Lasers Mounted Train Blast Tracks Clean

[Tech_Dreamer]

Admit it, that's one epic title

TLDR is at the very bottom

 

@WinNut

Trains in the Netherlands are getting armed with lasers as part of a test to see if they can burn away dangerous material on the tracks, including autumn leaves.

 

The Dutch system (developed by Strukton Rail) turns the laser off when it's going to miss the track.

 

Blasting leaves from train tracks with high-powered lasers might sound like a bit of overkill, but rotting leaves can actually form a Teflon-like coating on the tracks that make it hard for the train wheels to maintain their grip. according to the UK's Network Rail, leaves on the tracks created 4.5 million hours of passenger delays in 2013.

 

 

Blasting leaves from train tracks with high-powered lasers might sound like a bit of overkill, but rotting leaves can actually form a Teflon-like coating on the tracks that make it hard for the train wheels to maintain their grip

 

 

The DM-90 train will be the first to get its leaf-zapping laser

 

 

according to the UK's Network Rail, leaves on the tracks created 4.5 million hours of passenger delays in 2013.

 

Current track-clearing solutions include shooting either water or a gel and sand mixture called Sandite from jets mounted on the train, but they both have issues they need to be constantly restocked and they can erode the rails.

 

Lasers are angled downwards and fitted just in front of a wheel, the lasers vaporise built-up residue as the train passes. They also dry the rails to prevent new leaves from piling up. This gives trains better traction, allowing faster acceleration and braking.

 

 

 

Using lasers to clear leaves was first proposed in 1999 by a UK company called LaserThor, which developed a laser with a temperature of 5000 °C that was strong enough to zap leaves 25,000 times per second. This worked really well in the lab But when fitted to moving trains, the vibrations made it hard to keep the laser focused on the rails, he says. Network Rail eventually opted for high-powered water jets instead.

 

 

"lasers get the job done without harming the rails , because their wavelength of 1,064 nanometers means they are absorbed by the leaves and other organic matter such as oil, but not by metal, so energy from the lasers is reflected off the rails,"

                                                                                                                                                                                 - New Scientist (magazine)

 

Although there is a catch to it, the lasers can work on trains moving at speeds of up to 80 kilometers an hour (about 50 mph). above that it's not a feasable solution & will not work

 

Somewhat technological but eitherways Pretty cool , post your thoughts on this down belooooooooooooee

 

Bonus:

 

 

 

Link:

http://www.engadget.com/2014/12/09/trains-get-lasers-to-clear-tracks/

 

Original Article from: (courtesy new scientist)

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22429984.800-lockedon-lasers-burn-through-leaves-on-train-lines.html

 

TLDR: Trains with lasers & sh*t to clean tracks in the future ,  F*ck yeah!

[Darkman]

*Starts a fire*

It wasn't our fault! I swear!

[terrytek]

I really don't know why leaves are so freaking dangerous. They're not sharp, they're not poisonous, why shoud we fucking worry?

[ZacDaMan72]

Why don't they use an air compressor to blow off the leaves?

[Fate]

I really don't know why leaves are so freaking dangerous. They're not sharp, they're not poisonous, why shoud we fucking worry?

"rotting leaves can actually form a Teflon-like coating on the tracks that make it hard for the train wheels to maintain their grip."

[WinNut]

And that is why all trains should have dynamic brakes so that the oil from the leaf doesn't lubricate the brake shoe causing slippage during a friction brake application.

 

 

 

 

 

 

@Flight1sim

[Jerakl]

And that is why all trains should have dynamic brakes so that the oil from the leaf doesn't lubricate the brake shoe causing slippage during a friction brake application.

 

 

 

 

 

 

@Flight1sim

Lasers are better then that.

[Tech_Dreamer]

Why don't they use an air compressor to blow off the leaves?

using laser is cooler..

 

[Flight1sim]

And that is why all trains should have dynamic brakes so that the oil from the leaf doesn't lubricate the brake shoe causing slippage during a friction brake application.

 

 

 

 

 

 

@Flight1sim

pretty much all trains DO  have dynamic brakes, but a lot of engineers choose not to use them and in some cases even flutter the regular brakes (depending on train)

This is pretty awesome, but i'm not sure about those idiots who decide to stand in front of a train on a road crossing *wink*

[ZacDaMan72]

using laser is cooler..

 

[WinNut]

Lasers are better then that.

We need to equip the Bionicle 2015 Hype Train with this stuff.

 

Dynamic brakes are more awesome than friction brakes because the body won't buck and it sounds more awesome, in addition to saving brake shoe and wheel life since the shoe never makes contact until the train slows to 10mph.

 

I'd love to see a train use a laser to obliterate that one idiot who stops their car in the middle of a grade crossing. *wink*

[connorpiper]

We need to equip the Bionicle 2015 Hype Train with this stuff.

 

Dynamic brakes are more awesome than friction brakes because the body won't buck and it sounds more awesome, in addition to saving brake shoe and wheel life since the shoe never makes contact until the train slows to 10mph.

 

I'd love to see a train use a laser to obliterate that one idiot who stalls their car in the middle of a grade crossing. *wink*

 

Or just use a MagLev train. Done! 

[Flight1sim]

"rotting leaves can actually form a Teflon-like coating on the tracks that make it hard for the train wheels to maintain their grip."

But sanding the track will literally remove a PUNY layer of metal from the track anyways, so why not have an engine come regularly and sand the track?

(sand blasters built into every train)

[WinNut]

The leaves are actually happening on the BMT Brighton Line (my home line) on the NYC subway, trains have been braking slowly because of them.

 

Now the leaves are gone and soon it's going to be snowbanks. 

 

@CreepersCrawlers

[Toddwjp]

But sanding the track will literally remove a PUNY layer of metal from the track anyways, so why not have an engine come regularly and sand the track?

(sand blasters built into every train)

 

because it introduces another resource to be carried compared to electricity. 

[Flight1sim]

because it introduces another resource to be carried compared to electricity.

trains already have a TON of sand compartments and DEFINITELY have an abundance of compressed air

[Jerakl]

We need to equip the Bionicle 2015 Hype Train with this stuff.

 

Dynamic brakes are more awesome than friction brakes because the body won't buck and it sounds more awesome, in addition to saving brake shoe and wheel life since the shoe never makes contact until the train slows to 10mph.

 

I'd love to see a train use a laser to obliterate that one idiot who stops their car in the middle of a grade crossing. *wink*

Yes, so no one can stop it!

[WinNut]

trains already have a TON of sand compartments and DEFINITELY have an abundance of compressed air

Electromagnetic straight air brake master race!

[Flight1sim]

Electromagnetic straight air brake master race!

sanding is extremely important for most cross-country trains

[Toddwjp]

trains already have a TON of sand compartments and DEFINITELY have an abundance of compressed air

 

its not about space its about amount of sand used, and air compressors while possible could potentially have issues with removing already decayed leaves (overnight in bad weather leaves can decay quickly) and to compensate for that they would most likely need a higher pressure/higher velocity.mass flow rate of air to achieve the same goal which might introduce issues of propelling other debris in a harmful manner and or the quantity of air required to achieve this becomes increasingly difficult to compress on the go.

 

the amount of air could also effect the aerodynamics of the train increasing drag etc. 

[Flight1sim]

its not about space its about amount of sand used, and air compressors while possible could potentially have issues with removing already decayed leaves (overnight in bad weather leaves can decay quickly) and to compensate for that they would most likely need a higher pressure/higher velocity.mass flow rate of air to achieve the same goal which might introduce issues of propelling other debris in a harmful manner and or the quantity of air required to achieve this becomes increasingly difficult to compress on the go.

 

the amount of air could also effect the aerodynamics of the train increasing drag etc. 

that's true, but I don't feel lasers at the front is the answer

Especially in America where dry grass lands could face problems like fires (im pretty sure thats so rare its basically impossible)

The thing about sanding is that when a train sands, it sands for the next train to come.

 

The first train will face slippery track and spray sand, then the next train will go over the sand, and make the track rougher, and so on and so forth.

[WinNut]

I'd actually love to see this implemented on NYC subway trains. It would really help get rid of all those 12-9s that snarl the train flow and screw up service.

[thirdworldking]

Why don't they use an air compressor to blow off the leaves?

my thoughts exactly, and i wonder if the lasers would damage bystanders eyes

[ForsakenLive]

I like how many of the members of the community are discussing, providing and exchanging information, while some are just saying  "pew pew yeah go LASERS!"; unfortunately I'm going to have to join them, lasers are freaking cool PEW PEW :DD!

[Snadzies]

Why don't they use an air compressor to blow off the leaves?

my thoughts exactly, and i wonder if the lasers would damage bystanders eyes

 

 

I'm sure there are tons of technical challenges that could pose.

 

Off the top of my head I worry about the compressed air blowing away the soil under the tracks eventually making the tracks unstable.

The drag they create, while it may not see like a lot up front, could add a fair chunk to fuel costs across the many trains that use it and the hundreds of thousands of miles they travel each year.

While trains are by no stretch silent, I would be concerned about how loud such a blast of air powerful enough to dislodge caked on leaves would have to be.

 

I am by no means saying lasers are a better solution, the perceived fire hazard alone makes me surprised such a thing wasn't dismissed right away, it is just I assume there has to be very smart people working on such an issue and for them to have not tried air earlier leads me to believe there has to be a reason.