ZigBee Sensor Network Platform for Health Monitoring of Rails Using Ambient Noise Correlation

WSNs (wireless sensor networks) can be used for railway infrastructure inspection and vehicle health monitoring. SHM (structural health monitoring) systems have a great potential to improve regular operation, security and maintenance routine of structures with estimating the state of its health and detecting the changes that affect its performance. This is vital for the development, upgrading, and expansion of railway networks. The work presented in this paper aims at the possible use of acoustic sensors coupled with ZigBee modules for health monitoring of rails. The detection principle is based on acoustic noise correlation techniques. Experiments have been performed in a rail sample to confirm the validity of acoustic noise correlation techniques in the rail. A wireless communication platform prototype based on the ZigBee/IEEE 802.15.4 technology has been implemented and deployed on a rail sample. Once the signals from the structure are collected, sensor data are transmitted through a ZigBee solution to the processing unit.

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