Vibration monitoring system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016334543-A1
Application number	US-201615153525-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 12, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vibration monitoring system includes an acoustic device that outputs an analog signal to a fiber cable for calibration and location verification. The acoustic device utilizes GPS or communication from wayside bungalow equipment to verify GPS location or real-time clock information. The wayside bungalow contains communication equipment that interfaces with the acoustic device and relays health information to a sensing processor. The sensing processor is configured to detect the acoustic signal output by the acoustic device at a known location and verifies that the cable and device have not moved location by comparing the signal level received against a threshold stored in memory. When the threshold is exceeded, the sensing processor sends an alert that the fiber optic cable or acoustic device at the location have changed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising the steps of:
at a sensing processor, monitoring a fiber optic cable for signals to determine one of a vehicle movement or calibration information; at a calibration device, outputting a signal to be received by the sensing processor through the fiber optic cable; at the sensing processor, receiving the signal from the calibration device; and at the sensing processor, determining if a signal level of the signal from the calibration device is within a predetermined threshold.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the calibration device comprises an acoustic device; and the signal from the calibration device comprises an acoustic signal.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the acoustic device applies the acoustic signal for transmission through ground in which the fiber optic cable is imbedded; and the signal received by the sensing processor from the calibration device comprises changes in light signals propagated through the fiber optic cable, the changes caused by vibrations imparted to the fiber optic cable by the acoustic signal.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the step of determining if the signal level of the signal from the calibration device is within a predetermined threshold includes verifying if at least one of the calibration device or the fiber optic cable have moved.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the calibration device or the sensing processor determines whether the calibration device and the fiber optic cable have moved relative to one another based at least in part on at least one determined time-correlated location of at least one of the calibration device or the fiber optic cable.

6 . A system, comprising:
a sensing processor configured to monitor a fiber optic cable for signals to determine one of a vehicle movement or calibration information; and a calibration device configured to output a signal to be received by the sensing processor; wherein the sensing processor is further configured to receive the signal from the calibration device, and to determine if a signal level of the signal from the calibration device is within a predetermined threshold.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein:
the calibration device comprises an acoustic device; and the signal from the calibration device comprises an acoustic signal.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein:
the acoustic device is configured to apply the acoustic signal for transmission through ground in which the fiber optic cable is imbedded; and the signal comprises changes in light signals propagated through the fiber optic cable, the changes caused by vibrations imparted to the fiber optic cable by the acoustic signal.

9 . The system of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the calibration device or the sensing processor is configured to determine whether the calibration device and the fiber optic cable have moved relative to one another based at least in part on at least one determined time-correlated location of at least one of the calibration device or the fiber optic cable.

10 . A system, comprising:
a calibration device configured to introduce an acoustic signal into a fiber optic cable; and a sensing system configured to detect the acoustic signal output by the calibration device at a known location and to verify that the cable and device have not moved location by comparing a signal level of the acoustic signal against a threshold signal level.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein:
the sensing system is configured to send an alert that one of the fiber optic cable or calibration device at the location have changed when the threshold is exceeded.

12 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a wayside bungalow containing communication equipment communicatively coupled with the calibration device.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein:
the communication equipment is configured to relay health information pertaining to the calibration device to the sensing system.

Assignees

• Alstom Transp Tech

Inventors

• Nagrodsky Nicholas David
• Kiss Jr James Michael
• Fries Jeffrey Michael
• Diaz Derick
• Farmer David

Classifications

• B61L1/06

  actuated by deformation of rail; actuated by vibration in rail · CPC title

• G01H9/004

  using fibre optic sensors (light guides per se G02B6/00, acousto-optical devices specially adapted for gating or modulating in optical wave guides G02F1/125) · CPC title

• B61L1/20

  Safety arrangements for preventing or indicating malfunction of the device, e.g. by leakage current, by lightning · CPC title

• G01V13/00 Primary

  Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices covered by groups G01V1/00 – G01V11/00 · CPC title