The project won his regional science fair, then took him to the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, where he competed with 29 other middle schoolers.
He also chose a research topic that resonates across the US. Last year there were 1,301 train derailments across the country, according to data from the Federal Railroad Administration.
As he studied the trains there, he paid special attention to the giant springs in their suspension systems. Some of the springs were brand new, while others were old and rusty and had visibly collapsed over time, with less space between each coil.
he built three sets of model railroad tracks out of foam and fitted them with three different types of springs: fresh new springs, midlife springs, and old, worn-out springs. This mimicked the different suspension systems he'd seen at the train tracks near his home.
Then Montelongo ran a model train on the different sets of tracks, measuring the vibration and bounce in the springs. He then attached weights to the train to see how an unevenly distributed load would affect the tracks.
"All the springs that were completely worn out were really bouncy and shaky," he said.
"Those caused a lot of derailments," especially when the train was carrying uneven weight, he added.
I'll just throw a wild ass guess out there... the train companies already KNOW this causes derailments, but claim it's too expensive to prevent by replacing springs
Your S.W.A.G. seems accurate but this young man may be the impetus for early detection aa even reverberations from the insurance industry who has to pay for so many horrors, and possibly legislation to ensure that these suspension systems are inspected. An early inspection system form the 1800's for train car wheels was to employ a "Wheeltapper." His job was to inspect the wheels by tapping them and listening for a sound not commensurate with a sound wheel.
ReplyDeleteright, like a bell, the wheel will ring a perfect note if there are no cracks, but if there happens to be a crack, it sounds like a dull note. Crank shafts are tested that way too.
DeleteI do hope he is the impetus! Every train derailment is millions paid out by the insurance company, every derailment that also causes a hazmat spill, or explosion, or fire, destruction of homes or whatever else, well those must be hundreds of millions.
Not that any insurance company has ever lowered rates based on less pay outs...