This application relates to methods and apparatus for the detection of anomalies in the wheelsets of rail vehicles, for instance for detection of defects such as wheel flats (303) of a wheel (301). The method using a distributed acoustic sensor (106) having a sensing optical fibre (104) deployed along at least part of a rail track (201) as a train (202) moves along that part of the track. The distributed acoustic sensor detects acoustic signals from a plurality of longitudinal sensing portions of the sensing optical fibre. A processor 108 analyses the acoustic signals to determine the train speed v. Having determined the train speed the processor also analyses the acoustic signals for a characteristic acoustic signal so as to detect an anomaly in a wheelset where the characteristic acoustic signal is based on the determined train speed. In particular the method may involve at least a first section of track where the train travels with a first speed v1 and a second section of track where the train travels with a second different speed v2 the characteristic acoustic signal may be a repetitive signal at a frequency that varies proportional to the train speed.
Detection of anomalies in rail wheelsets
2020-10-08
Patent
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
IPC: | G01H MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OR ULTRASONIC, SONIC OR INFRASONIC WAVES , Messen von mechanischen Schwingungen oder Ultraschall-, Schall- oder Infraschallwellen / B61K Andere Hilfseinrichtungen für Eisenbahnen , OTHER AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT FOR RAILWAYS / B61L Leiten des Eisenbahnverkehrs , GUIDING RAILWAY TRAFFIC |