SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING CONDITION OF RAIL CAR WHEELS, BRAKES AND BEARINGS

• US 20110024576A1
• Filed: 07/27/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wabtec Control Systems Pty. Ltd. (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lynxrail Corporation (Lynx Engineering Consultants Pty Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kilian, Krzysztof, Mazur, Vladimir
• Granted Patent: US 8,439,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 246/169.A
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/04 Detectors for indicating the overheating of axle bearings and the like, e.g. associated with the brake system for applying the brakes in case of a fault
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/06 by detecting or indicating heat radiation from overheated axles
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/12 Measuring or surveying wheel-rims measuring techniques G01
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/57 for vehicles or trains, e.g. trackside supervision of train conditions

Abstract

A system and method for detecting failing rail car wheels, brakes, bearings, and/or other components of a rail car may include at least one thermal sensor and at least one image capture device. The thermal sensor(s) and image capture devices(s) are usable to help determine whether there is a failure or potential failure of a component of a wheel set by detecting, measuring and/or comparing a temperature of various portions of the wheel set. If the temperature is higher than expected, it may indicate, for example, a stuck brake, a failing bearing, and/or some other failure of the wheel set. If the temperature is lower than expected, it could indicate that a brake of the wheel set is unexpectedly diengaged and/or some other failure of the wheel set.

Claims

1. A method of assisting in a determination of a condition of at least a component of a rail car in motion, the method comprising:

detecting, with a first bearing thermal sensor provided adjacent a first rail of a railway at a first location, a first temperature of a top portion of a bearing of the rail car;

comparing the first temperature of the top portion to at least one other temperature to determine a difference between the first temperature of the top portion and the at least one other temperature; and

determining that at least one component of the rail car is failing if the difference between the first temperature of the top portion and the at least one other temperature is greater than a predetermined maximum threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing an image of at least a portion of a wheel of the rail car with a first image capture device provided adjacent the first rail at the first location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the first temperature of the top portion of the bearing of the rail car comprises focusing the first bearing thermal sensor with a focusing lens to determine the temperature of a desired area of the bearing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the first temperature of the top portion to at least one other temperature comprises:

detecting, with a second bearing thermal sensor provided adjacent the first rail at a second location, a second temperature of the top portion of the bearing of the rail car; and

comparing the first temperature of the top portion to the second temperature of the top portion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the first temperature of the top portion to at least one other temperature comprises comparing the first temperature of the top portion to an expected temperature.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, with a first wheel thermal sensor provided adjacent the first rail at the first location, a first temperature of a bottom edge of a wheel of the rail car;

comparing the first temperature of the bottom edge to at least one other temperature to determine a difference between the first temperature of the bottom edge and the at least one other temperature; and

determining whether at least one component of the rail car is working properly based on the difference between the first temperature of the bottom edge and the at least one other temperature.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising capturing an image of at least a portion of the wheel of the rail car to determine a position of a brake shoe of the wheel.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

comparing the first temperature of the bottom edge to at least one other temperature comprises comparing the first temperature to an expected operating temperature of the wheel of the rail car; and

determining whether at least one component of the rail car is working properly comprises determining whether the difference between the first temperature of the bottom edge and the expected operating temperature is caused by an applied brake shoe based on the capture image.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein comparing the first temperature of the bottom edge to at least one other temperature comprises:

detecting, with a second thermal sensor provided adjacent the first rail at a second location, a second temperature of the bottom edge of the wheel of the rail car; and

comparing the first temperature of the bottom edge with the second temperature of the bottom edge.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining that a component of the rail car is working improperly based on the difference between the first temperature of the bottom edge and the at least one other temperature comprises determining that a component of the rail car is working improperly if the difference between the first temperature of the bottom edge and the second temperature of the bottom edge is less than a predetermined minimum threshold.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

detecting the first temperature of the bottom edge of the wheel of the rail car comprises detecting the first temperature without a brake of the wheel; and

detecting the second temperature of the bottom edge of the wheel of the rail car comprises detecting the second temperature with the brake of the wheel applied.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the first temperature of the bottom edge of the wheel of the rail car further comprises detecting the first temperature at a location along the rail that is sufficiently straight such that the brake of the wheel will not have been recently applied.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein comparing the first temperature of the bottom edge to at least one other temperature comprises comparing the first temperature of the bottom edge to an expected temperature.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining whether at least one component of the rail car is working properly comprises determining that at least one component is at least failing if the first temperature of the bottom edge is less than a predetermined minimum threshold above the expected temperature.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting the first temperature of the bottom edge of the wheel of the rail car comprises focusing the first wheel thermal sensor with a focusing lens to determine the temperature of a desired are of the wheel.

16. A method for determining a condition of a component of a rail car in motion, the method comprising:

disengaging a brake of a rail car wheel for a first desired length of time;

detecting a first temperature of the rail car wheel;

applying the brake to the rail car wheel for a second desired length of time;

detecting a second temperature of the rail car wheel;

comparing the first temperature to the second temperature; and

determining that a component of the rail car has failed or is failing if the second temperature is less than a predetermined minimum threshold above the first temperature.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first desired length of time is sufficiently long enough for the temperature of the rail car wheel to normalize after any previous engagement of the brake with the rail car wheel.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising;

capturing an image of at least a portion of the brake of the rail car wheel; and

determining whether the brake of the rail car wheel is engaged based on the captured image.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising comparing at least one of the first temperature and the second temperature to an expected temperature.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein:

detecting a first temperature of the rail car wheel comprises focusing, with a focusing lens, a first thermal sensor toward a bottom edge of the rail car wheel; and

detecting a second temperature of the rail car wheel comprises focusing, with a focusing lens, a second thermal sensor toward a bottom edge of the rail car wheel.