# Efficient Railway Turnout Design: Leveraging TRIZ-Based Approaches
## 4 Results
### Design of the Crossing
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{p{113.8 pt} p{227.6 pt}} \hline \hline
**Contradiction** & **Associated Inventive Principles and Proposed Design Concepts** \\ \hline
9. Speed—10. Force & 15. Dynamicity: The principle suggests turning an immobile object into a mobile object. The frog, which is traditionally a static element in the crossing, becomes a mobile and vertically movable element. \\
9. Speed—10. Force & 28. Replacement of Mechanical System: the required drive for the swing nose crossing recommends the use of simpler and more powerful hydraulic elements, instead of more complex and less reliable mechanical elements. \\ \hline
9. Speed—27. Reliability & 27. Cheap, Short-Lived Objects: the principle suggests using simpler, less costly and less maintenance-intensive systems. \\
9. Speed—27. Reliability & 35. Transformation of Properties: To solve this contradiction, it is proposed to use particularly resistant materials in the critical wear zone, such as the discontinuity in the crossing where the frog is introduced. It is practical to incorporate a moving frog made of a higher resistance material that can be easily substituted when it wears out, without having to replace the rail. \\ \hline
33. Ease of Operation—2. Weight of Stationary Object. & 1. Segmentation: the solution to the contradiction recommends dividing the crossing into independent and replaceable elements that are easier to assemble and disassemble. \\ \hline
33. Ease of Operation—27. Reliability & 13. Do it in Reverse. as stated in the previous case, the conversion of traditionally fixed parts (frog) to mobile parts (mobile frog) provides greater ease of operation and reduces the impact force when the wheel crosses the crossover gap. \\
33. Ease of Operation/Manufacturing—10. Force & 35. Transformation of Properties: The intention is to use the same type of steel used in the construction of all railway systems, albeit reinforced in the switch gear most exposed to shocks or knocks, such as the frog. Specifically, the alloy described as “Mangalloy” will be used, which will increase the element’s service life. \\ \hline
33. Ease of Operation—27. Reliability & 8. Anti-Weight: The weight of the traditional and fully mechanical crossing is compensated by hydraulic cylinders that provide the lifting force. \\
33. Ease of Operation—27. Reliability & 27. Cheap, Short-Lived Objects: the solution is again associated with the use of simpler, less costly and less maintenance-intensive elements. \\ \hline
35. Adaptability or Versatility—2. Weight of Stationary Object & 15. Dynamicity: again, the application of this principle to resolve this contradiction recommends the consideration of a mobile element (mobile frog), which is lighter than the solutions that have been used so far. \\ \hline
35. Adaptability or Versatility—10. Force & 15. Dynamicity: the adaptability of the new mobile system allows us to reduce the impact force when the train wheel crosses the rail discontinuity. \\
35. Adaptability or Versatility—10. Force & 17. Transition into a New Dimension: the principle suggests adapting dimensions of existing systems to ensure that the new design matches the existing track geometry of the current railway system in order to reduce the gap in the discontinuities appearing at the crossing and, thus, reduce the risk of derailment. \\ \hline
35. Adaptability or Versatility—27. Reliability & 8. Anti-Weight: This principle recommends proposing a geometry that offers a larger bearing surface than the current example, reinforcing the system’s stability and simplifying maintenance with a lighter and more straightforward element. \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: Contradictions and principles applied to the crossing. The proposed solution aims to solve the problem of collisions between the wheel flange and the frog's nose. This problem is caused by the wheel being in the gap of the crossing and not being supported on the rails when the wheel transitions from the direct rail to the crossing.