Initial Situation
Wheel defects, such as flat spots or spalling, strain railway infrastructure and cause noise. The wheel load checkpoints of the train inspection system primarily measure the weight of passing vehicles. However, wheel defects alter the resulting signal curves. Thus, these same measurements also contain information about the condition of the wheels, which can be evaluated with suitable algorithms.
SCS’s Contribution
SCS developed and tested three algorithmic approaches that detect and more precisely analyze various wheel defects from the measurement signals of the wheel load checkpoints.
Result
The three approaches allow for the detection and more precise analysis of existing wheel defects. For certain types of defects, their severity can also be estimated. Affected vehicles can be reported to the railway company and specifically repaired. This evaluation supports condition-based maintenance and helps reduce strain on infrastructure and the environment.
3 Approaches
for detection, flat spot analysis, and wheel profiling.
Length Estimated
Flat spots measured based on characteristic points in the measurement signal.
Entire Wheel Circumference
Condition of the tread displayed as a profile.
