Infrared-Based Vehicle Component Imaging and Analysis

• US 20160003678A1
• Filed: 09/14/2015
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Electronic Machines Corp.
• Original Assignee: International Electronic Machines Corp.
• Inventors: Mian, Zahid F., Gamache, Ronald W., Baliga, Shankar B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,054,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/06 by detecting or indicating heat radiation from overheated axles
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 1/20 Safety arrangements for preventing or indicating malfunction of the device, e.g. by leakage current, by lightning
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/57 for vehicles or trains, e.g. trackside supervision of train conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4228 arrangements with two or more detectors, e.g. for sensitivity compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0033 Wheel
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0022 for sensing the radiation of moving bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/026 Control of working procedures of a pyrometer, other than calibration; Bandwidth calculation; Gain control
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/061 by controlling the temperature of the apparatus or parts thereof, e.g. using cooling means or thermostats
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/08 in rotary movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 25/72 Investigating presence of flaws

Abstract

An improved system for evaluating one or more components of a vehicle is provided. The system includes a set of imaging devices configured to acquire image data based on infrared emissions of at least one vehicle component of the vehicle as it moves through a field of view of at least one of the set of imaging devices. An imaging device in the set of imaging devices can include a linear array of photoconductor infrared detectors and a thermoelectric cooler for maintaining an operating temperature of the linear array of detectors at a target operating temperature. The infrared emissions can be within at least one of: the mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) radiation spectrum or the long wavelength infrared (LWIR) radiation spectrum.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an imaging device configured to acquire infrared-based image data corresponding to at least one vehicle component of a vehicle moving through a field of view of the imaging device, wherein the imaging device includes an infrared detector and a temperature element for maintaining an operating temperature of the infrared detector at a target operating temperature, wherein the temperature element comprises a multi-stage cooler configured to maintain the target operating temperature between approximately −

80 degrees Celsius and approximately −

25 degrees Celsius, and wherein the infrared-based image data is at least partially based on infrared within the mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) radiation spectrum; and

a computer system for evaluating the at least one vehicle component based on the infrared-based image data, wherein the evaluating includes;

generating temperature distribution data for the at least one vehicle component based on the infrared-based image data acquired by the imaging device; and

evaluating the at least one vehicle component using the temperature distribution data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the infrared detector is a lead selenide detector, and wherein the imaging device is capable of acquiring infrared image data at a rate of at least approximately two thousand frames per second.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second imaging device, wherein one of the imaging device or the second imaging device is configured to acquire infrared-based image data including a central region of a wheel of the moving vehicle, and the other of the imaging device or the second imaging device is configured to acquire infrared-based image data including an outer region of the wheel of the moving vehicle, wherein the imaging device and the second imaging device acquire infrared-based image data for distinct regions of the wheel.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the image data including the central region of the wheel includes at least two times a number of infrared pixels as the image data including the outer region of the wheel.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging device is located adjacent to a rail on which the vehicle is moving.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging device is located adjacent to a road on which the vehicle is moving, and wherein the vehicle can be moving up to at least approximately seventy miles per hour while the imaging device acquires the image data.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second imaging device including a second infrared detector configured to generate infrared-based image data at least partially based on infrared, and wherein the infrared are further within the long wavelength infrared (LWIR) radiation spectrum.

8. A system for evaluating a vehicle moving at any speed in a range of speeds including a maximum main line operating speed of the vehicle, the system comprising:

an imaging device configured to acquire infrared-based image data corresponding to at least one vehicle component of the vehicle moving through a field of view of the imaging device, wherein the imaging device includes a high speed lead selenide infrared detector and a temperature element maintaining an operating temperature of the high speed infrared detector at a target operating temperature, wherein the target operating temperature for the lead selenide infrared detector is between approximately −

80 degrees Celsius and approximately −

25 degrees Celsius, and wherein the infrared-based image data is at least partially based on infrared within the mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) radiation spectrum; and

means for evaluating the at least one vehicle component using the infrared-based image data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the imaging device is capable of acquiring infrared image data at a rate of at least approximately two thousand frames per second.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the temperature element comprises a multi-stage cooler configured to precisely control the operating temperature.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the means for evaluating includes a computer system for evaluating the at least one vehicle component based on the image data, wherein the evaluating includes:

generating temperature measurement data based on the image data acquired by the imaging device; and

evaluating the at least one vehicle component using the temperature measurement data.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the imaging device comprises a linear array of photoconductor infrared detectors configured to acquire image data corresponding to only a central region of a wheel of the moving vehicle.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a second imaging device, wherein the second imaging device is configured to acquire image data corresponding to only an outer region of the wheel of the moving vehicle, wherein the second imaging device comprises a linear array of photoconductor infrared detectors.

14. A system for evaluating a vehicle moving at any speed in a range of speeds including a maximum main line operating speed of the vehicle, the system comprising:

a plurality of imaging devices configured to acquire infrared-based image data corresponding to distinct regions of the vehicle, wherein the plurality of imaging devices includes at least two imaging devices including;

a high speed linear array of photoconductor infrared detectors; and

a temperature element for maintaining an operating temperature of the linear array of photoconductor infrared detectors at a target operating temperature between approximately −

80 degrees Celsius and approximately −

25 degrees Celsius, and wherein the infrared-based image data is at least partially based on infrared within at least one of;

the mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) radiation spectrum or the long wavelength infrared (LWIR) radiation spectrum; and

means for evaluating the at least one vehicle component using the infrared-based image data.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the temperature element of at least one of the at least two imaging devices comprises a multi-stage cooler configured to precisely control the target operating temperature.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the distinct regions of the vehicle correspond to distinct regions of a component of the vehicle, and wherein a size of the linear array of photoconductor infrared detectors for each of the at least two imaging devices differ by a factor of at least two.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the vehicle is one of:

a road vehicle traveling up to at least approximately seventy miles per hour or a rail vehicle traveling up to at least approximately four hundred fifty kilometers per hour.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising a computer system for evaluating the at least one vehicle component based on the image data, wherein the evaluating includes:

generating temperature measurement data based on the image data acquired by the plurality of imaging devices; and

evaluating the at least one vehicle component using the temperature measurement data.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the evaluating determines a presence of at least one overheating component.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the high speed linear array of photoconductor infrared detectors includes at least one of:

lead selenide photoconductor infrared detectors or mercury cadmium telluride photoconductor infrared detectors.