ACOUSTIC METHOD FOR DETECTING FRACTURE AND CRACK IN RAIL Russian patent published in 2025 - IPC B61K9/10 G01N29/04 G01N29/07 

FIELD: measuring.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to non-destructive inspection of technical state of rail tracks. Acoustic method for detecting a fracture or crack in rails consists in the fact that in the measurement zone, an acoustic signal is transmitted to the rails, generated as a result of a series of periodic impacts on the rail from a calibrated source, in form of a controlled electromagnetic hammer placed in the centre of the measurement zone, the acoustic signal is measured by three sensors mounted on the rail, first of which is installed in close proximity to electromagnetic hammer, and second and third are at ends of measurement zone. Preliminary processing of the measured by sensors acoustic signals is carried out by filtration, amplification and analogue-to-digital conversion with their subsequent correlation processing or matched filtration, by the results of which the delay time of the reception of the acoustic signal by each sensor is determined with subsequent analysis of their values. If the acoustic signal is received by the second and third sensors simultaneously, there are no signs of a break or a crack in the rail on the measurement section. If the reflected signal is not received by the second or third sensor, and the first sensor received the acoustic signal with a time delay, then determining the presence of a fracture or a crack in the rail on the corresponding section of the measurement zone, wherein, to control the series of impacts of the electromagnetic hammer, the pulse form of the Barker-13 code is used, which is also used to record the process of impact on the rail during correlation processing or matched filtering of pre-processed acoustic signals. Distance to detected fracture or crack is calculated with allowance for acoustic signal propagation rate in rail and reception delay time of acoustic signal reflected from fracture or crack by first pickup.

EFFECT: higher reliability of detection of cracks and fractures in rails, and increased range of measurement zone.

2 cl, 3 dwg