Portable Track Geometry Measurement System
This project was one of the winners in the First Of A Kind 2022 competition run by Innovate UK.
In this document, this is said about the project.
Project No: 10037542
Project title: Portable Track Geometry Measurement System
Lead organisation: MONIRAIL LTD.
Project grant: £249,148
Public description: Rail incidents can take many forms and can results in many different types of intervention from
temporary speed restrictions to full track closures. Many incidents either result from or cause track
damage and in order to remove any speed restrictions or track closures engineers need to be
confident that the track is in a safe condition. It is therefore common practice after many incidents
where track damage is suspected or track repairs have been undertaken for Track Recording
Vehicles (TRVs) to be required to run the track before passenger or freight vehicles are allowed to
run the line again. However, the availability of these vehicles can cause significant delays to line
reopening or removal of speed restrictions.
MoniRail has developed an in-service track monitoring system that can be permanently fitted to
passenger vehicles and is currently on trial with Network Rail (NR) in Scotland and also fitted to 2
Eurostar vehicles on HS1. One potential use-case for the permanent system is for speedier
removal of speed restrictions. However, even with the fixed solution delays are likely as track
monitoring systems are only likely to be fitted to 1/3 to 1/2 of all vehicles, approx 1500 of 5100
vehicles.
This project aims to overcome these delays by providing track engineers with the first ever portable
dynamic track geometry measurement system by modifying the permanent solution into a portable
one that can be temporarily fixed to vehicles along with a lineside sensor array that can provide
additional safety critical track information to the engineer. This solution will therefore provide
immediate track information to track engineers such that can make informed decisions about the
safety of the track and to what extent speed restrictions can be lifted or line re-opened.
My Thoughts And Conclusion
I am surprised that this hasn’t been developed before.
It surely must have export potential.
A Rapidly Deployable Rail Stress Sensor For Next Generation Freight Monitoring
This project was one of the winners in the First Of A Kind 2022 competition run by Innovate UK.
In this document, this is said about the project.
Project No: 10039559
Project title: A Rapidly Deployable Rail Stress Sensor For Next Generation Freight Monitoring
Lead organisation: PEAK TO PEAK MEASUREMENT SOLUTIONS LTD.
Project grant: £263,725
Public description: As UK rail freight growth increases, a detailed live understanding of the network condition is
essential and is driving the need for industry digitalisation in the form of real-time and in-situ condition monitoring.
This is also a key enabler of automated networks and the adoption of autonomous vehicles.
In the UK many of the existing wayside rail measurement technologies (e.g. Weigh-in-Motion[WiM] and Wheel Impact Load Detector [WILD]) are expensive, time consuming to install, and permanent.
Thus, the adoption of measurement technologies for improving service offerings is becoming increasingly important. Some proposed data streams are unmeasurable using commercially available technologies; other smaller rail sensors on the market only offer very basic measurements (such as vibration and temperature). Some can be achieved through strain gauging, weighbridges or manual inspection. However, Peak to Peak Measurement Solutions (PktoPk)’s solution is more robust, has longer term stability, is rapidly deployable, offers higher measurement frequency and is significantly cheaper/faster to deploy than any of the competing technologies. It builds on similar systems PktoPk have deployed to non-competing industries such as automotive, large marine diesel, and injection moulding.
PktoPk proposes a novel technology to take key measurements using an ultrasonic array transducer mounted in a robust clamp that can be rapidly fixed under a rail of any gauge. Measurements will be taken in real-time and uploaded to a cloud platform. This solution is fast, portable and excellent value for money whilst providing tangible, reliable and cost-saving data.
The system benefits to asset owners include; reducing possession duration, reducing inspection/maintenance downtime and providing rail operators with easy access to all the data streams listed below.
- Dynamic lateral and vertical force (L/V)
- Wheel-rail contact position and shape
- Wheel-rail interfacial stiffness
- Axle load/weight (ALM)
- Additional ‘standard’ measurements (temperature/noise/vibration)
The project will utilise PktoPk’s close relationship with University of Sheffield, where the IP and right to operate is also shared, and will work with other local partners to create a demonstration of their novel technology to key rail stakeholders in a live rail environment.
This event will also be broadcast with some international stakeholders who have already expressed their excitement about the demonstration.
My Thoughts And Conclusions
Disappearing Balances
One of my old school friends came round last night for a drink and a chat. At one point, I used my letter balance to weigh something.
My All-Purpose Balance
They said, that at the University, where he works, they have given up on expensive weighing machines and now use cheap letter balances, as the students nick them, to weigh out their drugs.
Such is University life these days!
The Anonymous Widower 