Summer Innovation Challenge 2K17

TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION

Easy Accessibility to Passengers for

Lower Lever Railway Platforms

Shri Sa’d Vidya Mandal Institute of Technology

Guided By: Prepared By:
Henil Modi (140450119037),
Jaydeep Rajeshkumar Shah,
Ikram Memon (140450119038),
Assistant Professor,
Ajay Jadav (140450119039)
Mechanical Department, SVMIT -
Darsh Shukla (140450119017)
Bharuch.
 Summer Innovation Challenge 2K17.

Problem Identification - Visited Dahod Railway Workshop.

Met & Consulted Egineers & Workers At Dahod Railway

Workshop.

Colleted Data & Did Research About All The Possible

Solutions.

Studied All The Possible Solutions & Compared Them.

Found "PNEUMATIC SYSTEMS" As The Optimum Solution.

Made The Possible Degin For The System.

Fabrication Of Beta Prototype.

 Abstract
Indian Railways is owned and operated by the Government of India through the
Ministry of Railways. It is fourth largest railway network in the world with 7,216
stations at the end of 2015-16. In India stations with greater traffic have better
amenities. Stations catering to substantial number of passengers has high-level
platform & small stations have low level platforms. To reduce station
construction costs, many train systems use a low platform. Differences in
platform height (and platform gap) can pose a risk for passenger safety. In this
project to overcome this issue a foldable ladder can be attached under the train
such a way that, whenever train stops the ladder comes out and takes a stair
shape of required size. This mechanism can be mounted under the train with old
steps which provides easy accessibility to passengers for lower level platforms.
 Introduction
 The Indian Railway has the world largest railway network on the planet.
 The management & keeping track of each railway platform is difficult.
 There is a substantial number of platforms that are low level platforms.
 The biggest problem is the easy accessibility to passengers for lower level
platforms.
 It is very easy for a person to access the high-level of platform, but it
becomes very difficult for the person to access the low-level platforms
and to upgrade each platform to high-level platform is very expensive.
 Thus, making government helpless.
 This is not only the problem of India but also in other countries.
 This is our humble approach to design a system such that it follows the
following criteria: -
1. Easy Accessibility to low-level platform.
2. Retrofit ability.
3. Ease of use.
4. Easy to setup.
5. Less power consumption.
6. Cost effective.
7. Lightweight & compact.
8. Flexible.
9. Simple in construction.
 Thus, we have generated an idea to solve this problem keeping in the
above parameters in mind.
 We can design a pneumatic system of stairs that simple can be welded
with the current system of stairs.
 So, when the train reaches a low-level of platform, the train driver can
simply push a button and an extra set of stairs comes down till the low-
level platform is easily accessible.
 And again, when the job i.e. climbing up or down the stairs, is done a
simple push of the button will pull the stairs upward.
 Pneumatic Stairs
Aim: - The main aim is to make an extension of the current stair system of the
current trains such that they are compactible for both high-level & low-level of
platforms.

Objective: - To create a system that not only makes the low-level of platform
easily accessible but also does not affect the current train system in any way.
Above that the system must be retrofittable, ease to use, consume less power,
cost effective, lightweight, compact & simple in construction.

Problem Specification: -
1. Retrofit ability: - The design should work for all the trains with some minor
changes in the dimensions.
2. Cost effective: - With minimum number of parts the system should work.
3. Energy consumption: - The system should consume very less amount of
energy.
4. Maintenance: - The design of the system should be such that it should
require no or very less maintenance.

Problem Identification: -
 We identified the reality of the problem at the railway workshop at
Dahod. We visited the workshop for the better understanding of the
problem & also find the optimum solution for the problem.
 We visited the workshop, discussed the with the experienced engineers
of Dahod railway workshop & also with the workers.
 We also took some real-time dimensions & noted for any variations too.
 It was also necessary to know about the equipment they use, since if we
want to add any mechanism we also need to know the tools that people
work at the workshop, so that the design of mechanism satisfies the
current system & does not require any special skill or tool.
Railway Workshop - Trains on Hydraulic
Dahod Jacks

A view under the

View of workshop
Train

Trains on Hydraulic
View of workshop
Jacks
Possible Solutions: -
 After the discussion with the experienced engineers & workers at Dahod
railway workshop, we were flooded with viable solutions to solve the
problem.
 Since we were constrained by several factors & thus forced us to come
with the solutions which are possible under the given conditions.
 The following are the possible solutions that can be worked on: -
1. Use of motors: - We can use a set of motors & an extra set of steps, so
when the train stops at the low-level platforms, the train driver will
push a button which will power the motors & these motors will bring
down the extra set of steps from the back of pre-installed generic set
of steps in the front & to power these motors we have considered the
following options: -
A. System Power: - Since trains are powered by electricity via high
tension power lines, we can use some of the power to power up
these motors.
B. Solar Power: - Adding a few sets of solar panels on the trains &
using that power to run this motor is an alternative renewable
solution than the former technique of using more of the system
power.
2. Use of Pneumatic system: - This system is a unique system & has
several advantages over the previous solutions. In this system, there
will be a set of extra steps & a pneumatic system. Similarly, when
required the driver will push the button & the steps will come down.
But here the twist is that we use the air recovered from the air brakes
pre-installed in the trains. Since, trains use air brakes it sucks air from
atmosphere with the help of air pump & then supplies that air in the
braking system. When the braking function is finished the air is
released in the atmosphere. So, instead of throwing them out in the
atmosphere we can use the same to power the pneumatics.
Conclusion: -
 After considering all the options we have, we came to a decision that the
use of pneumatics is the most optimum solution for this problem.
 The reasons for this decision are: -
1. Pneumatic system is way lighter than the motor system.
2. Pneumatic system consumes way lesser power than the motor system. In
pneumatic system, power is only required to switch on the by-pass line of
air system.
3. Use of waste air.
4. Simple in design, construction & assembling.
5. Highly flexible & compact.
6. Less number of components.
7. Maintenance will be very less compared to motor system.
 Space for By-pass
Air Ducts
Line

Train Steps Setup Train Steps Setup

Space for By-pass Space of By-pass

Line Line
 Components
Sr.no. Components
1 Air ducts
2 Pneumatic System
3 2 extra steps
4 Pressure control valve
5 Electronic circuit
 Here, the air ducts will be connected to the air pump that is connected in
the train’s braking system.
 The train’s braking system generates up to 8 kg/cm2 of air pressure, which
is more than enough to operate 16 pneumatic systems.
 All we should do is to divert the wasted pressurised air from the brakes
into the pneumatics through air ducts via pressure control valve to
operate the pneumatic systems.
 And to control these valves a simple electrical system is required.

AutoCAD Model for the Proposed System.

 Flow Diagram of the Process

AutoCAD Schematic Diagram of the Possible System.

 Beta Prototype

Intermediate
Intial Position
Position

Final Position
 Conclusion
 As per discussion from above, it concludes that the “PNEUMATIC SYSTEM”
is the optimum solution for the problem of ease of access to the low-level
platforms.
 Reasons are simple as it consumes very less power & utilizes the waste air
pressure energy from the air brakes of the train. They are also simple in
construction, lightweight & compact.