A PROPOSAL FOR A MOBILE SYSTEM OF VEHICLE AND RAIL TRACK DIAGNOSTICS

Abstract

The proper technical condition of a vehicle and rail track in operation is a key aspect in terms of safety and travel comfort. This issue is of particular importance for operators and managers of rolling stock and rail infrastructure. Currently, many diagnostic systems have been developed to monitor the technical condition of selected vehicle systems or rail track from the viewpoints of both the vehicle and track. This article proposes the use of vibration signals in selected quantitative and qualitative analyses as the main diagnostic parameter. For this purpose, over a dozen vibration measurements were carried out during the normal operation of a freight wagon as part of a so-called passive experiment. Measurement points were located on the axle boxes of the wheelsets. The proposed research methodology served as a basis for comparative analyses of the selected operational cases that were investigated. The most important conclusion from the study is that it is possible to monitor the technical condition of vehicles and tracks in real time on the basis of measurements of vibration accelerations at the vehicle level. This directly increases the service life of rolling stock and optimises operating costs by changing the maintenance strategy to one that takes into account the idea of modern on-board technical diagnostics. Another important aspect is the possibility of the varied use of the proposed measurement system, depending on the purpose of the research, which is also associated with the diagnostician’s experience in processing vibroacoustic signals and the utilisation of simple or complex quantitative and qualitative analyses.