Overview
Safe4RAIL-2 and its activities will be based on the development of four technological pillars aimed at improving the capabilities of the TCMS:
- Integration of the Drive-by-Data (DbD) concept in the train network, i.e. Ethernet Train Backbone Nodes (ETBN), Car Switches and End Devices, using Time-Sensitive Network (TSN) technology for adding determinism to TCMS communications.
- Development of LTE devices suitable for the deployment of a Wireless Train Backbone (WLTB), along with analyses including wireless consist communications, virtual coupling and 5G technology.
- Integration of a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) functionality on top of an Integrated Modular Platform (IMP) made up of a Functional Distribution Framework (FDF) platform and a Drive-by-Data communication layer, taking advantage of the expertise obtained from automotive industry specialized on AUTOSAR.
- Integration of HVAC functionality in a virtual certification simulation environment including remote Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) tests.
All these technological developments will be further validated in two laboratory demonstrators that will be set up by the Shift2Rail CFM project (S2R-CFM-IP1-02-2018), and will also contribute to standardization in both railway and wireless domains.
These results will increase the flexibility and reliability of the TCMS communications, reduce development and maintenance costs, and achieve novel train functionalities, paying special attention to manufacturer interoperability and the availability of multiple sources.
The consortium consists of 9 partners with specific industrial profiles and expertise in key technologies from six European countries, including 7 industrial partners (SMEs and large companies), 1 research institution and 1 academic partner. Such an industry-oriented consortium has been considered crucial to bring the selected technologies to higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) up to TRL-5.