministries of Transport and Industry, subways, individual railways and industrial railway transport enterprises. This contributed to the development of new promising technologies and devices, increase the efficiency of railway automation systems, increase the safety of trains, increase productivity. Developed the latest devices and technologies are protected by copyright certificates and patents.

In 1996–2004, the department carried out research in the field of microprocessor centralization of points and signals (MPC), microprocessor crossing signalization, electrical centralization on axle sensors. As a result of these research works, the introduction of various microprocessor systems and devices at many industrial transport enterprises began in the future:

• relay-microprocessor systems of electric centralization (RMC) – 6 stations of main and industrial railway transport:
• microprocessor centralization with 100% exclusion of electromagnetic relays and rail circuits (MPC-C) – 7 stations with a total of about 200 points;
• microprocessor systems for counting the axle of rolling stock – more than 1000 counting points;
• microprocessor systems of automatic crossing system (APS) with 100% exclusion of electromagnetic relays and rail circuits, which are built into the MPC-C systems – 4 crossings;
• microprocessor control systems – more than 50 stations, about 2 thousand points);
• APS relay systems on the basis of rolling stock axle counting systems – 12 crossings:
• microprocessor systems of semi-automatic blocking (SAB) on the basis of a radio channel;
• semi-automatic locking systems, which are built into the MPC.

Computer control system for train station “Peredacha-Donetsʹk”

Control dispatch system of train movement and condition of railway automation devices of CJSC “Donetsʹkstalʹ”

These systems were developed and implemented together with SPE “SATEP LLC” and SPE “Hartron-Energo, Ltd” at most of the industrial railway transport enterprises of Ukraine: PJSC “Zaporizhstalʹ”; PJSC “Dniprospetsstalʹ”, CJSC “Donetsʹkstalʹ-metallurhiynyy zavod”, KDGMK “Kryvorizhstalʹ”, PJSC “Azovstalʹ”, PJSC “Mariupolʹsʹkyy metkombinat im. Yllicha”, PJSC“Alchevsʹkyy metkombynat”, PJSC“Yenakiyeevsʹkyy metzavod”, LLC“ Dimitrivvantzhtrans ”, PJSC“ArcelorMittal, Kryvyi Rih”.

The results of the developments have also been implemented abroad: a microprocessor control system for arrows and signals has been operating at the station “Atigai” at the Ekibaztuz-Pavlodar section of the main railway transport for several years.

Employees of the department developed and implemented national standards and basic regulations of “Ukrzaliznytsia” on functional safety, reliability and electromagnetic compatibility:

1. DSTU 4178-2003. Complexes of technical means of control systems and regulation of train movement. Functional safety and reliability. Requirements and test methods. Valid from 01.07.2003. Kiev. Derzhspozhyvstandart of Ukraine. 2003. –32 p.
2. DSTU 4151-2003. Complexes of technical means of control systems and regulation of train movement. Electromagnetic compatibility. Requirements and test methods. Valid from 01.01.2004. Kiev. Derzhspozhyvstandart of Ukraine. 2003. –16 p.
3. Methods of proving the functional safety of control and regulation of train traffic. Kiev. Transport of Ukraine, 106 p.
4. Instruction on the procedure for conducting operational and acceptance tests of prototypes of alarm, centralization and interlocking devices. The guiding normative document of Ukrzaliznytsia. CS 0026. Approved and put into effect by the order of Ukrzaliznytsia № 453-C dated August 17, 2001 by the Ministry of Transport of Ukraine. Kiev. 2003, 13 p.

On behalf of Ukrzaliznytsia, the department has developed a number many international documents, which were approved by the meeting of experts of the V Commission of the Organization of Railway Cooperation:

– Memo P 809 “Electromagnetic compatibility of microelectronic devices for signaling, centralization and interlocking devices (SCB)”;

– Memo P 801/1 “Catalog of possible damages and failures of alarm, centralization and interlocking devices (SCB)”;

– Memo P 855 “Basic principles for determining the required reliability of SCB devices”.

Based on the results of development of national standards, research of functional safety and reliability, for the first time in Ukraine a textbook was published for higher education institutions that train railway automation specialists: “Fundamentals of the theory of reliability and functional safety of railway automation systems”. Tutorial. Kharkiv. USURT. 2008, 156 p..

Employees of the department developed methods for testing the electromagnetic compatibility and safety of many systems and devices of railway automation (developed by the USSR and Ukraine) – they conducted bench tests of various types of microprocessor control systems arrows and signals, microprocessor automatic locomotive alarm system, micro locomotive alarm system track receivers of the autoblocking system with tonal rail circuits, microprocessor system of dispatching centralization of ASDC, microprocessor system of dispatching control over train movement and condition of railway automation devices, electronic system of counting rolling stock axle for monitoring the condition of track sections autolock, etc.

In addition, research and testing of resistance to electromagnetic interference of control systems in other critical industries: internal control systems of nuclear reactors at Zaporizhzhya NPP, microprocessor three-channel control and monitoring system of ship automation, microprocessor systems and controllers for various purposes. The developed recommendations are widely implemented at various enterprises to increase the reliability, noise immunity and safety of technical means.

The department has developed simulation models for bench tests for functional safety of microprocessor systems of electrical centralization of arrows and signals, on the basis of which they were tested and certified for compliance with national standards DSTU 4178 and other requirements of industry regulations. Successful operation of these systems confirmed the reliability of the developed models and methods of proof of functional safety.

The department also performs research and development of devices and systems of automatic warning of track workers. As part of these studies developed and conducted operational tests on the Southern Railway automatic warning systems for track workers and devices for automated warning of workers on track and station duty, both on the establishment of train or shunting route, and on the movement of rolling stock through the work area, as well as locomotive crews on the presence of workers on the route in order to increase the safety of work on the tracks of railway stations and reduce the likelihood of collisions with workers.

An important area of activity of the department is the study of rail circuits, especially operating in the tonal frequency range. Modern track receivers and generators, noise protection filters, etc. have been developed.

The department carries out research and development of technical devices for monitoring and diagnosing the inhomogeneities of power lines. Within the framework of these researches devices for determination of faulty insulation of sleepers and places of damage of cable lines, devices for control of places of the increased electrocorrosion of rails are developed.

The department has close scientific and practical relations with many universities of Ukraine, Poland, other countries, railways of Ukraine, industrial railway transport enterprises, subways and other research enterprises and design institutes.

During the existence of the department trained and graduated more than five thousand specialists in the field of automation for railways and other enterprises of Ukraine and CIS countries in various forms of education, its teachers and staff published 5 monographs, more than 1200 articles and 250 abstracts in various scientific and scientific practical publications, including foreign ones.

During the existence of the department Ukrainian scientific schools in the field of railway automation were formed, about 50 candidate and 5 doctoral dissertations were defended.