Products Developed by the RTRI

This device was developed to compactly combine the cylinder, servo valve, and displacement sensor that control the car body inclination of a tilting vehicle. The product consists of a tilting control cylinder, a printed circuit board (servo amp and displacement sensor amp) to control it and a cable linking these two units.

This device is a new kind of desiccant filter unit equipped with a special high polymer hollow fiber membrane (straw shaped, it is a flexible permeable membrane). It very effectively eliminates brake failure caused by corrosion or freezing of parts as a result of moisture during the rainy season and the winter.

This device increases the adhesion coefficient between wheels and rails by jetting feed of 0.3 mm ceramic or silica sand particles between them at a speed of 100 m/s. Because of its high jetting speed and responsiveness, it can be used very efficiently from low speed at start time to high speed above 400 km/h being linked to skid and wheel spin signals and to emergency brake commands.
[Series] (1) Locomotive use, (2) Shinkansen use, (3) Electric train, diesel train use

Vehicle vibration includes vibration such as direct vibration on car bodies by cross winds or by disturbance of the air inside tunnels and vibration transmitted from the bogie by track irregularity etc. This vibration has been sharply increased by rising railway speed. The RTRI has developed a vibration control system that is effective against these two kinds of vibration. This system sharply reduces lateral vibration of car bodies above car bogie springs. It can both increase speed and enhance riding comfort.
[Series] Shinkansen vehicle use/conventional vehicle use (low cost)

This device is a connection component used to receive signals indicating wheel load and lateral force, wheel and axle stress, and temperature of brake disks and bearings from sensors attached to axles and other rotating bodies during an active duty train running test. It is a compact light weight slip ring developed and put on the market by the RTRI in response to the recent development of high speed trains and for use in high speed running trials.
[Series] Strain measurement (MSR-2) ・Temperature measurement use (MSR-2TE)

This device supports microphones used to measure noise under the floor during a running test of an active duty vehicle. If a microphone is installed directly under the floor of a vehicle, it may be broken by vibration and cause noise. Dirt or rain may also cause the microphone to quickly malfunction. The device is used by attaching the microphone to a holder to provide elastic support, preventing vibration, then this is placed inside a rectangular cage to protect the microphone from dust, rainwater, etc., permitting high precision measurements at high running speed.

ABS (anti-skid brake system) or TCS (traction control system) are spread widely from railway vehicles to automobiles. RTRI, firstly developed these wheel slide prevention and re-adhension control systems more than 40 years ago, has newly developed this vehicle traction tester. This tester can analyze the running performance of train vehicles like as braking performance, based on our exclusive analysis know-how. Precise analysis, quick inspections and evaluations of the vehicle running performance are available by using this tester.

A traction motor integrated with wheels is a synchronous motor equipped with a high performance durable magnet for smaller size, lighter weight, and higher efficiency. It is necessary to detect rotation location. The structure of a traction motor is the outer rotor, so it is difficult to equip it with a normal resolver. Therefore, a highly reliable resolver with a strong structure is necessary so it can be attached under the spring of a railway vehicle. The RTRI has, therefore, developed RRSyn, a VR resolver for use on railway vehicles equipped with traction motors integrated with wheels.

This system takes railway noise or vibration time history data obtained by recording the results of measurements on the ground and in trains in a digital data recorder, stores this data on the hard disk of a PC, then uses this stored data to display flucting wave forms level output, power spectrum, 1/3 octave band analysis, etc.
[Operating environment]
OS: Windows 95/Windows 98/Windows 2000
CPU: Pentium II 450 kHz or higher is recommended, Memory: 32 MB or more (64 MB or more is recommended),
Hard disk: main program 10 MB or more,
Monitor resolution: 1024 x 768 or more,
Data processing: Available capacity of 500 MB or more is recommended based on quantity of data used to analyze results.

On the Shinkansen, two single phase AC feeders with different phases are used, and at substations and sectioning posts, the differing phases are matched. An approximately 1 km section is set at this location, the power source is changed-over by comparing the progress of the train with two change-over circuit breakers, so the train can pass through unchanged in power running. The change-over circuit breakers are vacuum change-over circuit breakers, and types of change-over circuit breaker malfunctions are sequence overload, mechanical malfunction of a change-over circuit breaker mechanism, and a short circuit caused by an arc between poles. Of these, when the first two malfunctions occur, stand by switches take over the operation. But in the case of the latter that is an electric malfunction, only a distance relay used to protect feeding circuits and an AC △I-type fault selective device operate; neither a malfunction identification nor switch-over to a standby device occurs. This device is a protective relay that instantly detects a change-over circuit breaker malfunction based on whether or not a cross-current flows in a case where an inter-electrode short circuit has occurred in the vacuum change-over circuit breaker.

In order to restrict the rise of the ground potential of structures and to easily detect the malfunction when, in an AC feeding circuit, the contact wire or other special high voltage line has been grounded, protectors that discharge at about 2.5 kV are installed on station premises between the flashover wire (FW), the feeder line (NF) and the protective wire (PW). But a problem has occurred: a rise in ground potential of the NF by a rise in electric train load or a surge voltage caused by a train passing through the section have caused unnecessary discharge of protectors resulting in fire damage, even at normal times. This device, that is installed to absorb excessive surge voltage, consists of a series circuit—capacitor (C) and resistance (R) and is connected in parallel with the protector. The value of C is 0.1 to 0.2 μF, and the value of R is from 50 to 100 Ω, and its constants vary according to line conditions.

This device detects the state of contact losses between the pantograph and overhead contact line in real time by measuring the train’s pantograph current in AC railway electrification sections. And it can automatically measure contact loss if it is linked to a PC equipped with software to monitor contact break signals.

This device detects the occurrence of contact loss with high precision on an AC electric railway line using a pantograph without a current collector and calculates and evaluates the contact loss ratio. It is not impacted by harmonic waves of the contact line voltage as in the past, and does not impact other measurement systems.

This is a device that continuously measures the state of wear and the deviation of contact wires that are long linear-shaped structures from above a running vehicle in order to efficiently control wear of these contact wires. It consists of an optical measurement unit installed on the roof of the vehicle and a data recorder installed inside the vehicle.

It is important to clarify the occurrence of harmonic waves in order to prevent damage by harmonic current of the electric power grid. This device measures the receiving side 3-phase voltage, current, and AC electric power, and the voltage and current of the railway feeder at a transformer station on an electric railway to perform analysis up to the harmonics 40th degree. It can perform measurements as stipulated by the Guideline for Harmonics Restraint, a notification from the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and can be used to easily collect basic data about harmonics countermeasures for transformer stations of electric railways.

The recent rise of the volume transported by electric rolling stock is accompanied by a rise of the feeding current. As a result, train load impedance has approached the protected range of the relay that protects the AC feeding circuit, causing unnecessary operation. So it is now necessary to clarify the protected range of the relay and the train load impedance from the substation, and the RTRI has developed a measurement device that can display the train load on an impedance plane graph. Appropriate setting of the distance relay can be done based on the measurement results.

Voltage fluctuation is constrained by users of the electric power companies. On AC electric railways, rising electrical load has caused the problem of larger voltage drops. Therefore, when a railway builds a new line, improves its equipment, or revises its timetable, it must measure the feeding voltage, voltage fluctuation rate of its 3-phase power source or its rate of unbalanced voltage at substations. This measurement device can clarify the state of fluctuation of voltage under the electric train load etc. at a substation.

In order to maintain railway lines more efficiently, it is necessary to change the system to condition based maintenance (CBM). To do this, we developed a clamp to allow a self-propelled inspection robot with an aluminum wire corrosion assessment device, which had already been developed, to pass a support point.

This measurement device can measure the height or deviation of railway lines or overhead structures. It does this by detecting the phase difference between light emitted by a laser and the light reflected from the object being measured, defining the distance to the object being measured based on an LED and the object being measured based on a movable mirror.

This simulation simply prepares a train movement curve based only on major specifications such as the gradient, speed limit, power running and hunting characteristic of electric trains based on the actual state of the section, and prepares a running timetable for the entire section based on this train movement curve. From the result, the state of the train load can be clarified from moment to moment, permitting the calculation of the current transmitted from the substation and of the substation capacity calculation or pantograph voltage etc.

Kasendo is software that can be used on a personal computer to perform complex calculations such as the static design and dynamic behavior of overhead catenary system (pantograph running simulation). This software can perform accurate analysis by simple operations. It is a useful tool for predictive equipment maintenance.
[Series] S-1 Simple catenary
S-2 simple catenary with overlap section C-1 compound catenary
C-2 compound catenary with overlap section
[Operating environment] Windows 98

A ladder sleeper is a longitudinal sleeper shaped like a ladder and made by linking pretensioned concrete longitudinal beams with steel pipe connecting material. Types of ladder tracks made of ladder sleepers include ballasted track type ballast ladder tracks and floating ladder tracks, that consist of non-ballasted type ladder sleepers raised above the concrete roadbed by vibration prevention devices or vibration-proof materials with low spring support coefficient.

Gamuron Grass Guard is a new improved asphalt type weedproof and waterproof sheet that prevents grass from penetrating the sheet for many years and that is immune from deterioration caused by hydrolosis or by bacterial decomposition. The front surface of the sheet consists of colored inorganic particles (pulverized slate). It has high weather resistance, and even if it is placed on a slope, the slip resistance of its front surface prevents it from sliding easily. These characteristics make it easy to use. The sheet surface is relatively smooth, so it is easy to repair if it is damaged.

The testing methods and their standards for ballast stone are determined by JR companies. Shape measurement testing is an item concerned with the shape of ballast particles. Because the long and slender shaped ballast particles accelerate track subsidence, ballast particles must be tested about shape by this test. This test measures the length and thickness against the standard length on ballast particles in an ordained volume. The ballast shape measurement gauge has the standard length for every grain size on the stainless plate.

The RTRI has established an impact vibration testing method as a method of accurately assessing the soundness of bridge substructures and viaducts. Railway structure managers now use it widely. This design system that efficiently supports this testing work is IMPACT: a bridge substructure soundness diagnosis system.

This is a support program used to perform simplified design calculations for the RRR method (1. Reinforced embankment method that is applied to vertically construct embankment slopes using flat reinforcing materials and stiff facings and 2. existing embankment slope steepening method that is a way of steepening the slope of an existing embankment using rod shaped reinforcing material and stiff facings) that has been developed by the RTRI.
[Operating environment] Windows 95

This program can be used to perform static non-linear analysis integrating superstructures with foundation structures in compliance with Design Standards for Railway Structures and Commentary (Seismic Design) (October 1999) and Design Standards for Railway Structures and Commentary (Foundation and Retaining Structures) (March 2000).
[Operating environment] Windows 95, Windows 98, etc.

This program can be used to design caisson foundations in compliance with Design Standards for Railway Structures and Commentary (Seismic Design) (October 1999) and Design Standards for Railway Structures and Commentary (Foundation and Retaining Structures) (March 2000). [Operating environment] Windows 95, Windows 98, etc.

This program can be used to design open cut tunnels in compliance with Design Standards for Railway Structures and Commentary (Seismic Design) (October 1999) and Design Standards for Railway Structures and Commentary (Cut Tunnels) (March 2001).
[Operating environment] Windows 95, Windows 98, etc.

This program can be used to design retaining structures in compliance with Design Standards for Railway Structures and Commentary (Seismic Design) (October 1999) and Design Standards for Railway Structures and Commentary (Foundation and retaining structures) (March 2000).
[Operating environment] Windows 95, Windows 98, etc.

This program automatically performs logarithmic interpolation of nomographic seismic intensity spectra as indicated in Design Standards for Railway Structures and Commentary (Seismic Design) (October 1999) to obtain the response ductility ratio.
[Operating environment] Windows 95, Windows 98, etc.

This is a ground liquefaction assessment program that complies with Design Standards for Railway Structures and Commentary (Seismic Design) (October 1999). It is used not only to study L1 earthquake motion: but L2 earthquake motion based on the accumulated damage theory.
[Operating environment] Windows 95/98/Me or Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 2000

This is a design calculation program for retaining work by the elasto-plastic method that complies with the Design Standards for Railway Structures and Commentary (Cut Tunnels) (Attached document: Design of cut soil retaining work) (March 2001). This program was developed for JR and other railway operators. It also supports calculations by the customary method in addition to calculations for the elastoplastic method. The same program can also be used for a wide range of purposes: from calculating embedding depth based on the balance of moments to bottom surface stability calculation, section force and displacement calculations, retaining wall section calculations, and support work calculations.
[Operating environment] Applicable OS: Windows® 95/98/Me, Windows® NT 4.0, and Windows® 2000
Memory size: 64 MB or more (128 MB or more is recommended)
Output device: printer or plotter with a Windows® driver

It is important to conduct a safety study of the impact of the use of underground space on the stability of nearby ground and on existing structures. The RTRI developed Geo-ace, a 3-dimensional coupled analysis program based on coupling with stress deformation and with seepage flow, and that accounts for non-linear properties and with groundwater. It can also be used to deal with the problem of consolidation by embankments on reclaimed land and other soft ground. And it can also be applied to the excavation of a mountain tunnel using a ground constitutive equation and creep characteristics.
[Operating environment] Windows 95

This program has been applied to the design of many railway tunnels through a process of comparison and verification with the results of a variety of model tests and field surveying of tunnels carried out by the former Japanese National Railways and the RTRI. The New-NATMFEM is an improved program created based on the NATMFEM, and that can be used for integrated processing based on the dialogue method from mesh preparation to the plotting of the analysis results. It can apply its functions to the design of ground excavation and embankment works and to prediction of their impacts.
[Operating environment] Sun Sparc Station, HP9000_700 series, IBM RS6000 series, Openwindows 2.0.X, Motif1.2
Memory 32 MB or more, Disk: 100 MB or more

A series of three design softwares compatible with the Design Standards for Railway Structures and Commentary (Steel-Concrete Hybrid Structures).
Series 1: Section verification program for steel-framed reinforced concrete (SRC) and concrete filled steel tube (CFT)
Series 2: Structural planning program for SRC
Series 3: Structural planning program for CFT
[Operating environment] Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, and XP

A program for seismic performance evaluation of bridges and viaducts, based on the Design Standard for Railway Structures and Commentary (Seismic Design). It automatically calculates performance of members and response of structures and outputs evaluation results such as damage level of members.
[Operating environment] Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, and XP

This program is shield tunnel analysis software based on a 2-ring beam spring model that has been developed in compliance with Design Standards for Railway Structures and Commentary (Shield Tunnels)
[Operating environment] Windows 2000, XP

The control of equipment on railways not only involves extremely time consuming registration and revision of data, it is hampered by inadequate adaptability to future needs. This system can deal with these problems by reducing the work of entering drawings accompanied by good cost-performance by performing integrated control of equipment, attributing data and drawing data in text format, and adopting drawing methods according to needs.
[Operating environment] Windows 95 and later versions

To prevent a train accident from slope disaster along railway line which is triggered by heavy rainfall, appropriate countermeasures following prediction of the disaster's risk is indispensable. The RTRI has developed the Slope Risk Estimating Program which enables an easy and accurate estimation of the slope failure risk on PC. This program will not only contribute to ensuing of railway safety, but also reducing a general slope disaster triggered by rainfall.

This is a processing system that creates a data base of start measurement data, measurement data obtained during vehicle running, and track charts, and can analyze and process these data according to a variety of purposes.
[Operating environment] PC, MS-DOS Windows 3.1/Windows 95/98, and Windows NT

It is a method of steepening the slope of an existing embankment by excavating the slope in stages using large diameter reinforcing materials in order to make more efficient and more effective use of land.

This method is used to construct an embankment with vertical slopes by constructing the embankment while laying geotextiles (reinforcing net) and sandbags as the embankment soil is spread, finally building a cast-in-place concrete wall that can be counted on to provide adequate bending stiffness. It has been used for construction as long as approximately 50 km, and is widely used as a soil retaining work on railways and roads.

This is a level crossing control device that has extremely enhanced safety and maintainability, because adopting the zone tracking control method has strengthened measures to prevent trailing etc. on track circuits, and internally installing the monitor has speeded up the diagnosis of causes of obstructions. And the design of control conditions has, thanks to the adoption of a design support system, been standardized and is performed more efficiently, and discharge from complex connections and design errors are prevented.

The RTRI has adopted the Balise radio detector to solve problems related to track circuits. A system has also been developed to centralize the interlocking and block functions along the entire length of a line to reduce the costs of introduction and maintenance and improve the efficiency of train operation.

To prevent vehicle contact accidents when work is being performed on or near a railway line, this device shorts the track circuit to indicate a stop signal on related signals.