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Title

The development and commissioning of a laser-based ultrasonic rail inspection system

Author

Cerniglia, D
Garcia, G
Girardi,G
Kalay, S

Publication Date

2009

Conference

9th International Heavy Haul Conference (IHHC 2009), Shanghai, China, 22-25 June, 2009

Abstract

The railroad industry continuously seeks to improve rail track inspection technologies to reduce in-service rail failures and to make rail transport safer. The Transportation Technology Centre Inc. (TTCI) and Tecnogamma SPA have first developed, and then improved, the ultrasonic (U-Rail) system for non-contact rail flaw inspection. High energy lasers combined with air-coupled transducers are used to dynamically inspect full rail sections. Pulsed lasers generate ultrasonic signals. Air-coupled transducers capable of noncontact operation at remote distances monitor the waves that propagate through the rail. Flaws detected using the U-Rail system include railhead transverse defects (TD), horizontal and transverse split heads, head and web separation, split and piped web, base TD, and surface flaws. Acquisition of acoustic signals, processing, storage, and visualization are automated, making real-time inspection feasible. System evaluations to determine reliability and repeatability are in progress at the Rail Defect Test Facility located at the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Railroads Administration's Transportation Technology Center, located approximately 22 miles north east of Pueblo, Colorado, USA. Qualification of the laser-based system is performed using a blind test approach. Revenue service evaluations with comparison tests between the U-Rail system and currently used ultrasonic rail inspection technology will be conducted after successful completion of the blind tests.

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Physical Description

pp. 147-152 ; PDF

Subjects

Railway track
Maintenance method
Laser
Maintenance
Rail transport
Rolling contact

Location

Server
ARRB library