The invention relates generally to railroad conditions, and more specifically to a system and method for determining at least one parameter related to a train traveling on a railway track and the condition of the track.
In many applications, it is desirable to monitor the position and condition of trains and the condition and the safety of the railway tracks. Many approaches exist to monitor the safety of railway tracks and to detect any breaks in the rails. One common approach is the use of electric track circuits in a predefined section or block of track wherein the lack of electrical continuity serves as an indication for railroad breaks.
One problem with track circuits is that they are they are not completely accurate and effective in detecting broken rails. A significant partial break in the rail could still provide sufficient electrical path to avoid detection. A total separation of a rail could still be placed in electrical contact due to thermal expansion or other residual stress conditions. In addition, track circuits are not able to provide the location of the rail break to a resolution less than the entire length which is typically on the order of several miles.
Other approaches to detection of broken rails include installation of strain gages and fiber optic cable. One problem with such approaches is the complexity involved in the installation of such systems. Furthermore, if rail does break, repair of these monitoring is cumbersome.
Typically, individual defect detectors are used to monitor train conditions. The detectors are typically installed along the side of the track at approximately 15 to 50 mile intervals. Such detectors observe passing trains and detect anomalous conditions such as overheated bearings and wheels, out of round or flat wheels, or equipment dragging from the train. Defect detectors typically employ wheel transducers to identify the presence of the train and trigger the detector process. However, defect detectors do not include functionality to monitor the condition or integrity of the rail.
It would therefore be desirable to design a system that is accurate in determining the safety of the railway track and locating a rail break, in addition to determining various characteristics of the train traversing over the railway track.