A thermal energy removal system is provided to cool a rail of a railway track in a self-powered mode and/or an externally-powered mode. The system comprises a cooling module configured to mount on a side of the rail to remove heat stored inside the rail. The cooling module includes a solid state electrical insulation sandwiched between a plate and a heat sink. The cooling module further includes a first terminal and a second terminal. The first and second terminals to provide an electric energy source based on the heat extracted and harnessed for powering at least one of an electronic circuit, a light source, and a communication device associated with railways infrastructure.

The present disclosure provides a hypertube system for detecting a position of a hypertube vehicle, including a hypertube vehicle, a tube configured to surround a travel path of the hypertube vehicle, At least one LiDAR sensor each mounted on an inner wall of the tube and including a laser transmitter configured to irradiate a laser beam toward the hypertube vehicle and a laser receiver configured to detect a laser, and a reflector configured to reflect the laser irradiated from the LiDAR sensor, wherein the reflector may be disposed in the hypertube vehicle, and wherein the laser beam reflected from the reflector reaches the laser receiver of the LiDAR sensor to be used in detecting the position of the hypertube vehicle.

A rail clamp comprising two clamp elements (30a, 30b) securable together in clamping arrangement about a railway rail, wherein at least one of the clamp elements (30a, 30b) can include sensor retaining means to hold a sensor to make measurements relating to the rail. A first of said two clamp elements (30b) has a clamp head to engage a fish plate (14b) or a web-side of a railway rail. A clamp foot (34b) engages the underside of a railway rail foot (13). A second of said two clamp elements (30a) having a clamp head to engage the opposite fish plate or web-side of a railway rail and a clamp foot (34a) to engage the underside of the clamp foot (34b) of the first clamp element (34b). The first and second clamp elements (30a, 30b) are secured together by a connector (35), optionally a bolt, to a railway rail.

The present application provides a high-speed train gearbox sensing device, comprising: a housing, disposed on the high-speed train gearbox; a piezoelectric sensor, fixedly disposed in the housing, and with vibration of the high-speed gearbox, converting mechanical energy generated by the vibration into electric energy using piezoelectric effect, and transmitting a signal to a central control system; a shielding case, disposed outside the piezoelectric sensor for shielding electromagnetic interference from the piezoelectric sensor. The above sensing device is installed to the high-speed train gearbox, for collecting vibration information using the piezoelectric sensor, so as to enable monitoring of gearbox vibration. In order to ensure the normal operation of the sensor, the design with high-pressure resistance and anti-electromagnetic interference in structure is adopted to prolong the service life of the sensor, so as to achieve the purpose of real-time online monitoring whether the gearbox is in a good state.

A computer-implemented method for identifying a defect of a passing train via acoustic monitoring. The method may include the steps of: receiving data from the passing train within a zone of observance using an array of microphone assemblies of an acoustic monitoring system that are positioned around a section of the track. The method may further include processing the data to determine pressure levels received by each of the array of microphone assemblies. The method may further include calculating a theoretical pressure level for a plurality of points within a three-dimensional space for each microphone of the array of microphone assemblies. The method may further include determining one or more locations within the three-dimensional coordinate space that represents an origin of a noise source indicating the defect. And the method may further include determining a type of defect based on the acoustic signatures.

A traffic control system (100) includes a railroad crossing control system (10) with a constant warning time device (40), a wheel sensing system (120) with a sensor (122) connected to a rail (20a, 20b) of a railroad track (20) at a predetermined position (P), and a communication network (140) interfacing with the railroad crossing control system (10) and the wheel sensing system (120) and adapted to transmit data. The wheel sensing system (120) provides speed values of a rail vehicle travelling on the railroad track (20), wherein the speed values are transmitted to the railroad crossing control system (10) via the communication network (140) for producing a preemption signal for the traffic signal control system (110). Further, a method for providing a preemption signal for a traffic signal control system (110) is described.

A traffic control system (100) includes a railroad crossing control system (10) with a constant warning time device (40), a wheel sensing system (120) with a sensor (122) connected to a rail (20a, 20b) of a railroad track (20) at a predetermined position (P), and a communication network (140) interfacing with the railroad crossing control system (10) and the wheel sensing system (120) and adapted to transmit data. The wheel sensing system (120) provides speed values of a rail vehicle travelling on the railroad track (20), wherein the speed values are transmitted to the railroad crossing control system (10) via the communication network (140) for producing a preemption signal for the traffic signal control system (110). Further, a method for providing a preemption signal for a traffic signal control system (110) is described.

A charging system for an electric vehicle has an elongate enclosure having a plurality of sides and an at least partially open side. The enclosure defines a hollow interior. The charging system further includes a conductor rail disposed in the hollow interior and that is accessible through the at least partially open side of the enclosure. The conductor rail may be placed in electric communication with an electrical power source and thereby may be selectively placed in electrical communication with an electrical connector of an electric vehicle. The charging system may conduct electric current from the electrical power source to an electric power supply of the electric vehicle.

A rail sensor unit (10) for attachment to a rail (12) of a rail track, and for sensing by attachment to the rail, acoustic signals and vibrations in the rail. The sensor unit (10) comprises a housing body (20) made in one piece, having a contoured sensing wall portion (22), and an interior compartment (24). The contour is tailored for fitting against a head, web or foot of a rail. At least one piezo-electric transducer (42) within the housing body (20) is coupled to the sensing wall portion (22) for sensing acoustic signals. The housing body (20) efficiently provides substantially all of the contact surfaces form-fitting to the rail. Electronic circuitry (52) in the housing has a controllable dynamic range configuration for both weak signal detection and strong signal detection. The electronic circuitry and electromagnetic shielding protection (48a, 50a) are mounted on a rigid-flex printed circuit substrate (46) folded in the interior compartment (24).

A system for controlling movers in a linear drive system includes a plurality of movers and a track providing segments along which the movers may travel and holding driver coils and a segment controller controlling the driver coils. Some of the segments having switches forming branches between segments. A central controller communicates operates with the segment controllers to route the movers along the track by distributing routing decisions for a given mover to a segment controller for a track on which a given mover is currently traveling.