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US 2020/0369302 A1Published application
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.
Claims17
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 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;
- and
- a processor in communication with the first rail sensor assembly wherein the processor controls operations of the first structured light generator and the first 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 wheel of a passing rail car using the first digital area scan camera;
- 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;
- and
- d. comparing the positions, lengths, or orientations of the recorded parallel structured light lines in each 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 of the first plurality of elevation scan frames.
5 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 using a light generator in communication with a processor;
- b. obtaining a first plurality of elevation scan frames of a wheel of the rail car using a first digital area scan camera in communication with the processor;
- 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;
- and
- e. comparing the positions, lengths or orientations of the recorded parallel structured light lines in each of the first 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 of the first plurality of elevation scan frames.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.