SYSTEM, METHOD AND KIT FOR MEASURING A DISTANCE WITHIN A RAILROAD SYSTEM

• US 20090192758A1
• Filed: 01/24/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Pelletier, Brad
• Granted Patent: US 7,716,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/158
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/08 Measuring installations for surveying permanent way applications of measuring apparatus or devices for track building purposes E01B35/00; measuring techniques G01
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/041 Obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/047 Track or rail movements

Abstract

A system is provided for measuring a distance within a railroad system. The railroad system includes a rail vehicle having a plurality of pairs of wheels, where the plurality of pairs of wheels are in respective contact with a pair of rails. The system further includes a transducer positioned on an outer surface location of the rail vehicle. The transducer is configured to emit a signal to an object located the distance away from the transducer. The transducer is configured to receive the signal having reflected from the object along the distance to the transducer. The system further includes a controller coupled to the transducer to receive transmission and reception data of the signal to determine the distance. A method is also provided for measuring a distance within a railroad system, as well as a kit for converting a rail vehicle from a first configuration to a second configuration.

Claims

1. A system for measuring a distance on a railroad system, said combination comprising:

a rail vehicle configured to travel along a pair of rails;

a transducer positioned on an outer surface location of said rail vehicle, said transducer configured to emit a signal to an object located a distance from said transducer, said transducer configured to receive said signal having reflected from said object along said distance to said transducer; and

a controller coupled to said transducer to receive transmission and reception data of said signal to determine said distance.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said rail vehicle is a locomotive, said transducer is configured to emit a plurality of signals along said distance, said transducer being configured to provide transmission and reception data of said signals along said distance to said controller.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a display coupled to the controller, said display being configured to show a dimensional image of said object based upon said transmission and reception data, said display including a fixed coordinate axis.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein a respective transducer is positioned at said respective outer surface location, said respective outer surface location is a respective undersurface of each side of said locomotive, said respective undersurface being positioned toward one of a front end and back end of said locomotive from said pair of wheels.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said respective transducer is respectively aligned to direct said signals toward said pair of rails, said distance is between each transducer and a respective rail, said object for each respective transducer is said pair of rails, and said rail includes a vertical beam coupled to a horizontal rail beam.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said respective transducer is respectively aligned above an inner edge portion of said respective rail, said respective transducer being respectively aligned to direct said signals toward said inner edge portion of said respective rail, said object for each respective transducer is said inner edge portion of said respective rail.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said inner edge portion is positioned a respective first and second threshold distance outward from an inner edge of said respective rail.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said controller includes a calibration mode, said controller is configured to switch into said calibration mode prior to the commencement of a trip by said locomotive, such that a calibrated dimensional image of one of said plurality of rails on said display is centered with the center of said horizontal rail beam being positioned at a fixed location of a fixed coordinate axis using a control panel of said display.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein control panel is configured to input a fixed width of said respective rail, said controller is configured to display said calibrated dimensional image of said respective rail based upon said fixed width and said transmission and reception data from said respective transducer aligned above said inner edge portion.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said controller includes a monitoring mode, said controller is configured to switch out of said calibration mode and into said monitoring mode, said controller is configured to activate said transducer to emit said plurality of signals as said locomotive propels along said pair of rails, said controller being configured to utilize said transmission and reception data obtained during said monitoring mode to determine respective distance for each respective signal as said locomotive propels along said pair of rails.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said display is configured to show at least one subsequent dimensional image of said object at one of a regular time interval or distance interval as said locomotive propels along said pair of rails, each subsequent dimensional image being based upon said transmission and reception data as said locomotive propels along said pair of rails.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein for said transmission and reception data and said subsequent dimensional image obtained during said monitoring mode, said controller is configured to determine a rail shift based upon a gap along said dimensional image between said fixed location of said fixed coordinate axis and said center of said horizontal rail beam.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said controller is configured to emit an alert signal to an alert indicator upon measuring a rail shift which exceeds said respective first and second threshold distance.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said rail shift exceeding said respective first and second threshold distance is based upon said transducer being misaligned with said inner edge portion of said respective rail during said monitoring mode, said transmission and reception data being indicative of a distance greater than said distance between said transducer and said inner edge portion during said calibration mode.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the rail vehicle includes a plurality of wheels that engage the rails for travel of the rail vehicle along the rails, said distance is the diameter of said wheels, said outer surface location is one of an undersurface of one side of said rail vehicle or an outer portion of one of said wheels, said transducer is oriented toward said respective rail, and said object is one rail of said pair of rails.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said rail vehicle propels along said pair of rails in a direction toward a back end of said rail vehicle, said distance lies between an obstruction object beyond said back end of said rail vehicle and said transducer, said outer surface location is any location adjacent to said back end, said transducer is orientated in the direction of travel of said rail vehicle, and said object is said obstruction object.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said transducer is an ultrasonic transducer, said signal is a high frequency pulse having a frequency greater than 25 kHz.

15. (canceled)

19. A method for measuring a distance on a railroad system, said method comprising:

providing a rail vehicle configured to travel along a pair of rails;

positioning a transducer on an outer surface location of said rail vehicle, said transducer being configured to emit a signal to an object located said distance from said transducer;

configuring said transducer to receive said signal having reflected from said object along said distance to said transducer; and

coupling a controller to said transducer to receive transmission and reception data of said signal to determine said distance.

20. A kit for converting a rail vehicle from a first configuration to a second configuration, said rail vehicle configured to travel along a pair of rails, said kit comprising:

a transducer configured to be positioned on an outer surface location of said rail vehicle, said transducer configured to emit a signal to an object located a distance from said transducer, said transducer configured to receive said signal having reflected from said object along said distance to said transducer; and

a controller configured to be installed within the rail vehicle and coupled to said transducer to receive transmission and reception data of said signal to determine said distance;

wherein when the kit is installed in said rail vehicle, the rail vehicle is converted from the first configuration to the second configuration, the second configuration having a different operational capability than the first configuration;

wherein the first configuration comprises manually determining said distance, said second configuration comprises automatically determining said distance using said transducer and said controller.