Dhvani Railway Inspection Systems
Railways are vital lifelines of a nation. In the United States, Russia, China, and India over seven billion tons of freight are transported by rail a year. With each passing year the demand on railways increases, however, so too does the age of the rail infrastructure. Failure of any component of railway travel can be deadly. A crack in the wheel of a German train led to the Eschede Rail Disaster, which claimed over a hundred lives. In the year 2000, a British train derailed causing injury and death due to the failure of a rail under the weight of a passing train. In 2010, within the United States alone, over forty train derailments were caused by cracks and faults within the steel of the rails alone. As railway infrastructure ages, coupled with increased train operating speeds and axle loads, it is imperative that the quality and integrity of rails be monitored to avoid accidents.
Due to the unique climate and rail conditions in southern India, existing automated rail inspection systems cannot effectively inspect Indian rails. For this reason the largest rail provider in India funded IIT Madras to develop a high speed inspection trolley. In working to meet demands, the project had to remain flexible in design goals and focused in their adherence to quality inspection. Working to develop an inspection system requires extensive survey of current systems and knowledge of the physics behind ultrasonic technology. Inspection systems have to be tailored for rail type in use, railway burden, operating temperatures, safety standards, and the budget available.
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