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.

The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for detecting an anomaly of a rolling equipment rolling on rails of a railway resting on a rail support. This method comprises a decomposition (DECOMP) by discrete wavelet transform of a measurement signal (S) transmitted by a strain sensor detecting the deformation of the rail support into an approximation signal (A.sub.J) and a residual signal (R.sub.J) and a search (RECH-PA) for outliers (PA) in the residual signal (R.sub.J) in order to detect an anomaly of the rolling equipment.

The invention relates to a portable device for measuring vertical rail measurements under service to record and report excessive vertical rail movement to prevent a train from derailing. The device may be pivoting with a tilt sensor and light-weight. The device may include a microprocessor, sensors, and a display. The device may be installed on the rail. The device may sense an approaching train, automatically turn on the device, and measure the real-time vertical displacement and the maximum/minimum vertical movement of the rail while the train is operating over the rail at all speeds.

A method of mounting a rail monitoring member/element at a mounting location of a rail for rail traffic, in particular on a railway track, is disclosed. The rail monitoring member includes a strain sensor member with a carrier on which a strain gauge, being an optical fiber with a fiber Bragg grating, is fixed. The method steps include: determination of the temperature of the rail and/or rail monitoring member at the mounting location; checking whether the determined temperature is within a predefined temperature interval; providing heating or cooling application to the rail and/or rail monitoring member at the mounting location, if the determined temperature is not within the predefined temperature interval; positioning and adhesively fixing of the carrier of the rail monitoring member at the mounting location. The method can be carried out easily and allows reliable and accurate monitoring of the rail using a strain sensor member.

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 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.

The invention relates to a portable device for measuring vertical rail measurements under service to record and report excessive vertical rail movement to prevent a train from derailing. The device may be pivoting with a tilt sensor and light-weight. The device may include a microprocessor, sensors, and a display. The device may be installed on the rail. The device may sense an approaching train, automatically turn on the device, and measure the real-time vertical displacement and the maximum/minimum vertical movement of the rail while the train is operating over the rail at all speeds.

A wayside railway sensor package is provided to detect railway wheels for the purposes of assessing the speed and direction of a train in order to align any measured characteristic on said moving train with the proper vehicle. The stand-alone package is easily installed in the web of the rail using standard tools. When used in combination with recent processing techniques, the package can be used to replace one or more components or subsystems on all common wayside detectors while also providing enhanced capabilities and improved reliability. The package also contains sensors that provide data used for assessing additional rail, wheel, and vehicle conditions directly.

A device for detecting a rail load fits into a bore of a rail and includes a sensor that generates a load signal under an action of the rail load caused when rail vehicles with wheels travel on the rail and the wheels exert a load onto the rail. The load signal is a measure for the rail load. The sensor includes at least one piezoelectric sensor element that generates electric polarization charges as the load signal.

A device for detecting a rail load fits into a bore of a rail and includes a sensor that generates a load signal under an action of the rail load caused when rail vehicles with wheels travel on the rail and the wheels exert a load onto the rail. The load signal is a measure for the rail load. The sensor includes at least one piezoelectric sensor element that generates electric polarization charges as the load signal.