0000000000808425
AUTHOR
M. Snell
Proof of concept of wayside railroad wheel inspection using a laser-air hybrid ultrasonic technique
Non-destructive inspection of railroad wheels is performed in maintenance shops, where wheels are removed and inspected individually. No technique is yet available to the railroad industry to perform wayside inspections of wheels on a moving train. The characteristics of laser and air-coupled ultrasound are discussed to justify the use of a laser-air hybrid ultrasonic technique. Laser generation of ultrasound is combined with air-coupled detection to provide a flexible non-contact and remote technique that would enable the railroad industry to perform wayside inspections of moving railroad wheels. The present paper describes Proof of Concept set-up and results of the experiments performed a…
Rail track field testing using laser/air hybrid ultrasonic technique
Nondestructive testing methods used for the testing of rail in tracks worldwide can be limited by discontinuity location or orientation within the rail. Vertical split head and rail base cracks are among those types of discontinuities that are difficult to detect, which in some cases may result in a reail failure in service. A noncontact and remote hybrid ultrasonic technique has been developed by combining laser generation with air coupled detection of ultrasonic signals in rails. The test apparatus mounts on a railroad pushcart and tests are performed in motion with all components kept above the running surface of the rail track. Tracks have been tested for vertical split head and rail ba…