Especificação de mola pneumática para uso em Veículos Leves sobre Trilhos (VLTs): um estudo de caso na CBTU-RN

Abstract

Brazil is still heavily dependent on road transportation, as exemplified in 2018 by the truck drivers' strike, which disrupted the delivery of goods and supplies, affecting society as a whole. The railway sector offers an alternative route to minimize this dependency, one that needs further improvement. The national railway network was established in 1854 as a new means of transportation, bringing socio-economic benefits and technological development. In Rio Grande do Norte (RN), railways transport an average of 14,000 people daily using trains and Light Rail Vehicles (LRVs). The latter were introduced to the RN railway line by the Brazilian Urban Transport Company (CBTU) in 2014, becoming the main rail transport vehicle. As LRVs have only recently been incorporated into Brazil, there is still a shortage of technical support and replacement parts for maintenance. In this context, the aim of this study is to specify a pneumatic spring used by CBTU (Natal) in the Mobile 3 LRVs, as well as to present and discuss constituent materials, operation, and applicability of pneumatic springs, and possible maintenance and procurement routes. A detailed and critical bibliometric survey was conducted in the Web of Science database, in addition to contacts with transportation sector companies and CBTU (Natal) staff. A proposal for a purchasing, usage, and disposal cycle was also discussed.