Apparatus and method for detection of railroad wheel and bearing temperature

• US 20040089808A1
• Filed: 11/08/2002
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Bartonek, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 6,872,945 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/339.04
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/06 by detecting or indicating heat radiation from overheated axles
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0022 for sensing the radiation of moving bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/602 using selective, monochromatic or bandpass filtering

Abstract

An apparatus and method is provided for detecting a temperature range or a temperature of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing. The apparatus comprises a sensor for sensing infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing within two or more infrared wavelength ranges. The sensor generates signals indicative of the sensed infrared radiation in each of the wavelength ranges. A processor determines a temperature range or a temperature of the wheel or bearing from the generated signals. The method detects a temperature range of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of the temperature range of the wheel or bearing. The method includes sensing infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing within two or more wavelength ranges of the infrared radiation. Signals are generated that are indicative of the sensed infrared radiation in each infrared wavelength range. A temperature range or a temperature of the wheel or bearing is determined from the generated signals.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting a temperature range of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing, the apparatus comprising:

a sensor for sensing infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing within two or more infrared wavelength ranges and generating signals indicative of the sensed infrared radiation in each of the wavelength ranges; and

a processor determining a temperature range of the wheel or bearing from the generated signals.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor determines the temperature range of the wheel or bearing by determining a peak wavelength range of the sensed infrared radiation and wherein the determined peak wavelength range is indicative of the temperature range of the wheel or bearing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor generates a signal indicative of the temperature range of the wheel or bearing and wherein the processor generates an alarm signal for activating an alarm when the determined temperature range is greater than a predetermined temperature.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor generates a signal indicative of the temperature range of the wheel or bearing and wherein the processor generates an alarm signal when the determined peak wavelength range is less than or equal to a predetermined wavelength.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor further comprises two or more sensing elements, each sensing element sensing a wavelength range which does not substantially overlap with any wavelength range sensed by the any other sensing element and wherein each sensing element provides a signal indicative of a magnitude of the infrared radiation sensed in its corresponding wavelength range.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a lens collecting infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing from a train traversing a railroad track;

wherein the sensor receives the collected infrared radiation.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a lens collecting infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing from a train traversing a railroad track and producing corresponding coherent infrared radiation; and

a prism receiving the coherent infrared radiation from the lens and generating a spectrum of infrared radiation along an axis;

wherein the sensor is an array of sensing elements aligned along the axis to receive the spectrum of infrared radiation.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a filter bank comprising two or more filters positioned to receive infrared radiation emitted by the wheel or bearing, each filter passing a wavelength range which does not substantially overlap with any wavelength range transmitted by any other filter;

wherein the sensor is an array of sensing elements, each element receiving the infrared radiation passed by one of the filters.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a lens collecting infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing from a train traversing a railroad track;

wherein the filter bank receives the collected infrared radiation from the lens.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to sense the wavelength ranges of radiation within the wavelength range from 800 nanometers to 30 microns.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an infrared array.

12. An apparatus for detecting a temperature range of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing, the apparatus comprises:

a lens collecting infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track and producing coherent radiation corresponding to the collected infrared radiation;

a prism receiving the coherent infrared radiation from the lens and generating a spectrum of infrared radiation along an axis; and

a sensor receiving the spectrum, sensing infrared radiation within two or more infrared wavelength ranges, and generating signals indicative of the radiation within each of the infrared wavelength ranges.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a processor or circuit receiving the generated signals indicative of the radiation within each of the wavelength ranges and determining the temperature range of the wheel or bearing from the generated signals.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor or circuit determines a peak wavelength range from the wavelength ranges as represented by the generated signals, the peak wavelength range corresponding to the temperature range of the wheel or bearing.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor or circuit generates a signal indicative of the determined temperature range and generates an alarm signal for activating an alarm when the determined temperature range is greater than a predetermined temperature.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the sensor is an array of sensing elements aligned along the axis to receive the spectrum of infrared radiation.

17. An apparatus for detecting a temperature range of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing, the apparatus comprising:

a lens collecting infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track and producing coherent infrared radiation corresponding to the collected radiation;

a prism receiving the coherent infrared radiation from the lens and generating a spectrum of infrared radiation along an axis; and

an array of sensing elements aligned along the axis receiving the spectrum of infrared radiation, sensing infrared radiation within two or more infrared wavelength ranges, and generating corresponding signals indicative of infrared radiation within each of the two or more infrared wavelength ranges.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a processor or circuit receiving the generated signals of the infrared radiation within each of the two or more wavelength ranges, determining a temperature range of the wheel or bearing from the generated signals, and generating a signal indicative of the temperature range.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor or circuit determines the temperature range of the wheel or bearing by determining a peak wavelength range of the sensed infrared radiation and wherein the determined peak wavelength range is indicative of the temperature range of the wheel or bearing.

20. An apparatus for detecting a temperature range of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing, the apparatus comprising:

a lens collecting infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track and producing coherent infrared radiation corresponding to the collected infrared radiation;

a sensor receiving the collected radiation, sensing the received infrared radiation within two or more infrared wavelength ranges, and generating signals indicative of the radiation within the wavelength ranges; and

a processor or circuit receiving the generated signals indicative of the radiation within the infrared wavelength ranges, determining a peak wavelength range of the sensed infrared radiation wherein the determined peak wavelength range is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing, and generating a signal that is indicative of the temperature range of the wheel or bearing.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processor or circuit generates an alarm signal when the peak wavelength range is equal to or less than a predefined wavelength representing a threshold temperature range.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the sensor is an infrared array.

23. An apparatus for detecting a temperature range of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing, the apparatus comprising:

means for collecting infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track;

means for sensing infrared radiation of the collected infrared radiation within two or more infrared wavelength ranges;

means for determining a peak wavelength range of the sensed infrared radiation and wherein the determined peak wavelength range is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing; and

means for generating a signal indicative of the temperature range of wheel or bearing as represented by the determined peak wavelength range.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for generating wavelength ranges of the collected infrared radiation, each of which does not substantially overlap with any other wavelength range;

wherein the means for sensing senses the wavelength ranges of the generating means.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for filtering the collected infrared radiation into two or more wavelength ranges, each wavelength range does not substantially overlap with any other filtered wavelength range;

wherein each of the sensing means senses a corresponding filtered wavelength range.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the sensing means is an infrared array.

27. A method for detecting a temperature range of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing, the method comprising the steps of

sensing infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing within two or more wavelength ranges of the infrared radiation;

generating signals indicative of the sensed infrared radiation in each infrared wavelength range; and

determining a temperature range of the wheel or bearing from the generated signals.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

generating the wavelength ranges of the infrared radiation wherein each wavelength range does not substantially overlap with any other generated wavelength range;

wherein sensing senses the infrared radiation in each of the generated wavelength ranges.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein determining the temperature range comprises determining a peak wavelength range of the sensed infrared radiation;

wherein the determined peak wavelength range is indicative of the temperature range of the wheel or bearing.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein determining the temperature range comprises determining a temperature that is indicative of a temperature of the wheel or bearing.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein determining the temperature comprises determining a peak wavelength of the sensed infrared radiation;

wherein the determined peak wavelength is indicative of the temperature of the wheel or bearing.

32. A method for detecting a temperature range of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track;

sensing the collected infrared radiation within two or more wavelength ranges, wherein each wavelength range does not substantially overlap with any other wavelength range;

determining a magnitude of the infrared radiation in each of the sensed wavelength ranges;

generating signals indicative of the determined magnitudes; and

determining a temperature range of the wheel or bearing from the generated signals.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

generating two or more wavelength ranges of the collected infrared radiation, wherein each generated wavelength range does not substantially overlap with any other generated wavelength range;

wherein sensing is sensing the infrared radiation within the each of the generated wavelength ranges.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

filtering the collected infrared radiation into two or more wavelength ranges, wherein each filtered wavelength range does not substantially overlap with any other filtered wavelength range;

wherein sensing senses the infrared radiation within each of the filtered wavelength ranges.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein determining the temperature range comprises the substep of determining a peak wavelength range of the sensed infrared radiation within each wavelength range;

and

wherein the determined peak wavelength range is indicative of the temperature range of the wheel or bearing.

36. A method for detecting a temperature range of railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track;

generating two or more wavelength ranges of the collected infrared radiation, wherein each generated wavelength range does not substantially overlap with any other generated wavelength range;

sensing infrared radiation within each of the infrared wavelength ranges;

generating a corresponding signal indicative of the sensed infrared radiation for each wavelength range;

determining a peak wavelength range from the generated signals, wherein the peak wavelength range is indicative of a temperature range of the wheel or bearing; and

generating an alarm signal when the determined peak wavelength range is less than or equal to a predefined wavelength.

37. An apparatus for detecting a temperature of a railroad train wheel or bearing wherein infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing of a train traversing a railroad track is indicative of a temperature of the wheel or bearing, the apparatus comprising:

a sensor for sensing infrared radiation radiating from the wheel or bearing within two or more infrared wavelength ranges and generating signals indicative of the sensed infrared radiation in each of the wavelength ranges; and

a processor determining a temperature of the wheel or bearing from the generated signals.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the processor determines the temperature of the wheel or bearing by determining a peak wavelength of the sensed infrared radiation and wherein the determined peak wavelength is indicative of the temperature of the wheel or bearing.