Route examining system and method

• US 9,682,716 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2015
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• 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: Fries, Jeffrey Michael, Noffsinger, Joseph Forrest
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Truc M
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITTINGTON, JESS G
• Application Number:
  US14/679,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20150210304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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

Abstract

A system includes first and second application devices, a control unit, and at least one processor. The first and second application devices are configured to be at least one of conductively or inductively coupled with one of the conductive tracks. The control unit is configured to control the first and second application devices in order to electrically inject a first examination signal into the conductive tracks via the first application device and a second examination signal into the conductive tracks via the second application device. The at least one processor is 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 to identify a type of fault based upon the one or more electrical characteristics of the first and second conductive tracks.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

first and second application devices configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle system having at least one vehicle and configured to travel 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; and

at least one processor configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle system, the at least one processor operably coupled with first and second detection devices disposed onboard the vehicle system, the first and second detection devices configured to detect the injected examination signals, the at least one processor configured to;

control supply of electric current from a power source to the first and second application devices in order to electrically inject a first examination signal into the conductive tracks via the first application device and to electrically inject a second examination signal into the conductive tracks via the second application device;

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;

identify a classification, from plural classifications, of fault based upon the one or more electrical characteristics of the first and second conductive tracks; and

initiate a responsive action to control the vehicle system in response to identifying the classification of fault;

wherein the at least one processor is configured to, if the one or more electrical characteristics comprise one or more signal characteristics that correspond to a potential insulated joint or a potential broken rail, determine that the one or more signal characteristics are due to insulated joints if the one or more signal characteristics occur on both of the first and second conductive tracks.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

if the one or more signal characteristics are observed on only one of the first or second conductive tracks, and a location of the one or more signal characteristics corresponds to a known location of insulated joints, determine that the one or more signal characteristics are due to one faulty insulated joint and one not faulty insulated joint; and

if the one or more signal characteristics are observed on only one of the first or second conductive tracks, and the location of the one or more signal characteristics does not correspond to a known location of insulated joints, determine that the one or more signal characteristics are due to a broken rail.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to distinguish, for a detected short, between failed insulation and metal on one of the first or second conductive tracks, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine that a detected short is due to failed insulation when a location of the detected short corresponds to a location of a switch.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to distinguish, for a detected fault, between a broken bond wire and a broken rail based upon a noise characteristic of the one or more electrical characteristics.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to monitor transmission of a signal from an off-board transmitter operably coupled to the route, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify a fault of the transmitter based on the monitored signal from the off-board transmitter.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify the fault based on a comparison between the monitored signal and an expected signal corresponding to a properly functioning off-board transmitter.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify an expected future fault of the transmitter based on an observed trend in acquired signals corresponding to the off-board transmitter over time, the acquired signals including the monitored signal, and to communicate a maintenance message to an off-board entity identifying the expected future fault.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to communicate the classification of fault and a location of the fault to an off-board entity.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the off-board entity to which the classification of fault and the location of the fault are communicated from a plurality of off-board entities based on the classification of fault.

10. A method comprising:

electrically injecting, via first and second application devices, first and second examination signals into first and second conductive tracks of a route being traveled by a vehicle system having at least one vehicle, the first and second examination signals being injected at spaced apart locations along a length of the vehicle system;

monitoring, via first and second detection devices, one or more electrical characteristics of the first and second conductive tracks at first and second monitoring locations that are onboard the vehicle system 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 system relative to the second monitoring location;

identifying a classification, from plural classifications, of fault for a fault along the route based upon the one or more electrical characteristics monitored at the first and second monitoring locations; and

initiating a responsive action to control the vehicle system in response to identifying the classification of fault;

further comprising, if the one or more electrical characteristics comprise one or more signal characteristics that correspond to a potential insulated joint or a potential broken rail, determining that the one or more signal characteristics are due to insulated joints if the one or more signal characteristics occur on both of the first and second conductive tracks.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining that the one or more signal characteristics are due to one faulty insulated joint and one not faulty insulated joint if the one or more signal characteristics are observed on only one of the first or second conductive tracks, and a location of the one or more signal characteristics corresponds to a known location of insulated joints; and

determining that the one or more signal characteristics are due to a broken rail if the one or more signal characteristics are observed on only one of the first or second conductive tracks, and the location of the one or more signal characteristics does not correspond to a known location of insulated joints.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying the classification of fault comprises distinguishing, for a detected short, between failed insulation and metal on one of the first or second conductive tracks, wherein the detected short is determined to be due to failed insulation when a location of the detected short corresponds to a location of a switch.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying the classification of fault comprises distinguishing, for a detected fault, between a broken bond wire and a broken rail based upon a noise characteristic of the one or more electrical characteristics.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

monitoring, via at least one of the first or second detection devices, transmission of a signal from an off-board transmitter operably coupled to the route; and

identifying a fault of the transmitter based on the monitored signal from the off-board transmitter.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying the fault associated with the transmitter comprises identifying the fault based on a comparison between the monitored signal and an expected signal corresponding to a properly functioning transmitter.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein identifying the fault associated with the transmitter comprises identifying an expected future fault of the transmitter based on an observed trend in acquired signals corresponding to the off-board transmitter over time, the acquired signals including the monitored signal, and communicating a maintenance message to an off-board entity identifying the expected future fault.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising communicating the classification of fault and a location of the fault to an off-board entity.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising selecting the off-board entity to which the classification of fault and the location of the fault are communicated from a plurality of off-board entities based on the classification of fault.