Grant: Applied Research Tools and Instruments Grants

Including the 1,500 km of Côte-Nord railways, Canada has more than 48,000 km of railroad. In order to meet the ever-increasing demands of traffic, length and heavy convoys, railway operators must find ways to increase the volume of material transited without compromising the safety of workers. Piloting a train is a highly technical task, as the forces generated are in the meganewton range. Incorrect calculation during the maneuvers inevitably leads to premature wear of the parts. Frequently, this accumulation causes the main-track mating hands to break. The train then goes into an unplanned emergency brake. These brakes are run under non-optimal conditions, resulting in a high risk of derailment. Worker safety is compromised.The Cégep de Sept-Îles Research Chair would like to acquire an optimizer for railway operations. This optimizer defines the optimal driving parameters while avoiding unwanted forces. Also, the optimizer allows the replay of previous runs. It is then possible to measure the degree of wear of the couplings and to apply the principles of predictive maintenance. As well, previous case studies identify gaps and provide refresher training to make driving safe.The acquisition of this analysis system by the Cégep de Sept-Îles will greatly enhance and improve (1) the research capacity of the college, (2) is in line with the research plan of its NSERC Industrial Chair for Colleges on the Operation and Maintenance of Railways, (3) will allow the training of highly qualified personnel (HQP), which includes teachers and trainee students, and (4) will be disseminated throughout local companies, including one from the First Nations and other small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).