Advanced Self-Sensing Materials for Critical Components of Rail Vehicles

Aim of the project is to develop materials with intrinsic sensory properties which will be used for monitoring of their history (exposure to excessive thermal or mechanical stress, impacts, chemical influence, etc.). They should be used for exhancement of safety of critical components, namely brakes of rail vehicles. Lightweight construction composite materials can exhibit significant changes of their properties under influence of the external impacts and hence endanger safety of whole construction. Introduction of the new components with sensory properties will significantly increase competitivness of the user and at the same time increase safety of rail transportation, because it will reduce occurence of fatal failures of the carriages and accidents caused by them.