Abstract
Wheel flats have become a major problem affecting the long-term service of railway systems. Wheels with flats create intermittent impact loads to trains and rails. This not only accelerates the deterioration of vehicle and track components but also leads to abnormal wheel-rail contact conditions. An effective method for detecting wheel conditions is urgently needed to ensure the operation of the railway and provide guidance for the repair of wheels. However, most previous researches have used qualitative detection methods, and hence have been unable to achieve accurate positioning of the wheel flats. In addition, the theoretical basis for the layout scheme for wheel flat detection sensors is lacking, making it impossible to meet the needs of field applications. In this study, we simulated the spatial distribution characteristics of rail strain, under different wheel flat conditions, and based on this, a layout scheme of multisensor arrays was proposed which more effectively captured the responses of the wheel flats. A wheel flat recognition and precise positioning method based on multisensor fusion was designed. The algorithm was validated through the combination of experimental and simulation methods. The result shows that the algorithm can ideally detect and locate the wheel flats under complex conditions.
Highlights
In the field of railway transportation, the health state of wheels has a crucial impact on vehicle operation safety
It is of great significance to monitor the generation and development of wheel defects in real time to enhance the safety and reliability of railway operation
In order to ensure that the multisensor arrays effectively capture the impact signals caused by wheel defects and avoids omissions, it is necessary to find out a reasonable spacing arrangement wheel and avoids omissions, it isalong necessary to find out a reasonable
Summary
In the field of railway transportation, the health state of wheels has a crucial impact on vehicle operation safety. It is of great significance to monitor the generation and development of wheel defects in real time to enhance the safety and reliability of railway operation. Wheel flats are the most typical form of defect during long-term service of train wheels, and this defect induces the failure of both the vehicles and the infrastructures. Wheel flats are mainly the result of the following two aspects: (1) The anomalous wear of the wheel tread due to sudden braking of the moving vehicle [1]. (2) the local reduction of wheel-rail adhesion force, which is often caused by rail surface foreign matters, leading to complete sliding between the wheel and rail [2].
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