Feasibility Study of Fiber-Optic Technology for Broken Rail Detection

This report describes the activities and presents the results of a feasibility study to examine the viability of using fiber-optic acoustic technologies to detect broken rails in railroad tracks. A fiber-optic test bed was constructed at Transportation Technology Center (TTC) that consisted of fiber-optic cable (and related electronics) installed alongside the track of the High Tonnage Loop (HTL) at TTC’s Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST). The cable was used as an acoustic detector to monitor acoustic energy transmitted by the HTL track through the earth to the cable. Data from the acoustic detector was then analyzed to see if acoustic events from the track could be correlated to broken rails when they occurred during train operations at FAST. During the study, analysts were able to identify and locate rail breaks. Follow-on efforts should focus on enhancing the existing capabilities of the fiber-optic test bed to enable it to detect additional acoustic events such as flat wheels and other railcar defects, as well as train position (including head-end and end-of-train detection), train velocity, length of train, braking issues, and the presence of railway trespassers.

• Record URL:
  http://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/details/L04807
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Technology Center, Incorporated

  55500 DOT Road
  Pueblo, CO  United States  81001

  Federal Railroad Administration

  Office of Research and Development, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Holcomb, Matthew D
  • Mauger, W David
• Publication Date: 2013-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: 26p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Acoustic detectors; Feasibility analysis; Fiber optics; Maintenance of way; Rail (Railroads)
• Subject Areas: Maintenance and Preservation; Railroads; Terminals and Facilities; I61: Equipment and Maintenance Methods;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01497424
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT/FRA/ORD-13/44
• Contract Numbers: TO 317; DTFR53-11-D-00008
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Nov 1 2013 8:58AM