Rail vehicle wheel-track interaction (VTI or WTI) is monitored at a sensing region of a railway track. An ultrasonic sensor ‘S’ is mountable on the track to form the sensing region ‘R’, which comprises an interface surface ‘I’ at which a wheel-rail interface forms when contacted by a vehicle wheel (e.g. track tread ‘TT’ or gauge ‘TG’ surface). The ultrasonic sensor comprises ultrasonic bulk wave transducers respectively configured to detect a VTI longitudinal bulk wave signal reflected from the interface surface and a VTI shear bulk wave signal reflected from the interface surface. A processor may determine a time-of-flight or amplitude of the VTI longitudinal or shear bulk wave signal and of a corresponding reference signal and compare them to determine a VTI parameter, e.g. interface surface contact position and shape, interface stiffness or normal or lateral load at the interface. The sensor may comprise damping integrated with a backing plate on which the transducers are mounted.
Rail track apparatus and method
2025-04-16
Patent
Electronic Resource
English