Detecting rail defects
First Claim
1. A method of detecting defects in a railway track rail, the rail having a longitudinal centre plane and a surface, the surface including a running surface, the method comprising directing an excitation laser beam to an excitation position on the surface of the rail to induce an ultrasonic wave in the rail;
- and directing a detection laser beam to a detection position on the surface of the rail to detect at least one predetermined property of the induced ultrasonic wave;
characterised in that the excitation position and the detection position are located on the running surface and displaced from the longitudinal centre plane of the rail.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of detecting defects in a railway track rail, the rail (101) having a longitudinal centre plane and a surface, the surface including a running surface (102), the method comprising directing an excitation laser beam (106) to an excitation position (103) on the surface of the rail (101) to induce an ultrasonic wave in the rail (101); and directing a detection laser beam (108) to a detection position (104) on the surface of the rail (101) to detect at least one predetermined property of the induced ultrasonic wave; wherein the excitation position (103) and the detection position (104) are located on the running surface (102) and displaced from the longitudinal centre plane of the rail (101).
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of detecting defects in a railway track rail, the rail having a longitudinal centre plane and a surface, the surface including a running surface, the method comprising
directing an excitation laser beam to an excitation position on the surface of the rail to induce an ultrasonic wave in the rail; - and
directing a detection laser beam to a detection position on the surface of the rail to detect at least one predetermined property of the induced ultrasonic wave;
characterised in that the excitation position and the detection position are located on the running surface and displaced from the longitudinal centre plane of the rail. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus for detecting defects in a railway track rail, the rail having a longitudinal centre plane and a surface, the surface including a running surface, the apparatus comprising
an excitation laser arrangement adapted to direct an excitation laser beam to an excitation position on the surface of the rail to induce an ultrasonic wave in the rail; -
and a detection laser arrangement adapted to direct a detection laser beam to a detection position on the surface of the rail to detect a predetermined property of the induced ultrasonic wave;
characterised in that the excitation laser arrangement and the detection laser arrangement are arranged to direct the excitation laser beam and the detection laser beam to respective excitation and detection positions located on the running surface and displaced from the longitudinal centre plane of the rail. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A method of detecting defects in a railway track rail, the method comprising
obtaining a first ultrasonic waveform corresponding to an ultrasonic wave induced into a first rail segment; -
dividing the first ultrasonic waveform into a set of waveform segments;
determining at least a first waveform parameter indicative of at least one predetermined property of a first waveform segment;
determining the first waveform segment as being indicative of the presence or absence of a rail defect in the first rail segment by comparing the determined first waveform parameter with at least one reference waveform parameter. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A data processing system comprising
means for obtaining a first ultrasonic waveform corresponding to an ultrasonic wave induced into a first rail segment; and processing means adapted to divide the first ultrasonic waveform into a set of waveform segments;
determine at least a first waveform parameter indicative of at least one predetermined property of a first waveform segment;
determine the first waveform segment as being indicative of the presence or absence of a rail defect in the first rail segment by comparing the determined first waveform parameter with at least one reference waveform parameter.
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25. A computer program comprising program code means for performing the steps of when said program is run on a computer of
obtaining a first ultrasonic waveform corresponding to an ultrasonic wave induced into a first rail segment; -
dividing the first ultrasonic waveform into a set of waveform segments;
determining at least a first waveform parameter indicative of at least one predetermined property of a first waveform segment;
determining the first waveform segment as being indicative of the presence or absence of a rail defect in the first rail segment by comparing the determined first waveform parameter with at least one reference waveform parameter.
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26. A computer program product comprising program code means stored on a computer readable medium for performing the method when said computer program product is run on a computer comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a first ultrasonic waveform corresponding to an ultrasonic wave induced into a first rail segment;
dividing the first ultrasonic waveform into a set of waveform segments;
determining at least a first waveform parameter indicative of at least one predetermined property of a first waveform segment;
determining the first waveform segment as being indicative of the presence or absence of a rail defect in the first rail segment by comparing the determined first waveform parameter with at least one reference waveform parameter.
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Specification