Described herein is a load sensor for a railcar that includes one or more strain gauges and one or more temperature sensors. The load sensor has a size and configuration that allows the load sensor to be embedded in a bearing adapter under the polymer steering pad of the railcar.

According to some embodiments, a load cell for determining a weight of a large object comprises a base plate comprising at least one recessed opening, a bulk metallic glass plug disposed in the at least one recessed opening of the base plate, and a top plate positioned above the base plate. A portion of the top plate is supported by the bulk metallic glass plug. The load cell further comprises a micro strain sensor coupled to the bulk metallic glass plug. The micro strain sensor is operable to determine a change in micro strain on the bulk metallic glass plug. The bulk metallic glass plug extends to a height where the top plate does not contact the base plate.

This application relates to an overload and unbalanced load detecting system for a railway and a detecting method. This system includes at least one steel rail. A rail web of each steel rail is provided with two sampling points at two sides between every two adjacent rail sleepers, respectively, and the two sampling points on one side are symmetrically disposed about the steel rail with respect to the two sampling points on the other side. A fiber-optic sensitive element used for continuously measuring a load when a train passes through the two sampling points is obliquely fixed at each sampling point, and two fiber-optic sensitive elements on the same side of each steel rail are disposed at an angle of 90 with each other.

A continuous measurement method for a wheel/rail vertical force includes: continuously arranging classic wheel/rail vertical force unit measurement areas in a form of shear force+support force on rails, where adjacent unit measurement areas share an end shear force measurement, and each two adjacent unit measurement areas form a unique compound measurement area; obtaining the wheel/rail vertical force when a wheelset passes the unit measurement areas other than the transition area of shear force measurement by using the classic unit measurement areas; obtaining the wheel/rail vertical force when the wheelset passes the transition area of the shared shear force measurement by using the unique compound measurement area; and combining all wheel/rail vertical forces on the unit measurement areas and the compound measurement areas to obtain a long distance fully continuous wheel/rail vertical force of the wheelset.

A truck assembly for a rail vehicle includes at least one side frame including at least one lightener hole. At least one strain gage is disposed within the lightener hole(s). The strain gage(s) is configured to detect forces exerted into or onto the truck assembly. A method of detecting forces exerted into or onto a truck assembly of a rail vehicle includes disposing at least one strain gage within at least one lightener hole of at least one side frame of a truck assembly of the rail vehicle, and detecting the forces by the strain gage(s).

A train load-out arrangement having a hopper for operatively containing particulate material and includes a discharge chute with a controllable gate or valve via which the material is operatively dischargeable into ore wagons of a rail. The arrangement includes a first track scale arranged on the track distal from the discharge chute, as well as a second track scale arranged on the track directly underneath the discharge chute. Arrangement also includes a controller arranged in signal communication with the gate and track scales and configured to determine a first wagon axle weight-displacement profile via the first track scale and a second wagon axle weight-displacement profile via the second track scale as material is discharged into a wagon, and compare said first and second wagon axle weight-displacement profiles to produce a real-time noise-compensated wagon axle weight-displacement profile.

A train load-out arrangement having a hopper for operatively containing particulate material and includes a discharge chute with a controllable gate or valve via which the material is operatively dischargeable into ore wagons of a rail. The arrangement includes a first track scale arranged on the track distal from the discharge chute, as well as a second track scale arranged on the track directly underneath the discharge chute. Arrangement also includes a controller arranged in signal communication with the gate and track scales and configured to determine a first wagon axle weight-displacement profile via the first track scale and a second wagon axle weight-displacement profile via the second track scale as material is discharged into a wagon, and compare said first and second wagon axle weight-displacement profiles to produce a real-time noise-compensated wagon axle weight-displacement profile.

According to some embodiments, a load cell for determining a weight of a large object comprises a base plate comprising at least one recessed opening, a bulk metallic glass plug disposed in the at least one recessed opening of the base plate, and a top plate positioned above the base plate. A portion of the top plate is supported by the bulk metallic glass plug. The load cell further comprises a micro strain sensor coupled to the bulk metallic glass plug. The micro strain sensor is operable to determine a change in micro strain on the bulk metallic glass plug. The bulk metallic glass plug extends to a height where the top plate does not contact the base plate.

According to some embodiments, a load cell for determining a weight of a large object comprises a base plate comprising at least one recessed opening, a bulk metallic glass plug disposed in the at least one recessed opening of the base plate, and a top plate positioned above the base plate. A portion of the top plate is supported by the bulk metallic glass plug. The load cell further comprises a micro strain sensor coupled to the bulk metallic glass plug. The micro strain sensor is operable to determine a change in micro strain on the bulk metallic glass plug. The bulk metallic glass plug extends to a height where the top plate does not contact the base plate.

A method is described for detecting a braking action of a railway vehicle (RV) comprising monitoring the load transfer to a first axle of the railway vehicle (RV) from a second axle following the first axle according to the direction of travel (d) and, if the load transfer exceeds a predetermined threshold, determining that the railway vehicle (RV) is braking. An emergency braking method is also described comprising detecting an emergency braking request, activating an electrodynamic braking system to decelerate the railway vehicle when the emergency braking request is detected, applying the method to detect a braking action of a railway vehicle and, if so, determining that the electrodynamic braking system is operating correctly and using the electrodynamic braking system to fulfill at least partially the emergency braking request.