Real time on-board condition monitoring of train axle bearings

Abstract

Premature failure of rail axle bearings causes a significant increase in train operating costs and can impact train safety. A new on-board condition monitoring approach provided by Perpetuum Ltd is fitted on passenger trains to provide the operator with real-time information on bearing health. This new technology allows the detection of early bearing damage.<br/>This paper reports an initial study to understand the source of vibrations. The final aim of the project is to connect the increasing vibration data to the bearing surface damage, measured with surface profilometry