Indirect Wheel Tire Thickness Measurement via Elastomer Temperature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining the axial wheel tire thickness of rubber-sprung railway wheels are time-consuming, costly, and unreliable, as they depend on visual inspection or acoustic signals, and existing methods for monitoring elastomer material failure are not applicable due to the different service life determinants of wheel tire wear and elastomer ring deformation.
Innovation Solution
A device integrated with the railway vehicle uses elastomer temperature sensors and ambient temperature sensors to measure the temperature difference caused by cyclic deformation, correlating it with wheel tire thickness through a characteristic diagram, allowing for automatic, cost-effective, and reliable thickness determination, with the option for wireless data transmission and warning signals when minimum thickness is reached.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If visual inspection and acoustic signal checking are used to determine wheel tire thickness, then the inspection can be performed with simple equipment, but the inspection is time-consuming, costly, and unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection and acoustic checking with an automated sensor-based measurement system. Sensors mounted on the rail vehicle automatically measure wheel tire thickness parameters during normal operation, eliminating the need for manual inspection methods and providing continuous, objective data without time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement system enables the wheel tire thickness determination to occur automatically during normal vehicle operation without requiring dedicated inspection stops or manual intervention. The system serves itself by continuously monitoring and recording thickness parameters as part of regular operation.
2Measurement precision
If sensors are attached to the wheel tire for direct measurement of vertical force, then measurement accuracy is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the rail vehicle itself as an intermediary measurement platform. By mounting sensors on the vehicle rather than directly on the wheel tire, the system achieves measurement capability while reducing complexity. The vehicle's motion and position serve as the reference frame for indirect measurement of wheel parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement system is integrated into the rail vehicle's existing structure and serves multiple functions: it measures wheel tire thickness while the vehicle performs its primary transport function. The same sensor platform can potentially monitor multiple wheel parameters simultaneously, increasing system utility without proportional complexity increase.
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
Enables accurate, independent, and cost-effective measurement of wheel tire thickness directly on the vehicle, improving reliability and reducing human error, while ensuring the elastomer ring operates within a safe, failure-free range longer than the wheel tire's safe running distance.
Implementation Method 1
thermal energy and thus a measurable temperature increase compared to the ambient temperature is generated by flexing work in the elastomer material of the elastomer ring
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for determining the axial wheel tread thickness (RD) of a rubber-sprung railway wheel (1) of a rail vehicle, which comprises a disc wheel body (2), a steel wheel tread (4) and an elastomer ring (3) arranged between them with pretension as an elastomer track and elastomer suspension, wherein the wheel tread thickness (RD) gradually decreases during operation due to material removal from the wheel tread surface (5) until a predetermined minimum wheel tread thickness is reached, at which point a safe wheel tread running distance is reached and replacement must take place.According to the invention, the method is carried out with a device arranged on the railway vehicle for the indirect determination of the wheel tread thickness (RD), in which the elastomer ring (3), in addition to its function as an elastomer spring, is part of a sensor system of the device, which comprises the elastomer ring (3) as an elastomer temperature source, at least one elastomer temperature sensor (14, 15) associated with the elastomer material, as well as at least one ambient temperature sensor (17) and a measuring and evaluation unit (16) connected directly or indirectly to the sensors (14, 15, 17). A measurement is carried out when a predetermined, recurring, and identical operating condition occurs during operation, and when the temperature is stable.During a measurement process, the difference temperature (ΔT) between the higher elastomer temperature due to flexing and the lower ambient temperature is measured and assigned to an empirically determined wheel tire thickness (RD).