Route cleaning system

A method comprising:

• imposing a first sliding value lower than a first predetermined threshold between one or more first wheels of a vehicle and a route, the first sliding value being associated with one or more first wheels at a head of the vehicle according to a direction of travel of the vehicle;
• imposing a second sliding value greater than a second predetermined threshold between the one or more second wheels of the vehicle and the route;
• the second sliding value being associated with one or more second wheels following the one or more first wheels of the head of the vehicle according to the travel direction of the vehicle, and the second predetermined threshold being greater than the first predetermined threshold;
• imposing a third sliding value equal to the second sliding value between the one or more third wheels of the vehicle and the route;
• the third sliding value being associated with one or more third wheels following the one or more second wheels having the second sliding value according to the travel direction of the vehicle;
• determining effectiveness of the cleaning of the route generated by the second sliding value to the benefit of the one or more third wheels with the third sliding value and the route and a second adhesion value between the one or more third wheels having the third sliding value and the route.

A system comprising:

• a controller configured to:
• impose a first sliding value lower than a first predetermined threshold, the first sliding value for adhesion between one or more first wheels of a vehicle and a route;
• impose a second sliding value greater than a second predetermined threshold, the second sliding value for adhesion between the one or more second wheels of the vehicle and the route;
• and
• determine a trend of an adhesion curve between the one or more first wheels, the one or more second wheels and the route, based on a first adhesion value and a second adhesion value, wherein the controller, configured to determine the trend of the adhesion curve, is further configured to:
• measure the first adhesion values between the one or more first wheels and the route and the second adhesion values between the one or more second wheels and the route;
• if the second adhesion value is greater than the first adhesion value, determine that the adhesion curve between the one or more wheels of the vehicle and the route is an adhesion curve having an adhesion peak at a sliding value greater than the second predetermined threshold;
• and
• if the second adhesion value is lower than the first adhesion value, determine that the adhesion curve between the one or more wheels of the vehicle and the route is an adhesion curve having an adhesion peak at a sliding value lower than the first predetermined threshold,
• wherein:
• a) if the controller has determined that the adhesion curve between the one or more second wheels of the vehicle and the route is an adhesion curve having an adhesion peak at a sliding value greater than the second predetermined threshold, the controller is further configured to:
• impose a sliding value greater than the second predetermined threshold between the one or more second wheels and the route;
• b) if the controller has determined that the adhesion curve between the one or more first wheels of the vehicle and the route is the adhesion curve having the adhesion peak at the sliding value lower than the first predetermined threshold, the controller is further configured to:
• calculate a value of an adhesion difference by means of the difference between the first adhesion value and the second adhesion value;
• impose the second sliding value greater than the second predetermined threshold between a portion of one or more third wheels and the route, the one or more third wheels following the one or more second wheels in a direction of travel;
• calculate a value of the adhesion difference generated by a cleaning effect of the one or more second wheels of the axle to the benefit of the one or more third wheels;
• the value of the adhesion difference generated by the cleaning effect being obtained by the difference between a third adhesion value between the one or more third wheels of the vehicle and the route, and the second adhesion value between the one or more second wheels of the second axle and the route;
• impose the sliding value greater than the second predetermined threshold between the one or more first wheels of the vehicle and the route, if the value of the adhesion difference generated by the cleaning effect of the one or more first wheels is predominant with respect to the value of the adhesion difference multiplied by an adaptive factor the value of which is inversely proportional to the number of wheels;
• and
• impose the sliding value lower than the first predetermined threshold between the one or more first wheels of the vehicle and the route, if the value of the adhesion difference generated by the cleaning effect of the one or more first wheels is not predominant with respect to the value of the adhesion difference multiplied by an adaptive factor the value of which is inversely proportional to the number of the wheels.