System and method for detecting operational anomalies in train consists and railcars

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10137915-B2
Application number	US-201415108065-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 24, 2014
Priority date	Dec 24, 2013
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A system for monitoring railcar and tram consist operational parameters and detecting anomalies in the operation and condition thereof using sensors to feed data to a distributive complex event processing engine.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for detecting operational anomalies on a train consist or railcar comprising:
(a) one or more communication management units mounted on one or more railcars;
(b) one or more sensors located on said one or more railcars configured to sense an operational parameter of said one or more railcars, said sensors being in communication with said one or more communication management units, wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more sensors configured to measure accelerations of the railcar; and
(c) one or more filters configured to filter at least a portion of the accelerations,
wherein said communication management units perform the functions of:
(i) collecting data regarding said one or more railcar operational parameters;
(ii) analyzing said collected data for trends or events indicative of an anomalous operational condition; and
(iii) communicating a message to a remote receiver when said trend or event is detected.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more wireless sensor nodes in communication with one of said communication management units, said one or more sensors forming part of said one or more wireless sensor nodes;
wherein each of said wireless sensor nodes is configured to:
collect data from one or more sensors;
compare said data against one or more rules; and
send a message to said communication management unit when at least one of said rules is satisfied; and

wherein said communication management unit and said wireless sensor nodes form a railcar-based wireless mesh network, said railcar-based mesh network being controlled by said communication management unit.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein one of said wireless sensor nodes comprises:
a) a protective housing;
b) said one or more sensors being mounted within said protective housing;
c) a communication capability, for communicating with said communication management unit;
d) a microprocessor, configured to execute firmware to control the operation of said wireless sensor node; and
e) a mechanical filter which includes a resilient material selected to filter out undesirable accelerations, said mechanical filter disposed to remove said undesirable accelerations before said undesirable accelerations reach said accelerometer.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein one of said wireless sensor nodes comprises:
a) a protective housing;
b) said one or more sensors being mounted within said protective housing;
c) a communication capability, for communicating with said communication management unit;
d) a microprocessor, configured to execute firmware to control the operation of said wireless sensor node; and
e) potting material disposed within said housing, said potting material configured to tune said wireless sensor node by absorbing undesirable accelerations.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said communication management unit is configured to instruct each wireless sensor node to enable or disable the checking of individual rules by sending a message to said wireless sensor node.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein each of said wireless sensor nodes is configured to:
a) collect data from one or more sensors; and
b) periodically send said collected data to said communication management unit.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said communication management unit is configured to instruct each wireless sensor node to enable or disable the periodic sending of data by sending a message to said wireless sensor node.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein said communication management unit, upon receiving said periodically sent data, is configured to:
(a) store said data in a data store;
(b) analyze said stored data for trends; and
(c) generate a report when trends of interest are detected.

9. The system of claim 2 wherein said one or more rules are numerical thresholds which, when exceeded by said collected data, cause an alert message to be sent to said communication management unit.

10. The system of claim 2 wherein said communication management unit, upon receiving an alert message from one of said wireless sensor nodes, is configured to:
(a) wait to see if similar messages are received from one or more other wireless sensor nodes within a predetermined period of time and concluding that an actual event has occurred if said similar messages are received; and
(b) communicate a message reporting the occurrence of said actual event to a remote receiver.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said communication management unit is configured to confirm that a lateral extreme vehicle dynamic event has occurred when lateral extreme vehicle dynamic messages have been received from a plurality of wireless sensors nodes within said predetermined period of time.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said communication management unit is configured to confirm confirms that a vertical extreme vehicle dynamic event has occurred when vertical extreme vehicle dynamic messages have been received from a plurality of wireless sensors nodes within said predetermined period of time.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein said communication management unit is configured to confirm that vertical hunting is occurring when vertical hunting messages are received from wireless sensor nodes mounted on opposite ends of a railcar within a predetermined period of time.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said communication management unit is configured to determine that a body bounce event has occurred when messages from said wireless sensor nodes indicate that vertical hunting messages received from said wireless sensor nodes indicate in phase accelerations were detected.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said communication management unit is configured to determine that a body pitch event has occurred when messages from said wireless sensor nodes indicate that vertical hunting messages received from said wireless sensor nodes indicate out of phase accelerations were detected.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein said communication management unit is configured to confirm that lateral hunting is occurring when lateral hunting messages are received from wireless sensor nodes mounted on opposite ends of a railcar within a predetermined period of time.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said communication management unit is configured to determine that a body yaw event has occurred when messages from said wireless sensor nodes indicate that lateral hunting messages received form said wireless sensor nodes indicate out of phase accelerations were detected.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein said communication management unit is configured to determine that a body roll event has occurred when messages from said wireless sensor nodes indicate that lateral hunting messages received form said wireless sensor nodes indicate in phase accelerations were detected.

19. The system of claim 1 further comprising a powered wireless gateway controlling a train-based wireless mesh network that includes said powered wireless gateway and a plurality of said communication management units.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said powered wireless gateway serves as said remote receiver.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of said communication management units includes at least one of said sensors.

22. The system of claim 1 further comprising a powered wireless gateway configured to control a train-based network that includes said powered wireless gateway and a plurality of said communication man

Assignees

• Amsted Rail Co Inc

Inventors

• Lefebvre William
• Martin Andrew
• Cooper Francis James
• Adamec Rachel W

Classifications

• B61L15/0036

  Conductor-based, e.g. using CAN-Bus, train-line or optical fibres · CPC title

• B61K9/04

  Detectors for indicating the overheating of axle bearings and the like, e.g. associated with the brake system for applying the brakes in case of a fault · CPC title

• B61L15/0027 Primary

  Radio-based, e.g. using GSM-R · CPC title

• B61L25/021

  Measuring and recording of train speed · CPC title

• B61L25/025

  Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates · CPC title