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US 12,459,551 B2Granted
Broken rail detector
AssigneeAthena Industrial Technologies Inc.
InventorPaul D. Gies
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus to detect breaks in tracks and/or detect the presence of a vehicle, which can include for example a train, in a monitored section of the track or rail. Embodiments of the present invention measure the change in amplitude and/or phase angles. Electrical shunts are connected between the rails at spaced-apart intervals. At least two different frequencies of alternating current are generated and fed into the segments of rail (for example at or near a mid-point between the shunts). If a rail break occurs, the total inductance of the rail at that segment will change. Using two or more frequencies allows a rail break to be differentiated from environmental rail-to-rail and rail-to-earth leakage.
Claims63
A method for detecting a condition of rail tracks comprising:
- forming segments of the rail tracks by coupling shunts between rails of the rail tracks at intervals;
- providing a plurality of detectors and coupling a respective one of the plurality of detectors to a respective one of the formed segments of rail tracks, wherein axles of all moving trains move with respect to the plurality of detectors;
- providing at least two frequencies of alternating electrical current to the respective one of the formed segments of rail tracks;
- evaluating a change in signal amplitude above a baseline reference in at least one of the at least two frequencies, and evaluating a phase angle difference between the at least two frequencies of alternating electrical current;
- and
- detecting the condition based on a change in the signal amplitude and phase angle difference between the at least two frequencies.
3 more elements
A detector comprising:
- a circuit configured to provide at least two frequencies of alternating electrical current to a shunted segment of a track;
- said circuit configured to measure an amplitude difference and a phase angle between the at least two frequencies of alternating electrical current and identify a break in at least a portion of the track based on a change in the measured amplitude difference and phase angle;
- and
- said detector not disposed on a train or moving vehicle.
1 more element
A method for detecting a condition of rail tracks comprising:
- forming segments of the rail tracks by coupling shunts between rails of the rail tracks at intervals;
- providing a plurality of detectors and coupling a respective one of the plurality of detectors to a respective one of the formed segments of rail tracks;
- forming a bypass section of rail tracks at or near a location of rail equipment such that the rail equipment lies within the formed bypass section by disposing the shunts on both sides of the bypass section and not disposing a detector in the bypassed section;
- providing at least two frequencies of alternating electrical current to the respective one of the formed segments of rail tracks;
- evaluating a change in signal amplitude above a baseline reference in at least one of the at least two frequencies, and evaluating a phase angle difference between the at least two frequencies of alternating electrical current;
- and
- detecting the condition based on a change in the signal amplitude and phase angle difference between the at least two frequencies.
4 more elements
A method for detecting a break in a portion of rail tracks comprising:
- forming segments of the rail tracks by coupling shunts between rails of the rail tracks at intervals;
- providing a plurality of detectors and coupling a respective one of the plurality of detectors to a respective one of the formed segments of rail tracks;
- providing at least two frequencies of alternating electrical current to the respective one of the formed segments of rail tracks;
- evaluating a change in signal amplitude above a baseline reference in at least one of the at least two frequencies, and evaluating a phase angle difference between the at least two frequencies of alternating electrical current;
- and
- detecting the break based on a change in the signal amplitude and phase angle difference between the at least two frequencies when a positive amplitude shift relative to an amplitude of a higher of the at least two frequencies from the baseline reference is observed in a lower of the at least two frequencies of alternating electrical current in combination with a negative phase shift relative to a phase shift of a lower of the at least two frequencies in a higher of the at least two frequencies of alternating electrical current.
3 more elements
A method for detecting train presence on rail tracks comprising:
- forming segments of the rail tracks by coupling shunts between rails of the rail tracks at intervals;
- providing a plurality of detectors and coupling a respective one of the plurality of detectors to a respective one of the formed segments of rail tracks;
- providing at least two frequencies of alternating electrical current to the respective one of the formed segments of rail tracks;
- evaluating a change in signal amplitude above a baseline reference in at least one of the at least two frequencies, and evaluating a phase angle difference between the at least two frequencies of alternating electrical current;
- and
- detecting the train presence when a train is disposed on at least one of the segments of rail tracks based on a negative amplitude shift for the at least two frequencies in addition to a positive phase shift for the at least two frequencies.
3 more elements
A method for detecting a condition of rail tracks comprising:
- forming segments of the rail tracks by coupling shunts between rails of the rail tracks at intervals;
- providing a plurality of detectors and coupling a respective one of the plurality of detectors to a respective one of the formed segments of rail tracks;
- providing at least two frequencies of alternating electrical current to the respective one of the formed segments of rail tracks;
- evaluating a change in signal amplitude above a baseline reference in at least one of the at least two frequencies, and evaluating a phase angle difference between the at least two frequencies of alternating electrical current;
- compensating the baseline reference for environmental effects by normalizing signal amplitude values relative to phase values when no trains are present and when no breaks in the rail tracks are present;
- and
- detecting the condition based on a change in the signal amplitude and phase angle difference between the at least two frequencies.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.