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   Fibre reinforced polymers  evaluated  
Fibre reinforced polymers are composite materials consisting of fibres dispersed in a continuous matrix phase. Due to a number of characteristic advantages, fibre reinforced polymers have a great future potential for railways and other transportation technologies. Because of their low weight they can make a decisive contribution to the design of light-weight vehicles.
Technology field: Mass reduction
close main section General information
  open sub-section Description
close main section General criteria
  open sub-section Status of development: in use
  Time horizon for broad application: 5 - 10 years
  Expected technological development: highly dynamic
  Benefits (other than environmental): big
  Barriers: medium
  Applicability for railway segments: high
    Type of traction:  electric - DC, electric - AC, diesel
    Type of transportation:  passenger - main lines, passenger - high speed, passenger - regional lines, passenger - suburban lines, freight
    Grade of diffusion into railway markets:
  Diffusion into relevant segment of fleet: < 5%
  Share of newly purchased stock: < 20%
  Market potential (railways): high
close main section Environmental criteria
  open sub-section Impacts on energy efficiency:
  Energy efficiency potential for single vehicle: strongly dependent on specific application
  Energy efficiency potential throughout fleet: strongly dependent on specific application
  Other environmental impacts: negative
close main section Economic criteria
  open sub-section Vehicle - fix costs: medium
  Vehicle - running costs: significant reduction
  Infrastructure - fix costs: none
  Infrastructure - running costs: unchanged
  Scale effects: high
  Amortisation: not applicable
close main section Application outside railway sector
  open sub-section Status of development outside railway sector: in use
  Time horizon for broad application outside railway sector: now
  Expected technological development outside railway sector: highly dynamic
  Market potential outside railway sector: high
close main section Overall rating
  open sub-section Overall potential: promising
  Time horizon: mid-term
References / Links:  Mair 1999;  Pehnt 2001
Attachments:
Related projects:
Contact persons:
 date created: 2002-10-09
 
 
© UIC - International Union of Railways 2003
 
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