KR20230110059A - Railway safety monitoring system based on DAS - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a DAS-based railroad safety monitoring system capable of monitoring the operating state of a railroad and the safety state of a railroad through DAS, that is, distributed acoustic sensing.
The DAS-based railway safety monitoring system of the present invention includes a signal generating unit provided in a train and transmitting an acoustic signal having a unique frequency, period, pattern, or combination thereof for each train, a distributed acoustic optical sensor installed adjacent to the railroad to transmit an optical signal backscattered in response to an acoustic signal of a natural frequency transmitted from the signal generating unit, a signal relay unit receiving an optical signal from the distributed acoustic optical sensor and transmitting acoustic information included in the acoustic signal, and relaying through the signal relay unit It is provided with a railroad monitoring unit that analyzes sound signals and monitors the condition of railroads, trains, or a combination thereof.

Description

Railroad safety monitoring system based on DAS}

The present invention relates to a DAS-based railroad safety monitoring system, and more particularly, to a DAS-based railroad safety monitoring system capable of monitoring the operating state of a railroad and the safety state of a railroad through DAS, that is, distributed acoustic sensing.

Recently, a lot of tunnels and bridges are being built to straighten railroad tracks, and as a result, tunnels are becoming longer and railroads are being straightened, and as a result, trains are becoming increasingly faster. Therefore, if a train-related accident occurs, it may lead to a large-scale accident, making it difficult to cope with the accident and increasing damage such as human life. In order to prevent such large-scale accidents in advance, we are developing a DAS-based railway safety monitoring system that will be the basis of future railway systems.

In particular, the need for such a DAS-based railway safety monitoring system is greater in sections that are difficult for people to access, such as deserts, mountainous regions, and tropical rain forests, as well as in tunnel sections.

Conventionally, GPS (Global Positioning System) is widely used as an outdoor positioning system, but in the case of GPS, radio waves are not detected in a tunnel, so it does not operate properly unless a separate antenna connected to the outside is installed. In particular, as tunnels become longer, GPS blind spots are further expanding. Since an accident in an extended tunnel can develop into a major disaster, measures to prevent it are becoming more and more important.

Meanwhile, distributed acoustic sensing technology called DAS (Distributed Acoustic Sensing) has recently been widely used in safety diagnosis and safety management fields.

After a pulse of light is incident on the sensing cable fiber, DAS can continuously detect acoustic phenomena by reflecting the light in a linear manner in very fine units. In addition, depending on the width of the light pulse, light signals that are relatively narrow or widely reflected in the shape of the width generate an echo, and when some kind of noise or external physical stimulation occurs, the position of the reflection part changes. It is used.

Currently, a train tracking and control system has been developed that performs train tracking by collecting and analyzing sounds generated when trains are operating in real time at a central control center by installing distributed acoustic optical sensors along the railroad tracks. Ordinary train tracking is necessary to control the intervals to be observed between trains. In addition, along with the function of tracking trains, it is necessary to find problems and take appropriate measures through sound collection, learning, and analysis of normal sounds from train wheels and sounds caused by damage to railroad tracks.

Existing train tracking and control systems using distributed acoustic optical sensors collect optical signals reflecting the characteristics of acoustic data through widely installed optical lines, and analyze the characteristics of the collected acoustic data to determine the state of the site. In addition, various advanced techniques such as learning are applied for accurate state analysis, but it is known that it is difficult to accurately classify objects. Therefore, in a considerable number of cases, various auxiliary means such as wind vane are used to prevent false detection, but it is still difficult to completely solve the problem, and a relatively simple and efficient method for solving this problem is required.

However, in the case of trains, the sound is so strong that it is not difficult to distinguish trains, especially since the rail section is a somewhat closed section and a specialized section. However, there is a problem in that there is still a risk of false detection when trains cross each other or when the surroundings are open and complex sounds are introduced from the surroundings.

US Patent Publication No. 2015-0000415 A1: Train separation detection (2015.01.01.) US Patent No. 9580092 B2: Method for operating a tracked vehicle in a railway system (2017.02.28.)

The present invention has been created to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a DAS-based railroad safety monitoring system capable of monitoring elements related to railroad safety, including braking abnormalities of trains, occurrence of breakdowns, and railroad abnormalities using DAS.

The present invention is a DAS-based railway safety monitoring system that monitors railroad safety by receiving and analyzing signals generated from trains using distributed acoustic sensors, wherein a signal generating unit is provided in a train and transmits an acoustic signal having a unique frequency, period, pattern, or combination thereof for each train, a distributed acoustic optical sensor installed adjacent to the railroad to transmit a backscattered optical signal in response to an acoustic signal of a natural frequency transmitted from the signal generating unit, and receiving an optical signal from the distributed acoustic optical sensor and included in the acoustic signal A signal relay unit that transmits the received acoustic information and a railroad monitoring unit that analyzes the acoustic signal relayed through the signal relay unit and monitors the condition of a railroad, a train, or a combination thereof.

The signal generating unit generates different sound signals according to a profile including a unique frequency, period, pattern or combination thereof for each train, and is preferably installed in a lead car and a tail car, respectively, in a train in which a plurality of cars are connected and operated.

Preferably, the signal relay unit converts the optical signal received through the distributed acoustic optical sensor into an electrical signal, analyzes the acoustic signal based on the converted electrical signal, and extracts acoustic information from the acoustic signal.

The DAS-based railway safety monitoring system according to the present invention has the advantage of being able to simply and clearly analyze and detect the railway operation condition by generating sound from a running train toward a distributed acoustic optical sensor installed adjacent to the railway line.

In addition, the present invention can track the trajectory of trains through simple filtering, so system development is simple and easy, and concerns about false detection can be drastically reduced even when trains cross each other or noise is introduced because the surroundings are open.

1 is a conceptual diagram of a DAS-based railway safety monitoring system according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the signal generating unit of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the signal relay unit of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the railway monitoring unit of Figure 1;

Hereinafter, a DAS-based railway safety monitoring system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Since the present invention can have various changes and various forms, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific form disclosed, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. Like reference numerals have been used for like elements throughout the description of each figure. In the accompanying drawings, the dimensions of the structures are shown enlarged than actual for clarity of the present invention.

Terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. These terms are only used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, a first element may be termed a second element, and similarly, a second element may be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Terms used in this application are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this application, the terms "comprise" or "having" are intended to designate that the features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification exist, but it should be understood that the presence or addition of one or more other features or numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof is not excluded in advance.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and are not interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present application.

Referring to the drawings, the DAS-based railroad safety monitoring system 10 according to the present invention is for monitoring to detect the risk of safety accidents in advance during railroad operation, and includes a signal generating unit 100, a distributed acoustic light sensor, a signal relay unit 200, and a railroad monitoring unit 300.

For DAS-based railway operation status monitoring according to an embodiment of the present invention, the present invention enables unique operation status monitoring for each train by transmitting an acoustic signal having a unique frequency for each train.

Depending on the monitoring result, the operator can control the train or change the set value of the train using wireless or satellite communication. This concept can be classified as a control function in addition to a function of monitoring the operating condition of the railway. That is, the DAS-based railway safety monitoring system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention serves to provide information to control a train or railway system by using a result of monitoring through the railway monitoring unit 300.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a distributed acoustic optical sensor is installed around the railroad at a predetermined distance from the railroad.

In addition, each train passing through the railroad is provided with a signal generation unit 100 that periodically generates a unique acoustic signal, so that when an acoustic signal of a specific frequency is generated for each train, the acoustic signal causes backscattering in the optical fiber to generate backscattered optical signals that are different for each frequency. These backscattered optical signals are collected by the signal relay unit 200 and transmitted to the railway monitoring unit 300 through a wired/wireless communication network, and the railway monitoring unit 300 analyzes the acoustic signals transmitted from a plurality of trains to determine the operation status of each train, displays them on the screen, and takes appropriate measures when a problem occurs in a train or railroad.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the signal generating unit 100 includes an information input unit 110 to receive setting information or control information for an acoustic signal through a network or a train console. The information input unit 110 may have a wired/wireless network interface to receive setting information or control information through a network, and may also have a console interface to input setting information or control information in the train itself.

According to the input setting information or control information, the frequency setting unit 120 sets the frequency of the sound signal, and the period setting unit 130 sets or controls the period of generating the sound signal. The frequency setting may be set to a unique frequency assigned to each train, or a specific frequency may be designated while changing according to the train operating time or train operating section.

The period setting unit 130 sets a period in which the sound signal is generated, and may set an on/off period of the sound signal, but may also set a period in which the sound signal having a certain pattern is repeated. The pattern may be a pattern of a frequency at which a sound signal is generated for a certain period of time or an on/off pattern of the sound signal.

When the frequency, period, pattern, or combination thereof of the sound signal is set or controlled in this way, the sound oscillation unit 150 is driven through the sound driver 140 accordingly, and the sound signal is generated.

The sound signal generated by the signal generating unit 100 is installed in a lead car and a rear car in a train in which a plurality of cars are connected and operated, so that information on the length of the train can be sensed. In addition, the signal generating unit 100 may be installed in some cars of the train to detect whether the cars are separated from the train.

In addition, the signal generating unit 150 generates an acoustic signal having a unique frequency for each train, so that the state of the train can be independently monitored even in an environment in which a plurality of trains cross each other, operate simultaneously, noise sources exist around the train, or a combination thereof.

When the signal relay unit 200 is directly connected to the place where the railway monitoring unit 300 is located, the signal relay unit 200 is installed in the same place as the railroad monitoring unit 300, and the signal relay unit 100 is installed at a certain place near the railroad, and then electrical signals can be transmitted to the railway monitoring unit 300 again through a wired or wireless communication network.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the signal relay unit 200 of this embodiment receives an optical signal transmitted from the photoelectric conversion unit 210 through the distributed acoustic light sensor and converts it into an electrical signal.

The converted electrical signal includes characteristic information about the frequency component of the acoustic signal generated by the signal generating unit 100. The signal analysis unit 220 extracts feature information about the acoustic signal of a specific frequency converted by the photoelectric conversion unit 210 .

The frequency component of the sound signal is confirmed by matching the feature information of the sound signal of the specific frequency component with the sound signal of the corresponding frequency stored in advance. Through this, acoustic information including a frequency component of a specific acoustic signal, a signal distribution, a signal pattern, or a combination thereof is extracted from the collected optical signal.

The signal analysis unit 220 analyzes and extracts the pattern of the sound signal from the pattern of the photoelectrically converted signal. At this time, the feature information is extracted by matching the pattern of the photoelectrically converted signal with the feature information of the acoustic signal previously stored in the database.

Using the extracted feature information, the sound information extractor 230 outputs sound information including a frequency, signal distribution, signal pattern, or a combination thereof of sound corresponding to the feature information. In extracting sound information, the sound information extraction unit extracts a sound signal previously stored in a database corresponding to the extracted sound signal.

The extracted sound information is transmitted to the railroad monitoring unit 300 through a wired/wireless network.

In addition, the signal relay unit 200 receives the optical signal and analyzes the length between a lead car and a trailing car, or a difference in sound between a plurality of cars, or a combination thereof, in a train in which a plurality of cars are connected to each other, and detects train and track state information, including abnormal restarting of the train, vehicle separation, train failure, railroad failure, or a combination thereof.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the railroad monitoring unit 300 receives each sound information from a plurality of signal relay units 200 and stores the sound information in a database 350 by classifying it by train.

The acoustic information for each train stored in the database 350 includes the frequency of sound, signal distribution, signal pattern, or a combination thereof, and the information included in the acoustic information for each train is analyzed through the acoustic information analyzer 320 to analyze whether the train or track is directly or indirectly affected or has a possibility of affecting it.

In addition, the train tracking unit 330 analyzes the acoustic information measured for each train, confirms the location information and time information of the corresponding train, and then tracks the actual location and condition of the train by grafting it to an electronic map or train route map.

The location and time information of the tracked train may be output through the manager terminal 360 through the information output unit 340 .

The DAS-based railway safety monitoring system 10 of the present invention described above detects conditions including braking abnormalities, breakdowns, railway failures, etc. of the train through the distributed acoustic optical sensor. In particular, the distributed acoustic optical sensor capable of receiving only sound of a specific frequency is installed near the railway or the railway, and the sound of a specific frequency or the sound of the specific pattern is transmitted from the head and tail of the train, so that the sound receiver interprets the sound signal transmitted from the head and tail of the train to monitor the condition of the train.

In addition, the present invention can monitor the passing time of the head and tail of the train using acoustic sensors to solve the problem of some cars being separated or damaging the railroad tracks due to an abnormality in the braking system while the train is running.

The description of the presented embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to use or practice the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments presented herein, but is to be construed in the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features presented herein.

10: DAS-based railway safety monitoring system
100: signal generating unit
110: information input unit 120: frequency setting unit
130: period setting unit 140: sound driving unit
150: sound oscillation unit
200: signal relay unit
210: photoelectric conversion unit 220: signal analysis unit
230: sound information extraction unit
300: railway monitoring unit
310: sound information collection unit 320: sound information analysis unit
330: train tracking unit 340: information output unit-

Claims (3)

In a DAS-based railway safety monitoring system that monitors railway safety by receiving and analyzing signals generated from trains using distributed acoustic sensors,
a signal generating unit provided in the train and transmitting a sound signal including a frequency, period, pattern, or a combination thereof unique to each train;
a distributed acoustic optical sensor installed adjacent to the railroad to transmit a back-scattered optical signal in response to the acoustic signal of the natural frequency transmitted from the signal generating unit;
a signal relay unit receiving an optical signal from the distributed acoustic optical sensor and transmitting acoustic information included in the acoustic signal; and
Equipped with a railroad monitoring unit that analyzes the sound signal relayed through the signal relay unit and monitors the condition of the railroad, train, or a combination thereof
DAS-based railway safety monitoring system.
According to claim 1,
The signal generating unit generates different sound signals according to a profile including a unique frequency, period, pattern or combination thereof for each train,
In a train in which a plurality of vehicles are connected and operated, it is characterized in that each is installed in the leading vehicle and the trailing vehicle.
DAS-based railway safety monitoring system.
According to claim 1,
The signal relay unit converts the optical signal received through the distributed acoustic optical sensor into an electrical signal, analyzes the acoustic signal based on the converted electrical signal, and extracts acoustic information from the acoustic signal.
DAS-based railway safety monitoring system.

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