AIR BRAKE SYSTEM

BY

G.LAKSHMI VARA PRASAD

R.NO:1011306013
YSR ENGINEERING COLLEGE OF YOGI VEMANA
UNIVERSITY, PRODDATUR

Abstract:
Brake is an arrangement provided in
the vehicle for slowing down or
bringing to rest a moving vehicle in
the shortest possible
distance.Mechanical brakes all act by
generating frictional forces as two
surfaces rub against each other. The
stopping power or capacity of a brake
depends largely on the surface area of
frictional surfaces as well as on the
actuation force applied. The friction
and wear encountered by the working
surfaces are severe. Thus, the
durability of a brake or service life
between maintenance depends heavily
on the type of material used to line the
shoe or pad.

Keeping in the view the safety of

human life and physical resources the
basic requirements of brake are:
1. Brake must be strong enough to
stop the vehicle during an emergency
with in a shorter possible distance.
2. There should be no skidding during
brake application &driver must have
proper control over the vehicle during
the emergency.
3. Effectiveness of brakes should
remain constant even on prolonged
application or during descending on a
down gradient.
4. Brake must keep the vehicle in a
stationary position even when the
driver is not present

Factors affecting the brakes:

Types:

The various factor that governs

braking action in any vehicle are :-

Brakes are classified based on the

following Application :

1. Pressure
2. Surface area in contact
3. Kind of material
4. Heat generation.

Number of wheels
Method of braking contact
Method of applying brake force
Nature of power employed
Power transmission

Basic Requirements of brake:Air brake system in loco:

In Railway wagon as well as in

passenger cars the braking system
plays a very important role to stop the
train, to maintain the speed of the
train within specific limit. Brakes are
the devices on the trains to bring it to
standstill.
A moving train contains energy,
known as kinetic energy, which needs
to be removed from the train in order
to cause it to stop. The simplest way
of doing this is to convert the kinetic
energy into heat energy. The
conversion is usually done by
applying a contact material to the
rotating wheels or to discs attached to
the axles. The material creates friction
and converts the kinetic energy into
heat energy. The wheels slow down
and eventually the train stops. The
material used for braking is normally
in the form of a block or pad.
The vast majority of the world's trains
are equipped with braking systems
which uses compressed air as the
force to push the blocks on to wheels
or pads on to discs. These systems are
known as "Air Brakes" or "Pneumatic
Brakes". The compressed air is
transmitted along the train through a
"brake pipe". Changing the level of
air pressure in the pipe causes a
change in the state of the brake on

each vehicle. The system is in

widespread use throughout the world.
An alternative to air brake known as
vacuum brake is also used in railway
wagon. Like the air brake the vacuum
brake system is controlled through a
brake pipe connecting a brake valve
in the drivers cab with braking
equipment on each vehicle. The
operation of the brake equipment on
each vehicle depends on the condition
of vacuum created in the pipe by an
ejector or exhauster.
Another braking system used by
electric train is Electric Dynamic
Braking System. The basic principle
of operation is to convert electric
motor into a braking generator
dissipating the kinetic energy as heat
energy. Regenerative braking is
similar to Dynamic Braking. Only
difference is that, it transmits
generated electricity to overhead
wires instead of dissipating it as heat,
and is becoming more common due to
its ability to save energy.
To overcome the problems associated
with air braking system, a new
braking system called Electronically
Controlled Pneumatic Brakes
(E.C.P.) is generally used in Railway
Wagons. Before E.C.P. Electro
Pneumatic Brakes are also in use.

This is all about braking systems used

in railway wagon as well as in
passenger cars. To prevent accidents
some Automatic Systems like
Automatic Warning Systems are used.
They vary the speed or stop the train
according to the signal aspects.
COMPRESSORS:
Compressor is a device is used to
produce air and I supplied o storage
cyilinders.During the running of
compressor cylinders the LP cylinder
draws the atmospheric air through air
intake filter. The discharge of the LP
cylinder is sent into an INTER
COOLER. Here the air is getting
cooled with the help of inter cooler
fan mounted on expressor crank shaft.
Further this air is sent into HP comp.
cylinder. Due to the working of HP
cylinder., further the air pressure is
increased and discharged into MR1
air reservoir through MR cooling
coils.
An inter cooler safety valve is
provided at the outlet of inter cooler
(set at 4.2 Kg/cm2) to save the inter
cooler tubes from damages.
The air charged in the MR1 reservoir
is further sent into MR2 reservoir
through a Non- Return valve. Also
the MR1 air is utilized directly for-

1. horns
2. wipers
3. sanders
Operation:
There is a control box on top of the
driver's console. When he wants to
apply the brakes, he pushes the button
until the readout shows the amount of
brake cylinder pressure (or percentage
of braking effort) he wants. He
releases the button; the control unit
then codes and sends the signal to all
cars. They in turn receive and
interpret the message. They then
begin allowing compressed air from
their reservoirs to go to the brake
cylinder until the desired cylinder
pressure is achieved. The
microprocessors on the cars will
continuously monitor brake cylinder
pressure against leakage and maintain
the desired pressure.
If the driver wants to reduce brake
cylinder pressure he simply pushes
the release button until the desired
level is indicated, either partial or full
release. Again a signal is coded and
transmitted to the cars. The cars in
turn do as commanded. If the driver
asks for only a partial reduction of
braking effort, he can increase the
effort again as needed without doing a

full release first. The processor on the

car is constantly monitoring brake
pipe, reservoir tank and brake
cylinder pressures.
When braking commands are not
being transmitted, the head end
(control) unit is sending out status
messages. The last car in the train will
respond to each status message from
the head end. All cars will monitor
these messages, and if a car fails to
receive three status messages in a row
from either the head end or the rear
end, it will assume that the train is
broken in two or that the electrical
line is broken. It will then initiate an
emergency stop, while trying to tell
the other cars and loco that it is doing
so.
Each car has a rechargeable battery to
provide the high power requirements
when solenoids need to be activated.
When the high power is not being
used, the batteries will trickle
recharge from the
communications/power cable.(If the
train uses radio communication the
batteries will recharge while the car is
in motion via an onboard generator
creating power from the motion of the
car, either an axle generator, or natural
frequency vibration generator or some
other type of device.)

The hardwired system uses roughly

25% of its signal capacity for brake
commands and status messages.
Distributed power, controlled via the
same cable uses another 10-15%,
leaving 60-65% of the signal capacity
for special monitors on the car, such
as bearing sensors, temperature
sensors for reefers on tankers,
pressure sensors for tankers, etc.
Some of the benefits of ECP braking
are Instantaneous response to the
engineer's commands on all vehicles,
graduated release of brakes and
continuous replenishment of
reservoirs. With the new
responsiveness of E.C.P. braking
distances will be reduced. This will
allow shorter stopping distances and
will in turn, allow higher speeds.
Another benefits are in train handling
improvements, cycle time reduction
energy saving, lower wagon
maintenance cost

GRADUATED RELEASE AIR

BRAKE SYSTEM
Graduated release air brake system is
most suitable for Indian railways.
Operation of graduated release air
brake system consists of following
stages:

 Charging
Graduated Application and
Emergency application
Graduated Release
For application of brakes
pressure in brake pipe is
dropped .
Magnitude of braking force is
proportional to reduction in
brake pipe pressure.
Various stages of brake application
are

Minimum application
Service application
Full service application
Emergency application

* As compared to single pipe

graduated release air brake system

twin pipe graduated release air brake

system is more suitable for passenger
coaches

Conclusion:
Brake torque balance refers to
the ability of a brake system to
apply balanced mechanical
brake force at all the foundation
brake assemblies.
Pneumatic timing refers to the
ability of an air brake system to
time the air control and
actuation circuits so all the
foundation brake components
are applied at exactly the same
moment.