Dual-Sensor Wheel Detection with Plausibility Checking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Axle counting sensors in rail vehicles face high error rates due to environmental interferences and structural complexities, requiring extensive signal processing and evaluation efforts to ensure reliable track vacancy detection.
Innovation Solution
A dual-sensor system where a second sensor with diverse hardware and/or software, connected to a comparator and timer, performs a plausibility check by verifying wheel crossings within a time window, suppressing errors and ensuring accurate counting through joint algorithmic evaluation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single axle counting sensor is used for wheel detection, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability of wheel detection is insufficient due to environmental interferences and structural complexities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two different sensing technologies (inductive axle counting sensor and second sensor with different physical principle) into a single wheel detection system. The output signals of both sensors are jointly evaluated to detect wheels, where the inductive sensor provides primary detection and the second sensor serves as a plausibility check to suppress false counts and eliminate misinterpretations caused by environmental interferences and structural complexities.
2Measurement precision
If extensive signal processing and evaluation algorithms are applied to a single sensor, then the measurement precision improves, but the loss of time and processing effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The second sensor performs preliminary plausibility checks on wheel detections made by the axle counting sensor. By having the second sensor continuously monitor and pre-validate wheel crossing events before they are fully processed by the evaluation algorithm, the system reduces the processing burden and time required for extensive signal evaluation, while still achieving high measurement precision through the combined assessment of both sensors.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly increases the reliability and availability of wheel detection by reducing miscounts and misinterpretations, allowing the system to function even if only one sensor detects a wheel, and enabling efficient energy harvesting to power the sensors only during wheel crossings.
Implementation Method 1
They primarily utilize the magnetic field-influencing effect of the train's wheels. Inductive sensors mounted on the track, which generate a specific magnetic field, detect the feedback from the wheels, registering a wheel pulse with each wheel detection.
Implementation Method 2
The second sensor according to claim 3 is preferably configured to detect track deflection. Such sensors are known, for example, for energy harvesting applications. The track deflection principle of the second sensor can also be configured as a weighing system, in which the load on the wheel tread and thus the track traversal are detected.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for increasing the availability of a wheel detection device comprising an axle counting sensor for detecting the rail vehicle wheels passing over a track, in particular for a track vacancy detection system, and to a wheel detection device relating to the method. The availability is increased in that the detection of the rail vehicle wheels passing over the track is additionally carried out by a second sensor, the detection result of which is compared (2) with the detection result of the axle counting sensor, wherein a substantially simultaneous positive detection (yes + yes) by the axle counting sensor and the second sensor is evaluated (7a) as the detection (3) of a wheel, and a positive detection by the axle counting sensor or the second sensor (yes + no or no + yes) is evaluated (7b) as the detection of a wheel only if a positive wheel detection in the same travel direction is carried out by both the axle counting sensor as well as the second sensor (yes + yes) within a specified time window (5a).