SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ANALYZING ROLLING STOCK WHEELS

• US 20090040503A1
• Filed: 07/17/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wabtec Control Systems Pty. Ltd. (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lynxrail Corporation (Lynx Engineering Consultants Pty Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hall, Stuart, Kilian, Krzysztof, Mazur, Vladimir
• Granted Patent: US 8,289,526 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/23
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/12 Measuring or surveying wheel-rims measuring techniques G01
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/57 for vehicles or trains, e.g. trackside supervision of train conditions

Abstract

An exemplary system and method for analyzing rolling stock wheels helps allow a wheel to be analyzed at speed, reducing any need for manual inspections or other related delays. An exemplary system may include one or more strobe lights and one or more high-speed cameras to capture images of the rolling stock wheel(s) at speed. The images may include one or more markers to assist in analyzing various parameters of the rolling stock wheel. The exemplary system may include one or more backface illumination plates to assist in illuminating the rolling stock wheel(s) and/or the one or more marker(s).

Claims

1. A system for capturing, measuring and analyzing rolling stock wheel parameters, comprising:

a first flange camera provided adjacent a track side of a first rail, wherein the first flange camera is positioned to capture an image of at least a portion of a first wheel above the first rail;

a first inside rim camera provided adjacent a track side of a second rail, wherein the first inside rim camera is positioned to capture an image of at least a portion of the first wheel;

a first outside rim camera provided adjacent a field side of the first rail, wherein the first outside rim camera is positioned to capture an image of at least a portion of the first wheel including at least a portion of an internal diameter of the first wheel;

at least one strobe light positioned to help illuminate at least a portion of the first wheel; and

at least one backface illumination plate provided adjacent the track side of the first rail and positioned to reflect light toward the first wheel.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one sensor in communication with at least one of the first flange camera, first inside rim camera and first outside rim camera; and

at least one marker positioned to be at least partially included in an image captured by at least one of the first flange camera, first inside rim camera and first outside rim camera.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data processing unit in communication with at least one of the first flange camera, first inside rim camera and first outside rim camera.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising;

a second flange camera provided adjacent the track side of the second rail, wherein the second flange camera is positioned to capture an image of at least a portion of a second wheel above the second rail;

a second inside rim camera provided adjacent the track side of the first rail, wherein the second inside rim camera is position to capture an image of at least a portion of the second wheel;

a second outside rim camera provided adjacent a field side of the second rail, wherein the second outside rim camera is positioned to capture an image of at least a portion of the second wheel including at least a portion of an internal diameter of the second wheel;

at least one strobe light positioned to help illuminate at least a portion of the second wheel; and

at least one backface illumination plate provided adjacent the track side of the second rail and positioned to reflect light toward the second wheel.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

at least one sensor in communication with at least one of the first flange camera, first inside rim camera, first outside rim camera, second flange camera, second inside rim camera and second outside rim camera; and

at least one marker positioned to be at least partially included in an image captured by at least one of the first flange camera, first inside rim camera, first outside rim camera, second flange camera, second inside rim camera and second outside rim camera.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising a data processing unit in communication with at least one of the first flange camera, first inside rim camera, first outside rim camera, second flange camera, second inside rim camera and second outside rim camera.

7. A method of capturing, measuring and analyzing rolling stock wheel parameters, comprising:

reflecting light toward a first wheel with a backface illumination plate provided adjacent a track side of a first rail;

capturing an image of at least a portion of the first wheel above the first rail with a first flange camera provided adjacent the track side of the first rail;

capturing an image of at least a portion of the first wheel above the first rail with a first inside rim camera provided adjacent a track side of a second rail; and

capturing an image of at least a portion of the first wheel above the first rail, including at least a portion of an internal diameter of the first wheel, with a first outside rim camera provided adjacent a field side of the first rail.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sensing the presence of the first wheel above the first rail with a sensor in communication with at least one of the first flange camera, first inside rim camera and first outside rim camera; and

positioning at least one marker to be at least partially included in at least one of the image captured by the first flange camera, the image captured by the first inside rim camera and the image captured by the first outside rim camera.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting at least one of the image captured by the first flange camera, the image captured by the first inside rim camera and the image captured by the first outside rim camera, to a data processing unit.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

reflecting light toward a second wheel with a backface illumination plate provided adjacent the track side of the second rail;

capturing an image of at least a portion of the second wheel above the second rail with a second flange camera provided adjacent the track side of the second rail

capturing an image of at least a portion of the second wheel above the second rail with a second inside rim camera provided adjacent the track side of the first rail; and

capturing an image of at least a portion of the second wheel above the second rail, including at least a portion of an internal diameter of the second wheel, with a second outside rim camera provided adjacent a field side of the second rail.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

sensing the presence of at least one of the first wheel above the first rail and the second wheel above the second rail with a sensor in communication with at least one of the first flange camera, first inside rim camera, first outside rim camera, second flange camera, second inside rim camera and second outside rim camera; and

positioning at least one marker to be at least partially included in at least one of the image captured by the first flange camera, the image captured by the first inside rim camera, the image captured by the first outside rim camera, the image captured by the second flange camera, the image captured by the second inside rim camera and the image captured by the second outside rim camera.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting at least one of the image captured by the first flange camera, the image captured by the first inside rim camera, the image captured by the first outside rim camera, the image captured by the second flange camera, the image captured by the second inside rim camera and the image captured by the second outside rim camera, to a data processing unit.

13. A method of providing a system for capturing, measuring and analyzing rolling stock wheel parameters, comprising:

positioning and orienting a first flange camera adjacent a track side of a first rail to capture an image of at least a portion of a first wheel above the first rail;

positioning and orienting a first inside rim camera adjacent a track side of a second rail to capture an image of at least a portion of the first wheel above the first rail;

positioning and orienting a first outside rim camera adjacent a field side of the first rail to capture an image of at least a portion of the first wheel above the first rail;

positioning and orienting at least one strobe light, such that the at least one strobe light helps illuminate at least a portion of the first wheel; and

positioning and orienting at least one backface illuminate plate adjacent the track side of the first rail to reflect light toward the first wheel.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing at least one sensor, which is in communication with at least one of the first flange camera, first inside rim camera and first outside rim camera; and

positioning at least one marker, such that the at least one marker is at least partially visible in an image captured by at least one of the first flange camera, first inside rim camera and first outside rim camera.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing a data processing unit, which is in communication with at least one of the first flange camera, first inside rim camera and first outside rim camera.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

positioning and orienting a second flange camera adjacent the track side of the second rail to capture an image of at least a portion of a second wheel above the second rail;

positioning and orienting a second inside rim camera adjacent the track side of the first rail to capture an image of at least a portion of the second wheel above the second rail;

positioning and orienting a second outside rim camera adjacent a field side of the second rail to capture an image of at least a portion of the second wheel above the second rail;

positioning and orienting at least one strobe light, such that the at least one strobe light helps illuminate at least a portion of the second wheel; and

positioning and orienting at least one backface illuminate plate adjacent the track side of the second rail to reflect light toward the second wheel.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

providing at least one sensor, which is in communication with at least one of the first flange camera, first inside rim camera, first outside rim camera, second flange camera, second inside rim camera and second outside rim camera; and

positioning at least one marker, such that the at least one marker is at least partially visible in an image captured by at least one of the first flange camera, first inside rim camera, first outside rim camera, second flange camera, second inside rim camera and second outside rim camera.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a data processing unit, which is in communication with at least one of the first flange camera, first inside rim camera, first outside rim camera, second flange camera, second inside rim camera and second outside rime camera.