Ultrasonic Instrumented Wheelset for Wheel-Rail Friction Management and Contact Monitoring : Turning a Revenue Service Vehicle to a High-Speed VTI Measurement System
Lead Participant:
L.B. FOSTER RAIL TECHNOLOGIES, CORP.
Abstract
Understanding the characteristics and conditions under which rail vehicles interact with the track are fundamental to efficient and effective railway operation. This project will develop a new technology for rail service operators to strategically manage and optimise vehicle-track interaction (VTI) condition through automated, accurate wheel-rail interfacial measurements. The commercialisation of this technology will have positive impacts for operational efficiency, allow remote in-service track health monitoring, support automated inspections and result in improvements to fleet fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
The current methods of measuring and understanding VTI conditions rely on indirect measurements based on wheel-mounted strain gauges which are costly to implement, the results of which are fed into models to inform asset and operation management such as rail reprofiling, lubricant/friction modifier implementation, and revenue service speed reduction.
In partnership with the University of Sheffield (UoS), Peak to Peak Measurement Solutions (PktoPk) have already developed and demonstrated dynamic wheel-mounted sensors in laboratory conditions, successfully characterising wheel-rail interfacial contact patch shape and location. This project will continue the development and demonstration of these sensors, reporting on a broader range of parameters to meet the industry's needs.
Initially, stakeholder analysis will identify which measurements are prioritised by the industry, which will determine the focus of the development. The project will develop robust sensor solutions for rapid application onto railway wheels and accompanying real-time processing algorithms; to enable captured data to be instantly accessible and immediately useful and to report key, dynamic VTI parameters.
Working in partnership with L.B. Foster, these systems will be installed on railway vehicles in revenue service for real-time feedback of contact parameters with a focus on lubricant and friction conditions.
The captured data will give unique insights into a number of important variables, including:
* Wheel-rail friction
* Lubricant/friction modifier film thickness and characterisation
* Poor track conditions
* Dynamic contact stresses in the wheel
PktoPk's sensors, mounted on revenue service vehicles, would be the first permanent ultrasonic sensor installations on railway wheels, allowing VTI data to be captured over wide stretches of track at higher speeds than currently possible. Through effective use of this data, railways will be able to:
* Optimise friction management
* Provide real-time mapping of entire rail networks
* Significantly reduce unnecessary maintenance work
* Increase efficiency and decrease down time
* Optimise maintenance budgets
* Detail key wheel-rail performance characteristics
* Receive alarms for unacceptable surface roughness of the rail
* Provide a milling/grinding machines with wheel-rail contact data for maintenance planning.
The current methods of measuring and understanding VTI conditions rely on indirect measurements based on wheel-mounted strain gauges which are costly to implement, the results of which are fed into models to inform asset and operation management such as rail reprofiling, lubricant/friction modifier implementation, and revenue service speed reduction.
In partnership with the University of Sheffield (UoS), Peak to Peak Measurement Solutions (PktoPk) have already developed and demonstrated dynamic wheel-mounted sensors in laboratory conditions, successfully characterising wheel-rail interfacial contact patch shape and location. This project will continue the development and demonstration of these sensors, reporting on a broader range of parameters to meet the industry's needs.
Initially, stakeholder analysis will identify which measurements are prioritised by the industry, which will determine the focus of the development. The project will develop robust sensor solutions for rapid application onto railway wheels and accompanying real-time processing algorithms; to enable captured data to be instantly accessible and immediately useful and to report key, dynamic VTI parameters.
Working in partnership with L.B. Foster, these systems will be installed on railway vehicles in revenue service for real-time feedback of contact parameters with a focus on lubricant and friction conditions.
The captured data will give unique insights into a number of important variables, including:
* Wheel-rail friction
* Lubricant/friction modifier film thickness and characterisation
* Poor track conditions
* Dynamic contact stresses in the wheel
PktoPk's sensors, mounted on revenue service vehicles, would be the first permanent ultrasonic sensor installations on railway wheels, allowing VTI data to be captured over wide stretches of track at higher speeds than currently possible. Through effective use of this data, railways will be able to:
* Optimise friction management
* Provide real-time mapping of entire rail networks
* Significantly reduce unnecessary maintenance work
* Increase efficiency and decrease down time
* Optimise maintenance budgets
* Detail key wheel-rail performance characteristics
* Receive alarms for unacceptable surface roughness of the rail
* Provide a milling/grinding machines with wheel-rail contact data for maintenance planning.
Lead Participant | Project Cost | Grant Offer |
|---|---|---|
| L.B. FOSTER RAIL TECHNOLOGIES, CORP. | £289,147 | |
Participant |
||
| PEAK TO PEAK MEASUREMENT SOLUTIONS LTD. | £199,323 | £ 139,526 |
| UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD | £71,303 | £ 71,303 |
| L.B. FOSTER RAIL TECHNOLOGIES (UK) LIMITED | £10,111 | £ 6,067 |
People |
ORCID iD |
| Andrew Little (Project Manager) |