The growth of fatigue cracks in rail is a cause of ongoing concern to the railway industry, and much research and development work has been conducted to develop both trackside and train mounted analysis systems which are able to monitor the structural health of railway networks. To this end a new infrared-based method for surface crack quantification at conventional train speeds is being developed which delivers crack detection capability over the full depth of the rail section, with a crack resolution capability comparable to competing detection techniques. Experimental results are presented for a laboratory three-point bend notched specimen, the geometry of which is representative of surface-connected cracks with lengths below 2 mm in sections of rail. Two analyses are considered: a simulated trackside system, where the observation point is fixed and the repeated loading event experienced by a section of rail during the passage of multi-carriage rolling stock is considered; and a simulated train-based system, where the observation point moves along the rail and the loading event produced by the passage of a single train wheel is considered. Data from the trackside simulation system clearly identifies the precise location and severity of an artificially introduced notch on the upper surface of the specimen. Initial data from the train-based simulation system identifies the notch location precisely, but is unable to quantify the magnitude of the flaw using the current processing method. The paper then describes modifications to the testing and data processing methods required to improve the performance of both systems, and outlines the future on-site testing work planned to validate the methods presented.
Rail crack detection: An infrared approach to in-service track monitoring
Rissentdeckung in Eisenbahnschienen: Eine Infrarotmethode zur Überwachung im Betrieb
2006
8 Seiten, 12 Quellen
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Englisch
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