Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SURFACE CONDITION MONITORING OF RAILWAY TRACKS
This invention pertains generally to the field of surface monitoring, and
in particular surface condition monitoring devices for use on railway track
rails
to help monitor and maintain the optimum condition of rail to wheel interface.
The surface condition of railway tracks presents a real challenge to rail
network operators who must ensure that they are well maintained and kept in
optimum condition for the passage of rail vehicles. The railway track rails,
typically made from steel, are subjected to considerable forces from passing
vehicles that can cause surface and structural wear, whilst also being exposed
to
adverse and frequently changeable weather conditions, along with other
environmental hazards throughout the year. The rail to wheel interface,
typically
steel against steel, provides an energy efficient combination, yet this
interface can
prove to be highly sensitive to contamination. Precipitation, dew, leaf fall,
localised temperature changes, extreme weather conditions, vegetation and
other
detritus, are just some of the events that can affect the surface condition of
the
rail track, and therefore the passage of the rail vehicle passing thereon. The
majority of these contaminants have significant water content, which affects
adhesion of the wheel on the rail surface.
Contaminants can be referred to as a 'third layer' between first and
2 0 second layers which are respectively the railway track rail and the
railway vehicle
wheel, or vice versa.
The smooth, safe and efficient running of a rail vehicle relics upon the
friction between the steel rails and the steel wheels. Fundamental to
predictable
and optimised braking of a rail vehicle using conventional brakes, is creating
a
reliable rail to wheel interface that has sufficient friction for the desired
rate of
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deceleration. Friction can be reduced when the rails become slippery or
greasy,
often because of rain, dew, fluids such as oil or even decomposing leaves that
fall
onto the line and can become compacted. This can result in a chemical reaction
occurring between the water soluble leaf component and steel rail coating.
This
coating is semi-permanent and therefore it may take time to be sufficiently
worn
away by the passage of trains. Such variance and unpredictability to surface
conditions of the rail tracks in terms of moisture and detritus can present a
real
challenge to network operators. They must predict the likelihood of low
friction
conditions being experienced by a passing vehicle, causing the vehicle to
slip,
before this happens, and take steps to minimise the impact. They must carry
out
ongoing monitoring of track conditions to flag up areas of concern and again
take steps to rectify these. They must ensure that trains are adequately
spaced
along the line to ensure that required stopping distances are taken into
account
in light of changeable surface conditions. With such conditions subject to
change at any moment, particularly environmental conditions due to changeable
weather, it is very common for issues to occur. Rail network operators are
quick
to delay or cancel trains, rather than risk passenger safety. Timetables are
often
altered for different seasons, such as in the UK, regular Autumnal timctabling
takes steps to anticipate these delays during the leaf fall season. This comes
at
2 0 considerable cost to the rail industry. It was estimated that leaves on
the line
cost around LoOmillion in direct costs each year in the UK alone, which is
estimated to amount to around L350million societal costs.
A loss of friction at the rail to wheel interface effects traction when the
train first sets off and starts moving, which in the case of freight trains,
affects
hauling capability. The wheels can be caused to spin, and in some instances
the
train is unable to move. These low friction conditions result in poor adhesion
between the wheel to rail interface, also causing issues when braking and
coming
to a stop. Substantial loss of friction results in reduced braking forces,
meaning
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that stopping distances are considerably longer and this must be accounted for
when dispatching trains within the rail network. In extreme cases the wheels
may even lock, causing the train to go into a slide. This can cause
considerable
damage to the wheel and rail track. Station platforms may also be overshot
where a driver has not allowed a sufficient distance to bring the train to a
standstill.
Snow and ice, when deposited on rail tracks, can cause such low
adhesion conditions to occur, making rail vehicles prone to slide or slip
during
braking, whilst also causing the train to encounter difficulties pulling away.
But
less obvious conditions such as light rain following a spell of dry weather,
or
morning dew on the rails, can also cause challenging rail conditions for the
rail
networks to account for. The effect on the surface condition of the rail
tracks
may only be short term, but the unpredictable nature of such effects may be
sufficient for a significant incident to occur to a passing rail vehicle.
Tests have
shown that there is a strong correlation between low adhesion incidents and
the
occurrence of the dew point, where water vapour from the air condenses onto
the railhead forming a fluid film. This fluid film leads to a loss of traction
at the
wheel to rail interface.
Other contributing factors are thought to include the move from brake
shoes to disc brakes, which means that some surface cleaning and conditioning
of the rails no longer occurs by abrasion. It is also thought that rail
network
operators no longer have to carry out sufficient lineside maintenance that
would
have been essential during the steam locomotive era, to prevent vegetation
from
catching fire. The extra growth from vegetation increases the supply of leaves
and the increase of leaf fall onto the line, thereby exacerbating the problem.
It
may also affect the dew point and localised climate in some areas. In extreme
cases, the build-up of leaf matter can electrically insulate the wheels from
the
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rails, resulting in signal failure. This can cause an event such as Wrong Side
Track Circuit Failure, or WSTCF, when leaf matter electrically insulates the
wheels from the rails resulting in signal failure. Other events such as Signal
Passed at Danger, or SP_AD, can also occur when a train slides past a signal
because it could not stop.
Rail vehicles are typically fitted with wheel slide protection, in an
attempt to counter slippery rail conditions. When wheels become locked, flat
spots can be ground into the steel rims, especially if the wheel is still
sliding
when entering a non-slippery portion of rail track. This can cause wheel
flats,
where the wheel shape has been altered from its original profile, leading to
severe vibrations and the need for reprofiling of the wheels, or even wheel
replacement, at considerable expense.
Numerous different ways of surface conditioning the rail tracks to deal
with such changeable circumstances have been tried, and many are in operation.
These range from applying a jet to blast away any deposits or detritus, such
as
with water jets alongside a mechanical scrubbing apparatus of some form. Laser
blasting the rails has also been tried and tested. Or coating the rail tracks
and/or
wheels with a high friction material, such as by depositing sand as a paste or
otherwise, or the application of adhesion modifying chemicals, onto the rail.
The sand assists adhesion during braking and acceleration. However, using sand
may increase the risk of unwanted insulation, and therefore may also contain
metal particles. For an example, an adhesion modifier such as SanditeTM, a
combination of sand, aluminium particles and adhesive. Blasting or coating the
rails with sand and substances such as SanditeTM is not thought to offer an
economically sound solution, nor is it thought to be environmentally friendly
to
release these substances into the environment. Alternative coatings currently
in
use include Track Grip 6OTM (TG60Tm) an adhesion enhancer for rails, or
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Electragel, which consists of steel particles and sand, suspended in a gel. To
attempt to combat the issues experienced by moisture and the formation of dew
on the rail tracks, and thereby improve both traction and impedance
properties,
the rails have typically been treated with hydrophobic products. To apply
these
coating or treatments to the rail tracks typically requires special trains or
rail
vehicles, and may also involve manual or application by hand. In the UK these
vehicles typically include Rail Head Treatment Trains or R_HTTs, or Multi-
Purpose Vehicles or MPVs. Again, a challenge for the rail network operators to
factor into the overall operation of the network, ensuring the passage of such
rail
vehicles, or the application of such coating and substances at times when the
track is not in use.
At specific sites, or portion of rail track, where significant low adhesion
regularly occurs, such as on the approach to a station, traction gel
applicators
may have been installed. These apply liquid to the railhead as a rail vehicle
1 5 passes therethrough.
These processes are only effective for a short period of time. Jet
blasting the rail track is ineffective as soon as the next leaf falls, or is
deposited
onto the rails due to the aerodynamic turbulence of a passing train, or other
detritus lands along the line. Sand and other treatment products deposited
directly onto the rail track or railhead may prove more durable, but these
substances can be easily washed away by rainfall.
For the majority of these surface conditioning processes, the initial
decision to condition the surface is made speculatively, and largely based on
sight. An operator takes a look at a stretch of track, or makes a decision
based
on recent or imminent environmental conditions. Alternatively, a track is
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conditioned at predetermined intervals regardless of any specific indicator
that a
portion of track has reached a poor level.
The prior art shows a number of devices which attempt to address these
needs in various ways.
GB 2 355 702 (LaserThor Ltd) discloses a method of cleaning a rail by
removing contaminants from the surface of the rail. The method comprises the
steps of generating a high intensity pulsed laser beam and directing the laser
beam onto the surface of the rail so as to destroy at least part of the
contaminants. The laser beam may be operated in response to detection of the
1 0 contaminants. This control system comprises a light source and a tube
which
directs a light beam from the source to the surface of the rail, where the
beam is
reflected. A further tube collects the reflected beam and passes it to a prism
which forms part of a spectrometer. The identity of many substances, such as
leaves or other contaminants, can be determined by the analysis of the
1 5 wavelengths of the light in a composite beam reflected off the surface
of an
object made from the substance by using a spectrometer. The control unit
determines the nature of the substance from which the light beam has been
reflected. Whilst providing a means of determining a type of contamination on
a
rail surface, this arrangement presents accuracy issues and a considerable
amount
20 of sensing noise that leads to unclear results. It is also somewhat
limited to the
range of contaminants or materials that it is able to detect.
Whilst the prior art attempts to address the issue of detecting the
presence of various contaminants on a rail track, it provides no way of
evaluating
current conditions and predicting future conditions over a rail network.
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Preferred embodiments of the present invention aim to provide a
network of surface monitoring devices that may be improved in this respect.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
network of monitoring devices for monitoring the condition of the surface of
railway track rails, each of the monitoring devices comprising a spectrometer
configured to monitor at least one frequency that indicates the presence of a
contaminant on a railway track rail and to provide an output indicative of the
presence or absence of the contaminant on a railway track rail, and each of
the
monitoring devices comprising a transmitter arranged to transmit its output to
a
1 0 central database.
Preferably, each spectrometer is configured to monitor a plurality of
frequencies that indicate the presence of contaminants on a railway track
rail.
Preferably, each spectrometer is a Raman spectrometer.
Preferably, the monitoring devices comprise one or more of the
following: handheld device, railway vehicle borne device, track side device,
drone
mounted device, UAV mounted device, satellite mounted device.
Preferably, said contaminants to be monitored comprise at least one
from the group consisting of Cellulose, Cellulose Acetate and Tyrosine.
Each monitoring device may be configured to compare a monitored
2 0 value with one or more predetermined value and to provide a
corresponding
device output that indicates whether the condition of a monitored railway
track
rail is above or below a predetermined acceptable level.
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Preferably, each spectrometer output is indicative of both type and
amount of contaminant.
Preferably, each monitoring device includes an operating interface
whereby a user can control operation of the monitoring device.
A network according to any of the preceding aspects of the invention
may further comprise at least one surface conditioning device that is
operative to
condition the surface of one or more railway track rail in response to data
received.
Said surface conditioning device may be operative to condition a railway
track rail by means of plasma delivered to the rail.
Preferably, at least some of said transmitters are wireless transmitters.
Preferably, the central database is configured to store data from the
monitoring devices over time, thereby to establish historical data of track
conditions as monitored by the monitoring devices.
1 5 Preferably, a network according to any of the preceding aspects of
the
invention further comprises a comparator that is configured to compare current
track conditions over the network with historical track conditions over the
network, thereby to provide an indication of likely developments of track
conditions.
The method extends to a method of monitoring the condition of the
surface of railway track rails of a rail network, the method comprising
operating
monitoring devices of a network according to any of the preceding aspects of
the
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invention to indicate the presence or absence of contaminants on the rails at
various locations throughout the network.
Such a method may comprise the further step of operating at least one
surface conditioning device to condition the surface of a rail in response to
data
received from the monitoring devices.
The surface conditioning may be carried out on a railway vehicle as it
travels along the railway track rail. The method may be carried out as the
railway
vehicle makes multiple passes along the railway track rail.
For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how
embodiments of the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be
made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in
which:
Figure 1 shows one embodiment of surface monitoring device as a
handheld device, in use, monitoring the surface condition of a rail, with
enlarged
view of the handheld device;
Figure 2 shows a further embodiment of surface monitoring device
mounted track side, showing a pair of devices, in use, monitoring the
condition
of a rail, with enlarged side view of one of the track side devices;
Figure 3 shows one embodiment of surface monitoring device when
2 0 mounted to a railway vehicle, showing a surface monitoring device
mounted at
the front of the vehicle, and a further surface monitoring device mounted at
the
rear of the railway vehicle, with surface conditioning device between;
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Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of surface monitoring device
when mounted to a locomotive, with enlarged view of the undercarriage of the
locomotive;
Figure 5 shows one embodiment of surface monitoring device as a
schematic diagram, show-ing the component parts that allow the surface
monitoring device to detect the presence of a material on a surface, and
analyse
the composition of the material on that surface;
Figure 6 shows one embodiment of a network of surface monitoring
devices along a single track, mounted on railway vehicles, track side and as a
handheld device, relaying surface condition data to a central database for
evaluation; and
Figure 7 shows one embodiment of a central database obtaining surface
condition data from a wider rail network.
In the figures, like references denote like or corresponding parts.
It is to be understood that the various features that arc described in the
following and/or illustrated in the drawings are preferred but not essential.
Combinations of features described and/or illustrated are not considered to be
the only possible combinations. Unless stated to the contrary, individual
features may be omitted, varied or combined in different combinations, where
practical.
Figure 1 shows one embodiment of surface monitoring device 1, in use
by an operator, typically a Mobile Operations Manager (MOM), to monitor the
surface condition of an area of rail 2. A Mobile Operations Manager is the
person responsible for checking rail track condition. They decide when to
clean
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the rail track and confirm that the track is at a suitable level for normal
operation.
The surface monitoring device 1 is a handheld device 6, and is portable,
and easy to for the operator to carry about for measuring different surfaces.
Figure 1 shows the handheld device 6 being held against or close to the
surface
of the rail 2, and also shows an enlarged view or close up of the handheld
device
6. This shows one possible configuration of operating interface 4, that
controls
spectrometer 3, to take a reading of the rail 2. The handheld device 6 may be
configured to detect and analyse a specific combination of contaminants on the
1 0 surface, or it may store this data for later download and analysis.
Alternatively,
the handheld device 6 may wirelessly transmit this data to a base station, not
shown, to allow a central resource to analyse rail conditions throughout a
network, and send out various surface cleaning and conditioning devices in
response to this data.
1 5 Figure 2 shows another embodiment of surface monitoring device 1,
where the device is incorporated into a pillar, mounted by the side of a
railway
track, for monitoring a portion of rail 2. A spectrometer 3 shown in such an
arrangement is transmitting recorded data back to a central resource through a
transmitter 19. The enlarged view of one of these surface monitoring devices 1
20 shows that one device can be arranged to monitor the condition of two
rails 2 at
the same time, or as and when required. A monochromatic light source 8, such
as a laser, transmits a laser beam in the direction of the rail 2 on one side
of the
track, and a further monochromatic light source 8, transmits a laser beam to
bounce off the rail 2 on the other side of the track, thus monitoring both
rails 2
25 at the same time. These surface monitoring devices 1 may be positioned
at
predetermined intervals along a railway line, sufficient to cover the majority
of
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rails 2 within a network, or may be installed in areas where surface condition
of
the rails 2 is of a particular concern.
Figure 3 shows yet a further embodiment of surface monitoring device 1
when mounted to the undercarriage of a railway vehicle 17. In this particular
railway vehicle 17, there is a surface monitoring device 1 at the front end of
the
railway vehicle 17, and a further surface monitoring device 1 towards the rear
of
the railway vehicle 17. Mounted somewhere between these surface monitoring
devices 1 is a surface conditioning device 5. The arrangement of both front
and
rear surface monitoring devices 1 allows an operator to determine the
1 0 effectiveness of the surface conditioning device 5. There may be any
number of
surface monitoring devices 1 mounted along a railway vehicle 17, and
configured
to act upon the rails 2 along which the railway vehicle 17 is passing. There
may
also be any number of surface conditioning devices 5, to surface condition a
section of rail 2 as many times as is required to achieve a suitable reading
of
surface condition by the last surface monitoring device 1.
The surface conditioning device 5 in such an arrangement may comprise
any number of different ways of conditioning the surface, such as jet blasting
with water alongside mechanical scrubbing apparatus, laser blasting, applying
a
coating of high friction material, depositing sand or applying surface
modifying
chemicals. The arrangement of surface monitoring devices 1 being before and
after the surface conditionin.g device 5 allows an operator to monitor
performance of the surface conditioning device 5, and make any required
changes to this surface conditioning device 5 to ensure that the condition of
the
rail 2 is optimised.
This railway vehicle 17 may incorporate the operating interface 4 within
the driver's cabin. A driver may be presented with the results of the surface
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monitoring device 1 on a driver display 18. This is to allow the driver to
alter
how they drive the railway vehicle 17 in response to the results of condition
of
the rails 2. For an example, the driver may need to increase stopping
distances,
should the reading from the surface monitoring device 1 suggest the presence
of
contaminants, or an increased risk of slip. Likewise, the results may allow an
increase in speed, safe in the knowledge that the condition of the rails 2 has
been
optimised. The driver may also be provided with information on the driver
display 1 8 that directs them to switch on any onboard surface conditioning
devices 5, having identified a poor condition of rail 2 along which the
railway
vehicle 17 is passing. The railway vehicle 17 in Figure 3 is specifically for
cleaning and conditioning railway track rails 2. The surface monitoring
devices 1
allow such a railway vehicle 17 to directly respond to a change in surface
condition, whilst also providing the operator with real-time feedback as to
the
cleaning performance of their railway vehicle 17. The operator is then able to
adjust their level of cleaning and conditioning of a section of rail 2
accordingly,
rather than simply cleaning all rails 2 by the same amount, or by making a
decision of cleaning level by sight alone.
Figure 4 shows a further arrangement of surface monitoring device 1
when mounted to the undercarriage of a passenger carrying railway vehicle 17.
2 0 The close-up shown shows the surface monitoring device mounted to the
undercarriage, and configured such that the monochromatic light source 8 of
the
spectrometer 3 acts directly upon the rail 2. The driver's cab may again be
provided with the operating interface 4 to control the operation of the
surface
monitoring device 1, and may also comprise a driver display 18. This driver
display 18 may relay the data recorded by the surface monitoring device 1
directly to the driver, or it may process this data to provide top-level
information
to the driver, to allow them to instantaneously alter their driving according
to
real-time rail conditions. For an example, the surface monitoring device 1 may
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feed through rail condition data that falls outside of predetermined
parameters,
indicating that a particular section of rail 2 is not in an optimum condition.
This
may simply be shown to a driver as a red flag, that enables them to make an
instant decision to allow more time to decelerate, allowing for greater
stopping
distances, and to reduce their speed until the data recorded falls back within
an
optimal range.
In all embodiments, display 4 may indicated detailed data representing
the condition of monitored rails 2. Additionally or alternatively, it may
simply
indicate if the condition of a monitored rail is either GOOD or BAD -
indicated
1 0 in Figure 1 by a tick or a cross. This enables a driver or MOM to
respond
quickly to either change speed or request track conditioning, without having
to
spend time analysing more detailed data.
By mounting surface monitoring devices 1 to a considerable number of
railway vehicles 17 running within a rail network, a rail operator can build
up a
much bigger picture of rail condition throughout the entire network, on an
instantaneous basis, and be better prepared to react to any sudden changes to
environmental conditions, that lead to poor rail conditions. This vastly
improves
the safety of the rail network, allowing for surface conditioning to be
directed
towards specific areas of concern.
Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of one possible arrangement of
surface monitoring device 1, comprising a probe 9 for directing light from
monochromatic light source 8 onto a surface. The monochromatic light source
8 is likely to be a laser, and therefore this laser is configured to transmit
laser
beams 14 onto a surface through the probe 9. Electromagnetic radiation from
the surface, in the form of scattered photons 15, is collected by a lens
within
spectrometer 3, and sent through a grating 11. The grating 11 filters out any
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noise, or interference within the light of a wavelength that corresponds with
that
of the original laser beam 14, whilst allowing the remaining collected light
to be
dispersed into a detector 12. These components may be contained within a
housing, such as the handheld device 6 of Figure 1, or it may be contained
within a housing that is suitable for mounting onto the undercarriage of a
railway
vehicle 17.
The surface monitoring device 1 is provided with a power supply 16 that
may be a battery, or may use regenerative power, and that provides a source of
power to all of the components that make up the surface monitoring device 1.
One type of spectrometer 3 that may be used is a RAMAN
spectrometer, which is a form of vibrational spectroscopy. The laser beam 14
is
beamed onto the surface of the rail 2, which leads to absorption and
scattering
of photons. Most of these scattered photons 15 have identical wavelengths as
the original photons and are therefore termed 'Rayleigh scatter'. However, a
very small amount of the scattered photons 15 are moved to an alternate
wavelength, termed `RAIVIAN scatter'. The majority of these RAMAN scattered
photons 15 are moved to greater wavelengths. The original photon leads to
excitation of electrons, which move into greater energy positions, before they
fall
back to a lower level and radiate a dispersed photon. If the electron falls
back to
its original level, it leads to Rayleigh scattering. I Iowever, if the
electron falls
back to a different level, then Raman scattering occurs.
The advantages of RAMAN spectroscopy arc that it is very effective for
chemical examination of a surface due to its high specificity, aqueous system
compatibility, lack of particular sample preparation, and short tim.escale.
Raman
bands have an exceptional signal-to-noise ratio and do not overlap. Raman
bands are unaffected by water, and therefore good spectra can be collected
from
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a surface containing considerable water molecules. The probe 9 with a Raman
spectrometer 3 does not have to contact the rail 2, but the laser beam 14
lights
up the rail 2, and measures the scattered photons 15. A Raman spectrum can
also be amassed in a few seconds, allowing for real-time surface conditions to
be
monitored.
By limiting the Raman spectroscopic analysis to frequencies of particular
interest, corresponding to anticipated contaminants of interest, scanning can
be
carried out much more quickly than if broadband frequencies are scanned. This
leads to critical data being available to a driver or other operative much
more
1 0 quickly, thereby improving safety on the railway network.
A laser creating the laser beam performs well as the monochromatic light
source 8 as it provides a sufficient intensity to generate an effective
concentration of Raman scatter therefore permitting a clean spectrum, with
little
to no extraneous bands. The laser displays excellent wavelength stability and
minimal background emission.
The probe 9 collects the scattered photons 15, whilst filtering out the
Rayleigh scatter and additional background signals from any fibre optic
cables. It
then transmits this information to the detector 12 via the spectrometer 3 for
analysis. The scattered photons initially enter the spectrometer 3 and are
2 0 transmitted through the grating 11, which acts to separate them
by wavelength,
before they are carried to the detector 12. This measures the intensity of the
Raman signal at each wavelength, which is then plotted as the Raman spectrum.
These frequencies correspond to biochemical compounds relevant to leaf
materials and therefore of particular interest to drivers or other operatives.
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The surface monitoring device 1 is configured to compare a monitored
value with one or more predetermined values and to provide a corresponding
device output that indicates whether the condition of the rail 2 is above or
below
a predetermined acceptable level. The Raman spectrometer output is indicative
of both type and amount of contaminant.
Figure 6 shows one example of a plurality of different surface monitoring
devices 1 being used throughout a rail network. These surface monitoring
devices 1 may obtain data from the rails 2 of a single track, or they may
obtain
data from rails 2 that make up a much larger network of tracks within a region
or
1 0 country. The surface monitoring devices 1 may be mounted to various
rail
vehicles that pass along the tracks, they may comprise handheld devices 6 for
use
by an operative, or they may be mounted track side within a pillar or similar,
or
any combination of these that suit a particular run of rails 2. Each of these
surface monitoring devices 1 is configured to obtain surface condition data,
real-
time or as and when required, along a length of track within a network, and to
wireles sly transmit this data to a wireless receiver 21 of a central database
20.
A network of surface monitoring devices 1 may form an IoT (Internet of
Things) enabled network of sensors, software and other technologies for
connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems
within the
network over the Internet. The uploading of data from these various sources of
rail condition can be achieved. Each of these data sources of surface
condition
is evaluated against a central database for the full network. The data is used
to
predict current conditions elsewhere in the network and also forecasts
conditions for the future. With multiple sources running over the same line a
real-time development of the adhesion conditions is also possible, not just a
snap
shot in time. A spectrometer 3 shown in such an arrangement is transmitting
recorded data back to a central resource through a transmitter 19.
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The surface monitoring devices 1 may be positioned at predetermined
intervals along a railway line, sufficient to cover the majority of rails 2
within a
network, or may be installed in areas where surface condition of the rails 2
is of a
particular concern. Rail network operatives may be provided with handheld
devices 6 for surface monitoring. They may spot a region rail 2 that is of
particular concern, or may wish to perform spot checks to monitor a particular
track section. They may undertake cleaning or maintenance of a section of rail
2
and wish to take readings before, during or after this process. The handheld
devices 6 may wirelessly transmit this data through a transmitter 19 to a
central
database 20 for analysis. Various surface cleaning and conditioning devices
may
be sent out in response to this data to condition the section of rail 2 where
the
reading was taken.
The central database 20 may therefore receive data, real-time or through
download, from multiple sources covering a network. These sources include
handheld devices 6 used by track engineering MOMs (Mobile Operations
Managers) for instantaneous track evaluation; cleaning vehicle mounted for
measuring before and after cleaning; passenger or freight vehicle mounted;
track
side mounted, positioned near hotspots to aid in prediction of conditions;
drone,
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle UAV or satellite mounted. This allows the central
database 20 to build up the full picture of surface condition of rails that
make up
a rail network.
One example of central database 20, as shown in Figure 6, is obtaining
surface condition data along a single rail line. In this example rail
operatives
MOMs may go out and measure good rail conditions in the morning, using a
handheld device 6. However as the rail traffic continues to pick up and
deposit
leaf material, the rail conditions will likely deteriorate. Vehicle mounted
surface
conditioning devices that pass along the rails 2 can read the surface
condition
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- 19 -
and feedback any increase in leaf matter, and track side surface monitors can
measure material being added and removed by passing trains. In this case the
trains may be redepositing material away from the original site. The network
of
surface monitoring devices relay all readings to the central database 20,
wireles sly. A comparator 22 associated with the central database 20 makes use
of historical data and other known data on track conditions, to enable a
decision
on overall surface condition. If an intervention is needed, a Railhead
Treatment
Train can be deployed in between scheduled trains. Surface condition readings
can be taken before and after cleaning in a preventative maintenance action at
a
higher speed. This causes minimal interruption to the schedule of passing
freight and passenger trains when compared to reactive cleaning of very poor
conditions if further deterioration is allowed. This system will improve the
operational performance of the line in question.
Figure 7 shows the central database 20 with comparator 22, receiving data
through a receiver 21 across an entire rail network. The data gathered over
the
year, for an example, can be referenced back to a model for good, transitional
and poor conditions. By using the surface monitoring devices 1 distributed
over
the network a picture of the current conditions can be predicted throughout
the
whole network. An understanding of the changing conditions throughout the
network can be modelled and developed. This can therefore enable
interventions for cleaning to be forecast more accurately and scheduled with
minimum disruption to the whole network.
In this specification, the verb "comprise" has its normal dictionary
meaning, to denote non-exclusive inclusion. That is, use of the word
"comprise"
(or any of its derivatives) to include one feature or more, does not exclude
the
possibility of also including further features. The word "preferable" (or any
of
its derivatives) indicates one feature or more that is preferred but not
essential.
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- 20 -
All or any of the features disclosed in this specification (including any
accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all or any of the steps of
any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination,
except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are
mutually exclusive.
Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying
claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features
serving
the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise.
Thus,
unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only
of a
generic series of equivalent or similar features.
The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing
embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel
combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any
accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel
combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.
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