| Title | Accelerating Implementation of ECP Emulator Technology |
|---|---|
| Record ID | 67456 |
| Corporate Creator | Sharma & Associates, Inc. |
| Corporate Contributor |
United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Railroad Policy and Development; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Research, Development and Technology |
| Publisher | United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad Administration |
| Publication Date | 20190800 |
| Language | English |
| Abstract | One of the major barriers to implementation of Electronically Controlled Pneumatic (ECP) brake technology is a freight car’s interchange requirement, i.e., it should run in trains made of interchange qualified car. An overlay ECP or an ECP emulator can address this barrier. This project advanced an ECP emulator developed during the early development phase of ECP technology. The efforts included procuring a representative set of the emulator equipment, identifying and developing necessary upgrades, and conducting testing laboratory testing for compliance with the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) industry standard S-4200. Sharma & Associates, Inc. (SA) procured three sets of ECP car brake equipment and a locomotive control stand with head-end unit. After initial functional testing, a required hardware and software upgrade for S-4200 compliance were identified, and three modules were developed for communication, brake control, and car sequencing and identification functions. The existing software was split to align with the three module’s functions and developed further to meet S-4200 standards. Evaluation of the upgraded emulator in the laboratory was completed, including limited fault testing. Interoperability compliance tests, including a field demonstration with other ECP industry vendor’s equipment, are recommended to establish the emulator as S-4200 compliant. |
| Rosap ID | dot:42114 |
| Rosap URL | https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/42114 |
| TRT Terms | Air brakes; Pneumatic equipment; Electronic control; Freight cars; Freight transportation; Control devices |
| General Subjects | Air brake; brake controller; car control device; Car ID Module; electronically controlled pneumatic brakes; ECP; End of Train; EOT; device; full service application; graduated application; minimum service; Graduated Release; S-4200 |
| Geographical Coverage |
United States |
| Contract Number | DTFR53-BAA-2013-1; DTFR53-13-C-00067L- Task 01 |
| Report Number | DOT/FRA/ORD-19/26 |
| Resource type | Tech Report |
| URL | https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/67000/67400/67456/DOT-FRA-ORD-19-26_20190809.pdf |
| Format | |
| Database | NTL Digital Repository |