Ultrasonic Instrumented Wheelset for Wheel-Rail Friction Management and Contact Monitoring : Turning a Revenue Service Vehicle to a High-Speed VTI Measurement System

了解轨道车辆与轨道相互作用的特征和条件是高效和有效的铁路运营的基础。该项目将为铁路服务运营商开发一种新技术，通过自动、准确的轮轨界面测量，对车辆-轨道相互作用(VTI)状况进行战略性管理和优化。这项技术的商业化将对运营效率产生积极影响，允许远程在役轨道健康监测，支持自动化检查，并导致车队燃油效率的提高和碳排放的减少。目前测量和了解VTI状况的方法依赖于基于轮载应变仪的间接测量，实施成本高昂，其结果被输入到模型中，为资产和运营管理提供信息，如钢轨重塑、润滑油/摩擦改进剂的实施和收入服务速度的降低。与谢菲尔德大学(UOS)合作，峰顶测量解决方案(PktoPk)已经在实验室条件下开发和演示了动态轮载传感器，成功地表征了轮轨接触面的形状和位置。该项目将继续开发和演示这些传感器，报告更广泛的参数以满足行业需求。最初，利益相关者分析将确定行业优先考虑哪些测量，这将确定开发的重点。该项目将开发稳健的传感器解决方案，用于快速应用于铁路车轮上，并伴随实时处理算法；通过与L.B.Foster的合作，这些系统将安装在铁路车辆上，实时反馈接触参数，重点关注润滑剂和摩擦状况。捕获的数据将为许多重要变量提供独特的见解，包括：*轮轨摩擦*润滑剂/摩擦修改剂膜厚度和特性*糟糕的轨道状况*车轮上安装的PktoPk传感器中的动态接触应力，这将是第一个安装在铁路车轮上的永久性超声波传感器，使VTI数据能够以比目前可能的速度更高的速度在大范围的轨道上捕获。通过有效利用这些数据，铁路将能够：*优化摩擦管理*提供整个铁路网的实时地图*显著减少不必要的维护工作*提高效率和减少停机时间*优化维护预算*详细说明轮轨关键性能特征*接收钢轨表面粗糙度不可接受的警报*为维护计划提供轮轨接触数据的铣床/磨床。

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 wheelPktoPk'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.