Method and system for processing rail inspection test data

• US 6,594,591 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2002
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sperry Rail Inc. (Rockwood Service Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sperry Rail Inc. (Rockwood Service Corporation)
• Inventors: Clark, Robin, Boyle, Jeffery L., LaMacchia, Brewster W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nghiem, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, JOHN H
• Application Number:
  US10/043,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20020099507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 702/33, 702/35, 702/36, 702/39, 702/182, 702/184, 736/02, 736/32, 736/36, 324/217, 324/220, 714/220, 703/7
• US Class Current: 702/35
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 15/00 Other railway vehicles, e.g. scaffold cars; Adaptations of vehicles for use on railways conveyor frames mounted for movement on rail tracks B65G41/02; wheeled machines used in permanent way construction or maintenance E01B
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/10 for detecting cracks in rails or welds thereof

Abstract

A data processing system is provided for use in conjunction with a rail inspection system having a detection carriage with a plurality of sensor units configured to sense discontinuities in a rail of a railroad track as the detector carriage travels along the railroad track. The system includes a data processing and recording computer connectable to the plurality of sensor units for receiving sensor data therefrom. At least one processor card may be included in the data processing and recording computer that includes at least one data object builder configured for building data objects using the sensor data from the plurality of sensor units. The at least one processor card may also include device for synchronizing the data objects with respect to location along the rail. The system may further include a defect detection module in the data processing and recording computer. The defect detection module is in communication with the at least one data object builder and is configured for using the data objects to determine rail locations having suspected defects.

Claims

1. A data processing system for use in conjunction with a rail inspection system having a detection carriage with a plurality of sensor units configured to sense discontinuities in a rail of a railroad track as the detector carriage travels along the railroad track, the system comprising:

a data processing and recording computer connectable to the plurality of sensor units for receiving sensor data therefrom;

at least one processor card in the data processing and recording computer, the at least one processor card including at least one data object builder configured for building data objects using the sensor data from the plurality of sensor units and including means for synchronizing the data objects with respect to location along the rail; and

a defect detection module in the data processing and recording computer, the defect detection module being in communication with the at least one data object builder and being configured for using the data objects to determine rail locations having suspected defects.

2. A data processing system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensor units includes at least one ultrasonic sensor unit, the system further comprising:

an ultrasonic control computer in communication with the data processing and recording computer;

a receiver card in the ultrasonic control computer, the receiver card being connectable to at least one ultrasonic sensor unit for receiving ultrasonic sensor data therefrom, the receiver card including an ultrasonic data amplifier, an ultrasonic data digitizing module and an ultrasonic data sampling module; and

an ultrasonic interface board in the data processing and recording computer, the ultrasonic interface board being in communication with the receiver card.

3. A data processing system according to claim 2 wherein the at least one data object builder includes an ultrasonic data object builder in communication with the ultrasonic interface board.

4. A data processing system according to claim 2 further comprising a plurality of receiver cards in the ultrasonic control computer, the plurality of receiver cards being in communication with the ultrasonic interface board and being connectable to the at least one ultrasonic sensor unit for receiving ultrasonic sensor data therefrom, each of the plurality of receiver cards including an ultrasonic data amplifier, an ultrasonic data digitizing module and an ultrasonic data sampling module.

5. A data processing system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensor units includes at least one magnetic induction sensor unit, the system further comprising:

an induction data acquisition card in the data processing and recording computer, the induction data acquisition card including a digitizing module; and

an induction data sampling module on the at least one processor card, the induction data sampling module being in communication with the induction data acquisition card for receiving digitized induction data therefrom.

6. A data processing system according to claim 5 wherein the at least one data object builder includes an induction data object builder in communication with the induction data sampling module.

7. A data processing system according to claim 1 further comprising a setup file stored in the data processing and recording computer, the setup file including a set of defect detection rules usable by the defect detection module.

8. A data processing system for use in conjunction with a rail inspection system having a detection carriage with a magnetic induction sensor unit and an ultrasonic sensor unit configured to sense discontinuities in a rail of a railroad track as the detector carriage travels along the railroad track, the system comprising:

an ultrasonic control computer connectable to the ultrasonic sensor unit for receiving ultrasonic sensor data therefrom, the ultrasonic control computer including means for digitizing and sampling the ultrasonic sensor data;

a data processing and recording computer having an ultrasonic interface board in communication with the ultrasonic control computer and an induction data acquisition card that is connectable to the induction sensor unit for receiving induction sensor data therefrom; and

at least one processor card in the data processing and recording computer, the at least one processor card including an ultrasonic data object builder in communication with the ultrasonic interface board and an induction data object builder in communication with the induction data acquisition card.

9. A data processing system according to claim 8 wherein the ultrasonic data object builder includes means for synchronizing ultrasonic data objects with respect to location along the rail and the induction data object builder includes means for synchronizing induction data objects with respect to location along the rail.

10. A data processing system according to claim 8 further comprising a defect detection module in communication with the ultrasonic data object builder and the induction data object builder.

11. A data processing system according to claim 8 wherein the means for digitizing and sampling the ultrasonic sensor data includes a receiver card including an ultrasonic data amplifier, an ultrasonic data digitizing module and an ultrasonic data sampling module.

12. A data processing system according to claim 8 wherein the induction data acquisition card includes a digitizing module and the at least one processor card includes an induction data sampling module in communication with the induction data acquisition card and the induction data object builder.

13. A data processing system according to claim 8 further comprising a setup file stored in the data processing and recording computer, the setup file including a set of defect detection rules.

14. A data processing system for use in conjunction with a rail inspection system having a detection carriage with a magnetic induction sensor unit and an ultrasonic sensor unit configured to sense discontinuities in a rail of a railroad track as the detector carriage travels along the railroad track, the system comprising:

an ultrasonic control computer connectable to the ultrasonic sensor unit for receiving ultrasonic sensor data therefrom, the ultrasonic control computer including at least one receiver card including an ultrasonic data amplifier, an ultrasonic data digitizing module and an ultrasonic data sampling module;

a data processing and recording computer having an ultrasonic interface board in communication with the ultrasonic control computer and an induction data acquisition card that is connectable to the induction sensor unit for receiving induction sensor data therefrom, the induction data acquisition card including a digitizing module;

at least one processor card in the data processing and recording computer, the at least one processor card including an ultrasonic data object builder in communication with the ultrasonic interface board, an induction data sampling module in communication with the induction data acquisition card and an induction data object builder in communication with the induction data sampling module; and

a defect detection module in communication with the ultrasonic data object builder and the induction data object builder.

15. A data processing system according to claim 14 wherein the ultrasonic data object builder includes means for synchronizing ultrasonic data objects with respect to location along the rail and the induction data object builder includes means for synchronizing induction data objects with respect to location along the rail.

16. A data processing system according to claim 14 further comprising a setup file stored in the data processing and recording computer, the setup file including a set of defect detection rules.

17. In a rail inspection system, a method of identifying suspected rail defect locations, the rail inspection system having a data processing system in communication with a plurality of sensor units attached to a rail-traveling carriage, the sensor units being configured to sense discontinuities in a rail of a railroad track as the detector carriage travels along the railroad track, the method comprising:

propelling the detector carriage along the railroad track;

generating periodic synchronization pulses as a function of distance from a fixed reference point on the track, each synchronization pulse being assigned a synchronization pulse number;

obtaining sensor data for a plurality of rail locations, each rail location having an associated synchronization pulse number;

receiving the sensor data at the data processing system;

sampling the sensor data to create sensor data sets, each sensor data set including sensor data from one of the plurality of sensor units taken at one of the plurality of rail locations;

determining for each sensor data set whether the sensor data meets predetermined suspected defect criteria;

identify groups of spatially sequential data sets meeting the predetermined suspected defect criteria, each group including sensor data from only one of the plurality of sensor units, the data sets of each group collectively meeting a set of predetermined object creation criteria;

creating a data object from each group of spatially sequential data sets meeting the set of predetermined object creation criteria, the data object including the synchronization pulse number associated with a selected one of the group of spatially sequential data sets; and

identifying suspected rail defects by applying defect detection rules to one or more data objects.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein the predetermined object creation criteria includes a minimum object length criterion.

19. A method according to claim 17 wherein the selected one of the group of spatially sequential data sets is the spatially sequential data set associated with the lowest synchronization pulse number.

20. A method according to claim 17 wherein the plurality of sensor units includes a magnetic induction sensor unit.

21. A method according to claim 17 wherein the plurality of sensor units includes an ultrasonic sensor unit.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein the periodic synchronization pulses are generated by an encoder operably associated with a wheel rolling along the rail of the railroad track, the synchronization pulses being proportional to the revolution frequency of the wheel.

23. A method according to claim 17 wherein the periodic synchronization pulses are generated by an encoder operably associated with a wheel rolling along the rail of the railroad track, the synchronization pulses being proportional to the revolution frequency of the wheel.

24. In a rail inspection system, a method of identifying suspected rail defect locations, the rail inspection system having a data processing system in communication with a plurality of sensor units attached to a rail-traveling carriage, the sensor units including a magnetic induction sensor unit and an ultrasonic sensor unit and being configured to sense discontinuities in a rail of a railroad track as the detector carriage travels along the railroad track, the method comprising:

propelling the detector carriage along the railroad track;

generating periodic synchronization pulses as a function of distance from a fixed reference point on the track, each synchronization pulse being assigned a synchronization pulse number;

obtaining for a plurality of rail locations induction sensor data using the magnetic induction sensor unit and ultrasonic sensor data from the ultrasonic sensor unit;

receiving the induction sensor data at the data processing system;

creating induction data objects from the induction sensor data, each induction data object including the synchronization pulse number associated with a sequentially first rail location where the induction sensor data for the induction data object was obtained;

receiving the ultrasonic sensor data at the data processing system;

creating ultrasonic data objects from the ultrasonic sensor data, each ultrasonic data object including the synchronization pulse number associated with a sequentially first rail location where the ultrasonic sensor data for the ultrasonic data object was obtained;

identifying suspected rail defects by applying defect detection rules to induction and ultrasonic data objects.

25. A method according to claim 24 wherein the step of receiving the induction sensor data at the data processing system includes receiving raw induction sensor unit signals at an induction data acquisition card and the step of creating induction data objects includes:

digitizing the raw induction sensor unit signals to produce digitized induction data;

filtering the digitized induction data to produce filtered induction data;

sampling the filtered induction data to form induction data sets, each induction data set including induction data from the one of the plurality of locations;

adding to each induction data set the pulse synchronization number associated with the location from which the induction data in the data set was obtained;

scaling the induction data of each data set for speed;

identifying groups of spatially sequential induction data sets meeting predetermined induction data object creation criteria; and

building induction data objects from said data sets meeting predetermined induction data creation criteria.

26. A method according to claim 25 wherein the step of identifying groups of spatially sequential induction data sets meeting predetermined induction data object creation criteria includes applying an envelope detection algorithm to the induction data sets.

27. A method according to claim 25 wherein the predetermined induction data object creation criteria includes a minimum object length criterion.

28. A method according to claim 24 wherein the step of receiving the ultrasonic data at the data processing system includes receiving raw ultrasonic sensor unit signals at an ultrasonic data receiver card and the step of creating ultrasonic data objects includes:

amplifying the raw ultrasonic sensor unit signals to produce amplified ultrasonic signals;

digitizing the amplified ultrasonic signals to produce digitized ultrasonic data;

sampling the digitized ultrasonic data to form ultrasonic data sets, each ultrasonic data set including ultrasonic data from one of the plurality of locations;

determining for each ultrasonic data set whether the ultrasonic data set includes ultrasonic amplitude data exceeding a predetermined ultrasonic amplitude threshold;

adding to each ultrasonic data set having ultrasonic amplitude data exceeding the predetermined ultrasonic amplitude threshold the pulse synchronization number associated with the location from which the ultrasonic data in the data set was obtained;

identifying groups of spatially sequential ultrasonic data sets meeting predetermined ultrasonic data object creation criteria; and

building ultrasonic data objects from said data sets meeting predetermined induction data creation criteria.

29. A method according to claim 28 wherein the predetermined ultrasonic data object creation criteria includes a minimum object length criterion.