MÁV Central Rail and Track Inspection Ltd. PATER TRACK DIAGNOSTIC EXPERT SYSTEM Besides the knowledge of quality the safe and economical maintenance of railway tracks plays an increasingly impor- tant role these days. The „PATER” track diagnostic ex- pert software is intended to fulfil this task. PATER is a computer program that keeps records of rail- way tracks, monitors their condition and performs mainte- nance planning duties. Its purpose is to assist track mainte- nance professionals in managing the data of the technical and measurement systems, presenting the condition of the track, planning track maintenance jobs depending on track conditions, selecting the appropriate technology and per- forming cost estimates. Rail defects revealed by various inspections This is a client-server based program that ensures that data and their qualification stored in the database can be accessed from anywhere and client users can use them through the internet in case of sufficient authorisation. This model makes it possible that all data is stored and updated in one location therefore the data available to users is always up-to-date. In the engineering practice the val- ues of the isolated defects and gen- eral qualifying indices are analyzed and these values are sufficient to judge the traffic safety and quality. Nowadays we use track geometri- cal, vehicle dynamical, ultrasonic, Space and time based graphical analysis Head Checking, rail profile and rail of track geometry data corrugation measuring devices. The PATER program adapts to the re- quirements of any railway company: unlimited new measuring system, parameter, measuring limit etc. can be integrated quickly and easily. In case of individual measuring sys- tems real measurement data and dimension limits are registered. Based on the built-in mathematical algorithms the system recommends the type of work to be performed. The program can prepare different statements and statistics from the Tabular data management and attachment visualization registered technical and measure- ment data and can process them. The life of the rail defects can be fol- lowed from discovery to repair. The effects by changing the permitted speed – in the scope of the isolated defects – can be simulated. During the evaluation various maps offer useful help for the analysis and in- terpretation of the different data and locations. Maintenance work planning diagnostics Track Expert system Expert T RACK DIAGNOSTICS A variety of measurement systems are available for the con- tinuous control of the geometric conditions of railway tracks. Using them track maintenance professionals can obtain an accurate view about the geometric quality of the tracks. MÁV CRTI Ltd. operates the following measuring vehicles for the performance of periodic examinations: FMK-004 measuring car, FMK-007 measuring vehicle. The track geometry measurement systems provide geo- metric parameters corresponding to European standards [gauge, alignment and level (chord and D1, D2), superele- vation, twist, curvature]. Simultaneously with the measure- ment the systems provide meas- Track geometry measuring vehicle (FMK-007) urement diagram, list of isolated defects, measuring and qualifying indices and statistical lists serving the judgement of the general track condition.Data can be analysed un- der office circumstances and new data can even be repeatedly evalu- ated (playback function) by setting new technical parameters. In the area of measurement result analysis a lot of data processing are performed that assist professionals to judge the quality condition of the tracks and hence the safety of traf- fic. A numeric and graphic evalua- Track geometry and clearance gauge tion is available for this purpose for profile measuring car (FMK-004) each track. A comprehensive statistical analysis is performed from the measurement results, through which qualification numbers are available not just for one period but retroactively for sev- eral years, by which change of con- dition can be monitored. The judgement of the suitability of thresholds for isolated defects and the measuring and qualifying indi- ces of the general track condition is assisted by different analyses and recommendations derived from track measurement data, which en- able the modification of the limits, as Detail of track geometry graph necessary. A clearance gauge measuring sys- tem is installed on the FMK-004 measuring car, with which the main and secondary line measurements can be performed. In order to meas- ure the secondary tracks the telem- eter can be transferred to a trolley. The final results are supplied by the office system. It provides an isolated defect list about the obstacles which are inside the selected clearance gauge profile. Track diagnostics Track Clearance gauge measurement data R AIL DIAGNOSTICS Rail inspection, which we perform as part of track supervi- sion, is essential in terms of safe train traffic management. Exploration of internal rail defects, measurement of surface cracks with eddy current, profile measurement and meas- urement of rail corrugation are part of rail diagnostics. The rail diagnostic train consists of two motor coaches and one measuring car, in which four measuring systems can be operated: ultrasonic rail inspection system, eddy current crack measuring system, rail profile measuring system and rail corrugation measuring system. Measurements can be performed at 50 km/h speed. Mechanical ultrasonic inspection system Rail diagnostic train (SDS) MÁV CRTI Ltd. explores internal rail defects with ultrasonic pulse-echo method. The ultrasonic testing system of the rail diagnostics train has 10 channels per rail, and real-time evaluation is possible. Evaluation is assisted by a video im- age recorder as well as a fish plate monitoring system. The ultrasonic inspection heads are guided in the rail axis by a beam mounted into the inspection bogie. The inspec- tion bogie can pass turnouts during inspection. Eddy current measuring system Ultrasonic measuring bogie on the “SDS”train On the train, the mechanized eddy current device serves in measuring head checks occurring due to rolling contact fatigue. As a manual mode we use a manual trolley that can be pushed on the track. The measurement system is capable of measuring the depth and the quan- tity of the cracks. The measuring sys- tem consists of 4 measuring heads, which can be freely adjusted on the rail cross-section in any position. The measurement results of the measur- Mechanized eddy current measuring probes ing heads are visualized on coloured bar-chart, where the colours repre- sent the dangerousness of the fault. Rail profile measuring system It measures rail cross-section with Detail of measurement result a non-contact laser scanner. The measuring system is equipped with automatic rail type detection. 2 cam- eras per rail are mounted for accu- rate measurements, which are ca- pable of recording the 2 rail profile in one cross-section at every 25 cm. Besides the determination of the rail wear index number data derived from the measuring system are suit- able for calculation of equivalent co- nicity in case of any wheelset, which is generated by a software specially Rail profile measuring head on the “SDS” train developed for this purpose. Substructure Rail diagnostics Rail Rail corrugation measuring system Typical rail flaw kind of high-speed railway tracks is the rail corrugation. The rail corrugation increases the volume of dynamic forces that leads to quicker track-condition dete- rioration and more frequent maintaining intervention. The allowed threshold-exceeding noise pollution is also often caused by rail corrugation. Thus the rail corrugation diagnostic and the measuring-spe- cifically designable rail maintenance are important. The rail corrugation measuring system has been achieved by the Rail corrugation damaged rail own development of our company. With this measuring system the volume of rail corrugation can be measured by magnetic principle, then the amplitude and wave-length can be calculated by mathematical model. The evaluation of the measuring results is performed within short wave-length range. In case of amplitudes the stand- ard-specific RMS value gets determined, which can be ap- plied as a basis of rail grinding work-planning. Rail corrugation measuring chart SUBSTRUCTURE DIAGNOSTICS Our enterprise makes compaction measurements, bearing capacity measurements, stability inspections and prepares expert’s report about these related to construction works and existing earthworks as well. In connection with this activity, it is also possible to make laboratory tests of ballast and to determine soil physi- cal properties. Besides conventional substructure inspections our company has im- plemented the utilization of track Level moving standard deviation diagrams geometry measurement data in the detection of substructure defects. It is based on the calculation of level moving standard deviation parame- ter and the analysis of its temporal variation. From its characteristics we can make conclusions about track geometry defects originating from substructural causes. The level moving standard deviation results of track geometry measure- ments and the georadar inspec- tions provide a comprehensive view about the substructure condition and assist in planning the location of conventional inspections. Substructure Visualization of substructure results FMK-008 – RAIL DIAGNOSTICS CAR One of the most important fields of railway track diagnostics The system measures the rail corrugation