Estimation of Rail Irregularity by Axle-box Accelerometers in a High-speed train

초록

This paper is focused on rail irregularity estimation from axle-box vibration of an in-service high-speed train. Usually, rail irregularity has been measured by a special railway inspection system during maintenance work. However, it needs mechanical or optical sensors which are sensitive to harsh railway environment, and it is slower than in-service trains and performed in limited sections. As a solution of these problems, acceleration data measured at an axle-box or a bogie frame are used to estimate rail irregularity frequently. To estimate displacement from the measurement stably, a method based on a Kalman filter and wavelength band-pass filters is proposed. The estimated results are compared with a rail inspection system. From the comparison, the proposed method can provide useful rail irregularity information without any mechanical or optical sensors.