CVE30003 TRANSPORT ENGINEERING (RAIL ENG) – ASSIGNMENT 2, 2020
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Question 1
An essential part of handling the transport of bulk materials by train relates to
how the material is discharged from rail wagons at a specially designed and
constructed unloading facility:
All of the products below can and are transported by train. Which type of
hopper discharge wagon would be used for unloading the following products
and why:
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Grain e.g. wheat or barley Lumpy Iron ore |
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| | Railway Ballast | |
| | Cement | (2 marks) |
Question 2
A large electricity-generating power station is proposing to convert its
operations from coal firing to using ‘environmentally friendly’ biomass in the
form of wood pellets that would be transported by ship from an overseas
country to seaports located at varying distances from the power station. The
seaports are connected to the power station by rail lines.
The railway ‘supply chain’ for the transport of wood pellets from the seaports
to the power station will be as follows:
1. At each seaport, ‘unit train’ loading facility, bottom discharge rail
wagons will pass underneath a pellet loading facility to fill each
wagon
2. The wagons will be loaded with pellets whilst the train is in motion
3. Upon completion of pallet loading, the loaded unit train will be
stopped and inspected by the train crew
4. The unit train would then depart from the loading facility and travel
to the power station.
5. Upon arrival at the power station the pellets would be discharged
from each wagon in the unit train in an unloading facility – again
whilst the train is in motion
6. When unloading has been completed the train will again be
stopped and the train crew would again inspect the unit train
7. The empty unit train would then depart and return to a seaport
location
There are two (2) different seaport locations (A&B) where ships carrying wood
pellets will be unloaded and unit trains are later loaded for the movement to
the power station at Location X.
CVE30003 TRANSPORT ENGINEERING (RAIL ENG) – ASSIGNMENT 2, 2020
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Making use of the data and additional information provided below, estimate:
1. The gross weight of a unit train loaded with wood pellets (do not
allow for the weight of locomotive/s) (2 marks)
2. The number of unit trains that would be required to handle the
movement of the pellets on a cyclic basis from:
Seaport Location A to the power station at Location X and return
and similarly from Seaport Location B to X and return
Note: the timing for each cycle will commence when the train
commences loading or unloading (3 marks)
3. The minimum number of unit trains that would be required to
handle the movement of the pellets from:
| | Seaport Location A to X, where pellets are unloaded, the train would travel as an empty unit train from X to Seaport Location B At Seaport Location B, wood pallets would be loaded and |
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the unit train would travel to X, unload and thence return as
an empty unit train movement to Seaport Location A to
complete the cycle
Are less numbers of unit trains required with this option than with the
number of trains estimated in 2 above? (3 marks)
Data
Train haulage requirements and operations
The unit trains would be required to haul up to 7 million tonnes per annum
(tpa) of wood pellets, with 3.5 million tpa coming from each of the seaport
locations A & B.
Trains would operate 24 hours per day, 6 days per week
Unit Train Haulage Lengths and Average Speed
Port Location A is 75km distant from the Power Station at Location X
Port Location B is 160km distant from the Power Station at Location X
The average speed of unit trains in the loaded/unloaded direction on each
railway line i.e. A to X and B to X (and vice-versa) will be 65km/h
Unit Train Consist Details
| Maximum length of a unit train: Gross wagon weight (when filled with wood pellets): Hopper Wagon Tare: |
450m 80t 27t |
CVE30003 TRANSPORT ENGINEERING (RAIL ENG) – ASSIGNMENT 2, 2020
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| Hopper Wagon Length: One Locomotives to be used with length of: |
15m 30m |
Time to Load and Unload Trains
The wood pallets would be loaded or unloaded with the train in motion i.e.
moving continuously at 1km/hour for the length of the unit through the
loading/unloading facility
Train Inspections
At each seaport loading point (A & B) and at the power station X unloading
point, an allowance of 60 minutes should be added for crew inspection of
the train
Additional Information
To assist you in understanding the above operations, please refer to the
following video:
Loading/Unloading Wood Pellet Biomass at the Port
| | Shows continuous ship unloader in operation – pallets pneumatically conveyed from ship for storage at the Seaport @ 0’ 37” Loading pallets into bottom discharge wagons on a unit train at the Seaport @ 1’27” Unit train arriving at the power station and unloading pallets @2’28” |
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VIDEO
‘Mega shippers-Shipping the Wood Pellets to Fuel the UK’s Largest Power
Plant’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gaftYQ_5
** You may also be assisted in your understanding by watching some of
the videos below:
Train Loading
VIDEO
‘£100m terminal at Port of Liverpool begins business with first biomass freight
train’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR39c5yaTQU
| | Wood pellet unloading @ power station + construction of storage facilities |
VIDEO
‘Transforming the Drax Business: Coal to Biomass [July 2013]’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyCjAXnTJKM
Unit Train of Wood Pellets
VIDEO
‘GBRf Class 60 No. 60002 on 6E09 Liverpool Biomass Tml – Drax Aes @ Moss
Lane on 25.03.19 – HD’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raq_81gh830
General – Biomass Fuel Source (Wood Pellets)
VIDEO
‘Drax Biomass Inc. [January 2014]’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3SH4nIKLhg
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