AIR BRAKE SYSTEM

For application of brakes in railway coaches and wagons with vacuum brake system we first withdraw air from the train system(create vacuum) and then allow the atmospheric air to reach below the piston in vacuum cylinder lifting the piston upwards which in turn apply brakes. But in air brake system it is the reverse case. In air brake system we first charge the train system with compressed air to certain predetermined level of air pressure through two pipes named feed pipes and brake pipes. The feed and brake pipes are charged to a pressure of 6.0 and 5.0 kg/cm^2 respectively. When brakes are to be applied the air pressure in brake pipe is reduced by the driver which actuates the distributor valve fitted under every wagon or coach on the train .The distributor valve supplies the compressed air from auxiliary reservoir to one side of the piston in the brake cylinder pushing out the piston rod and applying the brakes. The guard and the passengers can also apply the brakes in case of an emergency .During train partings and accidents brakes also apply automatically and with higher force than that of vacuum brakes. When the air pressure in brake pipe is restored to the normal pressure, the brakes are released. The brakes can also be manually released after the engine has been detached. After application of brakes in air brake system the brakes remain in on position for hours together. Only those engines which are fitted with the air brake system can only work such trains. Such wagons/coaches can also not be worked with other trains with vacuum brake system TWIN PIPE SYSTEM:-As already stated above each and every brake system has two air pipes from one end to the other end lengthwise. One pipe is used to continuosly charge/feed the compressed air to the auxiliary reservoir and is called as Feed pipe. The second pipe is used for application and releasing of brakes and is termed as Brake pipe. As such this system is called as Twin pipe system.

This system has the following merits:Feed pipe charges the Auxiliary reservoir continuosly and maintains the predetermined air pressure in A.R (Auxiliary reservoir).On application of brakes the A.RS compressed air is fed to the brake cylinder and there is a certain fall in air pressure in A.R due to the same. But the feed pipe immediately/simultaneously charges the A.R and maintains the desired air pressure in A.R.Any number of brake applications releasing may be done by the driver in quick succession, the air pressure in A.R will remain the same i.e; there will be no decrease in the air pressure of A.R. This feature is not possible in case feed pipe is removed/isolated from the Air brake system, because the brake pipe will have to shoulder the burden of feed pipe in addition to his own job. In such an event the charging of A.R will take more time to be ready for subsequent brake applications. Resultantly the application of brakes in quick succession is not possible. In case due to any reason one pipe of a coach or any wagon gets damaged or goes defective, it can be bypassed in twin pipe system and the detachment of the coach or wagon would not be essential as in the case of single pipe system, But in this case the train will be worked as single pipe system. SINGLE PIPE SYSTEM:-In this system there is provision of only one air pipe from one end of a wagon/coach to the other end instead of two pipes. This pipe is called as brake pipe. This brake pipe singularly charges the auxiliary reservoir and also applies and releases the brakes. In this system the driver feels very easy in maintaining/charging the brake pipe only but this is not so advantageous to that of Twin pipe system. In this system the auxiliary reservoir is not charged while the A.R supplies air to brake cylinder. As such brakes in quick succession cannot be applied and released. In case of any damage or defect in the air brake system of any coach/wagon, there is no alternative than to detach such coach/wagon from train enroute.In this system after emergency application of brakes the driver shall have to wait for some time to fully release the train before restarting otherwise some danger to the train has to be faced.

Therefore, the administration has adopted Twin pipe air brake system on the railways. The train examination staff must ensure that all trains examined by them are invariably having Twin pipe air brake system .In case a train terminates at their station with single pipe system they must thoroughly check and investigate the reasons for single pipe system and ensure necessary repairs to put the defective coach/wagon back to Twin pipe system.

TYPES OF AIR BRAKES

There are two types of air brakes which are present, they are, 1.Direct release system 2.Graduated release system Direct release system:- In this system when after application of brakes, the brakes are released, the air of the brake cylinder does not quickly go to the atmosphere through the distributor valve .Instead it goes slowly. The Distributor valve is not provided with such a feauture which may permit the air of brake cylinder to escape quickly and release the piston quickly .Second or subsequent application of brake is not possible until and unless the brake cylinder air is completely exhausted .It is not possible for the distributor valve to make the releasing movement of piston to abruptly change to applying position .As such the application and release of brakes in quick succession cannot be achieved at all. So this system is termed as Direct release system. Graduated release system:-In this system application and release of brakes in quick succession is feasible in any number of times .In this system the movement of piston from application to release and vice versa can be changed with decrease and increase of air pressure in B.P. In this case there is no need for completely discharging the air pressure of brake cylinder. The distributor valve fitted in this type ,has the special feature which actuates the brake cylinder piston with the decrease and increase in B.P ,pressure to the tune of 0.5 kg/cm^2 or above. At the time of speed restrictions or while negotiating down gradients it has become very easy to

control the speed of the train to the will of driver. It is due to this reason that this system is called Graduated release system.. From the above ,one can easily understand that the type of air brake system in use on our railway system is Twin pipe graduated release air brake system .But we call it only air brake system in short which has the same meaning and nothing else as in the case of vacuum where partial vacuum is used but termed as vacuum only.