Assessing the technical condition of mainline diesel locomotive power plants using modern diagnostic and automated monitoring technologies

Аннотация

The power units of mainline diesel locomotives are one of the primary technical systems ensuring the continuous and safe operation of railway transport. The operational reliability of these power units is directly linked to the timely assessment of their technical condition, the detection of malfunctions in their initial stages, and the scientifically-based organization of maintenance processes. Traditional, regulation-based maintenance methods often fail to fully reflect the actual technical condition of the aggregates, leading to increased operational costs, the occurrence of unscheduled failures, and a decrease in the operational readiness of locomotives. Therefore, integrating modern diagnostic tools and automated monitoring technologies into the maintenance system is one of the pressing scientific and practical tasks in the field of transport engineering. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the capabilities of various methods for assessing the technical condition of mainline diesel locomotive power units, including vibration monitoring, thermographic inspection, physicochemical analysis of oil, monitoring of electrical parameters, and automated control systems based on intelligent sensors. The research methodology was based on systematic analysis, comparative evaluation of diagnostic parameters, monitoring of operational indicators, and assessment of maintenance efficiency. The diagnostic results showed that real-time monitoring of the power units' operating parameters enables the early detection of malfunctions, the prediction of their progression, and the optimization of maintenance intervals in accordance with operating conditions. The research findings confirmed that the application of modern diagnostic and automated monitoring technologies serves to enhance the operational reliability of mainline diesel locomotives, extend the service life of power unit components, reduce the number of unscheduled repairs, and optimize maintenance costs. Furthermore, it has been scientifically substantiated that implementing Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) and Predictive Maintenance (PdM) principles significantly increases maintenance effectiveness and improves the operational availability coefficient of locomotives. The proposed integrated approach serves as a scientific and practical basis for increasing the accuracy of assessing the technical condition of mainline diesel locomotive power units, improving maintenance strategies, and widely implementing digital diagnostic systems in railway transport.