Technology tested in Hong Kong proves effective at monitoring commuter rail lines and detecting dangerous conditions
A string of fiber-optic sensors running along a 36-km stretch of high-speed commuter railroad lines connecting Hong Kong to mainland China has taken more than 10 million measurements over the past few years in a demonstration that the system can help safeguard commuter trains and freight cars against accidents. Attuned to the contact between trains and tracks, the sensors can detect potential problems like excessive vibrations, mechanical defects or speed and temperature anomalies. The system is wired to warn train operators immediately of such problems so that they can avoid derailments or other accidents, said Hwa-yaw Tam of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, who will describe the technology and its test run next week at The Optical Society’s (OSA) Annual Meeting, Frontiers in Optics (FiO) 2013, being held Oct. 6-10 in Orlando, Fla.
At least 30 times during the seven-year period, the system detected anomalous vibrations, Tam said. In a few cases, the vibrations turned out to be early warnings of dangerous emerging conditions that could have led to train wrecks. In some cases, vibration due to the use of the wrong type of lubrication oil in axle boxes was detected. The fiber-optic sensor system was designed for maintenance purposes and saves the rail company about $250,000 every year in maintenance costs.
“Using just this one type of technology, we are able to measure many things,” Tam said. “This technology is perfect for railway systems.” He added that it costs less than a third the price of other warning systems, which typically require data to be integrated from a half dozen different types of monitoring systems.
The system is now being installed in all commuter train routes in Hong Kong and will soon be rolled out in railways in parts of Singapore and Australia. With regular speeds for some of the trains in China topping out above 300 km per hour, the need for effective safety measures is profound, Tam said.
Worldwide, the rail industry is undergoing a major development boom, especially in places like China where tens of thousands of kilometers of new high-speed lines are planned for the next decade at an estimated cost of hundreds of billions of dollars.
How the System Works
The basis for the new sensor system is a technology developed in the 70s and 80s known as a Fiber Bragg grating, a type of sensor that reflects narrow spectra of light whose wavelengths shift due to temperature/strain variation. Coupling fiber Bragg gratings with another device known as mechanical transducers allows pressure, acceleration and other parameters to be measured.
The sensors are imbedded in mechanical compartments of a train or along the tracks. If there is a defect, like a sudden break in the rails or excessive vibrations because the weight of the train is off balance, those changes will alter the reflection spectra of FBGs in a detectable way.
The system is advantageous because it is all-optical, allowing the passive fiber Bragg grating sensors to monitor conditions along a train route, Tam said. It also relies exclusively on optical detection and communication, so there are no problems with electromagnetic interference from power lines that run parallel to many modern rail lines.
The Latest Bing News on:
Railway safety
- Trailblazing railway safety collaboration takes centre stageon March 28, 2024 at 3:52 am
The win comes as recognition for the collaborative work undertaken by Computing and Tech lecturer Jorge Correia and Anturas to develop a tool to address the time-consuming current processes associated ...
- Waka Kotahi wanted $6m to address rail safety concerns but never sent requeston March 27, 2024 at 7:15 pm
The agency watered down a warning to the government about growing safety risks on the rail network, while also failing to submit a bid for more money to tackle them.
- NZTA watered down warning to Government over rail safety riskson March 27, 2024 at 12:00 pm
The transport agency watered down a warning to the Government about growing safety risks on the rail network - as well as a bid for more money to tackle them. Papers show it wanted $6 million to ...
- CadRI awarded rail fleet maintenance contract from ONxpress Operations for GO Expansion - OnCorr projecton March 27, 2024 at 9:11 am
The agreement tasks CadRI with the maintenance, repair and overhaul of the rail fleet as part of Metrolinx's GO Expansion - OnCorr project.
- Are Ross County rail crossings safer than the rest of the state?on March 27, 2024 at 2:05 am
Ross County is home to 17 railroad crossing locations. When driving over these rails do you ever stop to think about how safe it is?
- Broken rail caused 2021 CP potash derailment, TSB determineson March 26, 2024 at 7:18 pm
An undetected rail flaw that led to a broken rail as the train passed over it caused the derailment of a Canadian Pacific potash train at Silton, Saskatchewan in October 2021, the Transportation ...
- Greek opposition party seeks to bring down the government over its handling of a 2023 rail disasteron March 26, 2024 at 10:10 am
A Greek opposition party has submitted a motion of no-confidence in the government over its handling of a deadly railway disaster last year ...
- Light rail safety guidance updatedon March 24, 2024 at 10:00 pm
UK: Following a comprehensive review the Light Rail Safety & Standards Board has updated the Tramway Principles & Guidance document. More than 200 amendments take into account changes to legislation, ...
- Metra extends deadline for students to enter 'Become a Safety Influencer' conteston March 24, 2024 at 6:35 am
They have a chance to win up to $500 in prizes by submitting a poster or video about railway safety. Students in grades K through 4 can submit a poster. Students in grades 5 through 8 can submit ...
- Attention Kentucky Drivers: Support Rail Safety With OLI License Plateon March 22, 2024 at 7:47 am
Kentucky drivers have another way to show their commitment to railroad safety: through the purchase of a specialty license plate featuring Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI). This is the first railroad ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Railway safety
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Railway safety” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Railway sensors
- Swiss Federal Railways CIO relies more on AI than concreteon March 28, 2024 at 3:00 am
SBB, unlike Deutsche Bahn, is an integrated group that brings together passenger and freight transport, infrastructure, and real estate under a single roof, which facilitates the planning and ...
- Railway Service between Foggia and Benevento to Resume on April 8 After Landslide Disruptionon March 27, 2024 at 4:47 am
Rail traffic on the Foggia - Benevento line will be reactivated on April 8, having been suspended since last March 12 due to a landslide that affected the entire area. This was announced by Rfi in ...
- Crack appears near railway line in Folkestoneon March 26, 2024 at 11:02 am
Network Rail is monitoring the situation at Folkestone Warren after a huge crack appeared in the road.
- State fund to forgive QLine loan in exchange for advertising rightson March 26, 2024 at 10:05 am
To get the QLine up and running, M-1 Rail benefited from millions of dollars from private donors, including Quicken Loans Inc., Compuware Corp. and Ilitch Holdings Inc., along with Wayne State ...
- ‘Aerospace-Grade’ Quartz Sensor Technology Available through ASCon March 26, 2024 at 4:24 am
ASC is broadening its portfolio to include quartz-based accelerometers and digital IMUs manufactured by Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Ltd.
- defect detectionon March 24, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Given the forces involved, keeping trains on the straight and narrow is no mean feat, and railway designers have come up with a web of sensors and systems to help them with the task of keeping an ...
- Railways’ uphill battle persistson March 20, 2024 at 1:40 pm
“Since the pandemic, there have been labor disputes, disruptions on the Suez and low water on the Panama Canal, fires in Canada, so there have been a number of disruptions to the supply chain that ...
- Nexxiot, 3C Telemetry Partner to Enhance Rail Safety, Efficiencyon March 20, 2024 at 7:05 am
Nexxiot on March 19 announced that it will enable “seamless connectivity” of 3C Telemetry’s advanced sensors to its analytics platform, “offering unprecedented insights into maintenance data patterns.
- Parliamentary body: Introduce sensor system to prevent train accidenton March 20, 2024 at 6:07 am
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Railways Ministry on Wednesday recommended the government to take necessary measures to introduce sensor systems and technology for automatic train stop to ...
- The rail industry on track despite post-pandemic challengeson March 20, 2024 at 5:20 am
The global pandemic may be over, but the rail industry is still managing challenges to the supply chain. Leaders from the six Class I North American railroads participated in a panel discussion March ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Railway sensors
[google_news title=”” keyword=”railway sensors” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]