Supervision: Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Bernhard Zagar

The Linz AG Linen ltd., public transport operator of the city Linz, has been recording rising costs for the maintenance of track systems for years. The main cause lies in the tram sets that have been introduced since 2001. These can be entered on floor level to increase the comfort of the passengers. For this reason, the wheel diameter decreased and also the number of axles has dropped from ten to eight. Meanwhile, the total weight has increased, too these circumstances cause the lifespan of the rails to decrease.

In the context of this shortened lifespan, a theoretical overview is given to determine possible causes for this phenomenon. The focus of this overview lies on the damage that is caused by resonances of the bogie, as these are the effects that can be measured with acceleration sensors that are mounted on it. To do so, a single board computer is utilized in combination with custom made boards in order to monitor the acceleration in real-time and store the data onto a hard drive.

Subsequently, the device is tested at a test track and the data analysed for signs of rail damage.

Keywords: crack marks, sensor development, rail damage ...

 1st May 2018