TTCI

MxV Rail will continue to lead the Strategic Research Initiatives (SRI) program, “an important industry effort that aims to improve all aspects of rail transportation,” AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies reported on March 15.

TTCI: New Name, Same Aim

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) on March 15 reported that its wholly owned subsidiary, the Transportation Technology Center, Inc., has a new name: MxV Rail.

Figure 1. Comparison of EMAT principle with conventional piezoelectric-based UT principle.

Wheel Defect Detection Using EMATs

RAILWAY AGE MARCH 2022 ISSUE: Since 2020, Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) has been conducting tests to evaluate the capability of electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technology to detect internal defects in railroad wheels.

  • News

TTCI Unveils Railroad Research E-Library

The Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) is now providing online access to 30 years of railroad technology research performed under the Association of American Railroads’ (AAR) Strategic Research Initiatives (SRI) program.

Pictured: Parallel’s prototype railcar loaded with a shipping container. (Photo courtesy of Parallel Systems)

Parallel Systems Wins $4.4MM DOE Grant

Culver City, Calif.-based Parallel Systems has been awarded a $4.4 million U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant to test its autonomous, battery-electric-powered railcar technology. DOE is distributing a total of $175 million to 68 projects through the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).

The Rail Escort Vehicle (pictured) was designed in accordance with Association of American Railroads Standard S-2043 for trains used to transport spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste.

‘No Ordinary Caboose’

The U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have developed a new Rail Escort Vehicle to transport security personnel during the shipment of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste; it is on its way to the Transportation Technology Center, Inc., (TTCI) for the final phase of testing.

A wheel with an internal crack detected by ACWDS before the wheel was removed from the FAST train. The inset photo is an example of a broken wheel that might result from such a defect.

TTCI R&D: ACWDS Implementation

RAILWAY AGE, JANUARY 2022 ISSUE: The Automated Cracked Wheel Detector System safely detects wheels with internal defects, without interrupting revenue service.

(Duos Technologies)

By the Wayside

RAILWAY AGE, DECEMBER 2021 ISSUE: Wayside inspection equipment is helping railroads ensure that rolling stock operates safely and efficiently.

Laboratory Testing of Reconditioned Bearings

TTCI R&D, RAILWAY AGE NOVEMBER 2021 ISSUE: Roller bearing reconditioning is a common practice in the railroad industry, with 90% of the bearings in revenue service having been through the reconditioning process. Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) is collecting test data on the performance and service life of bearings following reconditioning repairs. The testing for this research project consisted of two phases.