Apparatus for detecting abnormally high temperature conditions in the wheels and bearings of moving railroad cars
AssigneeScience Applications International Corporation
InventorsDarrel L. Yaktine, Virgil F. Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus are disclosed for sensing the temperature of bearings of vehicles traveling along a track, the apparatus including a linear-array infrared detector positioned adjacent to the track. The output from the linear-array infrared detector is scanned at a scanning rate that is regulated according to the vehicle's velocity, and this output is compared to predetermined thresholds to indicate excessive heat produced by the wheels and/or bearings.
Claims29
Apparatus for inspecting a wheel or bearing of a railroad car while the railroad car moves along a track, wherein the apparatus detects the presence of an abnormal temperature condition in the wheel or bearing, the apparatus comprising:
- a first linear-array infrared detector located adjacent to a track on which the railroad car is moving, wherein the first infrared detector has an elongated, generally vertically oriented field of view, and wherein the first infrared detector is positioned such that its field of view is traversed by the wheel or bearing of the railroad car;
- a first scan controller that repeatedly reads the first linear-array infrared detector to produce a succession of scan signals at a prescribed scanning rate, each scan signal representing the infrared energy emitted by any objects located in the first detector's field of view, such that while the wheel or bearing of the railroad car moves through the detector's field of view, the succession of scan signals represent the infrared energy emitted by a two-dimensional area of the wheel or bearing, wherein the scanning rate is regulated according to a velocity that the railroad car is traveling along the track;
- and
- a first processor that receives the successive scan signals from the first infrared detector and detects any abnormally high temperature condition in any wheel or bearing passing through the first infrared detector's field of view.
Apparatus for inspecting a wheel or bearing of a track-bound vehicles for abnormal temperature conditions, the apparatus comprising:
- a first linear-array infrared detector containing a plurality of pixels, located adjacent to the track, wherein the pixels are vertically spaced along an array that is arranged generally perpendicularly to said track;
- a first scan controller that repeatedly scans input values from a plurality of pixels in said first infrared detector at a prescribed scanning rate, to produce a first succession of scan signals, each scan signal indicating levels of infrared energy emitted by any objects located in a field of view of the first infrared detector, wherein the scanning rate is regulated according to a velocity that the vehicle is traveling along the track;
- and
- a first processor that receives the successive scan signals from the first infrared detector and correlates said scan signals with predetermined scan values relating to abnormally high bearing temperatures.
A method for sensing the temperature of a wheel or bearing on vehicles traveling along a track, comprising:
- positioning a linear-array infrared detector adjacent to said track;
- scanning the output from said linear-array infrared detector at a prescribed scanning rate, wherein the scanning rate is regulated according to a velocity that said vehicle is traveling along the track;
- and
- comparing said output to predetermined thresholds indicating excessive heat produced by said wheel or bearing.
Apparatus that is capable of inspecting a wheel or bearing of a vehicle traveling along a track for abnormal temperature conditions, comprising:
- an infrared detector array located adjacent to a track on which the vehicle can move, and being positioned such that its field of view is traversed by said wheel or bearing traveling along the track;
- a scan controller that controls scanning of the infrared detector array to produce a succession of scan signals taken at a prescribed scan rate, the succession of scan signals representing the infrared energy emitted by any two-dimensional area of said wheel or bearing positioned in said field of view, the scan rate being controlled according to a velocity that the vehicle is travelling to produce a two dimensional wheel or bearing image having a prescribed aspect ratio;
- and
- a processor that receives the successive scan signals and detects any abnormal temperature condition of said wheel or bearing passing through the infrared detector's field of view.
A method for scanning a prescribed two-dimensional area of a wheel or bearing of a vehicle traveling along a track for emitted infrared energy, the method comprising:
- positioning an infrared detector array adjacent to the track such that the infrared detector array's field of view can be traversed by the wheel or bearing;
- scanning the infrared detector array at a modifiable scan rate to produce a succession of scan signals that define a two-dimensional image, each scan signal representing the infrared energy contained in said field of view;
- and
- controlling the scan rate according to a velocity that the vehicle is traveling such that the two-dimensional image has a prescribed aspect ratio.
Apparatus that is capable of inspecting a wheel or bearing of a vehicle traveling along a track for abnormal temperature conditions, the apparatus comprising:
- an infrared detector array located adjacent to the track and positioned such that its field of view is traversed by the wheel or bearing traveling along the track;
- a scan controller that controls scanning of the infrared detector array at a controllable rate, said rate being selected according to a velocity that the vehicle is traveling to scan locations on said wheel or bearing that are separated from the locations of adjacent scans by a prescribed distance taken in a direction parallel to the track;
- and
- a processor that receives and processes the successive scan signals.
A method for scanning a prescribed two-dimensional area of a wheel or bearing of a vehicle traveling along a track for emitted infrared energy, the method comprising:
- positioning an infrared detector array adjacent to the track such that the infrared detector array's field of view is traversed by the wheel or bearing traveling along the track;
- repeatedly scanning the infrared detector array at a modifiable scan rate, to produce a succession of scan signals;
- and
- controlling the scan rate according to a velocity that the vehicle is traveling to scan a location on said wheel or bearing that is separated from the locations of adjacent scans by a prescribed distance taken in a direction along the track.
Apparatus that is capable of inspecting a wheel or bearing of a vehicle traveling along a track for abnormal temperature conditions, comprising:
- an infrared detector array located adjacent to the track and positioned such that its field of view is traversed by the wheel or bearing traveling along the track;
- a scan controller that controls scanning of the infrared detector array at an adjustable scan rate, the scan rate being regulated according to the velocity of the vehicle as it passes the infrared detector array;
- and
- a processor that receives the successive scan signals and detects any abnormal temperature condition of wheel or bearing passing through the infrared detector's field of view.
A method for scanning a prescribed two dimensional area of a wheel or bearing of a vehicle traveling along a track for emitted infrared energy, the method comprising:
- positioning an infrared detector array adjacent to the track such that the infrared detector array's field of view is traversed by the wheel or bearing traveling along the track;
- repeatedly scanning the infrared detector array at a modifiable scan rate, to produce a succession of scan signals;
- and
- controlling the scan rate according to a velocity that the vehicle is traveling along the track.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.