SPEED CONTROL AND TRACK CHANGE DETECTION DEVICE SUITABLE FOR RAILWAYS

Abstract

A speed control and track change detection device for railways is characterised in that it comprises three high-frequency radar sensors located at the vertices of an imaginary triangle and a digital processing device for processing the signals detected by the radars, wherein in the case of the speed control system, both sensors are located at 1 m distance from each other along the axis of the path of the railway and inspect the ground of the infrastructure 2 cm away from the outside of each rail, and according to the temporal offset of the signals obtained the digital processing device estimates the exact speed of the train.

Claims

1. A speed control and track change detection system for railways comprising: three high-frequency radar sensors situated at the vertices of an imaginary triangle, wherein two longitudinally arranged radar sensors of said three high-frequency radar sensors are arranged on the longitudinal axis, separated from one another by a known distance, each one of said two longitudinally arranged radar sensors concentrates radiated energy thereof on an area of approximately one square centimetre of the surface and measures the distance from a sensor to the ground, such that from each on of the two longitudinally arranged radar sensors a detailed profile of the ground is obtained as a train advances; a third sensor of said three high-frequency radar sensors is arranged on the axis perpendicular to the path at the height of one of said two longitudinally arranged radar sensors, such that each sensor obtains a detailed profile of the ground on the outside of a rail, so that a digital processing device for processing radar signals is able to detect the presence of the rail when the same crosses it, identifying if the train has changed track; the digital processing device for processing the radar signals that measures a time lag existing between the profiles of the ground obtained by the two longitudinally arranged radar sensors and calculates the speed of the train and identifies, through the profiles of the ground obtained by the transversely arranged radar sensors, the detection of when the rails are passed over and determines when the train changes track.

2. The speed control and track change detection system for railways according to claim 1, wherein in the case of the speed control system, said two longitudinally arranged radar sensors, located at 1 m distance from each other along the axis of the path and inspect the ground 2 cm away from the outside of each rail and the processing device for processing the radar signals detects an temporal offset between the radar signals, thereby obtaining an estimation of the speed based on the separation between the two longitudinally arranged radar sensors.

3. The speed control and track change detection system for railways according to claim 1, wherein in the case of the track control system, said two longitudinally arranged radar sensors are used that are arranged on an axis perpendicular to the path and inspect the outside of each rail, and the digital processing device for processing the radar signals detects the presence of the rail when the same crosses it.

4. The speed control and track change detection system for railways according to claim 1, wherein electromagnetic waves, are used to inspect the infrastructure of the railway.

5. The speed control and track change detection system for railways according to claim 1, wherein pressure waves are used to inspect the infrastructure of the railway.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] If both sensors are arranged on a longitudinal axis and separated from one another by a known distance it is possible to determine the speed of a train. Each one of the sensors concentrates its energy on a square centimetre of the surface and precisely measures the distance from the sensor to the ground. This way, each one of the 2 sensors obtains a detailed profile of the ground as the train advances. The processing of the two signals obtained allows the time lag existing between both profiles to be detected, thereby obtaining an estimation of the speed. This system functions in snowy environments since the surface is not entirely uniform.

[0012] If both sensors are arranged on an axis perpendicular to the path and inspect the outside of each rail, each sensor is able to detect the presence of the rail when the same crosses it, identifying if the train has changed track.

[0013] There is also the possibility of installing sensors on the inside of the rails and detecting which of them has been passed over first and thus detect if the train has changed track.

[0014] In both cases, instead of using electromagnetic waves, it is possible to use pressure waves to inspect the infrastructure.

[0015] As such, with only three sensors situated in a triangle, two perpendicular to the axis of the path and one on the same axis as any one of the former, it is possible to solve the problem.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The invention envisaged relates to a speed control and track change detection system.

[0017] The system is made up of two main elements: [0018] Three high-frequency radar sensors, [0019] A device for digitally processing the radar signals

[0020] Thus, the preferred embodiment consists of the installation of three high-frequency radar sensors which, placed underneath the train, concentrate the radiated energy on a square centimetre of the surface with the help of a dielectric lens.

[0021] The three sensors are situated at the vertices of an imaginary triangle.

[0022] In the case of the speed control system, both sensors are located at 1 m of distance from each other along the axis of the path and inspect the ground 2 cm away from the outside of each rail.

[0023] The digital processing device for processing the radar signals detects the temporal offset between both signals, thereby obtaining an estimation of the speed, given that the separation between the sensors is known.

[0024] The third sensor is arranged on an axis perpendicular to the path at the height of the first of the former sensors and inspects the outside of each rail, the digital processing device for processing the radar signals being able to detect the presence of the rail when the same crosses it, identifying if the train has changed track.

[0025] There is also the possibility of installing sensors on the inside of the rails and detecting which of them has been passed over first and thus detect if the train has changed track.

[0026] In both cases, instead of using electromagnetic waves, it is possible to use pressure waves to inspect the infrastructure.

[0027] Having sufficiently described the nature of the invention, in addition to the practical embodiment thereof, it is hereby stated that the arrangements indicated above are susceptible to modifications of the details, provided they do not change the fundamental principles thereof established in the foregoing paragraphs and summarised in the following claims.