High-speed Detection of Surface Crack on Rail Using Alternating Current Field Measurement Technique

doi:10.3901/JME.2021.18.066

Abstract

Abstract: The existence of surface cracks such as rolling contact fatigue crack will cover up the inner defect in rails. On the other hand, surface cracks trend to extend horizontally and vertically, which may lead rail rupture. To reduce the window period of detection and improve the efficiency of high-speed railway, the high-speed detection of surface cracks using ACFM (alternating current field measurement) technique is investigated in this study. Considering the liftoff and height changes between rails, the ACFM probe containing "slidable boot" is proposed. The probe arrangement is optimized through finite element analysis based on the distribution of surface cracks on rails; The influence of "slidable boot" on signals is studied. The ACFM detecting module for inspection vehicle is developed. High speed experiment and natural rolling contact fatigue crack detection experiment are carried out. The results of high-speed experiment indicate that the detection ability and sensitivity of developed module are almost same at 80 km/h and 0.72 km/h. The results of natural rolling fatigue crack experiment validate the detectability of the proposed module on natural cracks.

Key words: rolling contact fatigue crack, high speed detection, railway, inclined crack

CLC Number:

TH865

GE Jiuhao, YANG Chenkai, HU Baowang, WANG Ping, LI Wei, YUAN Xinan, YE Yunfei. High-speed Detection of Surface Crack on Rail Using Alternating Current Field Measurement Technique[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2021, 57(18): 66-74.

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