Being the first time that a project with these characteristics haD been carried out, Abengoa, together with Adif, Deimos, Ineco, OHL, Win Inertia and Nervados, faced this challenge by forming the project AridLap, consisting in minimizing the effects caused by extreme climates on high performance rail infrastructure located in arid areas.
According to the study ‘High Speed Rail. Fast track to sustainable mobility’ (UIC), greater activity within the railway world is predicted and many countries may modernize their railway by renovating existing infrastructures or constructing new ones.
This expansion process will have its greatest impact in the developing world, as showcased in the Middle East, in which countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Iran are beginning to develop ambitious plans for their railway networks, some of which are currently non-existent. Moreover, the climatic conditions of these countries complicate the development of projects.
The sand swept up by the wind and hanging in the air (in the form of dust), has been identified as the principle problem for the operation of railway lines in these countries.
This is due to the abrasive effect of the sand and the fact that the build-up of deposit might be a critical issue for the circulation of trains which travel at a velocity of over 200km/h. Another important problem derives from the high temperatures and, above all, from the significant temperature difference between day and night, in some cases resulting in a difference between -5ºC y 50ºC in the same day.
As a result, it is necessary to turn to new technology that can perfect the railway transport system in these countries. New technology will facilitate speeds of 350km/h in a range of adverse conditions including snow, desert climate, wind, sand, and high temperatures. This would allow better transport systems in areas such as the Arabian Desert, which experiences constant dune movement, or Dubai city, which experiences very high temperatures. The wind, sand and high temperatures are normal occurrences that accompany these particular trains on all their journeys, but with the application of technology to the railway systems, the expectation is that the only problem with flying across the sand would be a lost camel crossing the track. Seeing as this is the first time a project with these characteristics has been carried out Abengoa, along with Adif, Deimos, Ineco, OHL, Win Inertia, and Nervados, have united to confront the challenge, forming the project AridLap. The project focusses on minimizing the effects of extreme weather on high delivery railway infrastructures located in arid areas. This project has been developed entirely in Andalucía and financed through funding from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, via the Centre for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI). The technology developed for the AridLap project is applicable to other areas with similar characteristics, therefore expanding the business. The leaders of this newly formed group work within technological development in Abengoa’s department of Railway Engineering, located in Málaga’s Centre of Railway Technology building. The team has carried out a study on electronic isolation distances (dynamic and static) with high contents of sand/dust in the air. They later developed methods of sensorisation to monitor and supervise in real time, the state of the rails and contact wire, which are essential elements for the electrification of the overhead lines, against these types of adversities. Additionally, Abengoa has carried out a study of requirements, assessments and responses to consider for the switchgear in the presence of adverse environmental conditions in desert climates. They have created different designs for the protection of articulated parts, which are elements that need lubrication in the line area of contact, and for the protection of elements of the compensation system, which include pulleys and counterweights, similar to the design of new methods of train compensation.During the course of the AridLap project, other studies and developments have been carried out, an example of this is focusing on; the viability of the application of aerospace technology with images made by satellites and drone flights in order to plot the railway route using auscultation in these types of climate, and the detection of the degree of sleeper contamination by means of GPR. Furthermore, there have been many developments in areas such as; creating a system for monitoring and predicting meteorological phenomena on the railway line, and creating artificial barriers of varying distances on the route in order to minimize the introduction of sand on the route in adverse climate conditions, in intense wind and the transport of particles in the air.
Writer: Luis Turmo Durán