WHEEL IMPACT LOAD DETECTOR

BY
S.VASUDEVAIAH, IRSME
AMIE,M TECH., MS., MBA
FLAT FACE ON WHEEL
ROLLING IN EXAMINATION
Wheel flats are being identified manually by
listening to the sound produced by running wheels
at the entrance to major yards

This method is based on experience and not very
accurate.
WILD CONCEPT

When the wheel is perfectly round it applies a uniform
load on the rail.
When a wheel is flat, it applies a huge impact load on
the rail when ever the flat portion hits the rail.
Wheel flat Impact Load Detector is used to catch the
flatness in the early stage and thereby protecting Rail
infrastructure.

WILD CONCEPT
Automation of this system of detection is possible
by measuring the impact forces of the wheels on
the rails
Wheel flats exert large dynamic loads on the track
which can be detected through strain gauges fixed
on the instrumented rail
WILD Development
Jointly developed by RDSO & IIT-Kanpur
and M/s Apna Technologies & Solutions
Developed and successfully tested at
Aggain station, between Kanpur and
LUCKNOW.
SANCTION OF WILD
To study the loading spectrum actually passing over
the track and bridges Rly BD has sanctioned WILD
during 2005.
Vasco- Hospet- Guntakal- Renigunta- Chennai is
one of the identified route for installing the WILD
MANUFACTURER
The offer of M/s Apna Technologies & Solutions
Private limited was accepted and order was placed
on 12.02.07.

Cost Rs 75,68,910

APPROVED LOCATIONS- IR
Asonsol, ER (Kalipaharti Nimach)
Waltair, Eco R(Simhachalam- North Pendurthi)
Guntakal ( Haddinagundu Hagari)
Bhilai,SE (Rajkarswan mahalimarup)
Aditypur, Jharkhand (GDZ LBO Raipur divn)
Hospet, SWR (Koppal and Ginigira)
Mugalsarai,ECR (Bhabhua road on up and middle line)
Arakkonam, SR (Tiruttani Arakkonum)
SALIENT FEATURES OF WILD
Automatic identification/ detection of defective
wheels causing abnormal dynamic impact load.
Detection of overloaded wagons.
Online transfer from site to Control office.
Automatic exception report generation
Exit
Trigger Sensor
Entry
Trigger Sensor
6 Channels (R1~R6) 6 Channels (R7~R12)
6 Channels (L1~L6) 6 Channels (L7~L12)
Signal Conditioning Modules
Real Time
Controller
Control &
Switching Circuits
Backup
Device
GSM Modem
EB Power/
Primary Power
Solar Power/
Secondary Power
AT SITE
AT TXR CONTROL ROOM
Instrumented Track
WILD BLOCK DIAGRAM
INSTRUMENTED TRACK
Instrumented Track Pictures
INSTRUMENTED TRACK PICTURES
SIGNAL FROM INSTRUMENTED TRACK
MAIN CONSTITUENTS OF WILD
Transducer for detecting the impact load on the track
due to wheel defect.

Data logging and processing equipment.

Report generation and communication equipment
TRANSDUCER
Transducers for the system are strain gauges fixed on the
two rails for measurement of vertical wheel loads.
Rosette strain gauges are fixed on neutral axis on the web of
rails between sleeper cribs with Wheatstone bridge.
The impact load of a flat wheel will indicate a signature with a
sudden drop followed by and instantaneous increase with in
milliseconds.
TRANSDUCER
An algorithm based on this principle is used to isolate
the defective wheel from normal wheel.
Based on this algorithm, LabVIEW platform is used
for data acquisition.
Analysis of data is done by MATLAB software which
is interfaced with LabVIEW.
CONCEPT OF MEASUREMENT
On each instrumented rails there are 12 channels which
record dynamic wheel load
During the length each wheel makes two revolutions
With 12 values of dynamic load max value is picked up
With the average of 10 lower values is treated as normal
dynamic wheel load.

FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITY
Can detect defective wheels by measuring impact
load on rails
Can generate hard copy of reports
Wheel identification
Axle identification
Impact load
Speed
Direction, date, time etc.,

Work efficiently in the speed range of 30 kmph to 160
kmph
System can work in ambient temp range of 0 to 50
0
C and
relative humidity up to 95% or more.
System operates on 230 V AC.
System can measure impact load up to 60 tonnes or even
more.
System can cater for all wheels with 770 mm to 1100 mm.
FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITY
It is capable of detecting 95% or more defects in
wheel on first pass.
It is capable of functioning with trains consisting up
to 100 vehicles (400 axles) of all categories.
Locos ; Coaches ; wagons
FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITY
Data storage capacity for at least 20,000 trains
at a time.
System test is performed after every run, and
diagnostic report is sent to computer system in
control office.
Transducers are protected by suitable covering
to avoid damage by track machines
FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITY
To be installed on straight and level track of 250 m length
including approaches to the site.
Preferably there should not be any fish plated joint with in
13 m on either side of the instrumented portion of the
track.
No weld joint in the instrumented portion of the track is
permitted.
Track condition should be as close as new condition as
possible.
SITE REQUIREMENT
Rail used for instrumentation should be ultrasonically
tested and to be defect free.
Rail section should be 52 kg/m or 60 kg/m with PSC
sleeper spacing of 60-65 cm.
The site should not be very close to any station or at the
approach of signal to avoid acceleration or braking over the
instrumented rails
SITE REQUIREMENT
Hut for installing the system.
The section should have good GSM connectivity so
that the data can be transferred via GSM to the
control room.
Electrical supply connection.
Drinking and security arrangements
INFRASTRUCTURE AT SITE
HARDWARE
Two full length 50kg/60 kg rails.
Signal conditioners and amplifiers.
32 channel high speed data acquisition system.
One PC at the site and other at control.
Dedicated communication link of handling data
transfer up to 64 kbps.
100 nos of rosette type strain gauges
SOFTWARE
Window based software on LabVIEW and MATLAB
platform.
Compatible with VB.

SUMMERY REPORT
Axle no from front
Average dynamic wheel load for each axle
Max dynamic load for each axle
Speed of each axle
Overloaded wheels
Serial no of the defective wheel from engine

CABLING
The location should be with in the vicinity of 3 kms
of the first stop signal in the direction of movement
as cabling up to 3 kms is covered in the scope of
work
MONITORING OF WILD
S. No Alarm ILF Load (T)
1 Maintenance 2.0-4.5 25-35
2 Critical >4.5 >35
Information should be given to next TXR point after
receiving the alarm.

Wagon/Coach should be thoroughly examined for
running gear defects.

Based on the defects noticed decision should be
taken to allow or detach the wagon/coach.
WILD Sample Report
DATA OF WILD ALARMS
Alarm Stock Detached
Minor
defect
No
defect
Feedback
not received
Total
Critical
Freight 44 5 19 - 68
Coaching 17 6 68 3 94
Engine 5 - 4 - 9
Total 66 11 91 3 171
Percentage 38.8 6.5 53.2 1.8
Maintenance
Freight 27 44 458 - 529
Coaching 109 108 1349 65 1631
Engine 3 1 12 2 18
Total 139 153 1819 67 2178
Percentage 6.4 7.0 83.5 2.4
Data is from 16.10.08 to 31.01.11

Train passing over instrumented rail

Trigger sensor
Control Panel room

Channel fixing arrangement to rail
Control panel
System showing critical alarm
THANK
YOU
TESTS TO BE CONDUCTED FOR PTC

Consistency test
Calibration test
Accuracy test
Repeatability test
Speed test
No. of Engines/wagons test

CONSISTENCY TEST

The train has to run 6 times over the
instrument.
The reports has to be verified for number of
working channels.
The number of working channels should be 21
or higher.

CALIBRATION TEST
A vertical known impact load should be applied
on any of four channels.
The load recorded in the system should be
within +/- 2%.
The test has to be repeated on the same
channels after 15 days

ACCURACY TEST
The Loco/Wagon of known weight should be
run through the system at crawling speed.

Sum of all the wheel loads of the Loco/Wagon
has to be calculated.

The sum should be within +/- 4% of original
weight of the Loco/Wagon

REPEATABILITY TEST
The test train has to run at three different speeds and
three runs at each speed.

The avg. axle load has to be calculated.

The individual axle load should be within +/- 5% of the
avg. axle load.

SPEED TEST
The test formation has to be run at different speeds.

The speed in the Locomotive speedometer should be
recorded.

The speed recorded in the report should be within +/- 5 Kmph
NO. OF ENGINES/WAGONS TEST
The test formation has to be moved for 9 runs.

The number of axles recorded in the report should
be recorded.

It has to be compared with actual number of axles
passed through.

No variation should be permitted.