RailwaySafety.utrgv.edu•  UTCRailwaySafetyConsor8umIns8tu8ons•  ResearchEfforts–Fall2013toPresent•  Educa8onalandOutreachAc8vi8es•  ProfessionalDevelopmentAc8vi8es•  UTCRSAchievementsandImpacts

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UTCRSGroupatUTRGV

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ResearchAc8vity–Fall2013toPresent

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•  ResearchCoversallaspectsofrailwaysafety:physicalsystems;opera8onsandplanning;andhumanfactors

•  20Projectstodate•  80Bachelor’s•  20Master’s•  9Doctoral•  6JournalAr8cles•  18ConferencePapers•  6ResearchSymposiums•  6Master’sThesis•  9SeniorDesignProjects

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ResearchAc8vity–Fall2013toPresentMechanical Components Safety – UTRGV Research Focus: !  Structural Integrity of Railroad Bearing Adapters with Modifications for Onboard

Monitoring Applications [Completed] !  Effects of Vapor Grown Carbon Nanofibers on Electrical and Mechanical Properties of a

Thermoplastic Elastomer [Completed] !  Modeling the Residual Useful Life of Bearing Grease [Completed] !  Applications of Magnetostrictive Materials for Real-Time Monitoring of Vehicle

Suspension Components [Completed] !  Single Bearing Test Rig with Vertical, Lateral, and Impact Load Capabilities [Completed] !  The Effect of Heat Generation in the Railroad Bearing Thermoplastic Elastomer

Suspension Element on the Thermal Behavior of Railroad Bearing Assembly !  Development of Predictive Models for Spall Growth in Railroad Bearing Rolling Elements !  Radiative Heat Transfer Analysis of Railroad Bearings Using a Single Bearing Test Rig

for Wayside Thermal Detector Optimization !  Demonstration of Magnetostrictive Materials for Self-Powered Monitoring of Rail Vehicle

Suspension Components

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ResearchAc8vity–Fall2013toPresentRailway Infrastructure Safety – TAMU Research Focus: !  Rail Neutral Temperature In-Situ Evaluation !  Ultrasonic Tomography for Infrastructure Inspection !  High Speed Train Geotechnics [Completed] !  Optimizing Performance of Railroad Rail through Artificial Wear !  Vehicle-Bourne Autonomous Railroad Bridge Impairment Detection Systems Railway Operations Safety – UNL Research Focus: !  Development of Corridor-based Traffic Signal Preemption Strategies at

Signalized Intersections near Highway Railway Grade Crossings !  Drivers’ Perceptions of Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety and Their Behavior !  Safety Modeling of Highway Railway Grade Crossings Using Intelligent

Transportation System Data !  Improving Safety at Rural Highway-Rail Grade Crossings by Utilizing Light

Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Technology [Completed]

RailroadIndustryNeeds

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•  Currentpolymersteeringpadsu8lizetwocopperstudsimbeddedinthepadtotransferelectricalcurrentandopengates.

•  Over8me,thecopperstudsdeform(compress)andconduc8vityislost.

•  Therailroadindustryandprivaterailcarownershavebeenseekinganalterna8vesolu8ontoreplacingthecopperstudsorthepaditselfwhenelectricconduc8vityislost.

PicturecourtesyofAmstedRailIndustries

Carbon-Nano-Fiber(CNF)ReinforcedPolymerSteeringPad

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Conduc8vityTestSetup

TransferMoldedSamplePuck

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SampleConduc8vePuck:13wgt%CNF

•  TheCNFcompositedevelopedbytheUTCRSallowsfortheen8repadtobeelectricallyconduc8veunderemptyandloadedcondi8ons.

•  Aprivaterailcarownerplanstopurchase15,000oftheseconduc8vepolymerpadsonceavailable.

Averageopera*ngtemperaturesaboveambient(78°F)ofbearingswithinnerandouterringdefectsascomparedtohealthy(control)bearingsatvariousspeedsunder

17%(emptyrailcar)and100%(fullrailcar)loadcondi*ons.

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17%Loadcondi8on:∆𝑇=1.0375 𝑉−4.9539;RegressionCoefficientR2=0.9625100%Loadcondi8on:∆𝑇=1.2910 𝑉+4.8667;RegressionCoefficientR2=0.9924∆𝑇isthebearingtemperatureaboveambientin°F;𝑉isthebearingopera8ngspeedinmph

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Control Bearings (100% Load)Control Bearings (17% Load)Defective Outer Rings (100% Load)Defective Outer Rings (17% Load)

ResearchExperienceforUndergraduates(REUs)

•  In2014:8students(2men,6women)

•  In2015:12students(4men,8women)

•  In2016:14students(8men,6women)

•  Allhistoricallyunderrepresented

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UTCRSSummerCamps•  Summer2014:thecampsserved700students(300elementary,300middle

school,and100highschoolstudents)fromover130schoolsrepresen8ng26schooldistrictsintheRioGrandeValley(RGV).

•  Summer2015:thecampsserved1000students(450elementary,425middleschool,and125highschool),againdistributedamongRGVschooldistricts.

•  Summer2016:currentenrollmentis1200students(500ES,450MS,250HS)

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•  AmajorgoaloftheUTCforRailwaySafetyistoencouragestudentsfromgroupstradi8onallyunderrepresentedintransporta8ontoconsidercareersintransporta8on-relatedfields.Thesummercampssupportedthisgoalastherewereapproximately1000camppar8cipants,ofwhichover80percentwereHispanicandover35percentwerefemale.

UTCRSAchievementsandImpacts

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ResearchExperienceforTeachers(RETs)

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•  In2014:66K-12STEMTeachers•  In2015:85K-12STEMTeachers•  In2016:100+K-12STEMTeachers(Na8onalWorkshop)

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CommunityOutreachAc8vi8es

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UTCRSstudents,faculty,andstaffhavetakenpartinover50differentcommunityoutreachac8vi8essincetheincep8onofthecenter.ThepicturesbelowarefromasciencefairheldatIdeaAcademy,McAllenon1/23/2016whereUTCRSDirectorandstudentstalkedaboutopportuni8esinthetransporta8onengineeringfield.

Ques8ons

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2014UTCRSSOY

2015UTCRSSOY