Wheel detection and classification system for railroad data network

• US 20080149782A1
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Services Corporation (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Becheri, Carlo, Biondi, Fabio, Orlandi, Stefano, Chiosi, Lorenzo, Tiwari, Arvind Kumar, Patil, Vageesh Kubatoor, Anbarasu, Ramasamy, Ramachandrapanicker, Somakumar, Bhat, Ramesh
• Granted Patent: US 7,959,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 246/246
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 1/08 magnetically actuated; electrostatically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 1/165 Electrical
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/125 of objects while moving

Abstract

A system for detecting and classifying a wheel of a rail vehicle traveling on a railway track includes a plurality of wheel detectors coupled to one rail of the railway track and configured to detect presence of the wheel and to generate signals representative thereof. A processing system is coupled to the wheel detectors and configured to receive and process the signals. The processing system is configured to classify the wheel based on a speed independent classification value calculated based on the signals from the wheel detectors.

Claims

1. A system for detecting and classifying a wheel of a rail vehicle traveling on a railway track comprising:

a plurality of wheel detectors coupled to one rail of the railway track and configured to detect presence of the wheel and to generate signals representative thereof; and

a processing system coupled to the wheel detectors and configured to receive and process the signals;

wherein the processing system is configured to classify the wheel based on a speed independent classification value calculated based on the signals from the wheel detectors.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one power source coupled to the wheel detectors and configured to supply electric power to the wheel detectors.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to verify classification of the wheel based on the transit movement of the rail vehicle on the railway track.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processing system is configured to disqualify classification of the wheel based on the transit movement of the rail vehicle on the railway track.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to calculate a pulse width of the signals from each wheel detector.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processing system is configured to calculate a mid-point of the signals from each wheel detector.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processing system is configured to calculate a time difference based on the mid-point of the signals from each wheel detector.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the wheel detectors comprise a first wheel detector and a second wheel detector;

and wherein the processing system is configured to calculate a first center point and a second center point of the signals from the first wheel detector and the second wheel detector, respectively.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processing system is configured to calculate a velocity of the wheel based on the time difference and a distance between the first center point and the second center point.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing system is configured to calculate a speed independent classification value based on the velocity of the wheel and the pulse width of the signal from each wheel detector.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing system is configured to compare the speed independent classification value with a threshold wheel classification value to classify the wheel;

and wherein the wheel is classified as a locomotive wheel when the speed independent classification value is greater than the threshold wheel classification value.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing system is configured to estimate a magnetic sweep length of the signals from the wheel detectors.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing system is configured to determine a diameter of the wheel based on a magnetic sweep length of the signals.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing system is configured to determine a wheel classification plane based on the speed independent classification value, the velocity of the wheel, and the diameter of the wheel.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing system is configured to compare a number of wheels of the rail vehicle to a threshold wheel count limit to classify the wheel;

and wherein the wheel is classified as a locomotive wheel when the number of wheels of the rail vehicle is greater than the threshold wheel count limit.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing system is configured to compare a distance between adjacent wheels of the rail vehicle to a threshold distance limit;

and wherein the wheel is classified as a locomotive wheel when the distance between adjacent wheels is greater than the threshold distance limit and as a trolley wheel when the distance between mutually adjacent wheels is smaller than the threshold distance limit.

17. A system for detecting a wheel size of at least one wheel of a rail vehicle traveling on a railway track comprising:

a plurality of wheel detectors coupled to one rail of the railway track and configured to detect presence of the wheel and to generate signals representative thereof; and

a processing system coupled to the wheel detectors and configured to receive and process the signals;

wherein the processing system is configured to determine a diameter of the wheel based on a magnetic sweep length of the signals.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing system is configured to calculate a pulse width of the signals from each wheel detector.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processing system is configured to calculate the pulse width of the signals from each wheel detector based on a wheel detector excitation frequency.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing system is configured to monitor operating condition of the plurality of wheel detectors based on the ratio of magnetic sweep length of the signals from the wheel detectors.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing system is configured to determine wheel wear based on the magnetic sweep length of the signals from the wheel detectors.

22. A system for verifying classification of at least one wheel of a rail vehicle traveling on a railway track comprising:

a plurality wheel detectors coupled to one rail of the railway track and configured to detect presence of the wheel and to generate signals representative thereof; and

a processing system coupled to the wheel detectors and configured to receive and process the signals;

wherein the processing system is configured to verify classification of the wheel based on the signals from the wheel detectors.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the processing system is configured to suppress classification of the wheel based on the transit movement of the rail vehicle on the railway track;

wherein the wheel is a trolley wheel.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the processing system is configured to classify a first wheel as a first potential trolley wheel when an occupation length of the first wheel is less than a threshold length limit and an axle speed of the first wheel is less than a threshold speed limit.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the processing system is configured to classify a second wheel as a second potential trolley wheel when an occupation length of the second wheel is less than the threshold length limit and an axle speed of the second wheel is less than the threshold speed limit.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the processing system is configured to identify and suppress classification of the first and second potential trolley wheels when a distance between the first and second potential trolley wheels is less than a threshold distance limit.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the processing system is configured to classify the wheel as a locomotive wheel when an occupation length of the wheel is greater than a threshold length limit and an axle speed of the wheel is less than a threshold speed limit.

28. A method for verifying classification of at least one wheel of a rail vehicle traveling on a railway track comprising:

generating signals representative of presence of the wheel via a plurality of wheel detectors;

transmitting the signals from the plurality of wheel detectors to a processing system; and

processing the signals from the plurality of wheel detectors to verify classification of the wheel.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising suppressing classification of the wheel based on the transit movement of the rail vehicle on the railway track;

wherein the wheel is a trolley wheel.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising classifying a first wheel as a first potential trolley wheel when an occupation length of the first wheel is less than a threshold length limit and an axle speed of the first wheel is less than a threshold speed limit.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising classifying a second wheel as a second potential trolley wheel when an occupation length of the second wheel is less than the threshold length limit and an axle speed of the second wheel is less than the threshold speed limit.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising identifying and suppressing classification of the first and second potential trolley wheels when a distance between the first and second potential trolley wheels is less than a threshold distance limit.