TIME PHASED CONSTANT IR ENERGY DELTA SOURCE

• US 20030168584A1
• Filed: 05/14/2003
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Bartonek, Mark J
• Granted Patent: US 6,881,951 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/252.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/53 Reference sources, e.g. standard lamps; Black bodies

Abstract

Apparatus for delivering a constant radiant energy delta to calibrate a railway hot box detector. A wheel including an aperture is rotatingly supported within the apparatus. A temperature sensor senses the temperature of the wheel, and a radiant energy source is mounted within the apparatus such that the wheel, when rotated, periodically allows radiant energy to be transmitted directly from the energy source through the aperture to a hot box detector being calibrated. A processor is provided to receive the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor and operate the energy source at a radiant energy setpoint by determining the present temperature of both the energy source and the present temperature of the wheel and the desired radiant energy delta.

Claims

1. Apparatus for calibrating a railway infrared hot box or hot wheel detector by delivering a desired radiant energy delta to the hot box detector comprising:

a source of radiant energy source adapted to be positioned adjacent to the hot box detector being calibrated for emitting radiant energy along a path toward the hot box detector;

a shutter device positioned between the source of radiant energy and the hot box detector along the path, with the shutter device being selectively operable between a first mode operation in which the shutter device permits radiant energy to be transmitted from the source to the hot box detector along the path, and a second mode of operation in which the shutter blocks the transmission of radiant energy from the source to the detector;

a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of the shutter device; and

a processor responsive to the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor to operate the energy source at a desired temperature setpoint based on the temperature of the shutter device and the desired radiant energy delta.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the shutter device is a wheel having an aperture therein and comprises a motor for rotating the wheel.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the motor is controlled by the processor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of the energy source.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a heat shield defining an aperture is mounted along the path and radiant energy is transmitted directly from the source to the hot box detector via the aperture of the heat shield and the shutter device when in its first mode of operation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor outputs electrical pulses to indicate to the hot box detector when the energy delta is increasing from its reference value to its peak value and when it is decreasing again to its reference value.

7. A device for delivering a constant radiant energy delta to calibrate a railway hot box or hot wheel detector comprising:

a motor attached to a wheel, the wheel defining an aperture and the motor adapted to rotate the wheel;

a first temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the wheel;

a radiant energy source mounted such that the wheel, when rotated by the motor, alternatingly;

blocks the radiant energy source from directly transmitting radiant energy from the energy source when the aperture, radiant energy source, and hot box detector are not in alignment and

allows radiant energy to be transmitted directly from the energy source through the aperture when the aperture, radiant energy source, and hot box detector are in alignment;

a second temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the energy source; and

a processor adapted to receive the temperatures sensed by the first and second temperature sensors, control the motor and operate the energy source at a radiant energy setpoint by determining the present temperature of both the energy source and the present temperature of the wheel and the desired radiant energy delta.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein a heat shield defining an aperture is mounted between the energy source and the wheel and radiant energy is transmitted directly from the device when the aperture of the heat shield and the aperture of the wheel are in alignment.

9. The device of claim 7 wherein the device outputs gated electrical pulses to indicate to the hot box detector when the energy delta is increasing from its reference value to its peak value and when it is decreasing again to its reference value.

10. A device for delivering a constant radiant energy delta to calibrate a railway hot box or hot wheel detector comprising:

a wheel defining an aperture rotatingly supported within the device;

a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the wheel;

a radiant energy source mounted such that the wheel, when rotated, periodically allows radiant energy to be transmitted directly from the energy source through the aperture to the hot box detector being calibrated; and

an electrical circuit adapted to output a proper energy source setpoint based upon input from the temperature sensor and a desired radiant energy delta setpoint.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the wheel is rotated by a motor.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the electrical circuit is a digital processor.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the motor is controlled by the processor.

14. The device of claim 10 further comprising a second temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the energy source.

15. The device of claim 10 wherein a heat shield defining an aperture is mounted between the energy source and the wheel and radiant energy is transmitted directly from the device when the aperture of the heat shield and the aperture of the wheel are in alignment with the hot box detector.

16. The device of claim 10 wherein the device outputs gated electrical pulses to indicate to the hot box detector when the energy delta is increasing from its reference value to its peak value and when it is decreasing again to its reference value.

17. A method of calibrating a railway infrared hot box detector by delivering a controlled level of radiant energy to the detector, the method comprising:

transmitting radiant energy from a first high temperature radiant energy source to the hot box detector for a first period of time;

transmitting radiant energy from a second low temperature radiant energy source at a reference temperature for a second period of time;

sensing a parameter indicative of the reference temperature; and

controlling the operation of the first high temperature radiant energy source based on the reference temperature so as to emit radiant energy at a desired level in excess of that of the second low temperature radiant energy source.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the first high temperature radiant energy source operates during both the first and second periods of time and the method further comprises blocking the transmission of the high temperature radiant energy from reaching the detector during the second period of time.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the first high temperature radiant energy source operates during only during the first period of time and the second low temperature radiant energy source operates during the second period of time.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising sensing a parameter indicative of the temperature of the first high temperature radiant energy source when in operation and controlling the temperature of the first high temperature radiant energy source to emit the desired level of radiant energy.