Sensors and Methods for Railway Signalling Equipment Monitoring

Signalling upgrade projects that have been installed in equipment rooms in the recent past have limited capability to monitor performance of certain types of external circuits. To modify the equipment rooms on the commissioned railway would prove very expensive to implement and would be unacceptable in terms of delays caused to passenger services due to re-commissioning circuits after modification, to comply with rail signalling standards. The use of magnetoresistive sensors to provide performance data on point circuit operation and point operation is investigated. The sensors are bench tested on their ability to measure current in a circuit in a non-intrusive manner. The effect of shielding on the sensor performance is tested and found to be significant. The response of the sensors with various levels of amplification produces linear responses across a range of circuit gain. The output of the sensor circuit is demonstrated for various periods of interruption of conductor current. A three-axis accelerometer is mounted on a linear actuator to demonstrate the type of output expected from similar sensors mounted on a set of points. Measurements of current in point detection circuits and acceleration forces resulting from vibration of out of tolerance mechanical assemblies can provide valuable information on performance and possible threats to safe operation of equipment. The sensors seem capable of measuring the current in a conductor with a comparatively high degree of sensitivity. There is development work required on shielding the sensor from magnetic fields other than those being measured. The accelerometer work is at a demonstration level and requires development. The future testing work with accelerometers should be at a facility where multiple point moves can be made; with the capability to introduce faults to the point mechanisms. Methods can then be developed for analysis of the vibration signatures produced by the various faults

Analysis and comparison of Scalextric, SCX, and Carrera Digital slot car systems: A mechatronic engineering design case study

Digital slot cars operate by transmitting both power and data over a single pair of wires much like DCC-controlled model railways and some home automation systems. In this manuscript we analyse and compare the cars, track, controllers, and electronic data transmission protocols of the three popular digital slot car systems

Human response to vibration in residential environments, technical report 1 : measurement of vibration exposure

The Technical Report 1 describes the research undertaken to develop a method by which human exposure to vibration in residential environments can be assessed. That work has been carried out by the University of Salford supported by the Department of environment food and rural affairs (Defra). The overall aim of the project is to derive exposure-response relationships for human vibration in residential environments. This document in particular focuses on the equipment and methodology employed to measure vibration from different sources. The main objective of this report is to describe the practical experience of implementing a vibration measurement protocol. Reported here are findings obtained in the field measurements and a description of a feasible method for measuring vibration for different sources. In addition, controlled tests performed to determine the suitability of the vibration mounting for various practical situations are reported

Embedded System is Computer System with Dedicated Function:-A Study

Embedded system basically a computer with dedicated function with a large mechanical and electrical system. The use or application of embedded system in various areasworldwide.Hence in this study, we discussed about the wide area of application and finally we have discussed about the use of embedded system in connection with industrial robot along with CNC technology in flexible manufacturing (FMS) where accurate control of speed and position of DC motor in precession and repeatability in motion control have achieved in servomotor and machine actuators

JETC (Japanese Technology Evaluation Center) Panel Report on High Temperature Superconductivity in Japan

The Japanese regard success in R and D in high temperature superconductivity as an important national objective. The results of a detailed evaluation of the current state of Japanese high temperature superconductivity development are provided. The analysis was performed by a panel of technical experts drawn from U.S. industry and academia, and is based on reviews of the relevant literature and visits to Japanese government, academic and industrial laboratories. Detailed appraisals are presented on the following: Basic research; superconducting materials; large scale applications; processing of superconducting materials; superconducting electronics and thin films. In all cases, comparisons are made with the corresponding state-of-the-art in the United States

iDCC - Hardware, Software and Marketing of a Usable Digital Command Controller

Supplementary material included on disc with print copy.iDCC is the new implement of Digital Command Control (DCC) with a better user interface and a much better user experience compared to the existing DCC controllers on the market. The iDCC project was carried out firstly at 2009 and the proof-of-concept prototype was available at the beginning of this project. The goal of this project is to prepare this prototype for a commercialization through the real-world industry arrangement. This is also a new framework of a Master degree project. The author of this thesis has acted as a project manager and a hardware engineer to work with a 4-member software team and a 2-member marketing team whom all are the students of the University of Waikato. As hardware engineers, the duties were to test the previous prototype and develop a brand new hardware which has more functionality and stability. With the unique scanning technology developed in this project it eliminates the complexity of the model train operation and simplifies the technical format of DCC controllers. The enclosure case also has been designed by the author to meet the market need. The software team developed and tested the firmware to fulfill the concept of iDCC with the author. The market team prepared logos, product names, and advertising materials to achieve the market promotion requirement. The author also acts as the project manager to lead the teams together to achieve the goal. The final product is ready to be released to the market as an entry level DCC controller, and the result of this project also shows that this type of framework is sustainable so that it can be applied in any Master or even Phd level project

Electronics in the on-line control of railway movements: quantitative aspects

The present thesis is concerned with a quantitative examination of the on-line control of railway movements and develops a mathematical technique for the evaluation of safety based on the use of Markov processes, illustrated with examples. In addition, the thesis presents a design methodology applicable to electronic safety systems. These systems are shown to be an essential element in the development of fully electronic railway signalling systems, as well as in the increased automation of railway movements. An analysis of the limits of automation of railway movements is described and discussed together with a possible system configuration for the achievement of crewless train operation. The research described herein has been carried out at the British Railways R & D division and the methods described have been successfully applied to real engineering problems. The industrial R & D background of the present thesis is also reflected in the inclusion of a section on the socio-economic consequences of major innovation, particularly in the field of automation and in the consideration of costs and benefits. Section 2 contains an approach evolved jointly with Mr. W.T. Parkman, also at the R & D Division of British Railways, and has been published as Reference 16. Section 5 is a short description or the work carried out by the group under the direct responsibility of the author at the R & D Division of British Railways