Method and Apparatus for Detecting Misaligned Railroad Tracks

Abstract

A warning system for identifying a track misalignment. An RF generator and horn antenna direct energy onto a track rail that acts as a traveling wave antenna. An antenna near a potential discontinuity radiates RF energy, the amount of energy radiated being related to the amount of misalignment in the track. If radiated energy exceeds a certain threshold, a receiver energizes an alarm that announces a misalignment.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 11, 2001
Accession Number
ADD020015

Entities

Organizations

  • Naval Undersea Warfare Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Sensors

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Detection
  • Detectors
  • Discontinuities
  • Frequency
  • Generators
  • Horn Antennas
  • Inventions
  • Misalignment
  • Radio Frequency
  • Radio Frequency Generators
  • Railroad Tracks
  • Transmitters
  • Traveling Waves
  • United States
  • Warning Systems
  • Waveguides
  • Waves

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Electromagnetic Wave Scattering and Antenna Radiation Engineering
  • Radar Systems Engineering.
  • Tribology (the study of the boundary interaction between sliding surfaces, lubrication, wear and friction).

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy