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 fiber (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 fiber. A processor 108 analyzes the acoustic signals to determine the train speed v. Having determined the train speed the processor also analyzes 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
DETEKTION VON ANOMALIEN BEI SCHIENENRADSÄTZEN
DÉTECTION D'ANOMALIES DANS DES ESSIEUX FERROVIAIRES
13.05.2020
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 |