A new damage detection technique for rails based on wave propagation

Giuseppe Zumpano; Michele Meo

doi:10.1117/12.541536

29 July 2004 A new damage detection technique for rails based on wave propagation

Giuseppe Zumpano, Michele Meo

Proceedings Volume 5391, Smart Structures and Materials 2004: Sensors and Smart Structures Technologies for Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace Systems; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.541536
Event: Smart Structures and Materials, 2004, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

Rails maintenance is becoming a critical issue because of the increase of the traffic and the train speed, which amplify the risk of catastrophic failures. A methodology, based on wave propagation theory, aimed at detecting damage in rails is presented in this paper. The damage detection algorithm is based on the assumption that the rails behave as a wave guides and stress waves may travel alongside the rail length without being reflected unless they meet discontinuities (damages). The Wave Propagation Based Damage Detection (WPBDD) algorithm proposed is a two steps technique. In the first step the travel time of a perturbation wave, generated by a train passage, from its arrival to the sensor locations to the discontinuity and back to the sensor, is measured by a Time Correlation Function (TCF) evaluated using the wavelet transform. The second algorithm locates the damage sites using a Ray-Tracing (RT) algorithm. The WPDDD algorithm has been designed to use indifferently either body waves (P and S waves) or surface waves (Rayleigh waves). The technique proposed aimed at the identification of single and multi-site rolling contact fatigue damages was tested on a numerical test case.

Citation Download Citation

Giuseppe Zumpano and Michele Meo "A new damage detection technique for rails based on wave propagation", Proc. SPIE 5391, Smart Structures and Materials 2004: Sensors and Smart Structures Technologies for Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace Systems, (29 July 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.541536

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