A Review on Existing Sensors and Devices for Inspecting Railway Infrastructure
Amir Falamarzi*, Sara Moridpour & Majidreza Nazem
Abstract
This paper presents a review of sensors and inspection devices employed to inspect railway defects and track geometry irregularities. Inspection of rail defects is an important task in railway infrastructure management systems, and data derived from inspections can feed railway degradation prediction models. These models are utilised for predicting potential defects and implementing preventive maintenance activities. In this paper, different sensors for detecting rail defects and track irregularities are presented, and various inspection devices which utilise these sensors are investigated. In addition, the classification of the sensors and inspection devices based on their capabilities and specifications is carried out, which has not been fully addressed in previous studies. Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) sensors, cameras and accelerometers are among sensors investigated here. Correspondingly, trolleys, Condition Monitoring Systems (CMS), hi-rail vehicles and Track Recording Vehicles (TRV) are among major inspection devices that their capabilities are studied. Furthermore, the application of new devices, including smartphones and drones, in railway inspection and their potential capabilities are discussed. The review of previous and recent approaches shows that CMSs are more cost-effective and accessible than other railway inspection methods, as they can be carried out on in-service vehicles an unlimited number of times without disruption to normal train traffic. In addition, recently smartphones as a compact inspection device with a variety of sensors are employed to measure acceleration data, which can be considered as an indicator of rail track condition.
Keywords : Keywords: Railway; Non-destructive; Condition Monitoring; Sensors; Inspection
Kenaf Fiber Composites: A Review on Synthetic and Biodegradable Polymer Matrix
Dulina Tholibon, Izdihar Tharazi, Abu Bakar Sulong, Norhamidi Muhamad, Nur Farhani Ismail, Mohd Khairul Fadzly Md Radzi, Nabilah Afiqah Mohd Radzuan* & David Hui
Abstract
This review paper deals with the previous and current works published on the kenaf fiber composites. Kenaf is grown commercially in South East Asia country and widely used in the construction and infrastructure as well as in the automotive industry. Kenaf fiber is usually reinforced with synthetic based polymer resin such as polypropylene. However, recent studies tend to concern towards the environmental issues which kenaf fiber act as an alternative natural fiber competitor. Moreover, the combination of the natural fiber and the biodegradable polymer able to reduce the negative impact on human health. Hence, researcher-initiated the interest focusing on the biodegradable materials obtained from the renewable sources. A huge attention gave to the kenaf fiber reinforced bio-polymer materials such as polylactic acid. The processing technique and the fiber orientation within the composite materials are discussed extensively in order to obtain the maximum composite performance. Results indicated that the mechanical properties; tensile strength and tensile modulus, are improved as the kenaf fiber was aligned in uni-direction. Therefore, this paper overview on the kenaf retting types in the common form of kenaf fibers and discussing the thermoplastic polymer matrices types used in the fabrication processes. In addition, the challenging of using kenaf fibers composites and its application in the automotive industry also highlighted.
Keywords : Keywords: Railway; Non-destructive; Condition Monitoring; Sensors; Inspection
Onyelowe, K. C.*, Alaneme, G. U., Onyia, M. E., Bui Van, D., Dimonyeka, M. U., Nnadi E., Ogbonna, C., Odum, L. O., Aju, D. E., Abel, C., Udousoro I. M. & Onukwugha, E.
AbstractArtificial neural network and fuzzy logic based model soft-computing techniques were adapted in the research study for the evaluation of the expansive clay soil-HARHA mixture’s consistency limit, compressibility and mechanical strength properties. The problematic clay soil was stabilized with varying proportions of HARHA (stabilizing agent) which is an agricultural waste derivative from the milling of rice ranging from 0% to 12%; the utilization of the alkaline activated wastes encourages its recycling and re-use to obtain sustainable, eco-efficient and eco-friendly engineered infrastructure for use in the construction industry with economic benefits also. The obtained laboratory and experimental responses were taken as the system database for the ANN and fuzzy logic model development; the soil-HARHA proportions with their corresponding compaction and consistency limit characteristics were feed to the network as the model input variables while the mechanical strength (California-bearing-ratio (CBR), unconfined-compressive-strength (UCS) and Resistance value (R-values)) responses of the blended soil mixture were the model target variables. For the ANN model, feed forward back propagation and Levernberg Marquardt training algorithm were utilized for the model development with the optimized network architecture of 8-6-3 derived based on MSE performance criteria; while for the fuzzy logic model, the mamdani FIS with both triangular and trapezoidal membership function with both models formulated, simulated and computed using MATLAB toolbox. The models were compared in terms of accuracy of prediction using MAE, RMSE and coefficient of determination and from the computed results, 0.2750, 0.4154 and 0.9983 respectively for ANN model while 0.3737, 0.6654 and 0.9894 respectively was obtained for fuzzy logic model. The two models displayed robust characteristics and performed satisfactorily enabling the optimization of the solid waste derivatives utilization for soil mechanical properties improvement for engineering purposes.
Keywords : Keywords: Railway; Non-destructive; Condition Monitoring; Sensors; InspectionJurnal Kejuruteraan (Journal of Engineering)
Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Email : jkej@ukm.edu.my
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