NEXTGEAR will contribute significantly in strengthening the competitiveness of stakeholders and research partners. Through NEXTGEAR, several societal, economic / competitiveness and environmental benefits will be achieved:
Relevant Impacts
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NEXTGEAR contribution
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Universal Cost Model 2.0
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• Enhancing and completing the UCM methodology as highlighted in the call.
• Introducing state-of-the art use of economic approaches to the cost parameters needed to compute life-cycle cost impacts.
• Creating a simplified and adaptable UCM tool that meets the needs of different stakeholders, e.g. permitting dual level functionality (high level, strategic cost modelling and detailed, bottom-up modelling).
• Putting user feedback and engagement at the heart of our development approach.
• Highlighting incentives-related barriers to implementation of railway system innovations (e.g. track access charges not reflecting differential impacts of vehicle types on the infrastructure) and proposing meaningful changes to track access charging systems
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Contribution of high-end solutions to develop Running Gear Innovations
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• further developing the existing tools that are being used in RUN2Rail and elsewhere in other industries to optimise the manufacture of components using novel materials and manufacturing methods.
• manufacturing demonstrator prototypes which will be tested to give confidence in the ability of the techniques to provide real world solutions. Quieter vehicles and improved rider quality due to improvements in track degradation and running gear design, together with the increased attractiveness of modern technological solutions and more environmentally friendly rolling stock.
• Reducing lifecycle costs due to the improved manufacturing methods and an improvement in performance due to the improved properties and reduced mass of components manufactured from novel materials.
• developing a controller suitable for active suspension systems
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Wheel set of the future
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• Identifying composite materials and related manufacturing processes that will satisfy the requirements for the design of a rail wheelset.
• Defining a technology concept for a hybrid metal/composite wheelset.
• Identifying a manufacturing process suitable for manufacturing the composite parts of the hybrid wheelset meeting the requirements in terms of composite layup, the fibre orientation with respect to the stresses, integration of the metal parts that form the hybrid construction.
• Proposing methods and requirements for health monitoring and inspection of a wheelset with composite parts.
• Establishing a full set of requirements for materials, mechanical characterisation methods, composite to metal interfaces etc.
• Performing an LCC analysis of the hybrid wheelset and comparing to a traditional wheelset, to assess the viability of the new concept
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