Design of Propulsion Power and Test of Stopping Systems of a Prototype Train

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to study the propulsion power and stopping systems of a prototype train using a push-pull motor linear actuator. The prototype train is controlled by an Arduino microcontroller board and runs on a 0.459-meter-wide track with a total of 3 simulated stations totaling a distance of 100 meters. Each station has a distance of 50 meters. The test of the stopping systems of the train is divided into 2 parts: 1. Changing the train speed: There are three speeds, including 2.7, 3.9, and 4.5 kilometers per hour. 2. The change in weight of the train has three values: 360, 420, and 480 kilograms. The experimental results found that the appropriate speed and weight of the prototype train that causes the train to stop closest to the station is 3.9 kilometers per hour and the train's weight is 480 kilograms. Furthermore, there is an average stopping distance for the outbound and return trips of -3.0 and -3.2 centimeters (stopping before reaching the station), respectively.