stage 6 triennial report 1 July 2009–30 June 2012 ... - CHARMEC

6
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Competence Centre CHAlmers Railway MEChanics,
abbreviated charmec, was established in July 1995 at Chalmers
University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. It
had its origin in a small-scale railway mechanics research
programme which was set up in 1987, at the Department
of Solid Mechanics (since 2005 part of the Department of
Applied Mechanics) in collaboration with the company
Sura Traction (now Lucchini Sweden). A key factor to the
success of charmec has been the long-term commitment of
Banverket (now Trafikverket, the Swedish Transport Administration)
and the Centre’s industrial partners. Four of
the current eleven partners (including Lucchini) have been
involved since 1995, and another four have been involved
for nine years or more. Two members have served on the
charmec Board since 1995 and will continue to do so during
Stage 7 (1 July 2012 – 30 June 2015). Another key factor is
the core group of committed charmec researchers at Chalmers
University of Technology who have served the Centre
for a very long time, and are still actively involved. Some of
them have worked for charmec since the start in 1995, or
even from the start of the railway-related activities in 1987.
The Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems
(vinnova) organized a third international evaluation
of charmec at the end of the Centre’s Stage 3. Conclusions
from the evaluators were: charmec has established itself
as an internationally recognized multidisciplinary Centre of
Excellence in railway mechanics. No such evaluation has
taken place since 2003. However, in 2011 vinnova initiated
an investigation into the impact charmec has had on the
companies that have participated/participate in different
research centres. charmec and several of our partners have
contributed to this study.
The annual budget for the three years of Stage 6 (1 July
2009 – 30 June 2012) has been msek 22.9 (about meur 2.7),
see page 120. Three parties have provided funding: Chalmers
University of Technology, Banverket/Trafikverket,
and an Industrial Interests Group comprising ten partners.
In total, 26 ordinary research projects, 3 eu projects and 9
development projects were carried out within the six programme
areas during Stage 6,
Interaction of Train and Track
Vibrations and Noise
Materials and Maintenance
Systems for Monitoring and Operation
Parallel eu Projects
Parallel Special Projects
At Chalmers, 38 people (project leaders, academic supervisors,
doctoral students and senior researchers) from 4 departments
(out of a total of 17 at Chalmers, see page 127)
have been involved. They published 95 scientific papers in
international journals and conference proceedings during
Stage 6 (including those in print). Eleven Licentiate degrees
and four PhD degrees were conferred during Stage 6. A total
of 45 Licentiate degrees and 30 PhD degrees in railway mechanics
have been awarded to date (June 2012) at Chalmers,
see page 106. Around 60 partners (industries, universities,
institutes, public agencies, consultancies) from 12 countries
have been involved in our European projects during Stage 6.
charmec endeavours to combine academic excellence
and industrial relevance while generating first-rate research
and skilled PhDs. Our work includes mathematical
modelling, numerical studies, laboratory experiments and
full-scale field measurements. We have worked closely with
Banverket/Trafikverket and the Industrial Interests Group.
Knowledge has been transferred in both directions through
advisory groups and industrial site visits, regular seminars
and brain-storming meetings as well as co-authored journal
papers, co-ordinated conference participation and joint field
experiment campaigns. The inertia dynamometer for braking
experiments at the Lucchini Sweden plant site at Surahammar
has been at our disposal. Activities will continue during
Stage 7.
Funding (MSEK) of CHARMEC during Stages 1 to 4 excluding EU projects and during Stages 5, 6 and 7 including EU projects
Stage At start of Stage At end of Stage
Cash In-kind Total Cash In-kind Total
1 11.7 8.8 20.5 11.7 8.8 20.5
2 31.6 25.0 56.6 34.6 25.0 59.6
3 36.4 26.2 62.6 43.9 25.7 69.6
4 34.8 28.4 63.2 45.9 27.5 73.4
5 48.5 21.6 70.1 52.4 21.6 74.0
6 43.4 17.2 60.6 51.4 17.2 68.6
7 52.8* 16.6* 69.4*
Note that Stage 1 only lasted two
years whereas the following Stages
are for three years
The approximate exchange rate
(September 2012) is 1 MSEK =
0.12 MEUR
* After Board Meeting
on 13 September 2012