Determination of Track Irregularities and Stiffness Parameters with Inverse Transfer Functions of Track Recording Vehicles

Abstract

A new method for deconvolution of track recording data, obtained with versine measurements is presented. Deconvolution is done in the time domain using digital filters for the deconvolution of short wavelength track irregularities and long wavelength track profiles. The method is also applicable for the measurement of track stiffness parameters. For demonstrating the deconvolution of track stiffness parameters, results in the form of versine measurements of a numerical simulation model for the dynamic vehicle track interaction are used as inputs. The proposed method of deconvolution of track profiles is easily applicable for any kind of kinematical relative measurement. The method can be used for the combined deconvolution of track irregularities and track elasticity parameters. If the speed of the measurement vehicle is high enough to put the dynamic axle loads in the same magnitude as the offsets of the static axle loads, the deconvoluted signal of the track elasticity is significantly superposed with the signal of the dynamic axle loads.