Real-time train wheel condition monitoring by fiber Bragg grating sensors

Chuliang Wei, Qin Xin, W. H. Chung, Shun Yee Liu, Hwa Yaw Tam, Siu Lau Ho

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

71 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Wheel defects on trains, such as flat wheels and out-of-roundness, inevitably jeopardize the safety of railway operations. Regular visual inspection and checking by experienced workers are the commonly adopted practice to identify wheel defects. However, the defects may not be spotted in time. Therefore, an automatic, remote-sensing, reliable, and accurate monitoring system for wheel condition is always desirable. The paper describes a real-time system to monitor wheel defects based on fiber Bragg grating sensors. Track strain response upon wheel-rail interaction is measured and processed to generate a condition index which directly reflects the wheel condition. This approach is verified by extensive field test, and the preliminary results show that this electromagnetic-immune system provides an effective alternative for wheel defects detection. The system significantly increases the efficiency of maintenance management and reduces the cost for defects detection, and more importantly, avoids derailment timely.
Original languageEnglish
Article number409048
JournalInternational Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks
Volume2012
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 5 Jan 2012

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Computer Networks and Communications
  • General Engineering

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