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US 2022/0153324 A1Published application
Wireless onboard railroad bearing condition monitoring system
AssigneesBoard of Regents, The University of Texas System, Hum Industrial Technology
InventorsConstantine Tarawneh, Heinrich Foltz, Joseph Montalvo, Jonas Cuanang, Brent Wilson, Byron Porter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Described herein is a system and method that can accurately determine the presence of defects in the wheelset of a railcar during active use of the railcar.
Claims23
A wheelset monitoring device coupled to a bearing adapter, the wheelset monitoring device comprising:
- a body having a shape and size configured to allow the body to be mounted against a portion of the bearing adapter;
- one or more vibration sensors positioned with the body;
- a processor coupled to. the one or more vibration sensors;
- and
- a transmitter coupled to the processor;
- wherein, during use, vibration information, monitored by the vibration sensors is collected by the processor, and wherein, during use, at least some of the vibration information is transmitted by the transmitter to a remote receiving device.
3 more elements
(canceled)
A bearing adapter of a railcar comprising;
- a body having a substantially planar top surface, an arced bottom surface, and sidewalls connecting the top surface to the bottom surface, wherein the top surface receives a portion of a railcar side frame during use, and wherein the arced bottom surface rests on a portion of a bearing assembly during use;
- one or more vibration sensors coupled to the body;
- a control unit coupled to the body and the one or more vibration sensors, wherein the control unit comprises a processor, a transmitter coupled to the processor, and a power source coupled to the processor and the transmitter;
- wherein, during use, vibration information, monitored by the vibration sensors is collected by the control unit, and wherein, during use, at least some of the vibration information is transmitted by the transmitter to a gateway device.
1 more element
A method installing a wheelset monitoring device on a bearing adapter comprising:
- obtaining a wheelset monitoring device, the wheelset monitoring device comprising:
- a body having a shape and size configured to allow the body to be mourned against a portion of the bearing adapter;
- and
- one or more vibration sensors disposed within the body;
- and
- attaching the body against a sidewall of the bearing adapter, wherein, when attaching the body to the bearing adapter, the body is positioned such that at least one vibration sensor disposed within the body is oriented over a center of the bearing adapter.
3 more elements
(canceled)
23-57. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.