The new smart wagon is the core for the new systems. A traditional wagon has to be adapted to become autonomous for coupling to other wagons of the convoy driven by instructions coming from the computer system.
The new wagon is a wagon provided with electric motor with autonomous power supply (battery or energy harvesting devices), with a device for coupling/uncoupling to/from other wagons, sensors on board, an automatic system for the connection between wagons both for the braking and the electric part, an external control system for guaranteeing autonomous movements and the positioning on the railway tracks.
Elements of the New System:
Coupling/uncoupling system: it is a mechanical device for coupling the wagons by means of propulsion and of the remote controlled uncoupling (at the same time on two coupled wagons).
Motors: the motors present on the wagons can be used for autonomous movement of the wagon in the station both for the starting drive of the convoy and for running during the travel of the convoy
Sensors on board: the wagons comprise cameras for the external control of the wagon and sensors to detect obstacles. For this scope radars will also be provided. Perimetral thermal sensors will detect the presence of near persons.
Control system in the wagon: the wagon will be provided with a “brain” which coordinates the movements of the wagon, interacting with the computer system, receiving signals from the control devices concerning the position, the movement, the detection of the obstacles.
Remote control system: the system of communication between the wagons, the station and the locomotive will occur by means of systems based on radio waves or of direct connections on the convoy
It’s constituted by a central system and by three periferic systems:
the central system: collects the request from the users, plans and coordinates the transport and the management of the convoys. It interacts both with the authorized users and with the peropheral systems
Station system: it exchanges information with the wagons in the stations for detecting their status and the coordination of the movements in the station interacting with the owner of the railway network. IT interacts with the central system to provide information on the transport requests
System on the wagon: it coordinates the movements of the wagon, based on the indications coming from the station system, considering the signals of the sensors on board. It communicates also its status for the transports needs.
System on the convoy: it interacts with the central system for the composition of the convoy, the copupling/uncoupling of the wagons. Interacts also with the system fixed in the station
The request determining the departure of a wagon comes from different operators connected by web from a dedicated portal and it is linked to the availability of the wagon.
The departing wagons form a new convoy able to travel between two terminal stations and the departure will be determined based on two different ways:
- Programmed departures at predetermined dates and timelines
- Departures determined by the presence in the stations of a number of wagons waiting for the formation of a new convoy.
The authorization to the departure of the convoy and the occupation of the specific railway of the route will be flexibly managed. It will not necessary to authorize the travel of the convoy only when the railway will be available. Il will be possible to optimize the maximun velocity of the convoy and the use of the railway with lower costs that the actual. .
The driving of the convoy and the stops of the convoy will be completely, based on authorization and instructions from the owner of the railway network.
The convoy will communicate to the owner of the railway network its needs regarding the stop in the intermediate stations to couple and decouple some wagons to/from the convoy.
A single operator will be necessary on board of the convoy able to manage the standard procedures, the security issues and the maintanance of the convoy.
Composition and driving of the convoy:
The composition will be effective taking in consideration the order of the wagons in the convoy related to the their destinations. The wagons placed at the head of the convoy will be the last one to be delivered to the final station.
This order of the wagons will be automatically kept also during all the operations of coupling/uncoupling of the wagons for all the travel of the convoy.
In the intermediate stations the waiting wagons will be kept in ordered sequence. If in the intermediate station a wagon to couple is present, i twill position at the head or at the tail of the convoy depending on the fact that the final station is before or after the station of the waiting wagon. If several wagons with different destinations are present, it will be necessary to interact with the system in the station to manage the right operations to insert the wagon in the correct position in the convoy.
Alternatives can be provided, for example in the case that the wagons have to be coupled to different convoys driving to next station.
In the final station the unloaded wagons will be stored and will be available to substitute the arriving loaded wagons.
In the intermediate stations, based on the coordination performed by the central system, the waiting wagons will be coupled and the arriving wagons will be uncoupled. The wagons can transport containers or travellers or other types of wagons.