TurbFly® protection is as simple as it is brilliant. It involves fitting upward and downward-facing brushes on the outside of the support rail, along the entire moving part of the points. The brushes provide effective protection against drifting snow or sand, while also retaining point’s heat in winter.
Snow and sand brushes for railways
The patented solution supplied previously under the SnowProtec® brand name has upward-facing brushes, which ensure, together with points heating, that points operate without problems even in strong winds and heavy snow, or disturbing sand conditions.
This system has been supplied for more than 1,500 different installations throughout Europe, most of them in Scandinavia so far. The downward-facing black brushes provide a seal against sleepers and ballast in order to provide the correct windbreak effect by means of the upward-facing white brushes.
The upward-facing brush creates shelter, but with a certain amount of turbulence behind it, and a venturi effect lifts the snow away and prevents it from landing in sensitive areas on the points.
The system is constantly being developed further in order to cope with new attachment requirement types and applications. TurbFly has proven to be very effective at resolving problems with sand, e.g. shifting sand on beaches and in deserts.
Over the years, OSBORN has developed a protection system which has set a completely new standard in terms of simplicity, economy and safety. The Switch Protection Model Brush meets the function and safety demands specified by the Swedish Transport Administration, and has been a Transport Administration standard for many years.
A more effective solution
Thanks to the unique technology, where the brushes keep the sand and snow away and parallel trap heat, TurbFly is the most effective protection system currently available on the market.
No removal required
TurbFly remains in place all year round, and it does not need to be removed for rail inspections or snow sweeping with a brush machine. When relaying or compressing ballast, this protection is removed with ease and can then be put back in place just as easily.
Easy to fit
It just takes up to two hours to fit these brushes for a complete turnout.
Approved for speeds in excess of 280km / h
TurbFly is capable of withstanding the stresses caused by high-speed traffic. This system is every bit as effective in yards and station areas as it is out on tracks.
Brushes result in significant energy savings
The amount of energy saved with these brushes has proven to be significant. During wind tunnel trials, it was possible to carry out tests which showed that the protective ‘bubble’ creates an opportunity to save up to 75% energy for an installation exposed to wind.
The savings are inversely proportional to the wind speed, i.e. lots of wind means major savings, while little or no wind means less savings.
Wind pressure against the rails is minimised by means of the brush function, allowing applied heat to remain in the area for which it is intended. The test shows that significant savings can also be achieved in installations where moist air creates problems with ice. In other words, snow is not always the problem.
Optimised flow (sand applications)
During the testing process, we also found that in the case of applications where energy savings are of no interest, the lifting function of the brush can be optimised by installing it without the downward-facing sealing brush. This is clearly an option in applications in which sand and dust are a primary concern.
TurbFly saves energy and provides maintenance benefits
Installing TurbFly can help you to minimise maintenance and save energy. Deciding to install TurbFly is an environmental investment which will save on operating costs, increase accessibility and enhance safety for your track facilities.