WO2023014214A1

WO2023014214A1 - A railway obstacle warning system

Info

Publication number: WO2023014214A1
Application number: PCT/MY2022/050049
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wah Seng LIAN; Kam Meng THAI
Original assignee: Azti Technology Sdn Bhd
Priority date: 2021-08-05
Filing date: 2022-06-15
Publication date: 2023-02-09

Abstract

The present invention discloses a railway disaster warning system for detection of obstacles in one or more selected areas (1) along an open railroad track and generation of an alert signal in response to the obstacle detection, the system comprises one or more rows of elongated vibration sensing means (3) disposed within and in line with the open railroad track in the one or more selected areas (1) for picking up vibration signals; a signal analysing means (8) for processing the vibration signals, determining existence of the obstacles based on the vibration signals, and generating the alert signal upon the detection of the obstacles; and a signal transmission module configured to transmit the alert signal from the signal analysing means (8) to a warning system for triggering an alert response action.

Description

A RAILWAY OBSTACLE WARNING SYSTEM

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to a railway disaster warning system. More particularly, the invention relates to a system for detection of obstacles in one or more selected areas along an open railroad track and generation of an alert signal in response to the obstacle detection.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The largest hazard in the railroad industry is train derailments which can cost life of many peoples, and damages to property repair that can easily exceed millions. Many of the train hazard events that cause casualties are due to landslide and intrusion of large foreign objects/obstacles at the railroad track. Several safety measurement and monitoring systems have already existed in the prior art to provide an early alert notification upon detection of landslide or large foreign object/obstacles at the railroad track.

Slide detector fences is one of the common prior art that detects rockslides and prevents trains from being derailed by the rockslides in mountainous areas where rockslides may occur. Conventionally, the slide detector fences consist of a number of horizontal wires strung about 30 centimeters apart on a series of vertical wood poles typically spaced five to twenty meters apart. The poles are placed parallel to the railroad track on the side that is susceptible to rockfalls. A rockfall or slide is detected by loss of electrical continuity when a single fragile wire is broken. The main drawback of the slide detector fences is that the broken wire needs to be repaired before they can resume their operation. There are a few patented technologies over the prior art relating to obstacles detections on railroad track. Of interest in respect to a system and method for utilizing an infra-red sensor by a moving train is US10654499B2. This patent discloses a method and system for identification of obstacles near railways and for providing alarm to an operator of a train if obstacles constitute threat to the train. The system comprise IR sensor disposed at the front of the train facing the direction of travel. The IR sensor receives images of the rails in front of the train. The system comprises prestored vibration profile of the train's engine that is used to eliminate influence of the engine's vibrations on the accuracy of the received images. Presence of rails in the received frames is detected based on inherent differences of temperature between the rails and the substrate in the rails' background, such as the railway sleepers and the materials underneath it. Nevertheless, such system and method have their limitations as follows: (a) the settings of detection can reach upto 2km but it will have error of detection particularly when the railroad track are curved, (b) data collect required a high processing power computer to process such data due to the complexity of the data, and (c) the sensor optics, installed on a train, are required to overcome ergonomic issues.

Another patent US20040056182A1 discloses a scanning laser beam railway obstacle detection system disposable on-board a railway vehicle transportable over railway tracks comprises: a laser scanning module optically coupled to a laser source for scanning a laser beam over the tracks ahead of the vehicle with a predetermined pattern; a light detector for receiving light echoes from the scanned laser beam and for converting the light echoes into electrical signals representative thereof; and a processor for processing the electrical signals from the light detector to detect an obstacle ahead of the vehicle. A method of detecting a threat to a railway vehicle transportable over railway tracks comprises the steps of: generating a laser beam; scanning the laser beam over the tracks ahead of the vehicle with a predetermined pattern; receiving light echoes from the scanned laser beam and converting the light echoes into electrical signals representative thereof; determining positions of the light echo signals along the scan pattern; and processing the light echo signals and corresponding positions to produce an image of a scene ahead of the vehicle for use in detecting a threat to the vehicle. Nonetheless, such system has the same issues as mentioned earlier and further the optics sensing performance may be affected by the weather in the railway areas such as foggy, raining, and snowing.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a railway disaster warning system that is capable of overcoming the abovementioned drawbacks by utilising a robust sensing means and system. This invention provides such a system and platform thereof.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In one aspect of the invention, there is provided a railway disaster warning system for detection of obstacles in one or more selected areas along an open railroad track and generation of an alert signal in response to the obstacle detection, the system comprises one or more rows of elongated vibration sensing means disposed within and in line with the open railroad track in the one or more selected areas for picking up vibration signals; a signal analysing means for processing the vibration signals, determining existence of the obstacles based on the vibration signals, and generating the alert signal upon the detection of the obstacles; and a signal transmission module configured to transmit the alert signal from the signal analysing means to a warning system for triggering an alert response action; wherein the vibration sensing means includes one or more contact plates suspended in one or more rows by one or more coil springs, one or more sensor cables, each fitted throughout a length of its respective row of contact plates to pick up the vibration signals from movements of the contact plates, the sensor cables are connected to the signal analysing means via a coaxial cable or signal cable for the transmission of the vibration signals from the vibration sensing means to the signal analysing means; and wherein the movements of the contact plates are limited by damping coefficient of the coil springs such that the sensor cables only register vibration signals caused by obstacles that have impact weight greater than a predefined impact force.

Preferably, the contact plate may include at least one groove extended along a longitudinal side of the contact plate to accommodate a corresponding sensor cable.

Preferably, the corresponding sensor cable can be secured in the groove via one or more cable clips.

Preferably, the coil springs may be firmly seated above one or more mounting brackets.

Preferably, the contact plates can be of a rectangular shape and made of fiberglass reinforced plastic material.

Preferably, one end of each sensor cable may be connected to an end of line resistor and the other end of each sensor cable may be connected to a junction box containing one or more joints for connecting each of the sensor cables to the coaxial cable or signal cable, whereby the sensor cables are connected to the coaxial cable or signal cable via direct-splicing.

Preferably, the warning system may include a traffic light system connected to the signal analysing means via one or more power cables configured to produce a designated colour of light to alert a train operator of an incoming train upon receiving the alert signal.

Preferably, the warning system may include an alarm system configured to produce an alarm siren to alert a train operator of an incoming train upon receiving the alert signal.

Preferably, the warning system may include a wireless communication module connected to the signal transmission means for transmitting the alert signal wirelessly to a corresponding wireless communication device which is incorporated in an incoming train.

Preferably, the signal analysing means can be housed within an equipment cabinet which is installed beside the railroad track.

One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments described herein are not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the invention, there is illustrated in the accompanying drawing the preferred embodiments from an inspection of which when considered in connection with the following description, the invention, its construction and operation and many of its advantages would be readily understood and appreciated.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a general architecture of a railway disaster warning system which embodies therein the principle features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is cross sectional diagram of the railway disaster warning system. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an overall electrical diagram for the railway disaster warning system.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional diagram illustrating a configuration of a vibration sensing means.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view diagram illustrating of the vibration sensing means.

Fig. 6a is a top view diagram illustrating an exemplary of a coil spring for suspending the vibration sensing means.

Fig. 6b is a perspective view diagram of the coil spring.

Fig. 6c is side view diagram of the coil spring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings.

Referring to Figs. 1 & 2, a railway disaster warning system for detection of obstacles in one or more selected areas along an open railroad track and generation of an alert signal in response to the obstacle detection is illustrated. The system generally comprises a railroad track including a pair of spaced rails (2a, 2b) for trains to be travelled thereon, one or more elongated vibration sensing means (3) disposed one or more strategic and high risk trackside areas (1) such as mountain or hill areas where landsides or rockslides may occurs, or entrances and exits of railway tunnels, the vibration sensing means (3) is being position in between the pair of rails (2a, 2b) and in line with the railroad track for picking up vibration signals from foreign objections which intrude the railroad track, a signal analysing means (8) for processing the vibration signals obtained from the vibration sensing means (3), determining existence of the obstacles based on the vibration signals, and generating the alert signal upon the detection of the obstacles, and a signal transmission module configured to transmit the alert signal from the signal analysing means (8) to a warning system for triggering a respective alert response action.

Referring to Fig. 3, an overall electrical diagram for the railway disaster warning system is illustrated. The system can be categorised into three sections. The first section is a trackside area which includes the vibration sensing means (3) having one or more sensor cables (4) in loop connection with the end of line resistor (5) on one end and a cable joint junction box (6) on the other end. Preferably, the sensor cables (4) are in the form of strain sensitive cables. A further module can be provided to amplify the vibration signals from the strain sensitive cable.

The second section is an extension from the trackside area to the third section which includes a coaxial cable or signal cable (7) connecting the sensor cable from the cable joint junction box to the third section. Preferably, the coaxial cable or signal cable (7) may include but is not limited to Hard line coaxial cable, Flexible coaxial cable, Semi-rigid coaxial cable, Formable coaxial cable, Rigid coaxial cable, Twinaxial cable, Triaxial cable, High-frequency Coaxial Cable, High-temperature Coaxial Cable, Water-cooled Coaxial Cable, Coaxial Ribbon Cable, and Micro Coaxial Cable. By way of example, the coaxial cable or the signal cable (7) is.

The third section is an equipment rack which comprises the signal analysing means (8) to which the coaxial cable or signal cable (7) is connected thereto and the signal transmission module for transmitting the alert signal from the signal analysing means (8) to the warning system. The signal analysing means (8) can includes one or more light-weight processors or microcontrollers and one or more data storages. The lightweight processors or microcontrollers can be programmed to execute a plurality of computer instructions which are pre-stored in the data storages. These computer instructions may include but is not limited to a bandpass filtering process, a measuring process and an alert generation process.

The bandpass filtering process is designed to filter out a range of unwanted frequencies so that the system can accurately determine if there is a high impact obstacle. The range of frequencies can be further refined based on the actual set up on the particular trackside obstacle detection zone. The measuring process may comprise a Schmitt trigger and pulse length separator. The Schmitt trigger reacts to the value of the slope of the leading edge of incoming signals from the bandpass filter. If the slope is above the pre-selected value, the Schmitt trigger triggers and remain latched. A pulse length separator is uses to measure the length of time that the Schmitt trigger remains latched. If the latching time is greater than a pre-set time, an alert signal is then generated by the alert generation process. The pulse length separator is use to eliminate error signal reading cause by a high frequency spikes which is typically very short duration. It has been found that a latching time of about 0.25 second is a good compromise for many applications. However, the latching time period can be adjusted by an adjustable resistor, which is field adjustable to suit the particular application.

Alternatively, the equipment rack may further comprise a power supply system and a camera. The power supply system can be in the form of a renewable energy generator such as solar panels or wind turbines where generated electricity is stored in a rechargeable battery. The camera can be activated by the signal analysing means or a movement detectors to capture images of the railroad track as a further verification.

Referring back to Figs. 1 & 3, the warning system can be any alarm system which is deployed to inform of a future danger and to act accordingly to mitigate or avoid it. In a first embodiment, the warning system may include a traffic light system (10) connected to the signal analysing means (8) via one or more power cables (9) configured to produce a designated colour of light to alert a train operator of an incoming train upon receiving the alert signal. In a second embodiment, the warning system may include an alarm system configured to produce an alarm siren to alert a train operator of an incoming train upon receiving the alert signal. In a third embodiment, the warning system includes a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCAD A) and automatic train control system for transmitting the alert signal to a train operator of an incoming train.

Referring to Figs 4 & 5, the vibration sensing means (3) is illustrated in further detail. The vibration sensing means (3) includes one or more contact plates (3b) suspended in one or more rows by one or more coil springs (11), and the one or more sensor cables (4), each fitted throughout a length of its respective row of contact plates (3b) to pick up the vibration signals caused by the movements of the contact plates (3b). The sensor cable (4) will induce an electrical signals with a frequency profile that are proportional to the mechanical deformation or movement applied to the sensor cable (4). When motion imparted to a contact plate (3b), the sensor cable (4) will induce an electrical signals with a frequency profile. One end of the sensor cables (4) is connected to the signal analysing means (8) via the coaxial cable or signal cable (7) for the transmission of the vibration signals from the vibration sensing means (3) to the signal analysing means (8), and the other end of the sensor cables (4) is connected to an end of line resistor (5) to form a closed loop circuit. One or more mounting brackets (12) can be provided for the coil springs (11) to be attached thereon. The mounting brackets (12) are fastened to the ground via steel rivets and/or screws to ensure the vibration sensing means (3) are all substantially levelled at a same height for consistent measurement. By way of example, the contact plates (3b) are of a rectangular shape and made of fiberglass reinforced plastic material. Each contact plate (3b) further includes at least one side recess groove (3a) extended along a longitudinal side of the contact plate (3b) to accommodate the corresponding sensor cable (4). At least one end portion of the side recess groove (3a) is provided with one or more cable clips (13) for securing the corresponding sensor cable (4) within the side recess groove (3a). As a result, the exposure of the sensor cable (4) can be greatly reduced which can prevent the sensor cable (4) from damage by other mechanical systems or foreign obstacles. Alternatively, an exposed surface of the sensor cable (4) or the contact plates (3b) can be coated with UV resistant polyurethane paint. The surface of the contact plates (3b) can also be roughened by a non-slip sand-type surface treatment.

Referring to Figs. 6a to 6c, the coil springs (11) are preferably each in an inverted cone shape. The coil springs (11) in the inverted cone shape has a larger surface area at its upper portion to hold the contact plate (3b), meanwhile its bottom portion is sized sufficiently small to be locked by a screw to the mounting brackets (12). The movements of the contact plates (3b) are limited by damping coefficient of the coil springs (11) such that the sensor cables (4) only register vibration signals caused by obstacles that have impact weight greater than a predefined impact force.

The present disclosure includes as contained in the appended claims, as well as that of the foregoing description. Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangements of parts may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A railway disaster warning system for detection of obstacles in one or more selected areas (1) along an open railroad track and generation of an alert signal in response to the obstacle detection, the system comprising: one or more rows of elongated vibration sensing means (3) disposed within and in line with the open railroad track in the one or more selected areas (1) for picking up vibration signals; a signal analysing means (8) for processing the vibration signals, determining existence of the obstacles based on the vibration signals, and generating the alert signal upon the detection of the obstacles; and a signal transmission module configured to transmit the alert signal from the signal analysing means (8) to a warning system for triggering an alert response action; wherein the vibration sensing means (3) includes one or more contact plates (3b) suspended in one or more rows by one or more coil springs (11), one or more sensor cables (4), each fitted throughout a length of its respective row of contact plates (3b) to pick up the vibration signals from movements of the contact plates (3b), the sensor cables (4) are connected to the signal analysing means (8) via a coaxial cable or signal cable (7) for the transmission of the vibration signals from the vibration sensing means (3) to the signal analysing means (80; wherein the movements of the contact plates (3b) are restricted by damping coefficient of the coil springs (11) such that the sensor cables (4) only register vibration signals caused by obstacles that have impact weight greater than a predefined impact force.

2. The railway disaster warning system according to claim 1, wherein each contact plate (3b) includes at least one groove (3a) extended along a longitudinal side of the contact plate (3b) to accommodate a corresponding sensor cable (4).

3. The railway disaster warning system according to claim 2, wherein the corresponding sensor cable (4) is secured in the groove (3a) via one or more cable clips (13).

4. The railway disaster warning system according to claim 1, wherein the coil springs (11) are attached above one or more mounting brackets (12).

5. The railway disaster warning system according to claim 1, wherein the contact plates (3b) are of a rectangular shape and made of fiberglass reinforced plastic material.

6. The railway disaster warning system according to claim 1, wherein one end of each sensor cable (4) is connected to an end of line resistor (5) and the other end of each sensor cable (4) is connected to a junction box (6) containing joints for connecting each of the sensor cables (4) to the coaxial cable or signal cable (7), whereby the sensor cables are connected to the coaxial cable or signal cable via direct-splicing.

7. The railway disaster warning system according to claim 1, wherein the warning system includes a traffic light system (10) connected to the signal analysing means (8) via one or more power cables (9) configured to produce a designated colour of light to alert a train operator of an incoming train upon receiving the alert signal.

8. The railway disaster warning system according to claim 1, wherein the warning system includes an alarm system configured to produce an alarm siren to alert a train operator of an incoming train upon receiving the alert signal.

9. The railway disaster warning system according to claim 1, wherein the warning system includes a wireless communication module connected to the signal transmission means for transmitting the alert signal wirelessly to a corresponding wireless communication device which is incorporated in an incoming train.

10. The railway disaster warning system according to claim 1, wherein the signal analysing means (8) is housed within an equipment cabinet which is installed beside the railroad track.