(29/04/2013)  The system for which he has been selected is called “Method for optimising the guidance of trains” and was patented more than five years ago. Since then it has been shortlisted by the European Patent Office with other 40 inventions to now become one of the three finalists for an award that pays tribute to the inventors whose innovations contribute to economic, technological and social development in Europe.

López Gómez’s patent calculates the position of a train’s wheels on the rail –detecting the speed at which the wheel is rotating and its contact point– and defines the wheels’ optimal position in order to increase passenger comfort and minimise wheel-rail interaction, thus limiting wear-and-tear and maintenance costs.

The system is applied to free-wheel train vehicles such as those that equip Talgo high-speed trains, and it is particularly important during the moments when trains exit and enter turns. This system utilises an electronic device to detect the position of the wheels at all times and includes an automatic mechanical apparatus for moving the wheels back into their optimal position.

Competitors

The Spanish engineer competes against the Austrian inventors Claus Hämmerle and Klaus Brüstle, who have developed a soft-close furniture hinge, and the Portuguese nominees António Velez Marques, Helena Pereira, Rui Reis and Susana Silva, who have invented a process of expanding cork through microwave radiation.

The award López Gómez is nominated for will be given in a ceremony to be held in Amsterdam on May 28th. Votes for José Luis López Gómez’s invention can be submitted via the European Patent Office website.