System for monitoring track transportation

• US 20100252692A1
• Filed: 04/01/2009
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Nano-Technology Application Corp.
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Nano-Technology Application Corp.
• Inventors: Tsai, Hong-I
• Granted Patent: US 8,155,808 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 246/121
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/042 Track changes detection
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/53 for trackside elements or systems, e.g. trackside supervision of trackside control system conditions

Abstract

A system for monitoring track transportation to determine an abnormal status of a track is disclosed. The system includes at least one sensing module arranged at a predetermined monitoring point of the track, and each sensing module includes at least one force sensing unit and vibration sensing unit. A track status signal processing circuit is electrically connected to the sensing module for receiving the time domain force-related signal and time domain vibration-related signal, and these signals are converted to the digital signals. The digital signals are transferred to a signal calculating and processing unit, which includes a time domain/frequency domain force-related signal converting circuit, a time domain/frequency domain vibration-related signal converting circuit, and a frequency response function calculating unit. The frequency response function calculating unit divides the frequency domain vibration-related signal into frequency domain force-related signal to generate an input-output response frequency spectrum signal for determining an abnormal status of the track.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a track transportation, comprising:

at least one sensing module arranged at a predetermined monitoring point of the track, each sensing module comprising;

at least one force sensing unit for detecting a force signal generated from a vehicle passing through a predetermined monitoring point of the track where the force sensing unit being arranged, and accordingly generating a time domain force-related signal;

at least one vibration sensing unit for detecting a vibration signal generated from a vehicle passing through a predetermined monitoring point of the track where the vibration sensing unit being arranged, and accordingly generating a time domain vibration-related signal;

a track status signal processing circuit electrically connected to the sensing module for receiving the time domain force-related signal detected by the force sensing unit so as to convert to a digital frequency domain force-related signal, and receiving the time domain vibration-related signal detected by the vibration sensing unit so as to convert to a digital frequency domain vibration-related signal; and

a signal calculating and processing unit electrically connected to the track status signal processing circuit for receiving the frequency domain force-related signal detected by the force sensing unit and the frequency domain vibration-related signal detected by the vibration sensing unit so as to convert to an input-output response frequency spectrum signal.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal calculating and processing unit comprises:

a time domain/frequency domain force-related signal converting circuit for receiving the digital time domain force-related signal transferred from track status signal processing circuit, so as to convert to a frequency domain force-related signal;

a time domain/frequency domain vibration-related signal converting circuit for receiving the digital time domain vibration-related signal transferred from track status signal processing circuit, so as to convert to a frequency domain vibration-related signal; and

a frequency response function calculating unit for receiving the frequency domain force-related signal generated from the time domain/frequency domain force-related signal converting circuit and the frequency domain vibration-related signal generated from the time domain/frequency domain vibration-related signal converting circuit, so as to generate an input-output response frequency spectrum signal.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal calculating and processing unit is further connected to a shift reference storage device for storing a predetermined shift reference, and the predetermined shift reference comprises a natural frequency shift, response shift and dynamic stiffness shift.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal calculating and processing unit further comprises a dynamic signal recording device for recording the frequency domain force-related signal, the frequency vibration-related signal, and the input-output response frequency spectrum signal generated from the frequency response function calculating unit.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vibration sensing unit comprises an acceleration sensing unit, and the time domain vibration-related signal generated from the acceleration sensing unit is an acceleration time domain signal.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the force axis of the force sensing unit is perpendicular to an extending direction of the track, so as to detect the time domain force-related signal of the track applied a vertical force.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vibration sensing unit comprises a first axis direction vibration sensing unit attached to the sensing module in a first axis direction, and the force axis of the first axis direction vibration sensing unit is parallel to the extending direction of the track.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the vibration sensing unit further comprises a second axis direction vibration sensing unit attached to the sensing module in a second axis direction, and the force axis of the second axis direction vibration sensing unit is horizontally perpendicular to the extending direction of the track.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the vibration sensing unit further comprises a third axis direction vibration sensing unit attached to the sensing module in a third axis direction, and the force axis of the third axis direction vibration sensing unit is perpendicular to the extending direction of the track.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal calculating and processing unit is further connected to a strain sensor, so as to detect a strain signal of the vehicle that passes through the predetermined monitoring point of the strain sensor being arranged.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each sensor module is arranged at the predetermined monitoring point of the track with a predetermined distance from each other.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the track status signal processing circuit comprises:

a filter circuit electrically connected to the sensing module and configured to filter the time domain force-related signal detected by the force sensing unit and the time domain vibration-related signal detected by the vibration sensing unit;

an amplifier circuit electrically connected to the filter circuit and configured to amplify the time domain force-related signal being filtered, and amplify the time domain vibration-related signal being filtered; and

an analog to digital converter electrically connected to the amplifier circuit and configured to convert the time domain force-related signal being filtered and amplified to a digital time domain force-related signal, and convert the time domain vibration-related signal being filtered and amplified to a digital time domain vibration-related signal.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the track status signal processing circuit further comprises a gain regulation circuit electrically connected to the amplifier circuit, so as to regulate a gain value of the amplifier circuit.