United States Department of Transportation
i
On-Line High-Speed Rail Defect Detection [Research Results]
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2008-08-01
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[PDF-566.15 KB]
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Edition:Research results.
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Abstract:The rail defect detection prototype, which is being developed by the University of California-San Diego (UCSD) under a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Office of Research and Development (R&D) grant, has produced encouraging results in recent field testing. The prototype was field tested at speeds of up to 10 mph in March 2008. The test track included three different sizes of internal head defects (3.5 percent, 35 percent, and 12 percent head area (HA)), two sizes of transverse surface head cuts (2 percent and 5 percent HA), and one size of oblique surface head cut (3.5% HA). The results of the tests revealed a high probability of detection for all defects present, ranging from a 75 to 100 percent success rate after 24 runs conducted in varying environmental conditions including wind and rain. The project goal is to develop a rail defect detection system that provides better defect detection reliability and higher inspection speed than is currently achievable. The primary target is the detection of transverse defects in the rail head. The method is based on ultrasonic guided waves, which can travel below surface discontinuities, hence minimizing the masking effect of transverse cracks by surface shelling. The inspection speed can be improved greatly also because guided waves run long distances before attenuating.
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