Patent Application
20200299905
The present application is directed to rail grinders used for maintaining railways. More particularly, the present application is directed to a system for creating custom rail grinding patterns that allow for rail grinding to be performed at a fastest possible speed when grinding a desired rail profile.
Railroad tracks generally comprise a pair of metal rails arranged in a parallel configuration so as to guide and support metal wheels of train cars. Use of these tracks to support heavy loads travelling at high speeds can result in the formation of irregularities such as pits, burrs, cracks and deformations along the track surface. These irregularities can create excessive noise and vibrations as the wheels of the train car contact the irregularities. Similarly, the irregularities can also increase the fatigue on the rails and the train cars themselves creating substantial safety and maintenance problems.
A common method of removing irregularities from the track in situ comprises pulling at least one rotating grinding stone that includes an abrasive surface along the track to grind the track surface so as to smooth out irregularities and remove fatigued metal without having to remove the track section. One of the primary concerns with grinding out the irregularities without removing the track section is ensuring that the entire track surface is contacted by the abrasive surface so as to avoid missing any irregularities. Because of factors including different load weights and configurations of the trains traveling over the rails or even installation factors such as, for example, differing soil conditions beneath the rails, the track surface can wear unevenly along the railway. This makes it even more important that the entire rail profile be contacted by an abrasive surface during the grinding operation. In response to this requirement, a variety of different grinding configurations have been developed are currently available to grind the entire rail profile.
One common method of rail grinding involves the use of rail grinding machines that include a plurality of individually adjustable grinding units. These rail grinders can range from large mainline grinders having upwards of 50 or more individual grinding modules per side or smaller custom grinders that provide more operational flexibility at encumbered portions of the railway such as at crossings or switchyards. Regardless of the size of the rail grinder, each grinding module is generally used to grind a single portion of the rail profile or facet such that cooperatively all of the grinding modules on the rail grinder sequentially and cooperatively grind the entirety of a desired rail profile.
In conventional operation, each rail grinder generally has a fixed number of potential patterns by which the individual grinding modules can be arranged. Based on the condition of the rail and the location, for example, straight, parallel portion or curves, an operator would select the appropriate pattern. This selection required skill and experience and was limited to the available, pre-programmed patterns. As such, it would be advantageous to improve upon the operation of rail grinders by allowing the customization of grinding patterns and arrangements based on the unique circumstances present at individual railway locations.
Representative rail grinders and related methods of rail grinding according to the present invention continually update an operational status of individual grinding modules on the rail grinder to generate custom grinding patterns for individual rail segments. Generally, these custom grinding patterns allow the rail grinder to grind a desired rail profile for each segment in a minimum number of grinder passes and at a maximum operating speed for the rail grinder. Utilizing a variety of inputs including, for example, current rail surface conditions, desired rail profile, rails segment type, available grinding modules and grinding module style, a processing system either on-board or remotely located from the rail grinder can iteratively develop a custom grinding pattern that is temporally unique to each rail segment. With the custom grinding pattern developed, the processing system can arrange the individual grinding modules and direct the operation of the rail grinder at a determined speed and number of passes over the rail segment. In a preferred embodiment, the custom grinding pattern is developed for each segment as the rail grinder is in the process of grinding a preceding rail segment. As such, the custom grinding pattern is developed for each segment using essentially real-time operational data associated with the rail grinder and the individual grinding modules.
In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for rail grinding that comprises identifying an amount of metal to be removed from each rail using data on the physical and operational status of each rail as well as a desired rail profile target. The physical and operational status can be previously collected or can include real-time collection by a rail grinder while the desired rail profile target is typically unique to a railway operator and can reflect the type and arrangement of rail being ground. Once the amount of metal to be removed has been determined, a custom grinding pattern is iteratively determined based on both a configuration of individual grinding modules and the real-time operational availability of each individual grinding module. The custom grinding pattern can involve determining a maximum operational speed at which the rail grinder traverses the rail as well as determining a minimum number of passes necessary for the rail grinder to successfully remove the necessary metal to achieve the rail profile target. When determining the maximum operational speed, the custom grind pattern is continually reevaluated at each speed. Development of the custom grind pattern also takes into account individual grinding setpoints of each grinding module, for example, available horsepower and whether or not a grind angle of each grinding module is fixed or flexible.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a railway grinding system that is capable of generating custom grind patterns when grinding individual rail segments of a railway. Generally, the railway grinding system can comprise a rail grinder having a rail grinding assembly on each side of an on-rail vehicle. Each rail grinding assembly can comprise a plurality of individual grinding modules that cooperatively grind a desired rail profile into each rail as the rail grinder traverses the railway. The rail grinder further comprises a processing system, either onboard or remotely located, that determines and implements a custom grind pattern for successive segment of the railway. The processing system utilizes a variety of data sources including, for example, an operational availability of each of the plurality of individual grinding modules, operational parameters of each of the plurality of individual grinding modules, an amount of metal that must be removed from each rail and a desired target profile that can be unique to each railway operator and can be unique to successive rail segments to create a custom grinding profile for each rail segment. Preferably, the processing system allows the custom grinding profile for the rail segment as the rail grinder is in the process of grinding a preceding rail segment such that the custom grinding profile is generated with the most up to date operational parameters for each individual grinding module.
The above summary is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the subject matter hereof. The figures and the detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify various embodiments.
Subject matter hereof may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments in connection with the accompanying figures, in which:
While various embodiments are amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the claimed inventions to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined by the claims.
Referring now to
As shown in
A representative method of railway grinding 100 according to the present invention is illustrated schematically in
In order to accomplish the representative method of railway grinding 100 and the subsequent, iterative processing steps that will be described below, it will be understood that rail grinder 50 can comprise a local onboard processing system and/or a remote processing system capable of communicating with rail grinder 50 in real time. The processing system can include a suitable processor, memory user inputs, user displays and communication systems utilizing conventional communication protocols. The processor can include various engines, each of which is constructed, programmed, configured, or otherwise adapted, to autonomously carry out a function or set of functions. The term “engine” as used herein is defined as a real-world device, component, or arrangement of components implemented using hardware, such as by an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or field-programmable gate array (FPGA), for example, or as a combination of hardware and software, such as by a microprocessor system and a set of program instructions that adapt the engine to implement the particular functionality, which (while being executed) transform the microprocessor system into a special-purpose device. An engine can also be implemented as a combination of the two, with certain functions facilitated by hardware alone, and other functions facilitated by a combination of hardware and software. In certain implementations, at least a portion, and in some cases, all, of an engine can be executed on the processor(s) of one or more computing platforms that are made up of hardware (e.g., one or more processors, data storage devices such as memory or drive storage, input/output facilities such as network interface devices, video devices, keyboard, mouse or touchscreen devices, etc.) that execute an operating system, system programs, and application programs, while also implementing the engine using multitasking, multithreading, distributed (e.g., cluster, peer-peer, cloud, etc.) processing where appropriate, or other such techniques. Accordingly, each engine can be realized in a variety of physically realizable configurations, and should generally not be limited to any particular implementation exemplified herein, unless such limitations are expressly called out. In addition, an engine can itself be composed of more than one sub-engine, each of which can be regarded as an engine in its own right. Moreover, in the embodiments described herein, the various engines can correspond to a defined autonomous functionality; however, it should be understood that in other contemplated embodiments, each functionality can be distributed to more than one engine. Likewise, in other contemplated embodiments, multiple defined functionalities may be implemented by a single engine that performs those multiple functions, possibly alongside other functions, or distributed differently among a set of engines than specifically illustrated in the examples herein.
Various embodiments and/or portions of the method of railway grinding 100 can be performed using components of functions provided either onboard the railway grinder 50 as well as those available in cloud computing, client-server, or other networked environments, or any combination thereof. The components of the system can be located in a singular “cloud” or network, or spread among many clouds or networks. End-user knowledge of the physical location and configuration of components of the system executing method 100 is not required. For example, processors, memory, endings and sensors can be combined as appropriate to share hardware resources, if desired.
Typically, method 100 can utilize one or more processors or programmable devices operating autonomously or in parallel that accept analog or digital data as an input, are configured to process the input according to instructions or algorithms, and provide results as outputs. In an embodiment, the processor can be a central processing unit (CPU) configured to carry out the instructions of a computer program. The processor is therefore configured to perform at least basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations. The processor can interface with memory, for example, volatile or non-volatile memory to provide space to execute the instructions or algorithms and iterations thereof, but to provide the space to store the instructions themselves. In embodiments, volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), or static random access memory (SRAM), for example. In embodiments, non-volatile memory can include read-only memory, flash memory, ferroelectric RAM, hard disk, floppy disk, magnetic tape, or optical disc storage, for example. The foregoing lists in no way limit the type of memory that can be used, as these embodiments are given only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
First step 102 of establishing an amount of metal to be removed from each rail is more specifically illustrated in
Whether step 110 involves one or both of static rail data 110a or real-time data 110b, the type of data generally will reflect the physical and operational status of each rail 60. Representative data generally identifies metal fatigue, the current rail head profile and mechanical defects in rail 60. Data can be collected using any of a variety of appropriate rail sensors including, for example, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), GPS sensors (Global Positioning Sensors), optical sensors and cameras and the like.
Based on the data collected or uploaded in step 100, the processor identifies metal that must be removed to remove any defects, corrosion or other rail problems. In step 114, the processor determines a depth of cut or grind that must be performed by the rail grinder 50 such that the rail 60 will be free of defects upon completion of railway grinding 100.
Once the depth of cut is determined in step 114, this information is compared to a target profile template that is established in step 112. The target profile template is generally specified by an operator of the railway 62. As discussed previously, the target profile template can differ between rail operators and between types of rail installations, for example, heavy haul or light rail transit railways. In addition, the target profile template can vary between segments 70 of the railway 62, for example, straight line segments 72 and curved segments 74 or between the high rail 73 and low rail 75. In step 116, a target profile is established that results in the rail 60 having a rail profile 58 whereby all of the defective metal has been ground away and the result matches the desired rail profile of the particular segment 70. From step 116, a target shape 118 is created upon which customized grind patterns will be subsequently created for the rail grinder 50 and the individual segments 70.
With reference to
Using the operational parameters identified in step 130, construction of the grind pattern begins by evaluating an operational grinding speed for rail grinder 50 in step 132. Generally, rail grinder 50 is designed for operation within a range of grinding speeds such as, for example, between 3.0 mph-25.0 mph. In step 132, a first speed within this operational range is selected for evaluation. Using the first speed, calculations are conducted in parallel to determine a fastest grinder speed with the minimum number of grind passes in step 134 and to determine if the rail grinder 50 can achieve the target shape 118 at the first speed.
In step 134, if the processor determines the rail grinder 50, in its current operational status, can remove the amount of metal identified in step 114 from the segment 70 in less than one grind pass, the first speed is assumed to increase by 1 mph in step 136 and the determination is repeated. This process is repeated until it is determined that the rail grinder 50 requires more than one pass to accomplish the desired rail grinding or the first speed is equal to the maximum operational speed. At this point, the prior highest speed that was possible with a single pass is assumed to increase by smaller increments, for example, an increase of 0.1 mph in step 136 and the determination is repeated. This process is repeated until it is determined that the rail grinder 50 requires more than one pass to accomplish the desired rail grinding or that the next incremental speed increase would be equal to the previously determined speed that resulted in more than one pass being required.
If instead, the processor determines the rail grinder 50 cannot grind the required metal identified in step 114 from the segment 70 in less than one grinder pass in step 134, the first speed is assumed to decrease by 1 mph in step 136 and the determination is repeated. This process is repeated until it is determined that the rail grinder 50 can accomplish the rail grinding in a single pass or the assumed speed is equal to the minimum operational speed. If at some point of the iterative process, it is determined that there is a speed that can accomplish a single pass, this speed is assumed to increase by a smaller increment, for example, 0.1 mph in step 136 and the determination is repeated. This process is repeated until it is determined the highest speed that the rail grinder 50 can operate and still achieve single pass metal removal.
Ultimately, the iterative speed process of steps 132 and 134 will in step 138 identify the highest speed rail grinder 50 can operate at with the minimum number of passes over the rail 60. This highest operating speed identified in step 138 is retained for further use as described below. When identifying the highest speed rail grinder 50 can operate,
Simultaneously with the speed evaluation of steps 134 and 136, grind patterns necessary at each speed are calculated at step 140 with each pattern being evaluated in step 142 to determine if the target shape 118 can be achieved by the pattern. Calculation of the grind patterns at step 140 take into account the grinding parameters of the rail grinder 50 such as, for example, minimum and maximum grind angles achievable by the rail grinder 50, clash angles at which motors on each side of the rail grinder 50 cannot simultaneously grind, minimum and maximum amperage setpoints for motors on the individual grinding modules 56, the number of available grinding modules 56 on each side of the rail grinder 50 and the configuration of the available grinding modules 56, for example, fixed versus adjustable angle capability. If the calculated grind pattern can grind target shape 118, the grind pattern at that speed is retained for further use.
In step 144, the highest speed identified in step 138 is combined with the corresponding grind pattern established in step 132 to determine the individual arrangement of each grinding module 56. The individual arrangements will include the vertical and horizontal positioning of each grinding stone 64 as well as the horsepower required for each grinding stone 64 to grind the rail facet the individual grinding module 56 will be responsible for grinding. Generally, rail grinder 50 will include a plurality or “n” number of grinding modules 56 such that the arrangement of all “n” grinding modules is individually calculated starting with a forward most grinding module and proceeding sequentially to the rearward most grinding module. At this point, the actual grinding pattern is constructed in step 146 and includes complete grind arrangement information for each grinding module 56 and a maximum grinding speed over which the rail grinder 50 can traverse the segment 70.
When determining the highest grind speed in step 138 and the grind pattern of step 132, the method can further include an assumption that the second step 104 of creating grinding patterns will assume that grinding can be performed in a peak/plow fashion. Generally, peak grinding initially deals with “peaking” the rail 60, i.e., grinding the shoulders or corners proximate the gage and field sides of rail profile 58 while plow grinding involves the subsequent “plowing” of the rail 60, i.e. grinding the “crown” or middle facets of rail profile 58 to achieve the target shape 118. When multiple passes are required, for example, two passes, a first pass can be assumed to “peak” rail 60 while a second pass “plows” rail 60. If only a single pass is required, rail grinder 50 can be set up with a front portion, i.e, a front half of the grinding modules 56 on rail grinder 50, assumed to be “peaking” rail while a rear portion, i.e. a rear half of the grinding modules 56 on rail grinder 50, assumed to be “plowing” rail.
The “n” number of grinding modules 56 on a conventional rail grinder 50 can be made up of both fixed grinding modules 56a and flexible grinding modules 56b. Generally, the grinding stone 64 in the fixed grinding modules 56a are arranged at a fixed angle for essentially grinding the same facet as the rail grinder 50 moves along railway 62 and transitions between segments 70. Typically, the fixed grinding module 56a includes only a vertical positioning assembly that selectively directs the grinding stone 64 into and out of operable contact with the rail 60. Alternatively, flexible grinding modules 56b include both vertical and horizontal positioning assemblies that allow the angle at which the grinding stone 64 interacts with the rail 60 during grinding. During the process of calculating grind patterns at step 140 and evaluating the grind patterns in step 142, the individual configuration of each grind module 56 is evaluated as shown in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
If in step 138, the rail grinder 50 requires multiple passes over rail 60 to achieve grinding of the target shape 118, process 190 for the flexible grinding modules 56b is repeated but the individual setpoints are determined in reverse order for intermediate even pass numbers, from the rear of the grinder to the front of the grinder. Final passes over rail 60 are always performed in a forward direction such that the rail grinder 60 is moving in a forward direction when grinding of segment 70 is completed. Process 160 is not changed because the fixed grinding modules 56a are fixed in location on the rail grinder 50. As an additional pass would be required, any differences resulting from the fixed grinding modules 56a actually grinding in a different sequence can be accounted for on a subsequent forward pass.
The method of railway grinding 100 described herein is especially advantageous due to the calculation and determination of grind patterns based upon the actual operational condition of the railway grinder 50 as it approaches the segment 70 that is to be worked on. While the earlier collection of static rail data 110a could allow for grind patterns to be calculated at a time prior to the railway grinder 50 reaching segment 70, the railway grinder 50 may not be capable of achieving the target profile 118 with this predetermined pattern if one or more of the fixed or flexible grinding modules 56a, 56b are damaged or otherwise out of service when the railway grinder 50 reaches the start of segment 70. As the method of railway grinding 100 is based upon the actual operational condition of railway grinder 50, the method of railway grinding 100 allows target shape 118 to be achieved at a highest operational speed and with the lowest number of passes.
Various embodiments of systems, devices, and methods have been described herein. These embodiments are given only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed inventions. It should be appreciated, moreover, that the various features of the embodiments that have been described may be combined in various ways to produce numerous additional embodiments. Moreover, while various materials, dimensions, shapes, configurations and locations, etc. have been described for use with disclosed embodiments, others besides those disclosed may be utilized without exceeding the scope of the claimed inventions.
Persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that the subject matter hereof may comprise fewer features than illustrated in any individual embodiment described above. The embodiments described herein are not meant to be an exhaustive presentation of the ways in which the various features of the subject matter hereof may be combined. Accordingly, the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations of features; rather, the various embodiments can comprise a combination of different individual features selected from different individual embodiments, as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, elements described with respect to one embodiment can be implemented in other embodiments even when not described in such embodiments unless otherwise noted.
Although a dependent claim may refer in the claims to a specific combination with one or more other claims, other embodiments can also include a combination of the dependent claim with the subject matter of each other dependent claim or a combination of one or more features with other dependent or independent claims. Such combinations are proposed herein unless it is stated that a specific combination is not intended.
Any incorporation by reference of documents above is limited such that no subject matter is incorporated that is contrary to the explicit disclosure herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is further limited such that no claims included in the documents are incorporated by reference herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is yet further limited such that any definitions provided in the documents are not incorporated by reference herein unless expressly included herein.
For purposes of interpreting the claims, it is expressly intended that the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) are not to be invoked unless the specific terms “means for” or “step for” are recited in a claim.
