Apparatus and method for rail track inspection

An apparatus for inspecting a rail track from a railcar traveling on the rail track, the apparatus comprising:

• an antenna positioned on the railcar and directing radar signals toward the rail track and collecting radar signals returned from the rail track;
• a radar transceiver connected to the antenna for supplying the radar signals to the antenna, the radar signals being directed toward the rail track and electromagnetically interacting with the rail track, the radar transceiver receiving radar returned signals based on the electromagnetic interaction of the radar signals with the rail track;
• a controller connected to the radar transceiver for controlling transmission of the radar signals from the radar transceiver and receipt of the radar returned signals;
• a signal processing unit connected to the controller;
• and
• a sensor unit connected to the signal processing unit for supplying input data to the signal processing unit wherein the signal processing unit processes at least the input data and the radar returned signal to produce processor output data and to determine an existence of an imperfection in the rail track.

A method for inspecting a rail track from a railcar traveling on the rail track, the method comprising the steps of:

• emitting a radar signal from the railcar toward the rail track, the emitted radar signal electromagnetically interacting with the rail track;
• receiving a radar returned signal based on the electromagnetic interaction of the emitted radar signal with the rail track;
• processing the radar returned signal to produce processor output data;
• and
• determining an existence of an imperfection in the rail track based on the step of processing the radar returned signal.

A method for inspecting a rail track from a railcar traveling on the rail track, the method comprising the steps of:

• emitting a radar signal from a railcar toward the rail track, the emitted radar signal electromagnetically interacting with the rail track;
• receiving a radar returned signal based upon the electromagnetic interaction of the emitted radar signal with the rail track;
• processing the radar return signal;
• producing the processor output data from the step of processing;
• comparing the processor output data with previously processed processor output data;
• and
• determining an existence of an imperfection in the rail track based on the step of comparing.