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US 11,142,230 B2Granted
Broken wheel detection system
AssigneeTetra Tech, Inc.
InventorDarel Mesher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A broken wheel detection system for detecting broken wheels on rail vehicles even when such vehicles are moving at a high rate of speed by determining the positions, lengths, or orientations of structured light lines projected against passing wheels.
Claims14
A broken wheel detection apparatus for detecting broken wheels on rail cars while a rail car is in motion passing by the broken wheel detection apparatus, the broken wheel detection apparatus comprising:
- a first rail sensor assembly located alongside a railroad track comprising a first structured light generator directed toward a first section of a first rail, and a first digital area scan camera directed to a first wheel assessment zone which includes the first section of the first rail;
- a second rail sensor assembly located alongside a railroad track comprising a second structured light generator directed toward a first section of a second rail, and a second digital area scan camera directed to a second wheel assessment zone which includes the first section of the second rail;
- and
- a processor in communication with the first rail sensor assembly and the second rail sensor assembly wherein the processor controls operations of the first structured light generator, the second structured light generator, the first digital area scan camera, and the second digital area scan camera, and wherein the processor performs a method for detecting and recording a defect of a wheel on a rail car as such rail car passes by the broken wheel detection apparatus, the method comprising operations of:
- a. obtaining a first plurality of elevation scan frames of a first wheel of a passing rail car using the first digital area scan camera wherein the first wheel is traveling on the first rail;
- b. identifying parallel structured light lines in the first plurality of elevation scan frames;
- c. recording positions, lengths, or orientations of at least some of the parallel structured light lines in each frame of the first plurality of elevation scan frames;
- d. comparing the positions, lengths, or orientations of the recorded parallel structured light lines in each elevation scan frame of the first plurality of elevation scan frames to determine whether all recorded corresponding structured light lines maintain the positions, lengths, or orientations for each elevation scan frame of the first plurality of elevation scan frames;
- e. obtaining a second plurality of elevation scan frames of a second wheel of a passing rail car using the second digital area scan camera wherein the second wheel is traveling on the second rail;
- f. identifying parallel structured light lines in the second plurality of elevation scan frames;
- g. recording positions, lengths, or orientations of at least some of the parallel structured light lines in each frame of the second plurality of elevation scan frames;
- and
- h. comparing the positions, lengths, or orientations of the recorded parallel structured light lines in each elevation scan frame of the second plurality of elevation scan frames to determine whether all recorded corresponding structured light lines maintain the positions, lengths, or orientations for each elevation scan frame of the second plurality of elevation scan frames.
10 more elements
A method for detecting broken wheels on rail cars while a rail car is in motion, which comprises operations of,
- a. projecting structured light lines toward a rail car as it passes by a broken wheel detection apparatus located alongside a railroad track using a first light generator and a second light generator in communication with a processor;
- b. obtaining a first plurality of elevation scan frames of a first wheel of the rail car using a first digital area scan camera in communication with the processor wherein the first wheel is traveling along a first rail;
- c. identifying parallel structured light lines in the first plurality of elevation scan frames using the processor;
- d. recording positions, lengths or orientations of at least some of the parallel structured light lines in the first plurality of elevation scan frames;
- e. obtaining a second plurality of elevation scan frames of a second wheel of the rail car using a second digital area scan camera in communication with the processor wherein the second wheel is traveling along a second rail;
- f. identifying parallel structured light lines in the second plurality of elevation scan frames using the processor;
- g. recording positions, lengths or orientations of at least some of the parallel structured light lines in the second plurality of elevation scan frames;
- and
- h. comparing the positions, lengths or orientations of the recorded parallel structured light lines in each elevation scan frame of the first plurality of elevation scan frames and the second plurality of elevation scan frames using the processor to determine whether all recorded corresponding structured light lines maintain the positions, lengths, or orientations for each elevation scan frame of the first plurality of elevation scan frames and the second plurality of elevation scan frames.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.