In a rail inspection system, a positional deviation can be detected with accuracy. The rail inspection system includes a first sensor unit which is disposed to face a rail for a vehicle, and includes at least one receiver coil and at least one oscillation coil which are arranged in an arrangement direction intersecting with a layout direction of the rail, an AC voltage source which applies AC voltage to the oscillation coil, and a displacement detection unit which detects a displacement between the rail and the first sensor unit based on an induced voltage of the receiver coil. The first sensor unit is configured such that, when the displacement is a first displacement, a first maximum value appears in the induced voltage, and when the displacement is a second displacement, a second maximum value of which a phase is reversed against the first maximum value appears in the induced voltage.

A method and system for inspecting a rail profile include using ultrasonic phased arrays. Determined anomalies, such as material flaws like volumetric defects and cracks, in a fluid-immersed rail profile are detected by employing one or more phased array probes located proximate the rail profile. Electronic delays and beam steering and focusing can be employed to tailor the inspection to the rail geometry.

The invention relates to non-destructive ultrasonic testing of flat-bottom rails, laid on track, and can be used for detection of defects in tips of the rail foot on aluminothermic welded joints, performed by the intermediate casting method. During the ultrasonic testing of aluminothermic welded joints, at least two zones for ultrasonic testing were determined with selecting one of at least two zones on the weld bead (reinforcing bead) from the lateral surface of the tip of the rail foot. At least two specific zones are grinded on the weld collar (reinforcing collar) with creation of at least two flat areas, which are able to ensure acoustic contact. The ultrasonic transducer is placed on every flat area of the collar, which is connected to at least one ultrasonic flaw detector. Ultrasonic testing of weld is performed using at least one flaw detector Delta-method or echo-method. As a result of the invention implementation, there is no any blind zone in the base of the rail welded joint. The described invention ensures higher accuracy in detection of welds defects within the tips of the rail foot area. 2 z.p. f-ly, 8 il.

A rail flaw detector is configured for locating flaws in rails of a railroad track and for use with a vehicle travelling on the railroad track. The detector includes at least one signal applicator configured for applying ultrasonic signals to the rail and for receiving return signals; a mechanical subsystem connected to the applicator and to the vehicle and configured for maintaining the at least one signal applicator in operational position on the track. A human-machine interface is connected to the at least one signal applicator, is configured to control the detector and to monitor sensed rail condition. In one embodiment, the human-machine interface includes a schematic display of the rail being monitored and at least one touch screen control for controlling the mechanical subsystem and the at least one signal applicator.

A railway track defect detection system may include a mobile defect detection platform and a modal parameter analyzer. The platform may include an excitation mechanism (e.g., an excitation hammer or wheels that are in contact with a railway track) to apply multiple impact forces to the railway track while the platform travels along the railway track, and a laser Doppler vibrometer to capture, while the platform travels along the railway track, vibration data representing vibrations of the railway track caused by application of the multiple impact forces by the excitation mechanism. The modal parameter analyzer may be configured to detect, based on the vibration data captured by the laser Doppler vibrometer, a defect in the railway track. For example, changes in vibration amplitudes, mode shapes, damping ratios, or a natural frequency derived from the received vibration data may indicate the presence of a defect in the railway track.

There is provided detection instrumentation for the detection of transverse rail defects in rail head hitherto considered untestable on account of acoustic signal attenuation problems of horizontal lamination defects. The detection instrumentation comprises a pulse-echo acoustic transducer having a wear face for contacting a fillet of the rail and being aimed towards a head of the rail such that the transmitter transmits acoustic signals into the head and the receiver receives acoustic signals reflected at differing depths within the head. A signal receiver operably coupled to the receiver times the acoustic signals according to a timeseries railhead depth position scale. Analysis of the depth positions of the reflected acoustic signals according to relative positioning of the instrumentation along the rail may identify the transverse rail defects

An apparatus for inspecting a railroad track may include a first sensor, a second sensor, and a controller. The first sensor may detect a first signal while the second sensor may detect a second signal. The first signal may correspond to a response of the railroad track, at a first location on the railroad track, to a motion of a rail car wheel on the railroad track. The second signal may correspond to the response of the railroad track, at a second location on the railroad track, to the motion of the rail car wheel on the railroad track. The controller may generate, based on the first signal and the second signal, a transfer function corresponding to the response of the railroad track at the second location to stimuli applied at the first location. Defects in the railroad track may be detected by analyzing the transfer function.

A system includes at least one circumferentially-polarized d.sub.15 shear ring transducer and a controller electrically coupled to the at least one circumferentially-polarized d.sub.15 shear ring transducer. The at least one circumferentially-polarized d.sub.15 shear ring transducer is configured to be disposed on a structure and to detect at least one shear horizontal-type acoustic emission from damage to the structure. The controller includes a machine-readable storage medium and a processor in signal communication with the machine-readable storage medium. The processor is configured to store acoustic emission signal data in the machine-readable storage medium when a signal amplitude detected by the at least one circumferentially-polarized d15 shear ring transducer crosses a first threshold.

Provided is a rail inspection system capable of accurately detecting a defect of a railroad rail. The system includes: a sensor part group that has a plurality of sensor parts having receiver coils, and first oscillator coils and second oscillator coils corresponding to the receiver coils being arranged in a line parallel in a width direction of a railroad rail to be inspected; an oscillation part that supplies an oscillation signal to each of the first oscillator coils and the second oscillator coils; and a detection part group that has a plurality of detection parts to detect, with respect to an output signal from each of the receiver coils when the sensor part group moves in a laying direction of the railroad rail, a first inspection signal corresponding to a first phase of the output signal and a second inspection signal corresponding to a second phase of the output signal.

The invention relates to non-destructive ultrasonic testing of flat-bottom rails, laid on track, and can be used for detection of defects in tips of the rail foot on aluminothermic welded joints, performed by the intermediate casting method.

During the ultrasonic testing of aluminothermic welded joints, at least two zones for ultrasonic testing were determined with selecting one of at least two zones on the weld bead (reinforcing bead) from the lateral surface of the tip of the rail foot. At least two specific zones are grinded on the weld collar (reinforcing collar) with creation of at least two flat areas, which are able to ensure acoustic contact. The ultrasonic transducer is placed on every flat area of the collar, which is connected to at least one ultrasonic flaw detector. Ultrasonic testing of weld is performed using at least one flaw detector Delta-method or echo-method.

As a result of the invention implementation, there is no any blind zone in the base of the rail welded joint. The described invention ensures higher accuracy in detection of welds defects within the tips of the rail foot area. 2 z.p. f-ly, 8 il.