Route examining system and method

• US 8,914,171 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2013
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Noffsinger, Joseph Forrest, Kumar, Ajith Kuttannair, Plotnikov, Yuri Alexeyevich, Fries, Jeffrey Michael, Boyanapally, Srilatha, Ehret, Steven Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITTINGTON, JESS G
• Application Number:
  US14/016,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20140138493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/044 Broken rails
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/10 using current passing between devices along the route and devices on the vehicle or train
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/121 using magnetic induction

Abstract

A route examining system includes first and second application devices, a control unit, first and second detection units, and an identification unit. The first and second application devices are disposed onboard a vehicle traveling along a route having conductive tracks. The control unit controls injection of a first examination signal into the conductive tracks via the first application device and injection of a second examination signal into the conductive tracks via the second application device. The first and second detection units monitor electrical characteristics of the route in response to the first and second examination signals being injected into the conductive tracks. The identification unit examines the electrical characteristics of the conductive tracks in order to determine whether a section of the route is potentially damaged based on the electrical characteristics.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

first and second application devices configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle of a vehicle system traveling along a route having first and second conductive tracks, the first and second application devices each configured to be at least one of conductively or inductively coupled with one of the conductive tracks, the first application device configured to electrically inject a first examination signal into the conductive track that the first application is coupled thereto, the second application device configured to electrically inject a second examination signal into the conductive track that the second application device is coupled thereto;

first and second detection units configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle, the detection units configured to monitor one or more electrical characteristics of the first and second conductive tracks in response to the first and second examination signals being injected into the conductive tracks; and

an identification unit configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle, the identification unit configured to examine the one or more electrical characteristics of the first and second conductive tracks monitored by the first and second detection units in order to distinguish a section of the route traversed by the vehicle from among three states of the route based on the one or more electrical characteristics, the three states including a first state in which the section is potentially damaged, a second state in which the section is not damaged and does not include an electrical short that one or more of conductively or inductively couples the first conductive track to the second conductive track, and a third state in which the section is not damaged and includes an electrical short, wherein;

the one or more electrical characteristics indicate receipt of neither the first examination signal nor the second examination signal at the first detection unit and receipt of neither the first examination signal nor the second examination signal at the second detection unit as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the first state,

the one or more electrical characteristics indicate receipt of the first examination signal at both the first detection unit and at the second detection unit and receipt of the second examination signal at the both first detection unit and at the second detection unit as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the second state, and

the one or more electrical characteristics indicate receipt of one of the first and second examination signals at the first detection unit and receipt of the other of the first and second examination signals at the second detection unit as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the third state.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first application device is disposed at a spaced apart location along a length of the vehicle relative to the second application device, the first application device configured to be at least one of conductively or inductively coupled with one of the conductive tracks, and the second application device configured to be at least one of conductively or inductively coupled with the other conductive track.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first detection unit is disposed at a spaced apart location along a length of the vehicle relative to the second detection unit, the first detection unit configured to monitor the one or more electrical characteristics of one of the conductive tracks, and the second detection unit configured to monitor the one or more electrical characteristics of the other conductive track.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second examination signals include respective unique identifiers to allow the identification unit to distinguish the first examination signal from the second examination signal in the one or more electrical characteristics of the route.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the unique identifier of the first examination signal includes at least one of a frequency, a modulation, or an embedded signature that differs from the unique identifier of the second examination signal.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising plural shunts disposed at spaced apart locations along a length of the vehicle and configured to at least one of conductively or inductively couple the first and second conductive tracks to each other, wherein the first and second conductive tracks and the plural shunts define an electrically conductive test loop which provides a circuit path for the first and second examination signals to circulate, the plural shunts forming ends of the conductive test loop and the first and second conductive tracks between the plural shunts forming sides of the conductive test loop.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the plural shunts are formed from first and second trucks of the vehicle, each of the first and second trucks including at least one axle interconnecting plural wheels that each contacts one of the first and second conductive tracks, wherein the wheels and the at least one axle of each of the first and second trucks are configured to one or more of conductively or inductively couple the first conductive track to the second conductive track.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the conductive test loop is a conductive long loop and, as the vehicle travels over an electrical short on the route positioned between the plural shunts, the conductive long loop is divided into first and second conductive short loops, the first conductive short loop defined at one end by one of the shunts of the vehicle, at an opposite end by the electrical short, and at sides by the first and second conductive tracks, the second conductive short loop defined at one end by the electrical short, at an opposite end by another of the shunts of the vehicle, and at sides by the first and second conductive tracks.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the identification unit is configured to distinguish that the section of the route is in the third state in which the section is not damaged and includes an electrical short when the one or more electrical characteristics indicate an amplitude of the first examination signal received at the first detection unit is an inverse derivative of an amplitude of the second examination signal received at the second detection unit as the vehicle traverses the section of the route.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control unit configured to control supply of electric current from a power source to the first and second application devices in order to electrically inject the first examination signal into the conductive tracks via the first application device and to electrically inject the second examination signal into the conductive tracks via the second application device.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein, as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the second state in which the route is not damaged and does not include an electrical short, the conductive test loop forms a closed circuit along which both the first examination signal and the second examination signal circulate.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein, as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the first state in which the route is potentially damaged, the conductive test loop forms an open circuit along which neither the first examination signal nor the second examination signal circulate.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the first application device and the first detection unit are disposed along the first conductive short loop such that the first examination signal injected by the first application device circulates a first circuit path along the first conductive short loop and is received by the first detection unit, and the second application device and the second detection unit are disposed along the second conductive short loop such that the second examination signal injected by the second application device circulates a second circuit path along the second conductive short loop and is received by the second detection unit.

14. A method, comprising

electrically injecting first and second examination signals into first and second conductive tracks of a route being traveled by a vehicle, the first and second examination signals being injected using the vehicle at spaced apart locations along a length of the vehicle;

monitoring one or more electrical characteristics of the first and second conductive tracks at first and second monitoring locations that are onboard the vehicle in response to the first and second examination signals being injected into the conductive tracks, the first monitoring location spaced apart along the length of the vehicle relative to the second monitoring location; and

examining one or more electrical characteristics of the first and second conductive tracks monitored at the first and second monitoring locations in order to distinguish a section of the route traversed by the vehicle from among three states of the route based on the one or more electrical characteristics, the three states includes a first state in which the section is potentially damaged, a second state in which the section is not damaged and does not include an electrical short that one or more of conductively or inductively couples the first conductive track to the second conductive track, and a third state in which the section is not damaged and includes an electrical short, wherein;

the electrical characteristics indicate receipt of neither the first examination signal nor the second examination signal at the first monitoring location and receipt of neither the first examination signal nor the second examination signal at the second monitoring location as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the first state,

the electrical characteristics indicate receipt of the first examination signal at both the first monitoring location and the second monitoring location and receipt of the second examination signal at both the first monitoring location and the second monitoring location as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the second state, and

the electrical characteristics indicate receipt of one of the first and second examination signals at the first monitoring location and receipt of the other of the first and second examination signals at the second monitoring location as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the third state.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first examination signal is injected into the first conductive track and the second examination signal is injected into the second conductive track, the first monitoring location is disposed along the first conductive track and the second monitoring location is disposed along the second conductive track.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second examination signals include respective unique identifiers to allow for distinguishing the first examination signal from the second examination signal in the one or more electrical characteristics of the conductive tracks.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein monitoring the one or more electrical characteristics of the first and second conductive tracks includes monitoring the first and second examination signals circulating an electrically conductive test loop that is defined at ends by respective plural shunts disposed at spaced apart locations along the length of the vehicle and defined at sides by segments of the first and second conductive tracks between the plural shunts.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the conductive test loop is a conductive long loop and, as the vehicle travels over an electrical short on the route positioned between the plural shunts, the conductive long loop is divided into first and second conductive short loops, the first conductive short loop defined between one of the plural shunts and the electrical short, and the second conductive short loop defined between another of the shunts and the electrical short, wherein the first examination signal is injected into and circulates the first conductive short loop and the second examination signal is injected into and circulates the second conductive short loop, and wherein the first monitoring location is along the first conductive short loop such that only the first examination signal is received at the first monitoring location and the second monitoring location is along the second conductive short loop such that only the second examination signal is received at the second monitoring location.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein, as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the second state in which the route is not damaged and does not include an electrical short, the conductive test loop forms a closed circuit along which both the first examination signal and the second examination signal circulate.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein, as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the first state in which the route is potentially damaged, the conductive test loop forms an open circuit along which neither the first examination signal nor the second examination signal circulate.

21. A system comprising:

first and second application devices configured to be disposed on vehicle traveling along a route having first and second conductive tracks, the vehicle having plural shunts at spaced apart locations along a length of the vehicle, each shunt configured to one or more of conductively or inductively couple the first conductive track to the second conductive track, the first and second application devices spaced apart along the length of the vehicle between the plural shunts and each configured to be at least one of conductively or inductively coupled with one of the first and second conductive tracks, the first application device configured to electrically inject a first examination signal into the conductive track that the first application device is coupled thereto, the second application device configured to electrically inject a second examination signal into the conductive track that the second application device is coupled thereto, the first and second examination signals configured to circulate a conductive test loop, the plural shunts of the vehicle defining ends of the conductive test loop and segments of the first and second conductive tracks between the plural shunts defining sides of the conductive test loop;

first and second detection units configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle, the detection units configured to monitor one or more electrical characteristics of the conductive tracks within the conductive test loop at spaced apart locations along the length of the vehicle in response to the first and second examination signals being injected into one or more of the first and second conductive tracks; and

an identification unit configured to examine the one or more electrical characteristics of the conductive tracks monitored by the first and second detection units in order to distinguish a section of the route traversed by the vehicle from among three states of the route based on the one or more electrical characteristics, the three states including a first state in which the section is potentially damaged, a second state in which the section is not damaged and does not include an electrical short that one or more of conductively or inductively couples the first conductive track to the second conductive track, and a third state in which the section is not damaged and includes an electrical short, wherein;

the conductive test loop forms an open circuit as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the first state,

the conductive test loop forms a closed circuit as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the second state, and

the conductive test loop divides into a first conductive short loop and an adjacent second conductive short loop as the vehicle travels a section of the route in the third state, the electrical short defining a common end for the first and second conductive short loops, the first and second conductive short loops each forming a different closed circuit.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein, the first conductive short loop is defined at one end by one of the shunts, at an opposite end by the electrical short, and at sides by the first and second conductive tracks, and the second conductive short loop is defined at one end by the electrical short, at an opposite end by another of the shunts, and at sides by the first and second conductive tracks, wherein the first application device and the first detection unit are disposed along the first conductive short loop and the second application device and the second detection unit are disposed along the second conductive short loop, the first examination signal configured to circulate the closed circuit formed by the first conductive short loop and be received at the first detection unit, the second examination signal configured to circulate the closed circuit formed by the second conductive short loop and be received at the second detection unit.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising a control unit configured to control supply of electric current from a power source to the first and second application devices in order to electrically inject the first examination signal via the first application device into the conductive track that the first application device is coupled thereto and to electrically inject the second examination signal via the second application device into the conductive track that the second application device is coupled thereto.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein, as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the first state in which the conductive test loop forms an open circuit, the electrical characteristics indicate receipt of neither the first examination signal nor the section examination signal at either of the first or section detection units;

as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the second state in which the conductive test loop forms a closed circuit, the electrical characteristics indicate receipt of both the first examination signal and the second examination signal at both the first and second detection units; and

, as the vehicle travels over a section of the route in the third state in which the conductive test loop is divided into first and second conductive short loops that each form a different closed circuit, the electrical characteristics indicate receipt of one of the first and second examination signals at the first detection unit and the other of the first and second examination signals at the second detection unit.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the identification unit is configured to distinguish that the section of the route is in the third state in which the section is not damaged and includes an electrical short when the one or more electrical characteristics indicate an amplitude of the first examination signal received at the first detection unit is an inverse derivative of an amplitude of the second examination signal received at the second detection unit as the vehicle traverses the section of the route.