Interferometric optical fiber sensor for monitoring of dynamic railway traffic

• Published in: Optics and laser technology Vol. 140; p. 107069
• Main Authors: Martincek, Ivan, Kacik, Daniel, Horak, Jakub
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2021; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Dynamic railway monitoring; Elongation; Fabry-Pérot interferometer; Mechanical variables measurement; Monitoring; Optical fiber sensors; Optical fibers; Optical measuring instruments; Parameter sensitivity; Railroad wheels; Sensors; Optical fiber sensors; Dynamic railway monitoring; Mechanical variables measurement; Fabry-Pérot interferometer
• ISSN: 0030-3992; 1879-2545
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optlastec.2021.107069

•Fabry-Perot interferometric sensor for monitoring of railway traffic is used.•Time dependence of the elongation of the optical fiber is determined.•From the elongation of the fiber the speed, the number of axles of the train is obtained.•The signal allows to determine the possible defect of wheels. The optical fiber sensor based on a Fabry-Pérot interferometer was developed and experimentally verified. As a sensing element a conventional optical fiber was used. The prepared optical sensor was placed at the rail and tested in normal operation for 24 h. Practical tests have shown that from the measured signals of the prepared sensor it is possible to determine the time dependence of the elongation of the sensing optical fiber. From this it is possible to determine the speed of the train set, the number of axles, the load of individual wheels and identified a possible flat wheels of train set. The results document that the sensor can be used as a sensitive detector for monitoring of dynamic railway traffic. The main advantages, in addition to sensitivity and a wide range of monitored parameters, include easy implementation and no expensive equipment.