Exploration of Using FBG Sensor for Derailment Detector

One of the most important safety assessments for running trains on rail is to evaluate the chance of derailment, particularly for train wheels ridding in negotiating curve and track twist. The likelihood of derailment is very much depending on the conditions of track and the vehicle. The former refers to the deviation of the maintenance limits on the track geometries, while the latter refers to the conditions of the vehicle suspensions system together with their wheel profiles. Checking of both conditions will have to be done during off-traffic hours under pre-scheduled intervals, unless there are means for on-line in-service checking. This paper reports the use of optical sensors to detect the parameters for assessing the potential of derailment in railways. Key-Words : Fibre Bragg Grating, Nadal’s Limit, Derailment Risk Detection