An autonomous railway track assessment apparatus includes: a railway track assessment platform including a boxcar including an enclosed space formed therein; one or more power sources located on the boxcar; a controller; a first sensor assembly in electronic communication with the controller oriented to capture data from the railway track; an air handling system located on the rail car, the air handling system including an air blower and a heater/chiller; a set of air ducts in fluid communication with the air handling system and the first sensor assembly for supplying heated or cooled blown air from the air from the handling system to the first sensor assembly. Data from the railway track is autonomously collected by the first sensor assembly controlled by the controller and such data is stored on the data storage device.
B61K 9/08 - Measuring installations for surveying permanent way
B61K 9/00 - Railway vehicle profile gauges; Detecting or indicating overheating of components; Apparatus on locomotives or cars to indicate bad track sections; General design of track recording vehicles
B61K 9/10 - Measuring installations for surveying permanent way for detecting cracks in rails or welds thereof
B61L 25/02 - Indicating or recording positions or identities of vehicles or vehicle trains
2.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING AND INTERPRETING POINT CLOUDS OF A RAIL CORRIDOR ALONG A SURVEY PATH
An autonornous system for generating and interpreting point clouds of a rail corridor along a survey path while moving on a railroad corridor assessment platform. The system includes two rear-facing LiDAR sensors configured to scan along scan planes that intersect but not at all points and wherein neither scan plane intersects a main body of any rail car adjoined to a rear end of the railroad corridor assessment platform. The system also includes a plurality of high- resolution cameras for gathering image data from a rail corridor. The LiDAR sensors and the high- resolution cameras are housed in autonomously controlled and temperature controlled protective enclosures.
G01S 17/89 - Lidar systems, specially adapted for specific applications for mapping or imaging
B61L 23/04 - Control, warning or like safety means along the route or between vehicles or vehicle trains for monitoring the mechanical state of the route
G01S 17/88 - Lidar systems, specially adapted for specific applications
3.
METHOD FOR CREATING A DATA INPUT FILE FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE AVIATION ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN TOOL (AEDT)
A method of increasing the efficiency of the Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) by using a computer algorithm to generate an input file with far fewer flight tracks than would normally be required to obtain the same AEDT results using the same data pool.
A system and method for inspecting a railway track a calculating plate cut and/or rail seat abrasion (RSA) based on rail head elevation and crosstie surface elevation measurements and an estimate of rail height.
A wind turbine foundation and method for making a wind turbine foundation. The wind turbine foundation preferably includes a core member including a substantially cylindrically-shaped main body, a first outer flange extending out from the main body along an upper section of the core member, and a second outer flange extending out from the main body along a lower section of the core member, and a plurality of radial girders connected to the first outer flange and the second outer flange and radiating out from the core member.
A system and method for inspecting a railway track using sensors oriented at an oblique angle relative to a rail vehicle on which the system is traveling. The orientation of the sensors allows for different data to be gathered regarding a particular rail including rail design specifications (gathered based on manufacturer markings detected and analyzed by the system), rail seat abrasion values based on direct measurement of rails from the oblique angle, and other analysis of rail features including joint bars, rail welds, bond wires, rail holes, and broken rails. The use of an air blower, ducts, and one or more air distribution lids over the sensors helps remove debris from blocking the sensors and structured light generators.
E01B 35/12 - Applications of measuring apparatus or devices for track-building purposes for measuring movement of the track or of components thereof under rolling loads, e.g. depression of sleepers, increase of gauge
E01B 35/00 - Applications of measuring apparatus or devices for track-building purposes
7.
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CALCULATING CROSSTIE PLATE CUT AND RAIL SEAT ABRASION BASED ON RAIL HEAD HEIGHT
A method and a system for inspecting a railway track are provided. The method comprises the determination of an elevation of a surface of a rail head based on a distance to the rail head from the at least one sensor. An elevation of a surface of a crosstie of the railway track is determined based on a distance to a top surface of the crosstie from the at least one sensor. A total rail height of the rail and underlying rail support height of an underlying rail support are estimated. Crosstie wear value is calculated based on the determined rail head surface elevation, crosstie surface elevation, and estimated total rail height and underlying rail support height. Advantageously, the crosstie wear value can be calculated without requiring the sensor(s) to capture data from which a surface elevation of the underlying rail support can be directly measured.
8.
DEBRIS DEFLECTION AND REMOVAL METHOD FOR AN APPARATUS FOR GATHERING DATA FROM SENSORS ORIENTED AT AN OBLIQUE ANGLE RELATIVE TO A RAILWAY TRACK
A method of clearing debris from the view of a sensor of a railway track assessment system is provided. The method includes blowing air from an air blowing device on a rail vehicle wherein such air is blown through a duct to an exit location wherein the exit location is proximate to a sensor enclosure including a transparent window through which a sensor has a field of view; and clearing the transparent window of debris using the air exiting the duct at the exit location.
A system and method for adjusting light emitter output for a railway track inspection system based on data feedback from one or more sensors. The system includes: a power source; a light emitting apparatus emitting light energy toward a railway track; a 3D sensor acquiring three-dimensional data of the railway track; a shaft encoder emitting pulses at a rate that corresponds to a speed of the railway track vehicle; and an algorithm operable on processor to: analyze the three-dimensional data from the 3D sensor; receive pulses from the shaft encoder; and adjust a light emitter control output value based on the analyzed three- dimensional data and the received pulses. A controller in communication with the processor is configured to control the light intensity of the light emitting apparatus in response to the light emitter control output value.
A vertical manhole apparatus for use in a waste facility to provide access to one or more leachate collection pipe access points. The vertical manhole is stabilized using stabilizing features extending out from a vertical pipe of the vertical manhole apparatus. The vertical pipe is formed by a plurality of pipe segments, and the stabilizing features include deadman anchors connected to first ends of cables. The apparatus further comprises a tension control system connected to the second ends of the cables, wherein the tension control system controls the tension of the cables by increasing or decreasing the tension between the tension control system and deadman anchors.
G01B 11/245 - Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for measuring contours or curvatures using a plurality of fixed, simultaneously operating transducers
G01B 11/25 - Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques for measuring contours or curvatures by projecting a pattern, e.g. moiré fringes, on the object
A system and method are provided for adjusting a light emitter output for a railway track inspection system based on data feedback from one or more sensors. The system includes a power source; a light emitting apparatus emitting light energy toward a railway track; at least one motion detector for detecting the motion of the system relative to an adjacent railway track; and an algorithm executable by a processor to determine whether the system is moving relative to an adjacent railway track based on data from the motion detector and to adjust a light emitter control value based on incoming data from the motion detector. A controller in communication with the processor is configured to control the light intensity of the light emitting apparatus in response to the light emitter control value.
A 3D track assessment system is disclosed for identifying and assessing features of a railway track bed based on 3D elevation and intensity data gathered from the railway track bed.
A system and method for inspecting a railway track bed using a plurality of sensors that are synchronized for rapid interrogation of a railway track bed while the sensors are in motion at a high rate of speed.
B61L 25/06 - Indicating or recording the setting of track apparatus, e.g. of points, of signals
B61L 23/04 - Control, warning or like safety means along the route or between vehicles or vehicle trains for monitoring the mechanical state of the route
A protective shroud is provided for enveloping light radiating from a light emitter used with a sensor system for mapping of a railway track. The protective shroud includes: a rigid body having a frame and at least one opaque panel connected to the frame, the rigid body defining at least a first portion of a light radiation zone; a skirt formed of high density fibers extending from adjacent a bottom edge of the at least one opaque panel to adjacent a ground surface; at least one light emitter connected to the rigid body adjacent a top edge of the rigid body to emit light radiation into the light radiation zone; and at least one sensor connected to the rigid body adjacent the top edge of the rigid body to sense the light emitted from the at least one light emitter.
patents
