A method is provided for detecting broken rail, unintentionally misaligned turnouts, and track occupancy ahead of or behind a railway vehicle traveling on a railroad track. Shunts extend between the rails at intervals along the railroad track. Each shunt has electrical signal transmission characteristics differing from those of adjacent shunts. A test unit on the railway vehicle induces a test signal in a first rail to create a track circuit in which the test signal propagates along the first rail, through at least one of the shunts, returns to the railway vehicle along the second rail, and through the wheels and axle of the railway vehicle. The test signal has electrical properties selected to interact with at least one of the shunts. The received test signal on the second rail is analyzed to identify predetermined conditions concerning the status of the railroad track.
System and method for detecting broken rail and occupied track from a railway vehicle
2015-10-20
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | B61L Leiten des Eisenbahnverkehrs , GUIDING RAILWAY TRAFFIC |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETECTING A DEFECT IN A RAILWAY TRACK RAIL
European Patent Office | 2021
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