(c)AIT, Train position, speed and length can be monitored in real-time with FOAS seamlessly, over the whole length of the track, independently of GPS coverage limitations such as tunnels or deep valleys.
(c)AIT, Wheel defects such as flat spots can be detected with FOAS everywhere on the track, immediately when they happen, to avoid damage to the railway infrastructure and reduce cost.
The consortium is led by Thales Ground Transportation Systems Ltd. and includes several innovative companies from developers of fiber optic sensing equipment to experts in video analytics and IoT. The experts of the Center for Digital Safety & Security at AIT Austrian Institute of Technology are part of the consortium which is investigating the potential of Fiber Optic Acoustic Sensing (FOAS) for seamless monitoring of railway infrastructures. The project has been procured by the British infrastructure manager Network Rail.
Addressed are four operationally challenging use cases: train movement and position reporting, detection of rail and wheel defects, level crossing safety management and detection of trespass and people on the trackside. These goals are achieved through the use and combination of FOAS sensors in combination with cameras and IoT systems.
The FOAS-Technology
Fiber optic cables are not only for telecommunication. With this in mind, AIT developed fiberRAIL®, an innovative software solution that will sustainably improve the effectiveness and safety of future railway infrastructures. In connection with next-generation fiber optic acoustic sensing equipment the AIT software provides train position, speed and length in real-time, and detects safety threats at low investments as well as lowest operational costs. The commission is one of the first to bring together the new and disruptive FOAS sensing technology with other more established sensors to create added value for the railway sector. The projekt is financed by Network Rail in the UK and has received attention from the railway industry since it has been featured in the British magazine “Rail Engineer” from September/October 2021 (pages 52-55).
Martin Litzenberger, Thematic Coordinator „New Sensor Technologies“ and AIT project manager: "Distributed fiber optic sensing uses the backscatter of laser pulses that are injected into an optical fiber to sense very small mechanical vibrations in the proximity of the fiber. Thus, FOAS can detect any event with a sufficiently acoustic strength, such as moving trains, human footsteps, etc., in the vicinity of the sensing fiber." The AIT fiberRAIL® solution has also been promoted at several major events, among them the renowned Rail LIVE! exhibition in Madrid. Permanent pilot operations are now running in Austria and the United Kingdom.
About AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
AIT is Austria's largest research and technology organisation and a specialist in the key infrastructure issues of the future. With a strong focus on decarbonisation e.g. by the railway industry, AIT has developed the infrastructure-based sensor system fiberRAIL®. It uses the existing fiber-optic cable network and is an efficient and effective railway infrastructure monitoring solution to increase safety and reduce maintenance costs. More information: www.fiberrail.eu
Further Information:
- Railway Engineer Magazine (Issue Sept./Oct. 2021): https://www.railengineer.co.uk/rail-engineer-september-october-2021/
- Video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/5B6G3pPqOns
Contact:
Michael W. Mürling
Marketing and Communications
Center for Digital Safety & Security
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
T +43 (0)50550-4126
michael.muerling(at)ait.ac.at I www.ait.ac.at
Michael H. Hlava
Head of Corporate and Marketing Communications
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
T +43 (0)50550-4014