Towards Early Rail Crack Detection: Characterizing Stress Wave Behavior through Experimentation and FE Modeling

Abstract

This article was written as a part of project aimed at developing a measuring device for continuous monitoring and diagnostics of switch rails (also known as blades or tongues) , which are key components of switches, sometimes referred to as turnouts . This part of the railway is subjected to significant dynamic loads, which often lead to failures resulting in serious traffic accidents. Current monitoring methods, based on the detection of incipient cracks usi ng ultrasound , eddy currents , or visual inspection , are insufficient. This paper provides the first insight into the design of measuring equipment that uses the acoustic emission method to monitor processes within the material, predict the onset of crack formation, and prevent the occurrence of hazardous situations in a timely manner .