Tenco Recent Projects

Project: Engineering for a Flywheel Energy Storage System
Client: New York Power Authority / New York City Transit
New York Power Authority and New York City Transit are evaluating the energy saving potential of a Flywheel Energy Storage System. The Flywheel Energy Storage System offers important economic and performance benefits, but raises important system engineering and EMC issues. Tenco is performing the system assessment, integration, and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) program work, including test planning, design analysis, field testing, and results reporting. During the work, Tenco identified critical design elements and solutions necessary to ensure success of the flywheel system.

Project: Engineering for Long Island Rail Road AC Propulsion Railcars System
Client: Mitsubishi Electric Company
Mitsubishi Electric Company is providing AC Propulsion Systems for the Long Island Rail Road M-7 Railcar Project. Working closely with the propulsion design team, Tenco performed the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) program, including test planning, design analysis, field testing, and results reporting.

Project: Advanced Train Control System for Mainline Railroads
Client: Rockwell International
Tenco staff helped develop an Advanced Train Control System (ATCS) for mainline railroads. ATCS uses GPS, centrally integrated voice and UHF data communications, and distributed processing to monitor, control, and coordinate railroad operating equipment, from locomotives and rail maintenance vehicles, to the dispatch control center to the management information system. Tenco staff project roles have included system definition, specification, system and subsystem design, safety assessment, test program planning, benefit assessment, functional requirements analysis, and operations planning.

Project: Engineering for Sacramento RT AC Propulsion LRV
Client: Construcciones Y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, S.A. (CAF)
CAF is providing light rail vehicles (LRVs) for Sacramento Regional Transit (RT). As elements of the LRV Procurement Project, Tenco performed a survey and analysis of the existing RT signal system and an analysis of the planned South Corridor signal system, determined electromagnetic interference (EMI) susceptibility of the RT signal system, and established new Suggested EMI Limits. Tenco also developed and performed EMI Field Qualification Tests to demonstrate that the new CAF LRV electromagnetic emissions conform with the applicable RT requirements.

Project: Hardware and Software Design and Analysis for the BART Extension Wayside ATC System
Client: Bombardier Transport (formerly DaimlerChrysler Transportation, Adtranz)
Bombardier provided a processor-based safety-critical ATP system for the BART San Francisco Airport Extension. Tenco staff provided design and analysis of the safety-critical software and hardware which provides the ATP functions.

Project: Engineering for a NYCT AC Propulsion System Demonstration
Client: Mitsubishi Electric Company
Mitsubishi Electric Company performed a one-year revenue service demonstration of its AC Propulsion System on an eight-car R-38 train at NYCT. Tenco staff performed the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) program, including test planning, design analysis, field testing, and results reporting.

Project: Engineering for a NYCT IGBT Inverter Train Demonstration
Client: Alstom Transport
Alstom Transport performed a one-year revenue service demonstration of its Onix AC Propulsion IGBT inverter on an eight-car R-38 train at NYCT. Tenco staff conducted the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) program, including test planning, design analysis, lab testing, field testing, and results reporting.

Project: System Engineering for LRVs and Heavy Rail Vehicles
Client: Siemens Transportation Systems (STS)
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority (LACMTA) contracted with STS to provide 50 Standard LRVs and two prototype automated LRVs for the new Metro Green Line and other lines. Tenco staff provided system and assurance engineering to STS, including the safety, reliability, maintainability, and electromagnetic compatibility programs. Tenco staff worked with carbuilder and subsystem supplier engineers, and coordinates electrical, electronic, and interface specification, design, and compliance testing for critical subsystems such as propulsion, friction brakes, car controls, and doors. Tenco staff designed safety-critical train and car control equipment. Tenco provided similar services for STS for the Portland LRVs and for the turnkey heavy rail Tren Urbano system in Puerto Rico.

Project: EMC Engineering for Pittsburgh PAAC AC Propulsion LRV
Client: Construcciones Y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, S.A. (CAF)
CAF is providing light rail vehicles (LRVs) for the Pittsburgh Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAAC). Tenco performed EMI Field Qualification Tests to demonstrate that the new CAF LRV electromagnetic emissions conform with the applicable PAAC requirements.

Project: Autonomous Electric Vehicle Power and Control Technology Assessment
Client: Leading Theme Park Developer
For a new ride, Tenco staff evaluated design solutions for autonomous vehicle propulsion, power coupling, navigation, guidance, and command and control. Propulsion energy alternatives included lead-acid, NiCad, and nickel metal hydride batteries, supercapacitors, and inductive power couplings. Navigation technologies included GPS and laser ranging. Command and control technologies included spread spectrum and narrow band radio technologies coupled with alternate architectures for safety-critical central and autonomous vehicle control. Tenco staff provided system architectures and alternatives; full-scale prototype tests and results; technology capabilities and limitations; costs, risks and benefits, and recommendations.

Project: EMC Engineering for the NYCT R160 Railcar Procurement
Client: Alstom Transportation, Inc.
Alstom is providing R160 railcars for the NYCT B Division. Tenco is performing key portions of the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) program, including planning, test planning, design analysis, field testing, and results reporting.

Project: EMC Consultant for New Technology Test Train
Client: MTA New York City Transit
Tenco staff served as Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) consultant for the MTA NYCT New Technology Test Train (NTTT) project. Tenco staff ensured that the NTTT trains, with ac propulsion and auxiliaries, trainline monitors, and advanced passenger information systems, do not interfere with ATC, communications, fare collection, computer, and other electronic systems. Tenco staff tasks included testing, oversight of technical submittals, and witnessing of carbuilder tests.

Project: EMC Engineering for the Chicago Metra Highliner Railcar Project
Client: Sumitomo / Nippon Sharyo
Sumitomo / Nippon Sharyo is providing Highliner AC railcars for the Chicago Metra Electric Division Line. Tenco is performing the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) program, including planning, subsystem direction and coordination, test planning, design analysis, field testing, and results reporting.

Project: Los Angeles Blue Line and Green Line LRVs
Client: Sumitomo Corporation / Nippon Sharyo Ltd.
Nippon Sharyo supplied 54 articulated light rail vehicles for the Long Beach - Los Angeles Blue Line. Tenco staff provided system engineering, design and analysis. We conducted the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) test, safety analysis, and reliability programs. We coordinated electrical, electronic, and interface specification, design, and compliance certification for the critical subsystems, including propulsion, friction brakes, railcar electrical wiring, doors, and auxiliaries. We provided our expert services at internal engineering meetings, design reviews, and major meetings.

Project: MTA NYCT Communication-Based Train Control System
Client: ATSG / MTA NYCT
Tenco staff were members of the specification development team for New York City Transit's Communication-Based Train Control System consultant team. Tenco staff prepared the electromagnetic compatibility requirements section of the procurement specification, and contributed to the integrated requirements for functionality as well as system level service metrics, safety, and availability.

Project: South Corridor Electromagnetic Environment Survey Project
Client: Sacramento Regional Transit (RT)
Sacramento RT is building a new South Corridor line to expand its light rail service. As a key step in pre-construction engineering, Tenco performed an electromagnetic environment survey of the South Corridor right of way, including measurements of power frequency and radio frequency electric and magnetic fields, earth voltages, rail-to-rail, and rail-to-earth voltages on adjoining freight railroad tracks.

Project: BART A Car / B Car Rehab Project
Client: San Francisco BART / Booz, Allen & Hamilton
BART procured a rehab fleet of ac propulsion railcars. Tenco staff tasks include evaluation of the AEG Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) design proposal, setting of system analysis requirements, and safety and performance evaluation of safety-critical controllers, including for propulsion and friction brakes. Tenco staff worked with BART and the equipment manufacturer to ensure a cost-effective process for design, analysis, verification, and test of the safety-critical hardware and software.

Project: Safety Analysis for the Singapore Peoplemover System
Client: Bombardier Transport (formerly DaimlerChrysler Rail Systems)
Bombardier provided a fully automated, driverless peoplemover system for Singapore. Tenco staff performed system and detailed level hazard analyses on the safety-critical door control equipment.

Project: Linear Induction Motor Container Mover
Client: United States Navy
In a Navy Forward Base Cargo Transfer Technologies project to transfer cargo in an amphibious operation area, Tenco staff performed a system design study for a Linear Induction Motor Container Mover (CM). The CM must provide fast, safe, fully automatic transportation for 20 and 40 ft ISO standard containers. Project task areas included track, controls, propulsion, communications, power supply, load/unload provisions, operating and maintenance logistics, and capital and operating costs.

Project: RMS Analysis for Rail Transit Door Systems
Client: Vapor Corporation
Vapor provides door control systems for rail transit projects. Tenco staff performed safety, reliability, and maintainability analyses for Vapor systems for New York City Transit, Pittsburgh, New Jersey Transit, Atlanta MARTA, San Francisco MUNI. Analyses include Preliminary Hazard, Subsystem Hazard, FMECA, Fault Tree, Software Hazard, Component Reliability, Service Reliability, Preventative Maintenance, and Corrective Maintenance. Kinki Sharyo provided new LRVs for the Hudson Bergen LRV line, and Vapor supplied door systems with a new generation microprocessor-based door control module. Tenco staff performed complete safety, reliability and maintenance analyses of the hardware as well as of the software and safety protections.

Project: BART AATC EMC Survey
Client: GE Transportation Systems (formerly Harmon Industries)
Tenco performed an extensive survey of the EMI environment which applies to the new Advanced Automatic Train Control System. The survey included radiated, conducted, logic, power supply, immunity, ground, and power disturbance measurements; at wayside locations, in equipment rooms; and on-board operating trains. We organized the survey, acquired the needed interface information, set up and operated the test equipment, collected the data, performed the data analysis, and provided the test report.

Project: Atlanta Advanced Traffic Management System
Client: TRW ESL Inc. / Georgia Department of Transportation
TRW developed an Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) for the Atlanta metropolitan area. Tenco staff were responsible for the Advanced Vehicle Identification System (AVIS) work. The AVIS includes Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI) and Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) systems, including integrated voice and data radio communications.

Project: Trolleybus Propulsion Evaluation
Client: San Francisco Municipal Railway
San Francisco Muni's trolleybus fleet was propelled by dc motors with switched resistor controllers. Tenco staff performed a Trolleybus Propulsion Evaluation Project to assess the performance and energy benefits of choppers and ac propulsion systems for trolleybuses, for MUNI. Three propulsion systems were tested under the full range of operating conditions. And routes. To compare the performance of four propulsion systems, Tenco staff designed built and installed intelligent data acquisition and analysis tools, BUSDAC and PLOTPAC, which won acclaim in the transit industry for their powerful information analysis capabilities.

Project: Houston Intercontinental Airport Peoplemover Extension
Client: Bombardier Transportation
Tenco staff provided design direction for the extension of the Houston Airport WEDway peoplemover to a new terminal. Four computer-based systems in the control and propulsion system of this highly reliable, fully automated peoplemover are responsible for train protection, train monitoring, system supervision, and communications.

Project: Advanced Train Control System for Mainline Railroads
Client: Rockwell International
Tenco staff helped develop an Advanced Train Control System (ATCS) for mainline railroads. ATCS uses GPS, centrally integrated voice and UHF data communications, and distributed processing to monitor, control, and coordinate railroad operating equipment, from locomotives and rail maintenance vehicles, to the dispatch control center to the management information system. Tenco staff project roles have included system definition, specification, system and subsystem design, safety assessment, test program planning, benefit assessment, functional requirements analysis, and operations planning.

Project: Analysis and Design Support for San Francisco Airport Peoplemover
Client: Bombardier Transport (formerly DaimlerChrysler Transportation, Adtranz)
Bombardier is providing a fully automated, driverless peoplemover system for the San Francisco Airport, in its first deployment of Flexiblok, a communications-based AutomaticTrain Control System using spread spectrum radios. Tenco staff performed system and detailed level hazard analyses on the entire system on the ATC system, and on the interfaces with other safety-critical subsystems, and provided design guidance to the project engineers.

Project: Implanted Medical Device Development
Client: Confidential
For a confidential client, Tenco is providing system engineering, equipment design, testing, safety analysis for a revolutionary implanted medical device. The device, which is highly miniaturized, provides a complex function and includes digital logic, software, analog design, and power management in dense custom package. The device provides a unique and valuable function, and must meet and demonstrate compliance with stringent criteria for life-critical safety.

Project: Hardware and Software Design and Analysis for the BART Extension Wayside ATC System
Client: Bombardier Transport (formerly DaimlerChrysler Transportation, Adtranz)
Bombardier provided a processor-based safety-critical ATP system for the BART San Francisco Airport Extension. Tenco staff provided design and analysis of the safety-critical software and hardware which provides the ATP functions.

Project: Safety Analysis for the Singapore Peoplemover System
Client: Bombardier Transport (formerly DaimlerChrysler Rail Systems)
Bombardier provided a fully automated, driverless peoplemover system for Singapore. Tenco staff performed system and detailed level hazard analyses on the safety-critical door control equipment.

Project: Houston Intercontinental Airport Peoplemover Extension
Client: Bombardier Transportation
Tenco staff provided design direction for the extension of the Houston Airport WEDway peoplemover to a new terminal. Four computer-based systems in the control and propulsion system of this highly reliable, fully automated peoplemover are responsible for train protection, train monitoring, system supervision, and communications.

Project: Autonomous Electric Vehicle Power and Control Technology Assessment
Client: Leading Theme Park Developer
For a new ride, Tenco staff evaluated design solutions for autonomous vehicle propulsion, power coupling, navigation, guidance, and command and control. Propulsion energy alternatives included lead-acid, NiCad, and nickel metal hydride batteries, supercapacitors, and inductive power couplings. Navigation technologies included GPS and laser ranging. Command and control technologies included spread spectrum and narrow band radio technologies coupled with alternate architectures for safety-critical central and autonomous vehicle control. Tenco staff provided system architectures and alternatives; full-scale prototype tests and results; technology capabilities and limitations; costs, risks and benefits, and recommendations.

Project: Microwave Powered Light Source
Client: Confidential
The Tenco team created, developed, and launched an innovative new microwave-powered light source technology which solves a crucial problem for developers of a new generation of big screen projection televisions. The light source provides a balanced white spectrum with a long life, and enables consumer electronic manufacturers to deliver a new generation of TVs with the price, life, and performance consumers want. Accomplishments include team organization, technology proof of concept, prototyping and test, product definition, market research and planning, business analysis, product commercialization, and capitalization.

Project: 2.4 GHz Spread Spectrum Data Link Radio System
Client: RadioConnect Corporation
Tenco staff served as key members of the project team that conceived, designed, built, tested, productized, received FCC type acceptance and UL listing, manufactured, sold, and installed a new generation of spread spectrum data link radios. The highly dependable RadioWire Link design provided industry leading dependability as required for revenue-producing applications, while supporting a highly scalable building-block architecture ideally suited to customer needs.

Project: Specification, Design and Analysis for a Mobile Computer for Rugged Environment
Client: Confidential
For a confidential client, Tenco performed specification, design, and analysis for a mobile graphics computer for use in a rugged environment. The high performance Pentium computers will be installed in a fleet of vehicles, and will provide instant shared and managed information between the operating staff for enhanced efficiency and performance.

Project: High Resolution Digital Television
Client: Confidential
For a confidential client, Tenco provided system and equipment design for the critical circuits of a high performance projection television system. The work included design, fabrication, testing, chip-scale packaging, and production support for a high speed function which includes digital logic, analog design, and thermal control functions in a dense custom package.

Project: Implanted Medical Device Development
Client: Confidential
For a confidential client, Tenco is providing system engineering, equipment design, testing, safety analysis for a revolutionary implanted medical device. The device, which is highly miniaturized, provides a complex function and includes digital logic, software, analog design, and power management in dense custom package. The device provides a unique and valuable function, and must meet and demonstrate compliance with stringent criteria for life-critical safety.

Project: Mobile Data Network Technology Evaluation
Client: Leading Theme Park Developer
For a new ride, Tenco staff evaluated alternative technologies for a mobile data network. Technologies included spread spectrum radio, narrow band radio, using leaky coax or antenna coupling, infrared, and busbar. Tenco staff provided system architectures and alternatives; communication link and module requirements; alternative technology capabilities and limitations; costs, risks and benefits, and demonstration test results.

Project: Linear Induction Motor Container Mover
Client: United States Navy
In a Navy Forward Base Cargo Transfer Technologies project to transfer cargo in an amphibious operation area, Tenco staff performed a system design study for a Linear Induction Motor Container Mover (CM). The CM must provide fast, safe, fully automatic transportation for 20 and 40 ft ISO standard containers. Project task areas included track, controls, propulsion, communications, power supply, load/unload provisions, operating and maintenance logistics, and capital and operating costs.

Project: Linear Motor Design Analysis
Client: Confidential Client
Tenco staff provided finite element modeling, performance and thermal analysis, and in-depth testing for a high speed, high performance LIM application requiring high duty-cycle testing under around-the-clock conditions. When the testing confirmed a design deficiency, Tenco provided system and linear motor redesign direction which resulted in a successful system deployment.

Project: Atlanta Advanced Traffic Management System
Client: TRW ESL Inc. / Georgia Department of Transportation
TRW developed an Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) for the Atlanta metropolitan area. Tenco staff were responsible for the Advanced Vehicle Identification System (AVIS) work. The AVIS includes Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI) and Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) systems, including integrated voice and data radio communications.

Project: Reliability Analyses for Aircraft Radio Systems
Client: Daico Industries, Inc. / Lockheed Martin
Daico provides military aircraft radio communications equipment, including an Automatic Antenna Selector for maintaining tactical communications for the Lockheed Martin F-15 program. Tenco staff conducted contract-mandated Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and MIL-HDBK-217F Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) reliability analyses for many Daico units. Tenco staff analyses showed that the Antenna Selector meets its prime-contract imposed reliability requirements.