Nowadays, train accidents are occurring frequently.
Have you ever noticed that the driver running a train, that is, the loco-pilot, suddenly cannot stop the train even after seeing people or animals on the tracks, and if the train stops also, its already late.
It is not as simple for the train to stop with such a huge motion as any small land vehicle.
There is a very complex process and a brake system of the train.
What kind of breaks are in the train, how many brakes are there in the train, when is it necessary to use a brake, after the brake, how much time does the train takes to stop, etc. are the questions which dont even ask, what we see is the an accident.
Let's study through this article and know about the train's braking system.
There is no doubt that in the train or in any vehicle the braking system plays an important role in preventing the vehicle to over speed and so that the speed of the train or vehicle can be maintained within a specific range.
You should be aware that there is an energy in a moving train, which is called kinetic energy and to prevent the train speed, this energy has to be removed from the train. For this, dynamic energy has to be changed.
The easiest way to do this is to brake and convert kinetic energy into heat energy.
So the easier it looks, actually its way too difficult.
Now lets know about the type of breaks in the train.
Breaks are used to slow down on train coaches, to enable control acceleration or to stand on the parking.
While the basic principle is similar to a road vehicle, but the need to control many connected train coaches and operating facilities are more complex in the train.
Under the control of any braking system, the key factor controlling the breaking action in any vehicle, the surface area in contact, the amount of heat production and the breaking material are used.
According to the method of their activation, the brake is classified into four types:
1. Pneumatic Brake
a) Vacuum Brake
b) Compressed Air Brake
2. Electro-pneumatic Brakes
3. Mechanical Brake
4. Electromagnetic Brake
The train has an air brake, which is also in the bus and truck. It works in the whole train along with the engine.
There is a pipe filled with air in it.
This air makes the Brake-Shoe move and as it is dragged the brake starts applying.
To run the car, the pressure is made in brake pipe so that brake shoe wheels can be separated.
Only then does the carriage go forward.
Do you know that the brake pipe of Indian Railways holds pressure of 5 kilograms per square centimeter?
Air brakes are considered quite safe and good.
Vacuum Brake
Vacuum brake system receives its brake force from the atmospheric pressure working on the lower part of the piston in the vacuum brake cylinder, while a vacuum is maintained over the piston.
The train pipe is in the length of the coach and is connected to the coaches continuously by the hose coupling.
Then to make a vacuum in the train pipe and vacuum cylinders, an ejector is added to the locomotive.
Electro-pneumatic brakes (EP)
A high-executed EP brake has a train pipe that provides air to all the collections on the train and a three-wire control circuit with the brake are electrically controlled.
It provides seven breaking levels, from light to severe, and gives the driver more control at the level of braking, which significantly increases the comfort of the passengers.
The loco-pilot can also speed up the break because all the vehicles in the electrical control signal train are immediately promoted effectively, whereas in a conventional system, changes in the air pressure activating the brake may take several seconds or ten seconds so that the train could be completely prevented from speeding up, although this system is not used on freight trains due to cost.
Electronic Controlled Pneumatic Brakes
Electronically controlled pneumatic brakes (ECP), these brakes have been made for very long and heavy carriage trains in the second half of the 20th century, and with the high level of control, it has been made of EP brake which is a developed form.
High air pressure means that only small break cylinders are required which can be easily installed in small air seats on the wagon in the air braking system.
Steam engine vacuum can be made by a very small extractor.
They do not require any pressure for the collections.
Mechanical braking, simple in construction, increased mechanical gain, equally braking on all the wheels.
Electromagnetic brakes can develop a negative power which is almost double the maximum power output of a specific engine.
Electricity is produced in the electro-dynamic braking system. No external power is required.
Imagine there are so many types of brakes in a train, but we are not even aware of this fact.
There are many things that we tend to ignore but some people are working on this and these things are very much required by the people who are preparing for the Indian Railways.
