Train Wheel Bearing Temperature Detection

• US 20100155543A1
• Filed: 03/03/2010
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel Kurt Stevens, Mathias Hartmann, Miles Metschke, Peter Hesser, Thomas Shanahan, Thomas Strecker
• Original Assignee: Daniel Kurt Stevens, Mathias Hartmann, Miles Metschke, Peter Hesser, Thomas Shanahan, Thomas Strecker
• Inventors: Hartmann, Mathias, Stevens, Daniel Kurt, Strecker, Thomas, Hesser, Peter, Shanahan, Thomas, Metschke, Miles
• Granted Patent: US 8,622,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 246/169.D
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/06 by detecting or indicating heat radiation from overheated axles
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 17/243 related to temperature and heat, e.g. for preventing overheating
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0022 for sensing the radiation of moving bodies

Abstract

A system (10) for sensing a condition of a rail vehicle undercarriage component (e.g., 18) includes a sensor (e.g., 12) comprising an array of infrared sensing elements (29). Each of the elements may be aimed at a different region of a target area (e.g., 32) of a rail vehicle undercarriage component to generate respective scanning waveform signature data corresponding to each different region. The sensor may be oriented so that at least one of the elements receives unobstructed infrared emissions (e.g., 33) from the undercarriage component of a rail vehicle passing the sensor. The system also includes a memory (42) for storing characteristic waveform signature data corresponding to known undercarriage components. In addition, the system includes a processor (40) for processing the scanning waveform signature data with respect to the characteristic waveform signature data stored in memory to identify a type of the rail vehicle undercarriage component being scanned and to extract information indicative of a health condition of the rail vehicle undercarriage component being identified.

Claims

1. Computer readable media containing program instructions for determining a condition of a rail vehicle undercarriage component exhibiting a scanned waveform signature corresponding to a type of the component in response to being scanned by a sensor, the computer readable media comprising:

a computer program code for acquiring scanned waveform signature data corresponding to a rail vehicle undercarriage component being scanned by a sensor;

a computer program code for identifying a type of the rail vehicle undercarriage component based on the received scanned waveform signature data; and

a computer program code for processing the acquired scanned waveform signature data to determine a condition of the component based on an identified type of component

2. A suspension apparatus for a hollow railway sleeper housing rail wheel undercarriage sensing equipment, the sleeper having a shell defining an equipment suspension cavity;

a cover enclosing the equipment suspension cavity; and

an equipment carrier disposed within the cavity, the suspension apparatus comprising;

a cover attachment portion for attachment to the cover;

an equipment carrier attachment portion spaced away from the cover attachment portion for attachment to the equipment carrier; and

a deformable element disposed between the cover attachment portion and the equipment carrier attachment portion for allowing relative movement between the cover and the equipment carrier so that the equipment carrier is isolated from vibration and shock imparted to the sleeper.

3. The suspension apparatus of claim 2, wherein the deformable element comprises a radially deformable tubular element longitudinally disposed between the cover attachment portion and the equipment carrier attachment portion.

4. The suspension apparatus of claim 3, wherein the radially deformable tubular element comprises a spring.

5. The suspension apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a limiting member limiting deformation of the deformable element.

6. The suspension apparatus of claim 2, wherein the limiting member comprises a tubular member having a “

C”

shaped cross section longitudinally disposed partially around the deformable element.