Degree project for fewer derailed trains
At STC, a number of degree projects are written per year linked to our research projects. Read about Stefan Gustafsson, student at the Master of Science Programme in Electrical Engineering, and the work he did on measuring temperatures along railway rails.
Tell us a little about your thesis, what are you going to do?
My thesis is a small part of a larger project where you will implement an IoT (Internet of Things) system that will be able to measure temperatures on railways and warn if the temperature becomes too high on the rail tracks. My role in this project is to test and determine which of the temperature sensor is most suitable for effectively measuring the temperature along a train rail. The temperature sensors that I use and test are a thermal camera, contactless IR sensor and a “regular” temperature sensor that is located directly on the railway.
What is the purpose?
Most people who travel by train have at some point experienced that the trains have been cancelled or that the trains have had to travel at a lower speed than usual on a hot summer day. This can usually be due to the fact that the rails are too hot and expanding, it can then lead to a train dropping off the track. In other words, a derailment.
The purpose of this work is to compare and investigate three different methods for measuring the temperature of a rail rail in order to more effectively detect faults on the railway due to extreme weather conditions such as solar curves.
Why did you choose this specific project?
I thought it sounded interesting since I'm very interested in sensors. Then I felt that it was a project that could come in handy and simplify troubleshooting for those who maintain our railways in Sweden.