Real-time edge monitoring of displacement within rail track infrastructure

Abstract

Methods and systems for monitoring rail track condition are provided. An example method includes receiving one or more first analog signals corresponding to an acceleration of a first rail tie during operation of a rail track from a first accelerometer. The first accelerometer is positioned at a first end of the first rail tie. The example method also includes determining a displacement of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track based on the one or more first analog signals. The example method further includes determining a rail track condition of the rail track based on the displacement of the first rail tie.

Description

REAL-TIME EDGE MONITORING OF DISPLACEMENT WITHIN RAIL TRACK INFRASTRUCTURECROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application claims the benefit and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 619,023 filed on January 9, 2024; the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD

[0002] The disclosure herein relates to structural health monitoring, in particular to systems and methods for calculating displacement near a rail track for structural health monitoring.BACKGROUND

[0003] Passenger and freight rail is a critical part of the overall transportation infrastructure. Climate change has created a new urgency for rail usage, which includes ensuring adequate maintenance is performed on the track structure in a timely manner. The rail track supporting structure generally consists of a layer of sub ballast and ballast placed over the subgrade. This structure provides support to the ties and rails and helps to ensure the safe operation of the railway. Degradation can occur in the structure due to traffic and environmental conditions. This degradation occasionally requires some type of maintenance to return the structure to full health and ensure the structure is able to support the rail traffic in a safe manner. Knowing when and where to perform these maintenance activities can be challenging. Operators usually rely on some type of inspection of the structure to determine maintenance needs.

[0004] Inspection techniques to assess the condition of the rail track structure and need for maintenance fall into two categories: Visual or Automated. Automated inspection techniques include the use of Track Geometry Cars, Ground Penetrating Radar, and similar techniques, which can generate useful data but are performed periodically which means the track health could havechanged since the last scan and the data may not represent the current condition of the track. The frequency of the automated inspections can vary with the type and use of the track but generally occur at least one time per year. For longer term maintenance planning the current condition of the track structure may not be of major concern. However, in known problem areas or areas where emergency maintenance may be required, knowing the current, near real-time status of the track structure is especially important. There is a long sought need to develop a new type of monitoring system that can provide near real time information about the current state of the rail track structure.SUMMARY

[0005] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method for monitoring rail track condition, the method including: receiving, via a first accelerometer, one or more first analog signals corresponding to an acceleration of a first rail tie during operation of a rail track, wherein the first accelerometer is positioned at a first end of the first rail tie; determining, based on the one or more first analog signals, a displacement of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track; and determining a rail track condition of the rail track based on the displacement of the first rail tie.

[0006] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, further including receiving, via a second accelerometer, one or more second analog signals corresponding to an acceleration of a second rail tie during operation of the rail track, wherein the second accelerometer is positioned at a first end of the second rail tie; and determining, based on the one or more second analog signals, a displacement of the second rail tie during operation of the rail track.

[0007] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the rail track condition is determined based on the displacement of the first rail tie and the second rail tie.

[0008] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the rail track condition is determined based on a comparison of the displacement of the first rail tie to a desired displacement.

[0009] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the rail track condition is determined based on a comparison of the displacement of the first rail tie to apreviously recorded displacement of the first rail tie, wherein a change in the displacement of the first rail tie compared to the previously recorded displacement of the first rail tie indicates a change in the rail track condition.

[0010] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the one or more first analog signals include one or more voltage outputs, wherein determining the displacement of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track includes scaling the one or more voltage outputs into a factor of gravity.

[0011] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein determining the displacement of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track further includes filtering out an effect of gravity from the one or more first analog signals.

[0012] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the one or more first analog signals corresponding to an acceleration of a first rail tie during operation of a rail track are measured in an instance in which a load is passing over the first rail tie.

[0013] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the first accelerometer is a triaxial micro-electromechanical systems accelerometer.

[0014] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, further including receiving a sensor reading from one or more strain gauges positioned on a rail of the rail track, wherein the rail track condition is updated based on the sensor reading from the one or more strain gauges.

[0015] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the rail track condition indicates a condition of a substructure of the rail track.

[0016] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the first accelerometer transmits the one or more first analog signals to a data acquisition system positioned adjacent to the rail track.

[0017] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system for monitoring rail track condition, the system including: a rail track including at least one rail, a rail ties including one or more rail ties, and a rail substructure, wherein the rail substructure includes a subgrade and a ballast; a first accelerometer attached to a first end of a first rail tie of the one or more rail ties;and a computing device, wherein the computing device includes at least one non-transitory storage device and at least one processing device coupled to the at least one non-transitory storage device, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to: receive, via the first accelerometer, one or more first analog signals corresponding to an acceleration of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track; determine, based on the one or more first analog signals, a displacement of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track; and determine a rail track condition of the rail track based on the displacement of the first rail tie.

[0018] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system, further including a second accelerometer attached to a first end of a second rail tie of the one or more rail ties, and wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to: receive, via the second accelerometer, one or more second analog signals corresponding to an acceleration of a second rail tie during operation of the rail track; and determining, based on the one or more second analog signals, a displacement of the second rail tie during operation of the rail track.

[0019] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system, wherein the rail track condition is determined based on the displacement of the first rail tie and the second rail tie.

[0020] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system, wherein the rail track condition is determined based on a comparison of the displacement of the first rail tie to a desired displacement.

[0021] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system, wherein the rail track condition is determined based on a comparison of the displacement of the first rail tie to a previously recorded displacement of the first rail tie, wherein a change in the displacement of the first rail tie compared to the previously recorded displacement of the first rail tie indicates a change in the rail track condition.

[0022] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system, wherein the one or more first analog signals include one or more voltage outputs, wherein determining the displacement of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track includes: scaling the one or more voltage outputs into a factor of gravity, and filtering out an effect of gravity from the one or more first analog signals.

[0023] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system, wherein the rail track condition indicates a condition of a substructure of the rail track.

[0024] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system, further including a data acquisition system, wherein the first accelerometer transmits the one or more first analog signals to the data acquisition system positioned adjacent to the rail track.

[0025] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method for monitoring displacement surrounding rail track, including: providing one or more sensors to one or more rail ties; providing a communication device for communicating signals from the one or more sensors to a data acquisition device; acquiring the signals from the one or more sensors on the data acquisition device; connecting the data acquisition device to a cellular gateway; transmitting the signals from the data acquisition device through the cellular gateway to a server; performing, by the server, signal conversion on the signals to create signal data; filtering, by the server, the signal data; and calculating, by the server, displacement surrounding the rail track.

[0026] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the one or more sensors are accelerometers attached to one or more rail ties.

[0027] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein the data acquisition device is an embedded PC.

[0028] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein performing signal conversion to signal data scales a voltage signal to a g-force rating.

[0029] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein filtering the signal data removes the effect of gravity on the signal data.

[0030] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method, wherein calculating displacement is the displacement of the accelerometer for one wheel passing over a time series.

[0031] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system for monitoring displacement surrounding rail track, including: one or more sensors adapted to one or more rail ties; a communication device adapted to the one or more sensors; a data acquisition device in communication with the one or more sensors; a cellular gateway in electrical communication withthe data acquisition device; and a server in communication with the data acquisition device through the cellular gateway.

[0032] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system, wherein the one or more sensors are accelerometers adhered to one or more rail ties.

[0033] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system, wherein the data acquisition device is an embedded PC.

[0034] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system, wherein the server includes a conversion engine for performing signal conversion to signal data which scales a voltage signal to a g-force rating.

[0035] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system, wherein the server includes a fdtering engine for filtering signal data to remove an effect of gravity on the signal data.

[0036] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system, wherein the server includes a calculating engine wherein the calculating engine calculates displacement the accelerometer for one wheel passing over a time series.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] Many aspects of the present disclosure will be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, with emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. It should be recognized that these implementations and embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles of the present disclosure. Therefore, in the drawings:

[0038] FIGs. 1A and IB are illustrations of example rail track configurations, in accordance with various embodiments;

[0039] FIG. 2 is an illustration of an example rail track with strain gauges applied, in accordance with various embodiments;

[0040] FIG. 3 is an illustration of an example rail track with an accelerometer mounted to a rail track tie, in accordance with various embodiments;

[0041] FIG. 4 is an illustration of an example data acquisition system or device, and a gateway device with cellular communication, in accordance with various embodiments;

[0042] FIG. 5 is a graph of an example displacement calculation, in accordance with various embodiments;

[0043] FIG. 6 illustrates an example system environment for carrying out any of the operations discussed herein, in accordance with various embodiments; and

[0044] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining rail track condition, in accordance with various embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The presently disclosed subject matter now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter are shown. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. The presently disclosed subject matter may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements.

[0046] Indeed, many modifications and other embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which the presently disclosed subject matter pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the presently disclosed subject matter is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

[0047] Throughout this specification and the claims, the terms “comprise,” “comprises”, and “comprising” are used in a non-exclusive sense, except where the context requires otherwise. Likewise, the term “includes” and its grammatical variants are intended to be non-limiting, such that recitation of items in a list is not to the exclusion of other like items that can be substituted or added to the listed items.I. Example Use Case

[0048] Traditional methods used to inspect and plan rail ballast and subgrade maintenance tend to be periodic with weeks or months delay between inspections and are focused mainly on what can be observed via visual inspection or track geometry. While these methods provide good information, they don’t always reflect the current state of the ballast and subgrade which can vary considerably due to climate conditions and other variables. Near “real time” information on track health can be valuable in detecting issues early as well as understanding if a problem area needs immediate attention.II. Systems and Methods

[0049] Example systems and methods disclosed herein use relatively low-cost MEMS accelerometers mounted on rail ties as the sensing element. Initial results from the field test are promising and show that displacement calculations, when filtered and analyzed over time, indicate when maintenance should be performed, as well as provide insight into the structural health of the rail track. The existing field trial was installed at a location where the rail traffic was known and consistent which supports the use of trend analysis to determine changes in the track structure. Variations in the type, loading, and speed of the traffic may also be considered during the operations discussed herein.

[0050] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a method for monitoring rail track condition, the method including: receiving, via a first accelerometer, one or more first analog signals corresponding to an acceleration of a first rail tie during operation of a rail track, wherein the first accelerometer is positioned at a first end of the first rail tie; determining, based on the one or more first analog signals, a displacement of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track; and determining a rail track condition of the rail track based on the displacement of the first rail tie.

[0051] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a system for monitoring rail track condition, the system including: a rail track including at least one rail, a rail ties including one or more rail ties, and a rail substructure, wherein the rail substructure includes a subgrade and a ballast; a first accelerometer attached to a first end of a first rail tie of the one or more rail ties;and a computing device, wherein the computing device includes at least one non-transitory storage device and at least one processing device coupled to the at least one non-transitory storage device, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to: receive, via the first accelerometer, one or more first analog signals corresponding to an acceleration of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track; determine, based on the one or more first analog signals, a displacement of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track; and determine a rail track condition of the rail track based on the displacement of the first rail tie.III. With Reference to the Figures

[0052] Referring now to FIGs. 1A and IB, example rail track structures are provided. FIGs. 1A and IB are mere examples of rail track structures. In various embodiments, any number of different structure may be used (e.g., the ground may be prepared in different ways based on expected load, location of the rail, existing ground conditions, and / or the like). As shown in FIG. 1A, a rail track structure 100 may include a sub-ballast 120 and ballast 115 positioned above a subgrade 125, together forming a supporting structure for the rail track. The rail ties 110 (e.g., one or more rail ties) are positioned on the ballast 115 with the rails 105 installed on the rail ties 110. The rail ties 110 may be made out of spaced rail ties and laid generally perpendicular to the rails 105. The rail ties 110 may be spaced from one another as shown in FIGs. 2 and 3.

[0053] In various embodiments, as shown in FIG. IB, a layer of geogrid 130 may be used to increase the support structure. For example, geogrid 130 may positioned on top of the subgrade conditions. Geogrids confine aggregate based on the interactions of aggregate with grid apertures, grid nodes, grid ribs, grid angles, grid chemical properties, grid surface area, and rib to flat-plane distance. These elements interact with soil and aggregate to form a geotechnical environment. Within the geotechnical environment, the geogrid apertures may form void regions or open regions between the geogrid nodes and geogrid ribs. Different node and rib heights, aspect ratio, and lengths create a variety of contact surface as well as confinement angularity. As such, various different types of geogrids may be used in various embodiments.

[0054] The substructure may include the ballast 115, the sub-ballast 120, and / or the subgrade125. The substructure may also include the geogrid 130 in various embodiments. The ballast 115 and / or sub-ballast may be made out any ballast material, such as crushed stone, washed gravel, unwashed gravel, torpedo gravel, slag, chats, coal cinder, sand, burnt clay, and / or the like. The subgrade 125 (or formation level) may be the native material underneath the rail track. As such, the subgrade 125 may be various different materials already present within the ground. The subgrade 125 may be compacted before the ballast 115 and / or sub-ballast 120 are applied. The operations discussed herein may be used for any rail track regardless of substructure (e.g., the operations may determine a rail track condition that is independent of the type of substructure).

[0055] Performance of the rail track depends on how well the supporting structure (e.g., the substructure) manages the loading from train traffic. Over time, repetitive loading from traffic as well as weather conditions can affect the substructure (e.g., the ballast 115, the sub-ballast 120, the subgrade 125, and / or the like) and the ability to safely support traffic. Excess moisture, and in particular, accelerated by climate change, can weaken the subgrade and create weak areas that need to be addressed. Prolonged usage of unsafe substructure may result in catastrophic disasters (e.g., the rail track may fail causing damage and / or injuries). As such, the operations discussed herein may be used to determine the rail track condition for a rail track. In various embodiments, the rail track condition may indicate the condition of the substructure, such as indicating whether a rail track needs to be checked for safety).

[0056] As a train travels over a section of rail track, small momentary deflection or displacements of the track structure occur. For well-supported track, the amount of the deflection may be small (1-2 millimeters (mm)). However, the amount of deflection may vary considerably depending on the condition of the supporting substructure. The amount of deflection (or displacement discussed herein) is often related to the stiffness of the substructure, with a greater deflection occurring for a soft supporting structure, which is associated with poor performance and likely a need for maintenance. Measurement of the displacement, which occurs under a load, may be a useful parameter to determine overall substructure health, especially in an instance in which the measured parameter may be trended over longer time periods to assess changes from a baseline measurement.

[0057] With reference to FIG. 2, the positioning of one or more sensing devices (e.g., strain gauge(s) 200) are shown on a rail track structure, in accordance with various embodiments. As shown, the strain gauge(s) 200 may be positioned on the rail 105 of the rail track structure 100. The strain gauge(s) 200 may be positioned at a location in which the rail traffic does not engage with the rail 105. For example, the strain gauge(s) 200 are positioned within the web 205 of the rail 105. While the strain gauge(s) 200 are shown as three strain gauges, any number of strain gauges may be contemplated. Additionally, the strain gauges may be positioned at one or more points along the rail (e.g., the rail performance may be monitored at different points to identify any issues at different points along the rail). The strain gauge(s) 200 may be used in conjunction with the accelerometer(s) 300 shown in FIGs. 3 and 6. While the strain gauge(s) 200 are shown as individual boxes in FIG. 2, the strain gauge(s) 200 may have combined housing (e.g., a housing that contains all of the strain gauges).

[0058] In various embodiments, the strain gauge(s) 200 may measure strain on the rail during operation. The strain measurements from the strain gauge(s) 200 may be combined across each strain reading to approximate the track displacement over time. However, environment noise may make the strain measurements unreliable. As such, the strain gauge(s) 200 may be used with the accelerometer(s) 300 discussed herein.

[0059] As discussed herein, various embodiments may use different sensing devices positioned at different location on the rail track structure 100. As such, none of the embodiments are exclusory of other embodiments unless explicitly stated.

[0060] Referring now to FIG. 3, an example sensing configuration is shown that can be used in addition to the sensing device(s) shown in FIG. 2 and / or in place of the sensing device(s) shown in FIG. 2. With reference to FIG. 3, an example accelerometer 300 installed on the rail ties 110. As shown, the accelerometer 300 may be positioned at an end of a rail tie of rail ties 110. One or more accelerometers may be used (e.g., an accelerometer 300 may be positioned at the end of multiple rail ties along the rail ties 110). For example, accelerometers, such as the accelerometer 300, may be positioned at various points along the rail (e.g., on multiple different rail ties along the rail).

[0061] In various embodiments, the accelerometer(s) 300 may be positioned at different locations on the rail tracks. For example, an accelerometer may be positioned on the rail, at different points along a given rail tie of the rail ties 110, and / or the accelerometer may be embedded within the substructure. However, the positioning of the accelerometer(s) 300 on a rail tie (e.g., at a first end of a first rail tie) allows for the accelerometer(s) 300 to get accurate readings without causing difficulties installing or during use. For example, an accelerometer positioned on the rail may be the most accurate, but may interfere with the traffic on the rail, while positioning the accelerometer on the rail tie allows for similar readings with no interference to traffic on the rail, as the rail is attached to the rail tie.

[0062] While the strain gauge(s) 200 of FIG. 2 may measure small amounts of strain during rail traffic, the strain gauge(s) 200 are somewhat difficult to install as the strain gauge(s) 200 need to be mounted on the rail. Additionally, the strain gauge(s) 200 must be protected from any moisture or other environmental damage to operate correctly. In addition, the data from strain gauge(s) 200 may be somewhat difficult to interpret in noisy electrical environments due to the very small signal levels. As such, the accelerometer(s) 300 of FIG. 3 may be used in place or in addition to the strain gauge(s) 200.

[0063] Accelerometers measure the acceleration the sensor experiences by a force imparted on the sensor body and is usually represented in units of “g’s” (the acceleration due to gravity ~ 9.81 m / secA2). In various embodiments, the accelerometer 300 may be a Triaxial Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometer (e.g., a model 4030 supplied by TE Connectivity). In operation, the accelerometer 300 produces an analog voltage, which is proportional to the acceleration experienced by each axis.

[0064] In theory, displacement can be obtained from acceleration by integrating the acceleration data once to obtain velocity and integrating a second time to obtain displacement. However, in action, the amount of noise occurring on and / or near a rail track causes displacement errors. As such, care must be taken to ensure that noise is minimized to reduce errors that accumulate as a result of the integrations. Various embodiments of the accelerometer(s) 300 may include micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technologies, which incorporates acombination of electronics and miniaturized moving parts to provide the acceleration desired.

[0065] The accelerometer 300 may be encased in a housing 305 (e.g., a rugged housing). As such, the housing 305 may be sealed to provide protection for the accelerometer (e.g., from unintended outside forces, weather, etc.). As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 305 may be mounted to a rail tie of the rail ties 110 (e.g., the housing 305 may be attached to the rail tie via screws or other fastening mechanisms). As such, the housing 305 allows the accelerometer 300 to be mounted on the rail ties 110 in order to measure acceleration of the track structure 100.

[0066] In various embodiments, the accelerometer 300 produces analog signal(s) that indicate the acceleration recorded. The analog signal(s) (also referred to as acceleration data) may be recorded by a data logger. In various embodiments, the recording of the analog signal(s) may be stored on the accelerometer 300 (e.g., processing device(s) and / or memory device(s) may be stored within the housing 305). Additionally, or alternatively, the accelerometer 300 may be connected to a computing device remote from the housing 305 (e.g., the railside apparatus 400 and / or the remote server 605 shown in FIG. 6). For example, the accelerometer 300 may, via a wireless connection and / or a wired connection, transmit the data obtained (e.g., the analog signal(s)) to the external computing device. As such, the conversion of the analog signal(s) to the acceleration values may be completed remote from the accelerometer. For example, a data acquisition system (DAQ) (e.g., a DAQ produced by National Instruments (NI)) may be used along with an embedded PC. The acceleration data may be sampled at a given frequency, such as 200 Hz.

[0067] The acceleration data may be saved to disk. In order to reduce the amount of accelerometer data needed to be saved and uploaded, data from strain gauge(s) 200 mounted on the rail may be continuously monitored for an instance in which the strain data exceeds a predetermined threshold (indicating rail traffic is occurring) data. In such an instance, the accelerometer(s) 300 may only record acceleration data upon the strain data exceeds a predetermined threshold. Alternatively, the accelerometer(s) 300 may recorded acceleration data, but the acceleration data is only saved (e.g., saved to a disk) in an instance in which the strain data exceeds a pre-determined threshold. The data capture algorithm looks for relatively large changes in the strain levels, such that noise may not cause a threshold strain. In various embodiments, a batchupload of the data occurs periodically. The DAQ and embedded computer may be part of the railside apparatus 400 shown in FIG. 4.

[0068] With reference to FIG. 4, a railside apparatus 400 may be provided. The railside apparatus 400 may include an example DAQ within an enclosure 405. The railside apparatus 400 may also include additional components, such as a gateway device or other communication interface to allow the DAQ to communicate with a network (e.g., network 600 shown in FIG. 6). For example, a cellular gateway & loT Platform may provide the ability to send the data from the DAQ to a remote server. Additional components may be provided on the railside apparatus 400, such as a solar panel 410 and battery to power the system. The railside apparatus 400 may be mounted on the adjacent to the rail track structure 100. As shown, the railside apparatus 400 may include a post or pole 415, on which the enclosure 405 and / or the solar panel 410 are positioned.

[0069] In various embodiments, an accelerometer mounted on a rail ties (e.g., accelerometer 300 shown in FIG. 3) provide an analog signal that is proportional to the instantaneous acceleration the individual rail tie is experiencing due to train loading. As noted earlier, the deflections (or displacement) of the rail track under loading can be utilized to assess the health of the rail track. The acceleration data (e.g., the analog signal(s)) may transmitted to the railside apparatus 400 (e.g., the DAQ) and subsequently the remote server 605. The acceleration data may be converted into a useable value (e.g., a displacement value) by the railside apparatus 400 and / or the remote server 605.

[0070] In general, displacement is mathematically related to acceleration. To determine displacement, the velocity must be determined from the acceleration. Velocity may be determined from acceleration using formula + v(t0), in which a is acceleration, v isvelocity, t is the time at which the velocity is being calculated, and to is a starting time. After the velocity is determined, the displacement may be determined from the velocity using formula s(t) = v(t)dt + s(t0), in which s is displacement, v is velocity, t is the time the displacement is being calculated, and to is a starting time. As such, the displacement is generally determined based on the above formulas. However, as noted herein, the accelerometer data discussed hereinmay be modified before and / or during the calculations.

[0071] To generate the displacement value, the analog signal(s) from the given accelerometer must be scaled. For example, the accelerometer may produce a voltage output that is proportional to acceleration experienced by each axis of the accelerometer. As such, the voltage signal must be scaled appropriately to convert the voltage into a “g” value. For example, the accelerometer may have a full range value (e.g., + / - 2g is the full range value for an example accelerometer), that corresponds to a voltage reading of 0.5 volts (-2g) to 4.5 volts (+2g) with 2.5 volts representing 0g. As such, the analog signal (e.g., the voltage output) is converted to a value in terms of gravity (e g., between -2g and +2g for the example accelerometer).

[0072] In various embodiments, the “g” value may be further fdtered. An example accelerometer may be a DC coupled device, such that the accelerometer may be used to capture stationary acceleration, such as gravity. In such an embodiment, the presence of gravity in the signal is not desired and must be fdtered out. As such, the system may fdter out the effects of gravity by applying a high pass fdter on the data, which effectively removes the gravity component of the acceleration signal.

[0073] In various embodiments, a low pass fdter may be used on the analog signal(s) before any integration of the acceleration signal (e g., before the formulas for determining velocity and / or acceleration are used) occurs to reduce the noise present in the signal. A low pass fdter may remove (or fdter out) certain high-frequency readings. As such, the analog signal(s) recorded by the accelerometer(s) 300 may be fdtered (or smoothed) via the low pass fdter to remove any unwanted noise from the environment. Using a low-pass fdter is especially important due to the environment in which rail tracks are located. Unwanted noise may cause inaccurate readings. In various embodiments, the frequencies fdtered by the low pass fdter may be adjusted based on various factors, such as expected noise in the environment, past analog signals (e.g., the same noise may be present across different uses and the system may adjust by using a low pass fdter to remove the noise).

[0074] In various embodiments, a high pass fdter may also be used to remove noise from the analog signal(s) (e.g., before any integration of the acceleration signal). The high pass fdter maybe used in a similar fashion to the low pass filter (e.g., to remove noise) by removing low-frequency readings. In various embodiments, a low pass filter and a high pass filter may be used to remove noise from the analog signal(s). For example, a low pass filter and a high pass filter may allow the system to monitor readings within a range of frequencies (e.g., high frequencies and low frequencies may be removed).

[0075] After the noise is removed (e.g., via the low pass filter and / or the high pass filter), an integration using the formula for velocity may be performed on the acceleration data to obtain velocity. A second integration operation may then be performed on the velocity to obtain the displacement using the formula for displacement discussed herein. The obtained displacement value may be used as discussed herein, such as discussed in the operations of FIG. 7.

[0076] Referring now to FIG. 5, a displacement graph 500 is provided. The displacement graph 500 illustrates an example displacement calculation for one wheel passing over a rail tie (e.g., the amount of displacement over time). In the example, the system has been installed on a railway to test the ability to collect acceleration data and convert to displacement data. The displacement graph 500 may be consistent with coal cars being the only traffic. The displacement was monitored on the track over time. The displacement graph 500 offers a snapshot into the monitoring (from a time 6.0 seconds to slightly past 6.6 seconds).

[0077] FIG. 5 shows the result of the displacement calculation for one wheel passing over the given rail tie (the y-axis is displacement mm and the x-axis is time in seconds). At circle 505, no load is being applied to the given rail tie. As time moves (e.g., from approximately 6.0 seconds to approximately 6.2 seconds), a positive displacement is measured (e.g., the rail tie has a positive displacement due to the load being applied to adjacent rail ties). As shown in circle 510, the rail tie begins to be negatively displaced (in the downward direction) as the load is being applied. The displacement stays relatively consistent (e.g., between -0.1 millimeters and -0.2 millimeters) during the load before returning to close to zero displacement at circle 515. The displacement for the period may be the average of the displacement during load (e.g., the average displacement from approximately 6.2 seconds to approximately 6.6 seconds), the greatest amount of displacement (e.g., the most amount of displacement, here just slightly less than -0.2 millimeters), and / or othercalculations based on the values recorded.

[0078] As the graph illustrates real-time data in an active environment, the data may have some slight error (e.g., residual error due to noise from the accelerometer prevents the displacement returning to exactly zero at circle 515. As such, the displacement may be recorded multiple instances over a period of time in order to remove any consistent noise from the data. Displacement calculations such as shown in the displacement graph 500 may be performed over an extended time period and trend analysis techniques used to determine an instance in which excessive movement of the rail track is occurring.

[0079] Referring now to FIG. 6, an example system environment is shown. As show, the system environment may include a network 600, a remote server 605, a railside apparatus 400 (which may include a DAQ), one or more accelerometers 300, and one or more strain gauges 200. In various embodiments, the components may be different (e.g., some embodiments may not include strain gauge(s) 200, some embodiments may include additional sensors, and / or the like).

[0080] In various embodiments, unless otherwise stated, any of the components may be capable of carrying out the operations discussed herein. For example, the remote server 605, the railside apparatus 400, the one or more accelerometers 300 may include processing device(s) and / or memory devices to carry out the operations discussed herein, such as the operations discussed in reference to FIG. 7. As such, the computing structure of each component is merely an example and may be different based on the embodiments. Additionally, one or more components may be combined and / or replaced. For example, the railside apparatus 400 may be capable of carrying out the operations of the remote server 605, the accelerometers(s) 300 may be capable of transmitting the accelerometer data (e.g., the analog signal(s)) directly to the remote server 605 via the network, and / or the like.

[0081] The sensing device(s) (e g., the accelerometer(s) 300, the strain gauge(s) 200, and / or other sensors) may be connected to the railside apparatus 400 via a wired and / or wireless connection. The railside apparatus 400 may be positioned to connect via a wired connection to the various sensing devices. Additionally, or alternatively, the sensing devices may have individual communication interfaces that allow for wireless connections (e.g., via Bluetooth, cellularnetworking, etc.). In various embodiments, a communication interface may be housed within the housing of the sensing device, such as the housing 305 of the accelerometer 300. Additionally, or alternatively, the accelerometer 300 may be connected via a wired connection to an external communication interface that transmits the sensing data to the railside apparatus 400. In various embodiments, the sensing devices may be capable of transmitting data via the network 600. In such an instance, the sensing device may transmit the data to the remote server 605 instead or in addition to the railside apparatus 400.

[0082] The railside apparatus 400, as discussed in reference to FIG. 4 may include a DAQ and / or other computing device that includes one or more processing devices and one or more memory devices. The railside apparatus 400 may also include communication interface(s) to allow the DAQ and / or other computing device to connect to the network 600. As such, the railside apparatus 400 may transmit data to the remote server 605 via the network 600. In various embodiments, the railside apparatus 400 may transmit the signal(s) recorded by the sensing device(s) (e.g., the analog signal(s) recorded by the accelerometer(s) 300) to the remote server 605. Additionally, or alternatively, the railside apparatus 400 may transmit processed data based on the signal(s) recorded by the sensing device(s) (e.g., the analog signal(s) recorded by the accelerometer(s) 300) to the remote server. For example, the railside apparatus 400 may determine the displacement of a given rail tie as discussed in reference to FIG. 7. Alternatively, the remote server 605 may determine the displacement of a given rail tie as discussed in reference to FIG. 7.

[0083] The remote server 605 may include one or more servers that include one or more processing devices and one or more memory devices. The remote server 605 may be capable of determining a displacement of a rail tie and / or determining a rail track condition based on the displacement. In various embodiments, the remote server 605 may be capable of carrying out any of the operations discussed herein unless otherwise stated. For example, the remote server 605 may determine displacement, determine rail track condition, generate notifications and / or reports associated with the rail track condition, and / or the like.

[0084] Referring now to FIG. 7, a flowchart 700 is provided illustrating a method of determining rail track condition in accordance with various embodiments. The rail track conditionmay refer to the condition of the rail, the rail ties, the substructure (e.g., the ballast, the sub-ballast, the geo-grid, the subgrade, and / or the like), and / or the like.

[0085] The method discussed herein may be carried out by one or more of the components discussed in reference to FIG. 6. For example, the method may be carried out by the strain gauge(s) 200, the accelerometer(s) 300, the railside apparatus 400, and / or the remote server 605. The operations of the method may be carried out by a system as discussed herein. Additionally, a computer program product may include executable portion(s) that are configured to carry out the method herein.

[0086] The different components may be referred to sequentially (e.g., a first accelerometer, a second accelerometer, etc.) in order to refer to distinct instances of the components. As such, unless specifically stated, the components need not be sequentially related. For example, a first accelerometer and a second accelerometer may refer to two distinct accelerometers and need not indicate a hierarchical ordering. Additionally, unless otherwise noted, an operation or capability of a component labeled as sequentially may also be attributed to other components. For example, a first accelerometer may capture analog signal(s) (e.g., first analog signal(s)) and a second accelerometer may also capture analog signal(s) (e.g., second analog signal(s)).

[0087] Referring now to Block 710 of FIG. 7, the method includes receiving, via a first accelerometer, one or more first analog signals corresponding to an acceleration of a first rail tie during operation of a rail track. The first accelerometer may be positioned as shown in FIG. 3 (e.g., the accelerometer 300 may be positioned at a first end of a given rail tie of the rail ties 110. The first accelerometer may measure analog signal(s) that are proportional to the instantaneous acceleration the individual rail tie is experiencing due to train loading. As discussed herein, the displacement of the first rail tie may be determined based on the instantaneous acceleration, as shown in the example displacement graph 500 shown in FIG. 5.

[0088] In various embodiments, the displacement may be measure in an instance in which a load is passing over the given rail tie. For example, analog signal(s) may be detected in any instance in which a wheel of a train passes over the given rail tie. As such, the analog signal(s) (used to determine the displacement) may be captured for multiple loads passing over time (e.g.,displacement may be measured for each wheel of a train car that passes over the given rail tie). In various embodiments, the displacement may be measured across multiple train cars, multiple trains, and / or the like. The displacement may be measured for each set of analog signal(s) (e.g., a displacement may be determined each time the analog signal(s) record a load). Alternatively, the displacement may only be measured periodically or intermittently. The “displacement” for a given rail track as discussed herein may refer to an individual displacement (e.g., the displacement due to a single load passing over the given rail tie) or the displacement may refer to an average of one or more displacements for the same rail tie (e.g., the displacement may be the average displacement for a rail tie over multiple loads).

[0089] In various embodiments, additional analog signals may be received from other accelerometers positioned along the rail track. For example, second analog signal(s) may be received from a second accelerometer, third analog signal(s) may be received from a third accelerometer, fourth analog signal(s) may be received from a fourth accelerometer, etc. Any number of accelerometer(s) 300 may be provided along the rail track with each accelerometer being positioned at a first end of a different rail tie. For example, the second accelerometer may be positioned at a first end of a second rail tie, the third accelerometer may be positioned at a first end of a third rail tie, the fourth accelerometer may be positioned at a first end of a fourth rail tie, etc. The accelerometer(s) 300 may be spaced on different rail ties (e.g., the accelerometer(s) 300 may be positioned on any number of rail ties). As such, a first accelerometer may be on a first rail tie and then skip one or more rail ties before a second rail tie.

[0090] Referring now to Block 720 of FIG. 7, the method includes determining a displacement of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track based on the one or more first analog signals. The displacement of the rail tie (e.g., the first rail tie) may be determined using any of the operations discussed herein. For example, the system may receive one or more first analog signals from the first accelerometer, the first analog signal(s) may be normalized to generate a velocity and subsequently a displacement. In various embodiments, the first accelerometer mounted on the first rail tie provide an analog signal that is proportional to the instantaneous acceleration the first rail tie is experiencing due to train loading. The acceleration data (e.g., theanalog signal(s)) may transmitted to the railside apparatus 400 (e.g., the DAQ) and subsequently the remote server 605. The acceleration data may be converted into a useable value (e.g., a displacement value) by the railside apparatus 400 and / or the remote server 605.

[0091] To generate the displacement value, the analog signal(s) from the given accelerometer must be scaled. For example, the accelerometer may produce a voltage output that is proportional to acceleration experienced by each axis of the accelerometer. As such, the voltage signal must be scaled appropriately to convert the voltage into a “g” value. For example, the accelerometer may have a full range value (e.g., + / - 2g is the full range value for an example accelerometer), that corresponds to a voltage reading of 0.5 volts (-2g) to 4.5 volts (+2g) with 2.5 volts representing 0g. As such, the analog signal (e.g., the voltage output) is converted to a value in terms of gravity (e.g., between -2g and +2g for the example accelerometer).

[0092] In various embodiments, the “g” value may be further filtered. An example accelerometer may be a DC coupled device, such that the accelerometer may be used to capture stationary acceleration, such as gravity. In such an embodiment, the presence of gravity in the signal is not desired and must be filtered out. As such, the system may filter out the effects of gravity by applying a high pass filter on the data, which effectively removes the gravity component of the acceleration signal.

[0093] In various embodiments, a low pass filter may be used before any integration of the acceleration signal occurs to reduce the noise present in the signal. After the noise is removed, a trapezoidal integration may be performed on the acceleration data to obtain velocity. A second integration operation may then be performed on the velocity to obtain the displacement.

[0094] In various embodiments, in which additional accelerometers are used (e.g., a second accelerometer, a third accelerometer, a fourth accelerometer, etc.), the displacement of the given rail tie may also be determined using the same operations as the determination of the displacement of the first rail tie. For example, the displacement of the second rail tie may be determined based on the one or more second analog signals received from the second accelerometer. In various embodiments, the rail track condition may be based on comparison of displacement across different rail ties (e.g., the displacement of the first rail tie may be compared to the displacementof the second rail tie to determine any differences that may indicate weaknesses).

[0095] Referring now to Block 730 of FIG. 7, the method includes determining a rail track condition of the rail track based on the displacement of the first rail tie. The rail track condition may refer to the condition of the rail, the rail ties, and / or the rail substructure (e.g., the ballast, the sub-ballast, the geo-grid, the subgrade, and / or the like). In various embodiments, the rail track condition may be binary (e.g., acceptable or unacceptable). Alternatively, the rail track condition may have any number of different categories. For example, the rail track condition may indicate the rail track is in good condition, needs work, and / or unusable condition. The rail track condition may be represented by a color. For example, the rail track condition may be represented by green meaning good condition, yellow meaning needs attention or maintenance, and red meaning needing immediate attention. As such, the rail track condition may be visually provided to users. The rail track condition may be used to determine maintenance schedules. For example, a rail track that moves from green to yellow may be added to a list for maintenance, while a rail track moving to red may result in immediate maintenance.

[0096] The rail track condition may correspond to an entire rail track or a segment of a rail track (e.g., a rail track may extend for hundreds of miles and therefore the rail track condition is different at different points along the rail track). As such, a rail track may refer to an entire rail track or a segment of the entire rail track.

[0097] In various embodiments, the rail track condition may be determined based on a comparison of the displacement of the first rail tie (and / or displacement of other rail ties) with one or more other displacements (e.g., desired displacement, previously recorded displacements of the same rail tie, previous recorded displacements of the other rail ties, etc.)

[0098] In various embodiments, the displacement of a given rail tie may be compared to a desired displacement (e.g., a desired displacement may indicate the displacement in an instance in which the rail track is in good condition). The desired displacement may correspond to different rail track conditions. For example, a desired displacement may indicate the amount of displacement for a rail track to be considered in good shape, bad shape, and / or the like. For example, the desired displacement may be a maximum displacement allowable or a targetdisplacement. As such, the comparison of the displacement of the given rail tie to the desired displacement may indicate the rail track condition.

[0099] The desired displacement may be represented by an acceptable range of displacement. For example, a rail track in good condition, the amount of displacement may be within an acceptable range and any displacement outside of the range may cause the rail track condition to be downgraded. In various embodiments, the system may have different ranges for different rail track conditions. For example, a displacement that is within a first range of displacement may indicate that the rail track is in good condition (e.g., green status), a displacement that is outside of the first range of displacement but within a second range of displacement that includes a larger range of displacement may indicate the rail track needs attention and / or maintenance (e.g., yellow status), and any displacement outside of the second range may indicate the rail track needs immediate attention and / or needs to be shut down (e.g., red status).

[0100] In various embodiments, the displacement of a given rail tie may be compared to previous displacements for the same rail tie (e.g., the displacement of the rail tie may be monitored over time to detect any changes in displacement that may indicate a change in the rail track condition). For example, the previous displacement(s) may be a baseline (e.g., a displacement may be obtained during a testing condition in which the rail track condition is known). Additionally, or alternatively, the previous displacements for the same rail tie may be other displacements recorded over time. For example, the displacement of a given rail tie may be compared to previous displacements for the same rail tie over a certain amount of time (e.g., the displacement of a given rail tie may be compared to the displacement from the previous hour, day, month, year, etc.). In various embodiments, the previous displacements for the same rail tie may be other displacements recorded under similar conditions (e.g., similar or the same load, weather, etc.). In various embodiments, the comparison may indicate a change in the rail track condition from a change in the displacement of the given rail tie compared to previous displacements for the same rail tie.

[0101] In various embodiments, the displacement of a given rail tie may be compared to displacements for the other rail ties on the same or different rail tracks (e.g., the displacement of the first rail tie may be compared to the displacement of the second rail tie or the displacement ofthe first rail tie may be compared to a displacement of the rail tie on a different rail trail). For example, the displacement of a given rail tie may be compared to the displacement of a rail tie on similar rail track. The rail tie used to compare may be selected based on various factors, such as the location of the rail track, the type of rail usage, weather conditions, and / or the like.

[0102] The rail track condition may be determined and / or updated based on the displacement across multiple rail ties on the rail track. For example, the rail track condition may be determined and / or updated based on the displacement of the first rail tie and the displacement of the second rail tie. Any number of rail tie displacements may be used to determine and / or update the rail track condition.

[0103] The rail track condition may be based on the load characteristics of the load applied on the rail track. The displacement may be greater as the load is increased. As such, the comparison discussed herein may be normalized (e.g., the displacement may be normalized based on the load amount) and / or the comparison may be limited based on the load (e.g., the desired displacement may be based on the load amount and may change based on the amount of load, the comparison of the displacement to other displacements may be limited to similar or the same load amounts). In various embodiments, the system may monitor for load amount (e.g., one or more sensors may be capable of determining the load applied to the rail track). Additionally, or alternatively, the system may receive information relating to the load amount. For example, a train may be weighed and recorded before and / or during use and the recorded load may be received by the system.

[0104] In various embodiments, the determined rail track condition may result in a notification or warning to a user. For example, a message may be provided to a user that provides or otherwise coordinates maintenance on the rail track that a given rail track needs attention or is dangerous. In various embodiments, the system may provide individual notifications or messages. For example, a user may receive a notification in an instance in which the rail track condition decreases for any rail track. Additionally, or alternatively, information relating to the rail track condition may be provided to the user for multiple track rails (or segments of track rails). For example, the system may generate a report with the rail track condition for multiple track rails (e.g., the rail track condition may be provided for all rail tracks oversaw by a user, all rail tracksthat fall within a given rail track condition may be provided to the user, etc.).

[0105] The determination of rail track condition may also include trend analysis (e.g., based on displacement trended over time). As such, an increase in displacement over time may indicate deteriorating rail track condition.

[0106] Referring now to optional Block 740 of FIG. 7, the method includes receiving a sensor reading from one or more strain gauges positioned on a rail of the rail track. Example strain gauge(s) are shown and discussed in reference to FIG. 2. The sensor reading(s) from the strain gauge(s) 200 may be used to verify the displacement(s) determined by the accelerometer(s) 300. For example, the sensor reading(s) from the strain gauge(s) 200 may be used to determine whether the displacement(s) determined by the accelerometer(s) 300 is accurate. Additionally, or alternatively, the sensor reading(s) from the strain gauge(s) 200 may be used to determine and / or update the rail track condition. For example, the sensor reading(s) from the strain gauge(s) 200 may be used in place of the accelerometer readings or alternatively, the sensor reading(s) from the strain gauge(s) 200 may be used in the same fashion as the accelerometer readings (e.g., the system may determine the rail track condition based on multiple sensor readings from various sensors, such as accelerometer(s), strain gauge(s), and / or the like).

[0107] In various embodiments, the sensor reading from one or more strain gauges may be used to activate the accelerometer(s) 300 and / or cause analog signal(s) from the accelerometer to be recorded. For example, the strain gauge(s) 200 may be positioned on a rail adjacent or close to the rail tie that has the given accelerometer installed. As the strain gauge(s) 200 receive an indication of a load, the accelerometers may be activated and / or the analog signal(s) from the accelerometer to be recorded. As such, the accelerometer data does not have to be continuously recorded and all loads are still measured by the accelerometer.

[0108] For the purposes of this specification and the appended claims, unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing amounts, sizes, dimensions, proportions, shapes, formulations, parameters, percentages, quantities, characteristics, and other numerical values used in the specification and claims, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about” even though the term “about” may not expressly appear with the value, amount or range.Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and attached claims are not and need not be exact, but may be approximate and / or larger or smaller as desired, reflecting tolerances, conversion factors, rounding off, measurement error and the like, and other factors known to those of skill in the art depending on the desired properties sought to be obtained by the presently disclosed subject matter. For example, the term “about,” when referring to a value can be meant to encompass variations of, in some embodiments ± 100%, in some embodiments ± 50%, in some embodiments ± 20%, in some embodiments ± 10%, in some embodiments ± 5%, in some embodiments ± 1%, in some embodiments ± 0.5%, and in some embodiments ± 0.1% from the specified amount, as such variations are appropriate to perform the disclosed methods or employ the disclosed compositions.

[0109] Further, the term “about” when used in connection with one or more numbers or numerical ranges, should be understood to refer to all such numbers, including all numbers in a range and modifies that range by extending the boundaries above and below the numerical values set forth. The recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all numbers, e.g., whole integers, including fractions thereof, subsumed within that range (for example, the recitation of 1 to 5 includes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, as well as fractions thereof, e.g., 1.5, 2.25, 3.75, 4.1, and the like) and any range within that range.

[0110] Although the foregoing subject matter has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that certain changes and modifications can be practiced within the scope of the claims.IV. Implementations[0U1] Certain implementations of systems and methods consistent with the present disclosure are provided as follows:

[0112] Clause 1. A method for monitoring displacement surrounding rail track, comprising: providing one or more sensors to one or more rail ties; providing a communication device for communicating signals from the one or more sensors to a data acquisition device; acquiring thesignals from the one or more sensors on the data acquisition device; connecting the data acquisition device to a cellular gateway; transmitting the signals from the data acquisition device through the cellular gateway to a server; performing, by the server, signal conversion on the signals to create signal data; fdtering, by the server, the signal data; and calculating, by the server, displacement surrounding the rail track.

[0113] Clause 2. The method of Clause 1, wherein the one or more sensors are accelerometers attached to one or more rail ties.

[0114] Clause 3. The method of Clause 1, wherein the data acquisition device is an embedded PC.

[0115] Clause 4. The method of Clause 1, wherein performing signal conversion to signal data scales a voltage signal to a g-force rating.

[0116] Clause 5. The method of Clause 1, wherein filtering the signal data removes the effect of gravity on the signal data.

[0117] Clause 6. The method of Clause 2, wherein calculating displacement is the displacement of the accelerometer for one wheel passing over a time series.

[0118] Clause 7. A system for monitoring displacement surrounding rail track, comprising: one or more sensors adapted to one or more rail ties; a communication device adapted to the one or more sensors; a data acquisition device in communication with the one or more sensors; a cellular gateway in electrical communication with the data acquisition device; and a server in communication with the data acquisition device through the cellular gateway.

[0119] Clause 8. The system of Clause 7, wherein the one or more sensors are accelerometers adhered to one or more rail ties.

[0120] Clause 9. The system of Clause 7, wherein the data acquisition device is an embedded PC.

[0121] Clause 10. The system of Clause 7, wherein the server comprises a conversion engine for performing signal conversion to signal data which scales a voltage signal to a g-force rating.

[0122] Clause 11. The system of Clause 7, wherein the server comprises a filtering engine for filtering signal data to remove an effect of gravity on the signal data.

[0123] Clause 12. The system of Clause 8, wherein the server comprises a calculating engine wherein the calculating engine calculates displacement the accelerometer for one wheel passing over a time series.

[0124] Clause 13. A method for monitoring rail track condition, the method comprising: receiving, via a first accelerometer, one or more first analog signals corresponding to an acceleration of a first rail tie during operation of a rail track, wherein the first accelerometer is positioned at a first end of the first rail tie; determining, based on the one or more first analog signals, a displacement of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track; and determining a rail track condition of the rail track based on the displacement of the first rail tie; OPTIONAL receiving a sensor reading from one or more strain gauges positioned on a rail of the rail track, wherein the rail track condition is updated based on the sensor reading from the one or more strain gauges..

[0125] Clause 14. The method of Clause 13, further comprising receiving, via a second accelerometer, one or more second analog signals corresponding to an acceleration of a second rail tie during operation of the rail track, wherein the second accelerometer is positioned at a first end of the second rail tie; and determining, based on the one or more second analog signals, a displacement of the second rail tie during operation of the rail track.

[0126] Clause 15. The method of Clause 14, wherein the rail track condition is determined based on the displacement of the first rail tie and the second rail tie.

[0127] Clause 16. The method of Clause 13, wherein the rail track condition is determined based on a comparison of the displacement of the first rail tie to a desired displacement.

[0128] Clause 17. The method of Clause 13, wherein the rail track condition is determined based on a comparison of the displacement of the first rail tie to a previously recorded displacement of the first rail tie, wherein a change in the displacement of the first rail tie compared to the previously recorded displacement of the first rail tie indicates a change in the rail track condition.

[0129] Clause 18. The method of Clause 13, wherein the one or more first analog signals comprise one or more voltage outputs, wherein determining the displacement of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track comprises scaling the one or more voltage outputs into a factor of gravity.

[0130] Clause 19. The method of Clause 18, wherein determining the displacement of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track further comprises filtering out an effect of gravity from the one or more first analog signals.

[0131] Clause 20. The method of Clause 13, wherein the one or more first analog signals corresponding to an acceleration of a first rail tie during operation of a rail track are measured in an instance in which a load is passing over the first rail tie.

[0132] Clause 21. The method of Clause 13, wherein the first accelerometer is a triaxial micro-electromechanical systems accelerometer.

[0133] Clause 22. The method of Clause 13, further comprising receiving a sensor reading from one or more strain gauges positioned on a rail of the rail track, wherein the rail track condition is updated based on the sensor reading from the one or more strain gauges.

[0134] Clause 23. The method of Clause 13, wherein the rail track condition indicates a condition of a substructure of the rail track.

[0135] Clause 24. The method of Clause 13, wherein the first accelerometer transmits the one or more first analog signals to a data acquisition system positioned adjacent to the rail track.

[0136] Clause 25. A system for monitoring rail track condition, the system comprising: a rail track comprising at least one rail, a rail ties comprising one or more rail ties, and a rail substructure, wherein the rail substructure comprises a subgrade and a ballast; a first accelerometer attached to a first end of a first rail tie of the one or more rail ties; and a computing device, wherein the computing device comprises at least one non-transitory storage device and at least one processing device coupled to the at least one non-transitory storage device, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to: receive, via the first accelerometer, one or more first analog signals corresponding to an acceleration of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track; determine, based on the one or more first analog signals, a displacement of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track; and determine a rail track condition of the rail track based on the displacement of the first rail tie.

[0137] Clause 26. The system of Clause 25, further comprising a second accelerometer attached to a first end of a second rail tie of the one or more rail ties, and wherein the at least oneprocessing device is further configured to: receive, via the second accelerometer, one or more second analog signals corresponding to an acceleration of a second rail tie during operation of the rail track; and determining, based on the one or more second analog signals, a displacement of the second rail tie during operation of the rail track.

[0138] Clause 27. The system of Clause 26, wherein the rail track condition is determined based on the displacement of the first rail tie and the second rail tie.

[0139] Clause 28. The system of Clause 25, wherein the rail track condition is determined based on a comparison of the displacement of the first rail tie to a desired displacement.

[0140] Clause 29. The system of Clause 25, wherein the rail track condition is determined based on a comparison of the displacement of the first rail tie to a previously recorded displacement of the first rail tie, wherein a change in the displacement of the first rail tie compared to the previously recorded displacement of the first rail tie indicates a change in the rail track condition.

[0141] Clause 30. The system of Clause 25, wherein the one or more first analog signals comprise one or more voltage outputs, wherein determining the displacement of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track comprises: scaling the one or more voltage outputs into a factor of gravity, and filtering out an effect of gravity from the one or more first analog signals.

[0142] Clause 31. The system of Clause 25, wherein the rail track condition indicates a condition of a substructure of the rail track.

[0143] Clause 32. The system of Clause 25, further comprising a data acquisition system, wherein the first accelerometer transmits the one or more first analog signals to the data acquisition system positioned adjacent to the rail track.

[0144] It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure are merely possible examples of implementations set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the abovedescribed embodiment(s) without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMSTherefore, the following is claimed:

1. A method for monitoring rail track condition, the method comprising: receiving, via a first accelerometer, one or more first analog signals corresponding to an acceleration of a first rail tie during operation of a rail track, wherein the first accelerometer is positioned at a first end of the first rail tie; determining, based on the one or more first analog signals, a displacement of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track; and determining a rail track condition of the rail track based on the displacement of the first rail tie.

2. The method of Claim 1, further comprising receiving, via a second accelerometer, one or more second analog signals corresponding to an acceleration of a second rail tie during operation of the rail track, wherein the second accelerometer is positioned at a first end of the second rail tie; and determining, based on the one or more second analog signals, a displacement of the second rail tie during operation of the rail track.

3. The method of Claim 2, wherein the rail track condition is determined based on the displacement of the first rail tie and the second rail tie.

4. The method of Claim 1, wherein the rail track condition is determined based on a comparison of the displacement of the first rail tie to a desired displacement.

5. The method of Claim 1, wherein the rail track condition is determined based on a comparison of the displacement of the first rail tie to a previously recorded displacement of the first rail tie, wherein a change in the displacement of the first rail tie compared to the previously recorded displacement of the first rail tie indicates a change in the rail track condition.

6. The method of Claim 1, wherein the one or more first analog signals comprise one or more voltage outputs, wherein determining the displacement of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track comprises scaling the one or more voltage outputs into a factor of gravity.

7. The method of Claim 6, wherein determining the displacement of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track further comprises filtering out an effect of gravity from the one or more first analog signals.

8. The method of Claim 1, wherein the one or more first analog signals corresponding to an acceleration of a first rail tie during operation of a rail track are measured in an instance in which a load is passing over the first rail tie.

9. The method of Claim 1, further comprising receiving a sensor reading from one or more strain gauges positioned on a rail of the rail track, wherein the rail track condition is updated based on the sensor reading from the one or more strain gauges.

10. The method of Claim 1, wherein the rail track condition indicates a condition of a substructure of the rail track.

11. The method of Claim 1, wherein the first accelerometer transmits the one or more first analog signals to a data acquisition system positioned adjacent to the rail track.

12. The method of Claim 1, wherein the one or more first analog signals are filtered by a low pass filter before the displacement of the first rail is determined.

13. The method of Claim 1, wherein the displacement of the first rail is determined using the formulas14. A system for monitoring rail track condition, the system comprising:a rail track comprising at least one rail, a rail ties comprising one or more rail ties, and a rail substructure, wherein the rail substructure comprises a subgrade and a ballast; a first accelerometer attached to a first end of a first rail tie of the one or more rail ties; and a computing device, wherein the computing device comprises at least one non-transitory storage device and at least one processing device coupled to the at least one non-transitory storage device, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to: receive, via the first accelerometer, one or more first analog signals corresponding to an acceleration of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track; determine, based on the one or more first analog signals, a displacement of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track; and determine a rail track condition of the rail track based on the displacement of the first rail tie.

15. The system of Claim 14, further comprising a second accelerometer attached to a first end of a second rail tie of the one or more rail ties, and wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to: receive, via the second accelerometer, one or more second analog signals corresponding to an acceleration of a second rail tie during operation of the rail track; and determining, based on the one or more second analog signals, a displacement of the second rail tie during operation of the rail track.

16. The system of Claim 15, wherein the rail track condition is determined based on the displacement of the first rail tie and the second rail tie.

17. The system of Claim 14, wherein the rail track condition is determined based on a comparison of the displacement of the first rail tie to a desired displacement.

18. The system of Claim 14, wherein the rail track condition is determined based on a comparison of the displacement of the first rail tie to a previously recorded displacement of the first rail tie, wherein a change in the displacement of the first rail tie compared to the previously recorded displacement of the first rail tie indicates a change in the rail track condition.

19. The system of Claim 14, wherein the one or more first analog signals comprise one or more voltage outputs, wherein determining the displacement of the first rail tie during operation of the rail track comprises: scaling the one or more voltage outputs into a factor of gravity, and filtering out an effect of gravity from the one or more first analog signals.

20. The system of Claim 14, wherein the rail track condition indicates a condition of a substructure of the rail track.

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