Nonlinear guided waves for neutral temperature measurement in continuous welded rails: results from laboratory and field tests

Claudio Nucera; Robert Phillips; Peter Zhu; Stefano Mariani; Francesco Lanza di Scalea; Mahmood Fateh; Gary Carr

doi:10.1117/12.2009763

17 April 2013 Nonlinear guided waves for neutral temperature measurement in continuous welded rails: results from laboratory and field tests

Claudio Nucera, Robert Phillips, Peter Zhu, Stefano Mariani, Francesco Lanza di Scalea, Mahmood Fateh, Gary Carr

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8695, Health Monitoring of Structural and Biological Systems 2013; 869528 (2013) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2009763
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2013, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Continuous Welded Rail (CWR) is used in modern rail construction including high-speed rail transportation. The absence of expansion joints in these structures brings about the risk of breakage in cold weather and of buckling in warm weather due to the resulting thermal stresses. The University of California at San Diego (UCSD), under a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Office of Research and Development (RandD) grant, is developing a system for in-situ measurement of the rail Neutral Temperature in CWR. Currently, there is no well-established technique able to efficiently monitor the rail thermal stress, or the rail Neutral Temperature (rail temperature with zero thermal stress), to properly schedule slow-order mandates and prevent derailments. UCSD has developed a prototype (Rail-NT) for wayside rail Neutral Temperature measurement that is based on non-linear ultrasonic guided waves. Numerical models were first developed to identify proper guided wave modes and frequencies for maximum sensitivity to the thermal stresses in the rail web, with little influence of the rail head and rail foot. Experiments conducted at the UCSD Largescale Rail NT Test-bed indicated a rail Neutral Temperature measurement accuracy of a few degrees. The first field tests of the Rail-NT prototype were performed in June 2012 at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) in Pueblo, CO in collaboration with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway. The results of these field tests were very encouraging, indicating an accuracy for Neutral Temperature measurement of 5°F at worst, on both wood ties and concrete ties.

Citation Download Citation

Claudio Nucera, Robert Phillips, Peter Zhu, Stefano Mariani, Francesco Lanza di Scalea, Mahmood Fateh, and Gary Carr "Nonlinear guided waves for neutral temperature measurement in continuous welded rails: results from laboratory and field tests", Proc. SPIE 8695, Health Monitoring of Structural and Biological Systems 2013, 869528 (17 April 2013); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2009763

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available