METHOD FOR AUTOMATED DIAGNOSTICS OF THE LOCOMOTIVE PNEUMATIC BRAKE SYSTEM

The study objective is to reduce negative impact of climatic conditions on the operation of locomotive pneumatic braking system by timely detection of condensate formation in the supply network. The task the paper is devoted to is a theoretical study of condensate formation in locomotives pneumatic system and its negative impact on the efficiency of brake operation. The research methods: – statistic analysis of brake equipment failures according to the data of JSC "Russian Railways"; - theoretical analysis of negative impact of climatic conditions on the effectiveness of locomotive pneumatic braking system during its operation in winter. The novelty of the work: a method for diagnosing locomotive supply network is proposed, which improves the quality of checking the braking system during maintenance. The study results: – a method is developed for diagnosing the pneumatic brake system of a locomotive during the winter period when conducting diagnostics of the technical condition of locomotives at service points. Conclusions: – based on the analysis of statistical data, the degree of negative impact of climatic conditions on the efficiency of locomotive pneumatic brake system is determined; – based on the developed method for diagnosing the pneumatic brake system of a locomotive, the most dangerous areas prone to ice formation are found out; – mathematical correlations are provided for determining the volume values of the main reservoirs, as well as the cross sectional area of the supply pipeline, when the experimental values deviate from the reference values, which are constructed for each series and type of locomotive.