A process for detecting a derailment of a rail vehicle having two or more rail vehicle parts and one or more articulations through which adjacent rail vehicle parts are rotatably connected with one another includes determining an angle of rotation between adjacent rail vehicle parts, and/or a quantity derived from the angle of rotation. The process further includes comparing the angle of rotation or the derived quantity with at least one reference value or threshold, or with at least one reference value range or threshold range. A test criterion indicating whether or not there is a derailment is defined based on the at least one reference value or threshold, and/or an expected relationship of multiple angles of rotation, and/or an expected relationship of the multiple quantities derived from the angles of rotation, relative to one another. The method further includes determining whether or not the test criterion is met.

A vehicle body contour-based derailment detection method for a rail vehicle, including: measuring distances between measuring points and rails through a range finder mounted on an underframe of a vehicle body, and calculating a transverse displacement of the current vehicle body in a vehicle body coordinate system; measuring an inclination angle of the current vehicle body in the vehicle body coordinate system through an inclination sensor on the vehicle body; with reference to a size of the vehicle body and distribution positions of the measuring points, as well as the transverse displacement of the current vehicle body in the vehicle body coordinate system and the inclination angle of the vehicle body in the vehicle body coordinate system, obtaining a dynamic outer contour of the vehicle body in the vehicle body coordinate system and converting it into a dynamic outer contour in the rail coordinate system.

The ultralight two track train that does not derail, made up of one or more ultralight wagons and aerodynamic, oval or semi-oval transverse profiles, characterized in that the wagons carry vertical or inclined wheels or pulley wheels in their lower area and supported by the chassis of the wagons, which rest and roll on a pair of vertical or inclined rails, the channels of the pulley wheels are supported and held on the head of circular, semicircular or semi-oval section of the rails, the heads of the rails being trapped with the pulley wheels, adding pairs of wheels that use a common axis, the rails are coupled and fixed tongue and groove to the sleepers or to some monolithic structures or channels, the sleepers are fixed using the track system on concrete slab, using electrical supply means, propellant means and reducing means of the front, rear and lateral resistance of the wagons, adding wheels with permanent magnets or with electromagnets that are attached, or run close and attracted by the rails.

A system determines a wheel contact force in a vehicle that includes a support system including a wheel and a force transmission member configured to transfer a load and/or power to, and from, the wheel to the support system. The includes a sensor connected to the force transmission member that is configured to detect strain in the force transmission member and generate signals representative of the strain and a processor configured to derive a lateral force on the wheel from the signals. A method of calibrating a wheel force measurement system for a vehicle includes measuring a lateral force on a flange of a wheel in contact with a rail or road surface, generating data with a sensor on the force transmission member, and calibrating the data based at least in part on the measured lateral force. A method of operating a vehicle includes determining a plurality of lateral forces Y on a wheel of the vehicle, summing a plurality of lateral forces Y to determine a sum of wheel lateral forces ΣY, determining a vertical force Q on the wheel, determining a lateral to vertical coefficient value defined as ΣY/Q, and controlling operation of the vehicle to maintain the lateral to vertical coefficient below a determined limit or within a determined range.

In one embodiment, a system includes a vehicle, one or more probes coupled to the vehicle, and a controller. The vehicle is operable to traverse a distance. The one or more probes are operable to measure wind pressure and generate one or more wind pressure measurements. The controller is operable to receive the one or more wind pressure measurements from the one or more probes, determine a wind angle relative to the vehicle using the one or more wind pressure measurements, and determine a wind speed relative to the vehicle using the one or more wind pressure measurements and the wind angle.

In one embodiment, a probe includes a first facet associated with a first pressure port operable to measure a first wind pressure, a second facet associated with a second pressure port operable to measure a second wind pressure, and a third facet associated with a third pressure port operable to measure a third wind pressure. The second facet is adjacent to the first facet and the third facet adjacent to the second facet. The probe further includes a fourth facet adjacent to the third facet and a fifth facet adjacent to the fourth facet and to the first facet. The first facet, the second facet, the third facet, the fourth facet, and the fifth facet are located between a first end portion and a second end portion of the probe.

In one embodiment, a probe includes a first facet associated with a first pressure port operable to measure a first wind pressure, a second facet associated with a second pressure port operable to measure a second wind pressure, and a third facet associated with a third pressure port operable to measure a third wind pressure. The second facet is adjacent to the first facet and the third facet adjacent to the second facet. The probe further includes a fourth facet adjacent to the third facet and a fifth facet adjacent to the fourth facet and to the first facet. The first facet, the second facet, the third facet, the fourth facet, and the fifth facet are located between a first end portion and a second end portion of the probe.

In one embodiment, a system includes a vehicle, one or more probes coupled to the vehicle, and a controller. The vehicle is operable to traverse a distance. The one or more probes are operable to measure wind pressure and generate one or more wind pressure measurements. The controller is operable to receive the one or more wind pressure measurements from the one or more probes, determine a wind angle relative to the vehicle using the one or more wind pressure measurements, and determine a wind speed relative to the vehicle using the one or more wind pressure measurements and the wind angle.

A rail-guided permanent way machine is operated by means of a control device in such a way that at least one state variable (Z) of the permanent way machine is determined in dependence on an operating state, and the at least one state variable is compared to at least one pre-defined limit value (G.sub.W, G.sub.S) for monitoring a derailment safety of the permanent way machine. Thus, the derailment safety of the permanent way machine is determined in accordance with the current operating state and monitored. As a result, the permanent way machine has an expanded operating range and increased performance and thus increased efficiency.

In one embodiment, a probe includes a first facet associated with a first pressure port operable to measure a first wind pressure, a second facet associated with a second pressure port operable to measure a second wind pressure, and a third facet associated with a third pressure port operable to measure a third wind pressure. The second facet is adjacent to the first facet and the third facet adjacent to the second facet. The probe further includes a fourth facet adjacent to the third facet and a fifth facet adjacent to the fourth facet and to the first facet. The first facet, the second facet, the third facet, the fourth facet, and the fifth facet are located between a first end portion and a second end portion of the probe.