Automated in motion railway seismic wheel failure detection system

• US 9,969,409 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2015
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Frank Carl Van Der Merwe
• Original Assignee: Frank Carl Van Der Merwe
• Inventors: Van Der Merwe, Frank Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith-Stewart, Demetra R
• Application Number:
  US14/685,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20160129924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/00 Railway vehicle profile gauges; Detecting or indicating overheating of components; Apparatus on locomotives or cars to indicate bad track sections; General design of track recording vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 13/002 actuated by the passage of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/04 Indicating or recording train identities
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/00 Measuring characteristics of vibrations in solids by using direct conduction to the detector G01H9/00, G01H11/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/08 Amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 1/16 Amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/10 Suspensions, axles or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/001 Acoustic presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/223 Radioseismic systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/305 Travel times
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C

Abstract

Systems and methods for detecting in motion railcar seismic data generated by defective railcar axles of a train traveling on a track. The method uses two or more seismic sensors on the side of the track to capture seismic noise generated by railcar wheels. A wheel that exceeds a preset seismic noise threshold in amplitude, will trigger a wheel tracking algorithm that calculates seismic phase shift data related to the actively tracked wheel noise level, to determine the precise location, in real time, of the faulty wheel carriage while moving. Knowing the precise location of the tracked wheel allows the system to isolate the railcar and capture the railcar and wheel carriage identification information.

Subsequently, a railcar log is made on a computer database with the railcar identification information and made available to control centers via ground or satellite links.

Claims

1. A System for monitoring and tracking in motion seismic waves created by noisy railcar wheels comprising:

at least two seismic sensors placed parallel to a rail track;

with the seismic sensors measuring seismic wave signals generated by a noisy railcar wheel carriage axle, on a rail track, the wheel carriage defined as the signal source

with the sensors spaced from each other such that seismic phase time propagation delays between sensors, in relation to the signal source, can be measured

a controller having associated software and in communication with the seismic sensors, the controller adapted to use signals from the seismic sensors to detect a peak amplitude threshold and to measure the phase time of the signal source due to approaching seismic wave propagation, using this phase information to track the location and identify a noisy railcar wheel carriage axle while in motion; and

with the controller also adapted to use the phase time information to provide a programmable phase timed strobe output for external synchronizations.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensors are any electronic sensor capable of converting seismic signals to electrical high frequency waves to be processed by the controller.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the seismic sensors include more than two seismic sensors for higher accuracy.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is part of a terminal that further includes a display for providing information about detected railcars.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the system further comprises a database for storing affected railcar information.

6. The system of claim 5, where the system includes wired or wireless communication so that railcar information can be accessed remotely.

7. A system for detecting and analyzing coupled-in-motion railcar seismic noise waves comprising:

at least two seismic sensors placed parallel to a rail track;

with the seismic sensors measuring seismic wave signals generated by a noisy railcar wheel carriage axle, on a rail track, the wheel carriage defined as the signal source

with the sensors spaced from each other such that seismic phase time propagation delays between sensors, in relation to the signal source, can be measured

a controller having associated software and in communication with the seismic sensors, the controller adapted to use signals from the seismic sensors to detect a peak amplitude threshold and to measure the phase time of the signal source due to approaching seismic wave propagation, using this phase information to track the location and identify a noisy railcar wheel carriage axle while in motion; and

with the controller also adapted to use the phase time information to provide a programmable phase timed strobe output for external synchronizations.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the sensors are any electronic sensor capable of converting ground seismic signals to electrical high frequency waves to be processed by the controller.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the seismic sensors can include more than two seismic sensors to increase accuracy.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is part of a terminal that further includes a display for providing information about detected railcars.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the system further comprises a database for storing railcar information.

12. The system of claim 11, where the system includes wired or wireless communication so that railcar information can be accessed remotely.

13. A method for detecting, tracking and identifying coupled-in-motion railcar seismic noise waves created by railcar wheels comprising:

positioning at least two seismic sensors on the side of a rail track;

measuring seismic wave signals generated by a noisy railcar wheel carriage on a track, the wheel carriage defined as the signal source

spacing these sensors from each other such that seismic phase time propagation delays between censors, in relation to the signal source, can be measured

measuring seismic waves from the signal source, to determine if the wheel of a railcar exceeds a peak amplitude threshold in order to trigger an event;

then calculating using the phase difference of the sensors'"'"' seismic propagation time, the exact wheel carriage position relative to the seismic sensors, as well as the direction and speed of movement of the railcar

using a controller having associated software and in communication with the seismic sensors;

using signals from the seismic sensors to detect a peak amplitude threshold;

measuring the phase time of the wheel signal source due to approaching seismic wave propagation;

using this phase information to track the location of the faulty wheel in real time, identifying a noisy wheel carriage axle while in motion; and

using the phase time information to provide a programmable phase timed strobe output for external synchronizations.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the controller is part of a terminal that further includes a display with, information about detected railcars being displayed.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein storing the faulty railcar information in a database associated with the terminal, the terminal further including wired or wireless communication functionality so that railcar data can be exported or accessed remotely across the internet.