METHOD FOR COMPREHENSIVE DIAGNOSTICS OF WELDED SEAMS OF BUTLESS RAILS AND DEVICE FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION Russian patent published in 2021 - IPC G01N27/82 

FIELD: railway transportation.

SUBSTANCE: essence of the invention lies in the fact that regular continuous inspection of welds from the surface of the rail head by the method of metal magnetic memory (MMM) and inspection of welds from the surface of the rail head by the method of eddy current test (ECT) are carried out, MMM determines the maximum permissible stress concentration (SC) according to self-magnetic field of dispersion (SMF) by scanning with a magnetometer sensor along the surface of the rail head, ECT control records defects such as microcracks with an opening of at least 0.05 mm, when a stable increase in the MMM parameters is established in the control zone, the subsequent control of the detected microcracks and their development is carried out by ECT, followed by assessment of the possible duration of operation of a defective rail, taking into account the parameters of a similar defect obtained on control samples and additionally controlled by other methods of non-destructive and destructive testing, and planning the timing of replacing a defective weld while minimizing influence on the transportation process. The device for complex diagnostics of welded seams of continuous welded path consists of an electronic unit for detecting and searching for defects based on the metal magnetic memory method (MMM) with a fluxgate converter (FGC), an electronic unit for detecting and searching for defects by the eddy current method with an eddy current converter (ECP), a probe with a curvimeter, made of a material with high abrasion resistance and low coefficient of friction, which allows them to be moved over the intended study area, while maintaining constant contact between the units for detecting and searching for defects and the controlled surface.

EFFECT: possibility of detecting defects formed in the zone of possible destruction of the welded seam of a rail joint laid on the track, as well as possibility of monitoring the development of defects to dimensions preceding the destruction of the rail, and providing a possibility of assessing the duration of operation of a defective rail.

10 cl, 6 dwg