RESEARCH DESIGN AND STANDARDS ORGANIZATION (RDSO )

INDUSTRIAL TRAINING REPORT

Submitted in partial fulfilment of award of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY In ELECTRONIC & COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING ByBiswajeet Bose

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

"An engineer with theoretical knowledge is not a complete engineer to develop and apply engineering skill." I express my sincere thanks and GRATITUDE to Mrs. Ranjana Dhawan, Dy. Director Research/E.Lab. who has given privilege to undergo to this industrial training at R.D.S.O., Lucknow. I also want to give a lot of thanks to Er. Anand Prakash SSRE/E.Lab (Project Incharge) for their creative guidance & valuable suggestions while undergoing this training. The help & co-operation extend by the staff of Electronics Lab is fully acknowledgement words are not words are not enough to thanks for their help & guidance.

Submitted by Biswajeet Bose (B.Tech 3rd year,ECE.) BBDNIIT,Lko.

CONTENT

1. About RDSO..4 2. TMRS.11 3. Transducers..15 4. LVDT17 5. Accelerometer.19 6. OMS.20 7. Data Acquisition System.23 8. WILD28 9. Hot Axle and Hot Bar Detector..31 10. TBMS.33 11. Optical Fibre Cable35 12. Standards36

About R.D.S.O

INTRODUCTION
Railways were introduced in India in 1853 and as their development progressed through to the twentieth century, several company managed and state-owned railway systems grew up. To enforce standardization and coordination amongst various railway systems, the Indian Railway Conference Association (IRCA) was set up in 1903, followed by the Central Standards Office (CSO) in 1930, for preparation of designs, standards and specifications. However, till independence, most of the designs and manufacture of railway equipments was entrusted to foreign consultants. With Independence and the resultant phenomenal increase in countrys industrial and economic activity, which increased the demand of rail transportation - a new organization called Railway Testing and Research Centre (RTRC) was
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setup in 1952 at Lucknow, for testing and conducting applied development of railway rolling stock, permanent way etc.

research for

Central Standards Office (CSO) and the Railway Testing and Research Centre (RTRC) were integrated into a single unit named Research Designs and Standards Organization (RDSO) in 1957, under Ministry of Railways at Lucknow.

ORGANISATION
RDSO is headed by a Director General. The Director General is assisted by Additional Director General, Sr. Executive Directors and Executive Directors, heading different directorates. RDSO has various directorates for smooth functioning:

Bridges & Structures Carriage Defence Research Electrical Loco EMU & Power Supply Engine Development Finance & Accounts Geo-technical Engineering Quality Assurance Metallurgical & Chemical Motive Power

Psycho-technical Research Signal Telecommunication Track Testing Track Machines & Monitoring Traction Installation Traffic Wagon

All the directorates of RDSO except Defence Research are located at Lucknow. Cells for Railway Production Units and industries, which look after liaison, inspection and development work, are located at Bangalore,
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Bharatpur, Bhopal, Mumbai, Burnpur, Kolkata, Chittaranjan, Kapurthala, Jhansi, Chennai, Sahibabad, Bhilai and New Delhi.

QUALITY POLICY
To develop safe, modern and cost effective Railway technology complying with Statutory and Regulatory requirements, through excellence in Research, Designs and Standards and Continual improvements in Quality Management System to cater to growing demand of passenger and freight traffic on the railways.

FUNCTIONS
RDSO is the sole R&D organization of Indian Railways and functions as the technical advisor to Railway Board , Zonal Railways and Production Units and performs the following important functions :

Development of new and improved designs. Development, adoption, absorption of new technology for use on Indian Railways. Development of standards for materials and products specially needed by Indian Railways. Technical investigation, statutory clearances, testing and providing consultancy services. Inspection of critical and safety items of rolling stock, locomotives, signaling & telecommunication equipment and track components.

RDSOs multifarious activities have also attracted attention of railway and non-railway organizations in India and abroad

GOVERNING COUNCIL
Governing Council comprises of Chairman, Railway Board as Chairman; and Financial Commissioner, Member Engineering, RDSO as Member Mechanical, its members. The Member Staff, Member Electrical, Member Traffic, Addl. Member (Plg)/ Railway Board and Director General, functions of Governing Council are: To identify and approve the R&D projects for technology development on Indian Railways. To review the progress of projects. To determine the quantum of direct investment in technology development within the overall allocation of funds under the plan head 'Railway Research'. To give direction for improving the working of RDSO.

CENTRAL BOARD OF RAILWAY RESEARCH

Central Board of Railway Research (CBRR) consist of DG/RDSO as Chairman, Addl. Member (Civil Engg.), Addl. Member (Mechanical Engg), Addl. Member (Elect.), Addl. Member (Sig), Addl. Member (traffic), Advisor(Finance), Executive Director (E&R), Executive Director (Plg.)/Railway Board as members and Addl. Director General/RDSO as member secretary. Non- Railways members of CBRR consist of eminent
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scientists, technologists, engineers and senior executives of other research organisations, academic institutions and industrial units related to railway technology and materials. Functions of CBRR are: To consider and recommend the program of research on Indian Railways. To review the research program from time to time. To ensure coordination and assistance from other research laboratories. To review the ongoing projects from the technical angle.

INFRASTRUCTURE
RDSO has a number of laboratories which are well equipped with research and testing facilities for development, testing and design evaluation of various railway related equipments and materials. Some of these are: Air Brake Laboratory is equipped with facilities for simulating operation of air brakes on freight trains up to 192 wagons and 3 locomotives as also for simulation of passenger trains up to 30 coaches. Brake Dynamometer Laboratory has facilities to develop and test brake friction materials for locomotives, coaches and wagons. A unique facility in India, this laboratory has also been used by R&D organizations of Ministry of Defence like DMRL, DRDL and HAL for indigenization of brake pads for defence aircraft. B&S Laboratory has a 6mx14m heavy/testing floor on which full scale models of beam (spans up to 10 m, slabs, columns, towers, shells and other components made of concrete, steel, brick etc can be tested under static, dynamic or pulsating loads. A high frequency ranging 250-700 cycles/min pulsator for the application of a pulsating loads varying from 2 to 20 tonnes and a maximum static load of 40 tonnes on heavy duty testing floor. The Laboratory is equipped with analogue strain indicator, multi channel dynamic
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strain recording system, switching & balancing units, acoustic emission equipment, data acquisition system etc. for recording various parameters. Diesel Engine Development Laboratory has four test beds capable of testing diesel engines from 100 to 6000 HP with fully computerized systems for recording of over 128 test parameters at a time. This facility has already enabled RDSO to develop technologies for improving fuel efficiency, reliability and availability of diesel engines as well as to extract higher output from existing diesel engines. Fatigue Testing Laboratory for testing prototype locomotive and rolling stock bogies, springs and other railway equipments subjected to stress and fatigue so as to ascertain their expected life in service. Geo-technical Engineering Laboratory is equipped with facilities for determining strength parameters of soil in lab and field condition. The Stateof-art Sub-surface Interface Radar (SIR) system, Laser based soil particle analyzer, and computerized consolidation test apparatus have been installed in the lab. The lab also has computerized Static Triaxial Shear apparatus for determining the strength of soil as well as the design of embankment. Metallurgical & Chemical Laboratory is capable of destructive and nondestructive testing of metals, polymers, composites, petroleum products and paints for providing information to be used in design and also for monitoring performance of materials in service.

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The M&C laboratory include Scanning Electron Microscope, Direct reading spectrometer, Ultrasonic Flaw Detector and other non destructive examination equipment, polymer and composite evaluation facilities, thermal analyzer, corrosion engineering evaluation facilities including weather meter, static 760 hour AR test rig for grease testing. V2F dynamic test rig for grease testing, lube oil filter evaluation rig Cetane rating machine & 50t machine for rubber deflection characteristics. Psycho-Technical Laboratory for assessment of critical psycho-physical attributes of operational staff such as drivers, switchmen and station masters for efficient operation. The ergonomic laboratory of psycho-technical Dte is also equipped with bio-feedback system for assessment of EMG, GSR (Galvanic Skin Resistance) temperature, pulse and respiration rate & is used for stress management exercises. Signal Testing Laboratory for testing of all types of signaling equipments such as safety signaling relays, block instruments, power supply equipments, point machines, signaling cables, electro-mechanical signaling equipments/ components etc. There is an exclusive environmental testing section ISO:9000. These equipped with environmental testing facilities as per

include, programmable heat, humidity & cold chambers, mould growth, dust, rain chambers. Signaling Equipment Development Centre has been set up in the Signaling Lab. In this Centre, working signaling equipment & systems have been set up. The working systems include SSI, universal axle counter, VLSI axle counter, AFTCs, block instruments etc. In addition, equipment developed by RDSO, such as signaling relays, poly-carbonate lenses, LED
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signal lamps, triple pole double filament lamps, power supply equipment etc., have also been displayed. This centre will be used for testing minor improvements in designs of SSI, axle counters etc., as well as for imparting training to newly inducted Inspectors. Track Laboratory for testing full scale track panel under dynamic load patterns similar to those encountered in service. Stresses at the various locations of track components under simulated load conditions are measured and recorded for analysis. This has helped in rationalizing and optimizing design of track structures for Indian conditions. The facility of fatigue testing of welded rail joints is also available. In connection with joint research project of UIC on rail defect management, RDSO has been entrusted with lab testing of rail samples from various world railways under simulated loading conditions. Special rail tensioning system for application of longitudinal forces on rail samples to simulate the thermal forces of the field has indigenously been developed, installed and commissioned in track lab. This system, with capacity of up to 150 tonnes in static condition, is being used to conduct testing of different rail samples. Mobile Test Facilities for recording of track parameters, locomotive power and conducting oscillograph trials for evaluating vehicle-track interaction as also for monitoring track conditions. For condition monitoring of OHE under live line and to facilitate directed maintenance of electrification, a Network of testing and recording apparatus
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(NETRA) car, first of its kind , developed by RDSO is actively in service for scanning OHE in Railway. Vehicle Characterization Laboratory for conducting vehicle characterization tests on railway vehicles to study the behavior of suspension systems and to determine natural frequencies. Centre for Advanced Maintenance Technology at Gwalior for upgrading maintenance technologies, and methodologies. Also to achieve improvements in productivity and performance of all railway assets and manpower. This covers reliability, availability, utilization and efficiency.

LIBRARY
Considerable efforts and resources were devoted on the development of an outstanding Library collection to meet the expanding needs of Research and Development. The Library has more than 1.70 lakh volumes which includes books, reports, specifications, and translations on Science, Engineering, Technology, Management and Railways. About 100 technical journals and magazines both Indian and foreign origin are received in the Library regularly.

QUALITY OBJECTIVES
Safety: Development of crashworthy design of coaches for enhanced safety of passengers. Development of 1,25,000 km of track to be recorded by TRCs in the year 2005-06 for providing basic feed back for maintenance of Track on Indian Railways. Development of anti-vandal PSC sleeper & Elastic Rail
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clip so as to delay the removal time of rail from the track by one hour. Development of High Speed Self Propelled Accident Relief Train for faster travel to accident site. Design and development of indigenous Electronic interlocking system using 2 out of 3 architecture with object controller. Fireretardant coaches. Development of computerized psychological test package for railways. Provision of Train Actuated Warning Device (TAWD). To develop Earth Quake codes and rehabilitation guidelines.

Traffic growth: Development of 3-phase high staring torque traction motor for WAG-9/WAP-7 locomotives. Design of BCNH wagon with shorter length as compared to BCNA for increasing rake throughput for covered wagons. Environment: Use of eco-friendly refrigerant on under-slung AC coaches. Commissioning of dedicated Exhaust Emission measurement facility on the test beds as per International standards. Modification in Toilet Discharge System in Coaches to prevent rail corrosion. Cost Cutting: Design of cost-effective Aluminum wagon-BOBRAL Reduction of maintenance time of Oscillograph recorders and Signal conditioners by 2%. Export/import substitution: Indigenization of electrics of GM EMD locomotives. Development of Indigenous technology for Digital axle counter.

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Asset Reliability: Reduction in average repair time of Oscillation Monitoring System (OMS) by 5% with respect to previous year. Quality Audit of Railway Workshops and other Units as per the schedule given by Railway Board. Radial and Self-Steering Bogie. To develop continuous health monitoring system using optical fiber technology for bridges. Passenger comfort/ Faster travel: Development of Microprocessor control for better working of air conditioning system of AC coaches. Development of air spring for existing bogies. Tight Lock CBC couplers with Anti-Climbing features in coaches. Improved High Speed Turnouts. Infrastructure development: Commissioning of two Nos. high-speed self propelled Ultrasonic Rail testing cars and Brake Dynamometer for Brake Dynamometer Laboratory. Construction of dedicated test track for RDSO.

Energy efficiency: Development of energy efficient dual voltage 3-phase EMU in Mumbai Area (a) BHEL project (b) GP 194 project.

Quality management system improvement: To Issue Final Inspection Certificate within 7 working days of inspection of products. Reduction in customer complaints closure time by 10%.

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Technology Mission on Railway Safety (TMRS)

Introduction
Railways have been the engine of economic and technical growth and development in India. Railway Safety is not merely an area of national concern but also poses challenges to the engineering and research community of the country. A Technology Mission has been launched to focus national attention and drive modern technologies of monitoring, control, communications, design, electronics and materials for Railway Safety. The earlier national programs on space and defense research have not merely achieved goals specific to the missions, but have also provided impetus to technology endeavors in institutions all across the country. A Technology Mission on Railways will similarly help to initiate and incubate design and development projects of significant national importance. Technology issues on Railway safety and economy relate to multitude of engineering disciplines. The mission will help to pool relevant engineering knowledge, expertise and resources available in various research organizations and academic institutions in order to address these issues in an efficient manner.

Mission Goals

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To develop and adopt state-of- the-art safety and control technologies defined by needs related to Indian conditions; to implement projects aimed at achieving higher throughput, lower cost of transmission and safer train movement. To encourage and initiate R & D activities pertinent to Indian Railways in academic institutions and laboratories and establish convergence and synergy among them.

To evolve and establish the academia-research institution-industry consortium approach as a viable and vibrant mission mode of research and development.

To disseminate technologies through participatory approach to other application areas

Mission Approach
IIT Kanpur and RDSO Lucknow are the major collaborators in the mission. A trident consortium comprising of

Academic and Research institutions Railway Organizations Industry

has been formed for effective definition and implementation of projects. The constituents of the consortium collaborate to bring expertise and share responsibilities. RDSO provides domain knowledge and experience to articulate problems and conceptualize projects. Academic institutions like
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IITs and CSIR laboratories contribute towards problem analysis, design synthesis and prototype development; the industry is providing inputs relevant for adoption of technology and its commercialization.

Projects under TMRS scheme : 1. Track Side Bogie Monitoring System

The objectives of this project include a) Development of an automated system to be installed along the track for detecting faults in bogies of rolling stock (on-line monitoring of the condition of bogies). b)Measurement of lateral and vertical rail forces. c) Automatic vehicle identification using RFIDs. d)Development of instrumentation for detection of components of the rolling stock which may cause derailment.

2. Derailment Detection Devices

This project envisages development of On-Board equipment for sensing derailment possibilities of rolling stock. Development includes
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appropriate instrumentation and signal processing strategy and its integration with the existing brake mechanism for minimizing losses due to dragging of derailed vehicle. Presently there is no instrumentation possibilities. on Indian Railways for detecting derailment

The process of derailment is characterized by heavy misalignment of the axle along with large oscillations and jerks. Vehicle dynamics software packages are being employed to carry out simulation of vehicles running on new or worn wheels. MEMS sensors for detecting vertical, horizontal accelerations and tilting have been identified and test runs are being conducted on Northern Railways. Recorded data is to be employed to arrive at a suitable criteria for derailment detection.

3. Sensors for Detecting Hotboxes and Hot Wheels

Most derailments can be traced to either the failure of wheel bearings or brake binding. Both conditions lead to overheating followed by seizure which in turn can cause wheel flats, track damage and derailment. Hot Axle and Box Detection (HABD) systems are used globally for the purpose. These rely on remote measurement of temperatures of the bearing boxes and the wheels. These systems have to be capable of measuring the temperatures very fast (at 200 kmph the measurement of a minimum of 10 points has to be made within 0.004 second). Any
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system to be used in India has to be designed to cope with climatic extremes.

4. On Board Diagnostics

The objective of the project is to develop an On-board Diagnostics for Diesel and Electric locomotives through a network based real time control system. The exercise includes development of appropriate instrumentation and signal processing strategy for various equipments which form part of the transmission and also for other auxiliary machines on board the locomotives. It will enable real time monitoring of vital locomotive equipments like prime mover, rotating machines, traction motor suspension bearings, axle bearings, radiator drive, air compressor, transformer, tap changer, pantograph, etc on electric/diesel locomotives. The system will also have self-diagnostic features.

The diagnostic system will include on-line data acquisition and display over multiple channels simultaneously, Frequency analysis and Realtime FFT display, On-line trending analysis, On-screen trend display, Data storage with date-time information, Safe and tolerable limits for all channels, Automatic visual and audio alarm in case of limit crossing. The system also includes algorithmic diagnosis and communication through mobile network from the locomotive to central control unit.
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5. Environment Friendly Railway Coach Toilet System

The Indian Railway runs several long distance trains involving journeys up to three nights. The existing coach toilet system consists of a lavatory in which the excreta are discharged directly to the ground through the lavatory chute. However, the present system has some major concerns due to discharge of fecal matter on the track. These concerns include: damage to the rails, unacceptable aesthetic and hygienic/sanitary conditions, particularly on the railway stations, and non compliance to the environment regulations/standards/practices. An exercise is being carried out in this mission to conceptualize, design, and indigenously develop a working/ready to install environment-friendly coach toilet system for Indian Railways' passenger trains. The toilet system will have the following attributes:

Convenient to a variety of users, robust, and minimum operation and maintenance complications. Prevent damage to the railway track and coaches. Maintain hygienic/sanitary conditions Compliance with global environmental regulations/standard/ practices.

6. Corrosion Prevention of Rails

Corrosion problem of rails concerns:

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rail foot corrosion under the glass filled nylon/mild steel liner due to accumulation of corrosive environment under the liners. jamming of the elastic rail clip (ERC) in the insert corrosion of the weld region

The gradual thinning of rail foot leads to frequent rail replacements and is a safety issue. Corrosion of the ERC in the insert leads to jamming of ERC, resulting in loss of toe load. Another aim of the project is the development of new corrosion resistant rail steel alloy chemistry to minimize corrosion of rails under liner locations. This is being done in collaboration with SAIL, the industry partner in the project. New corrosion resistant rail steels will be identified based on laboratory experiments of trial compositions. Trial rails will be manufactured and subjected to field studies. Based on these results, the corrosion resistant rails can be adopted by Indian Railways.

7. Fog Vision Instrumentation

The project envisages development of instrumentation for improving the visibility during foggy weather, night and bad weather conditions by developing a Fog vision system. Train movement gets severely hampered during foggy climatic conditions. The weather conditions consistently worsen with fog getting more opaque and such weather conditions extends for months. Instrumentation technology needs to be developed to enable the train driver to see through the fog for uninterrupted and safe train operation. After examining several options such as Radar (mm-wave), Radiometer (mm-wave), Radiometer (infrared), Sonar(ultrasonic), etc, it
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has been concluded that laser based viewing systems will be most suited for the Fog Vision Application. Information like position of obstacles on the track ahead should be made available on the graphical console display. The distance covered should be at least equal to the normal distance visible due to the driver under normal night conditions. Optical visibility may become nearly zero in severe fog conditions. Hence, sensors with fog penetration capability should be developed and data from them processed to give an enhanced image of the track ahead on a console. There may be requirement for developing multiple types of sensors to cater to different scenarios. In such cases, data from multiple sensors should be used intelligently to give a single display on the console. Active Infrared stereo vision using gating will enable the enhancement of infrared viewing under heavy attenuation in foggy conditions.

8. Satellite Imaging for Rail Navigation (SIMRAN)

The objective of this project is to (i) Develop an effective way to collect and disseminate information dynamically of every train in a given geographical boundary for its location, speed and direction of movement. (ii) Ensure better and selective dissemination of information to passengers. Train tracking system using Global Positioning System (GPS) is being developed. Each train will have a train locator unit to receive information from GPS satellites and continuously identify the position
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of the train with information about its location (latitude and longitude values). GSM is to be used for connectivity and wherever needed as an alternate location identifier. The data logger can also be used to provide services for a central train enquiry system, anti- collision device, train charting etc.

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Role of Transducer in Electronics Lab

Transducer has a very important role in any Electronics lab. In brief Transducer is a heart of any Electronic system. An Electronics Instrumentation System consists of a number of components which together are used to perform a measurement and record the result. An Instrumentation System consists of three major elements. 1) Input device. 2) Signal Conditioning or processing device. 3) Output device. The kind of system depends on what is to be measured and how the measurement result is to be presented.

Input Device
The input quantity for most instrumentation system is non electrical. In order to use electrical methods and techniques for Measurement manipulation or control, the non-electrical quantity is converted in to an electrical signal by a device called Transducer. One definition states a Transducer is a device which, when actuated by energy in one transmission system, supplies energy in the same form or in other form to a second transmission system. This energy transmission may be Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Optical or Thermal. For example device that convert mechanical force or displacement
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into an electrical signal. Many other physical parameters such as heat, light, humidity may also be converted into electrical signals by means of transducers.

TYPE OF TRANSDUCERS
1) 2) Electrical Mechanical

In an Electronics Instrumentation System only Electrical Transducer are used.

BASIC TRANSDUCERS:
i) ii)

REQUIREMENT

OF

ELECTRICAL

Ruggedness : Ability to Withstand overload Linearity : Ability to reproduce input-output characteristics

symmetrically and linearly . iii) Repeatability : Ability to reproduce an output signal exactly, when same measured is applied repeatedly at least 3 times under same environmental conditions. iv) Stability and Reliability : High , for minimum error in measurement, unaffected by Temperature, vibration, and other environmental conditions.
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v)

Good Dynamics Response : Output is faithful to the input when taken as a function of Time .

vi)

Excellent Mechanical Characteristics

vii) Convenient Instrumentation

SELECTING A TRANSDUCER
In a measurement system the transducer is the input element with the critical function of transforming some physical quantity to a proportional electrical signal. Selection of the appropriate transducers therefore the first and perhaps most important step in obtaining accurate result. A number of elementary questions should be asked before a transducer can be selected. 1) What is the physical quantity to be measured? 2) Which Transducer principle can be used to measure the quantity? 3) What accuracy is required for this measurement? First question can be ensured by determining the type & range of measurement. Answer to the Second question requires the I/O characteristic of the transducer be compatible with the recording system

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CLASSIFICATION
Transducer may be classified according to their application method of energy conversion, nature of the output signal and so on .Mainly electrical transducers classified in two categories. 1) ACTIVE TRANSDUCER 2) PASSIVE TRANSDUCER

ACTIVE TRANSDUCER
The active transducers are self generating type, producing analog voltage or current when simulated by some physical form of energy. Active transducer does not require external power supply. Such transducer can convert a physical quantity in to an electrical quantity Examples:- Thermocouple, Moving coil generator, peizo electric (sound vibration, acceleration etc) , Photocell . pickup

PASSIVE TRANSDUCER
Passive transducer require external power supply . Such Passive transducer produce a variation in some electric parameter such as resistance ,capacitance inductance ,etc which can be measured as voltage or current variation Examples:- Strain gauges ,LVDT ,String Pot .etc

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Linear Variable Differential Transformer (LVDT)

What Is An LVDT?
The letters LVDT are an acronym for Linear Variable Differential Transformer, a common type of electromechanical transducer that can convert the rectilinear motion of an object to which it is coupled mechanically into a corresponding electrical signal. LVDT linear position sensors are readily available that can measure movements as small as a few millionths of an inch up to several inches, but are also capable of measuring positions up to 20 inches (0.5 m). Figure 1 shows the components of a typical LVDT. The transformer's internal structure consists of a primary winding centred between a pair of identically wound secondary windings, symmetrically spaced about the primary. The coils are wound on a one-piece hollow form of thermally stable glass reinforced polymer, encapsulated against moisture, wrapped in a high permeability magnetic shield, and then secured in cylindrical stainless steel housing. This coil assembly is usually the stationary element of the position sensor. The moving element of an LVDT is a separate tubular armature of magnetically permeable material called the core, which is free to move axially within the coil's hollow bore, and mechanically coupled to the object whose position is being measured. This bore is typically large enough to provide substantial radial clearance between the core and bore, with no physical contact between it and the coil. In operation, the LVDT's primary
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winding is energized by alternating current of appropriate amplitude and frequency, known as the primary excitation. The LVDT's electrical output signal is the differential AC voltage between the two secondary windings, which varies with the axial position of the core within the LVDT coil. Usually this AC output voltage is converted by suitable electronic circuitry to high level DC voltage or current that is more convenient to use.

Advantages of LVDT

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LVDTs have certain significant features and benefits, most of which derive from its fundamental physical principles of operation or from the materials and techniques used in its construction.

Friction-Free Operation
One of the most important features of an LVDT is its friction-free operation. In normal use, there is no mechanical contact between the LVDT's core and coil assembly, so there is no rubbing, dragging or other source of friction. This feature is particularly useful in materials testing, vibration displacement measurements, and high resolution dimensional gagging systems.

Infinite Resolution
Since an LVDT operates on electromagnetic coupling principles in a friction-free structure, it can measure infinitesimally small changes in core position. This infinite resolution capability is limited only by the noise in an LVDT signal conditioner and the output display's resolution. These same factors also give an LVDT its outstanding repeatability.

Unlimited Mechanical Life

Because there is normally no contact between the LVDT's core and coil structure, no parts can rub together or wear out. This means that an LVDT features unlimited mechanical life. This factor is especially important in high reliability applications such as aircraft, satellites and space vehicles, and
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nuclear installations. It is also highly desirable in many industrial process control and factory automation systems.

ACCELEROMETER
An accelerometer measures proper acceleration, which is the acceleration it experiences relative to freefall and is the acceleration felt by people and objects. Put another way, at any point in space time the equivalence principle guarantees the existence of a local inertial frame, and an accelerometer measures the acceleration relative to that frame. Such accelerations are popularly measured in terms of g-force. An accelerometer at rest relative to the Earth's surface will indicate approximately 1 g upwards, because any point on the Earth's surface is accelerating upwards relative to the local inertial frame (the frame of a freely falling object near the surface). To obtain the acceleration due to motion with respect to the Earth, this "gravity offset" must be subtracted. Conceptually, an accelerometer behaves as a damped mass on a spring. When the accelerometer experiences an acceleration, the mass is displaced to the point that the spring is able to accelerate the mass at the same rate as the casing. The displacement is then measured to give the acceleration .

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Internal Structure of an Accelerometer

Seismic type accelerometers has mass on the spring mounted in a case. Strain gage are the sensing elements which gives the electrical output proportional to the motion between mass and case. This transducer measures the acceleration of the moving body over which it is placed. The resistance type strain gages are fixed on cantilever strip. Due to acceleration, stresses are produced in the strip on which gages are cemented. The change in resistance occurs due to change of stresses. Finally the signal in the output of the Wheat Stone Bridge appears at output terminals. This output signal is calibrated in terms of acceleration. Stiffness of strip k=w/d=mg/d d=mg/k d=g (since m and k are constant) where d=deflection in the mass k= Stiffness of strip w=weight of the suspended Hence the acceleration is directly proportional to the deflection. Due to this deflection strains are produced in the strips in which gages are mounted.
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Strain produced in the strip is transferred to the strain gages hence there is change in resistance of the strain gages.

OSCILLATION MONITORING SYSTEM (OMS)

The objective of track maintenance is to provide a safe and comfortable riding to the passengers. The acceleration experienced by the passengers while travelling in vehicles a direct measure of the riding comfort. Acceleration is experienced in all directions by the vehicle but can be resolved into three main directions viz longitudinal, lateral and vertical. Here level of acceleration is normally low in longitudinal direction. However in the vertical and lateral direction it is comparatively higher. Such acceleration is experienced due to riding characteristics of the vehicle as well as due to the irregularities in the track. As such other parameters remaining the same, the vertical and lateral accelerations experienced are directly related to track irregularities. Based on the experimental studies a system was developed to find out the irregularities of a track. This system was known as Oscillation Monitoring System (OMS-2000). This portable OMS2000 is a microprocessor-based system for track monitoring by measurement of the following parameters:
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1. Speed 2. Vertical and lateral accelerations on loco/coach floor. 3. Sperling Ride Index. The above three parameters are monitored in real time and results are produced in the form of a print out on a alpha numeric printer. Whenever any of the above parameters exceeds a preset limit, an exception report is printed out. Besides this, the data collected during the run is stored in a batterybacked ram and may be transferred to a personal computer with the help of software. The speed of the train is measured by using a tachometer which driven by a flexible shaft connected to the wheel. Tachometer generates pulses, which are fed to OMS 2000. The gear ratio of the driving arrangement of the tachometer and the external tacho slotted plate (normally 6 slots) should be such that one pulse is generated every 0.34 meters. The Vertical and lateral acceleration levels on the coach floor are monitored using two accelerometers mounted in a transducer assembly There is a built in instrumentation amplifier to condition the raw signals coming from the accelerometers. The same acceleration signals are used to detect large acceleration peaks. And for calculating Ride Index. The Ride Index is calculated according to Sperling formulae implemented as per R D S O Lucknow method. The reports generated by OMS 2000 can be used for directing the track maintenance efforts to the exact spots where high dynamic activity has been noticed.
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SALIENT FEATURES
1) Portable. Total weight less than 18 Kgs including battery and transducer assembly. 2) Battery operated. Rechargeable battery is supplied along with a charger. On a fully charged battery the system can operate continuously for more than 12 hours. The system can be operated on 110 V DC, which is available in coaches. The system is supplied with a Multi Input Power Supply Cum Battery (MIPS) .The input to this MIPS is 110V AC/DC&220V AC, the output is 12V DC. 3) Built in instrumentation amplifier for transducer. No messy connections to be made during the run. 4) Built in battery backed Real time clock, prints date and time at the start of each run to ease record keeping. 5) In case a tachometer is connected, KM and distance in meters from the last KM post is printed on the printout .In case tachometer is not connected ,KM telegraph post number from the last Km post and time of occurrence of each peak (in seconds up to 2 decimal places) is printed out for easily locating bad stretch of track. From the time of successive peaks it is also possible to calculate the frequency of oscillations built up in the coach. 6) Facility to print ground features (Points and crossings, Bridges and level crossing) on the print out. 7) Accurate results. Sperling Ride Index formula implemented exactly. 8) Complete report is generated during the run itself. No tedious calculations to be done later on. Facility for printing AEN /PWI wise summary reports at the end of the run using the data stored in the battery backed ram.
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9) Stores data during the run in battery backed CMOS RAM, which can be transferred to a computer at the end of the run for analysis with the help of software. 10) Simple operation. Can be operated by semi skilled staff also.

11)

Rugged, does not require air conditioning.

SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF THE SYSTEM

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Schematic Block Diagram of Micro-Controller based Oscillation monitoring System (OMS)

Key Board LCD Display

12 V DC Ext. socket

Port for 24 column Alpha Numeric printer

SMPS based MIPS

Input 90-260 VAC/DC

DC-DC Converter Card System Cabinet

RS-232 Serial port

Signal Conditioner & Auto CAL Card Mother Board

Accelerometer Sub-assemblies 12 V Ni-Mh Battery

CPU & Memory Card

Solid state Memory Module 1 MB

Tacho Control Unit

Event Marker /TP Switch

Socket for charging

Tachometer Sensing unit

Data Acquisition System

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Data acquisition (abbreviated DAQ) is the process of sampling of real world physical conditions and conversion of the resulting samples into digital numeric values that can be manipulated by a computer. Data acquisition and data acquisition systems (abbreviated with the acronym DAS) typically involves the conversion of analog waveforms into digital values for processing. The components of data acquisition systems include:

Sensors that convert physical parameters to electrical signals. Signal conditioning circuitry to convert sensor signals into a form that can be converted to digital values.

Analog-to-digital converters, which convert conditioned sensor signals to digital values.

Data acquisition applications are controlled by software programs developed using various general purpose programming languages such as BASIC, C, Fortran, Java, Lisp, Pascal. DAQ hardware is what usually interfaces between the signal and a PC. It could be in the form of modules that can be connected to the computer's ports (parallel, serial, USB, etc.) or cards connected to slots (S-100 bus, AppleBus, ISA etc.) in the mother board. Usually the space on the back of a PCI card is too small for all the connections needed, so an external breakout box is required. The cable between this box and the PC can be expensive due to the many wires, and the required shielding. DAQ cards often contain multiple components (multiplexer, ADC, DAC, TTL-IO, high speed timers, RAM). These are accessible via a bus by a microcontroller, which can run small programs. A controller is more flexible
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than a hard wired logic, yet cheaper than a CPU so that it is alright to block it with simple polling loops. For example: Waiting for a trigger, starting the ADC, looking up the time, waiting for the ADC to finish, move value to RAM, switch multiplexer, get TTL input, let DAC proceed with voltage ramp. Many times reconfigurable logic is used to achieve high speed for specific tasks and Digital signal processors are used after the data has been acquired to obtain some results. The fixed connection with the PC allows for comfortable compilation and debugging. Using an external housing a modular design with slots in a bus can grow with the needs of the user. The factors that decide the hardware configuration of DAQ systems are Transducer to be used in system Transmission path of signals Signal conditioning requirements Number of channels to be monitored MODE ( Single or Differential ) ended Range Resolution and accuracy Noise Environmental conditions Cost Sampling rate per channel
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STEP 2 Identification of signal conditioner

Analog input channels Number of elements I/p signal range Max working voltage Over voltage protection Accuracy Offset error Gain error Input impedance Input bias current Input offset current CMMR Bandwidth Settling time System noise Stability
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 Warm uptime Offset temp. coefficient

Output characteristics Number of channels Resolution Relative accuracy Offset error Gain error Range(O/P) Output coupling Output impedance Settling time Temp coefficient Digital O/P Digital logic level Physical dimensions I/O connectors Operating temp
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 Relative humidity The signal conditioner have to amplify, isolate and filter the signal and to provide excitation for sensors.

STEP 3- Selection of appropriate DAQ Device

The criteria such as accuracy, acquisition rates, no. of channels, flexibility, reliability, expandibility, and computer platform are used to determine the best DAQ I/O device. Bus plug & play

Instrumentation features- counter/timer, high speed settling time, multi function synchronization

Analog inputs Input channels Max sampling rate Resolution Range Gain
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 Analog output Output channels Resolution

Digital I/O Digital I/O channels Counters/timers

Triggers Analog trigger Digital trigger

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Block Diagram of DAS

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Wheel Load Impact Detection (WILD)

The Objective:
To protect Rail Infrastructure, avoid derailments & Accidents.

Detection of Defective Wheels.

WILD Concept:
When the wheel is perfectly round, it applies a uniform load on the rail. When a wheel is having flat place/Out of roundness/Defect in suspension system/Miss-alignment of bogies / Skewnes in the car body etc., or combination of any/all of these will give a huge impact load on the rail whenever the defect portion hits the rail. Wheel Impact Load Detector is used to catch the defects in the early stage and thereby protecting Rail infrastructure, avoid derailment and accidents.

What WILD Consists?

Instrumented Tracks Signal conditioning unit Real time Embedded controller Impact Load Analyzer Software Wireless data transfer Power back up
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AT SITE
Control & Switching Circuits Backup Device GSM Modem Real Time Controller Signal Conditioning Modules EB Power/ Primary Power Solar Power/ Secondary Power Instrumented Track Exit Trigger Sensor 6 Channels (R1~R6) 6 Channels (R7~R12)

6 Channels (L1~L6)

6 Channels (L7~L12)

Instrumented Track:
Tracks are wired with strain gauges to measure the load pattern of the wheel on the rail The track consists of 12 sleepers strain-measuring zones. Each zone has a full bridge consisting of 4 Rosette type strain gauges. The rail length of 12 sleepers is arrived to capture two full rotation of the wheel on rail.

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Instrumented Track Concept Diagram:

Instrumented Track Pictures

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Strain gauge Mounting:

350 Ohm strain gauge 8 strain gauges electrically connected to give a full bridge configuration Each arm of the bridge consists of two gauges The individual arms & gauges wired in a way to add up the radial load and to negate the axial load on the rail.

System capabilities:
1. Counts number of axels from various measurement channels 2. Measures Average Dynamic Wheel Load for all wheels 3. Determines Maximum Dynamic Wheel Load (WA) for all points of contact 4. Calculates Impact Load Factor (ILF) for all wheels 5. Calculates speed of each axel and the average speed of train 6. Identifies and counts defective wheels as per specified ILF and WA thresholds and rates them according to the severity of defect 7. Has solar panel providing a power backup 8. Identifies and count number of Engines, Coaches / Wagons and Brake Vans. 9. Relates each axle with engine or coach / wagon or brake van. Also its position in the identified rolling stock. 10. 11. Operates 24x7 without any human assistance. Transmits run reports to desired locations in specified HTML format

over wireless.
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12.

Can operate from a low speed of 30Km/hr

Automation Features:
1. Automatic Diagnosis of faulty channels and switching them off to avoid erroneous data at every start 2. Automatic self nulling and shunt calibration at every start 3. Automatic start of Data Acquisition (DAQ) on the arrival of train in response to the start trigger switch 4. Automatic stop of DAQ after the passage of train by intelligently identifying the event
5.

Uploads analyzed data to remote server

Software Flow:
Starts acquisition once train trigger is received Logs all the data in to file for analysis Stops acquisition and logging after the train crosses the instrumented track Calls an analysis program that loads each channel data and furnishes processed data HTML report is produced and is transmitted to remote server.

Server stores the report and publishes in the website.

A WILD System is successfully running at Arakkonam.

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Hot Axle and Hot Bar Detector

Hot box occurs when inadequate wheel bearing lubrication or mechanical flaws cause an increase in temperature. If undetected, the bearing temperature can continue to rise until there is a bearing burn-off which can cause journal breakage resulting in derailment. Another problem is brake binding, due to which the temperature of wheel tread rises. This can lead to skidded wheels, metal deposition on wheel tread causing wheel irregularity and other safety problems. Also, a wheel with temperature lower than the average is a case of ineffective brakes. A detection system is therefore required to be developed to sense abnormal temperatures of axle boxes and wheels on a running train and communicate with central control for corrective action. Hot box hot wheel detector system detects Axle boxes running hot due to bearing failure and wheels having abnormally high temperatures due to brakebinding. It can also detect vehicles with ineffective brakes by detecting cold wheels. The system uses infra-red sensors having fast response time and can reliably measure temperatures of axle boxes & wheels of a train travelling upto 200kmph.

Basic Plan of Action

Target: Train speeds up to 200kph First Developed Pyrometers Based System for lower speed up to 80/90 Kmph (response time =1.5ms)
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 Developed systems for wheel / box using pyrometers Secondly Developed MCT based sensing system & which replace pyrometers by MCT(response time 2-3 s)

Hot Box Sensing

Alarm to be raised if rise in box temperature >25C Main problem need for fast sensing Box dimension ~220mm Speed of train 200kmph Transit Time ~4ms (sensing in 1-2ms!) Normal sensors (30-200C) take >20 ms Pyrometer placed along the track with wheel sensor. Proximity sensor is required for gating of data.

Measurement of Wheel temperature Replace pyrometers with MCT sensors

Pyrometers have response time of 1.5 ms MCT sensors have a response time of 2-3 s\

Revised geometry with horizontal visualization of Box

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Advantages
Places unit ~ 500mm above the rail surface. Almost eliminates risk of immersion during rains. Protects from Toilet Discharge.

Reduces risk of damage due to mishandling/ during track maintenance .

RF Modems
The system has been web enabled 2 types of RF modems have been procured: flc810e flc800c Operating Frequency :License Free 2.4 GHz Transmitter Range: 1.6 km with suitable antennae. Data Transmission rate: more than 11 Mbps

Trackside Bogie Monitoring System (TBMS)

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Objective:
Development of a system installed along the track:

To detect faults in bogies (Bogie Parameters) of Rolling Stock. To detect loosely hanging parts using dragging equipment detector. To develop system for automatic vehicle identification using RFID. Communication to driver and Control. Monitors lateral force, vertical force using strain gauges. To measure Angle of Attack.

Angle of Attack & Tracking Position

Angle of Attack (AOA) of a wheel set

Benefit:

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The system identifies bogies with misaligned wheel-sets, allowing maintenance staff to make timely repairs, which can:

Reduce derailment risk ; Reduce wheel-set replacement ; Reduce rail wear ; Reduce traction energy consumption.

TRACKSIDE BOGIE System :

MONITORING SYSTEM Proposed

The proposed system comprises of:

Laser range finder: To measure angle of attack and tracking position Instrumented rail with Data Acquisition System: The condition of

of a moving wheel set of a train.

the bogie will be monitored by measuring lateral force, vertical force: with the help of strain gauges.

RFID system: for automatic vehicle identification. Dragging equipment detector: for detecting loosely hanging parts of a Wheel sensors: for actuating the system, counting the axles, estimating RF modem: for wireless transmission of data

moving vehicle.

the axle speed and correlation of data.

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Schematic Layout

Scanning of passing wheel for measuring angle of attack and tracking error

Optical Fiber Cable

A fiber optic cable is a cylindrical pipe. It may be made out of glass or plastic or a combination of glass and plastic. It is fabricated in such a way that this pipe can guide light from one end of it to the other. Basically, a fiber optic cable is composed of two concentric layers termed the core and the cladding. These are shown on the right side of the figure. The core and cladding have different indices of refraction with the core having n 1 and the cladding n2. Light is piped through the core. A fiber optic cable has an
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additional coating around the cladding called the jacket. Core, cladding and jacket are all shown in the three dimensional view on the left side of the figure. The jacket usually consists of one or more layers of polymer. Its role is to protect the core and cladding from shocks that might affect their optical or physical properties. It acts as a shock absorber. The jacket also provides protection from abrasions, solvents and other contaminants. The jacket does not have any optical properties that might affect the propagation of light within the fiber optic cable.

Figure showing basic structure of Optical Fiber

The illustration on the left side of Figure 2-2 is somewhat simplistic. In actuality, there may be a strength member added to the fiber optic cable so that it can be pulled during installation. This would be added just inside the jacket. There may be a buffer between the strength member and the cladding. This protects the core and cladding from damage and allows the fiber optic cable to be bundled with other fiber optic cables. Neither of these is shown.

How is light guided down the fiber optic cable in the core?
This occurs because the core and cladding have different indices of refraction with the index of the core, n1, always being greater than the index of the
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cladding, n2. Figure shows how this is employed to effect the propagation of light down the fiber optic cable and confine it to the core. As illustrated a light ray is injected into the fiber optic cable on the right. If the light ray is injected and strikes the core-to-cladding interface at an angle greater than an entity called the critical angle then it is reflected back into the core. Since the angle of incidence is always equal to the angle of reflection the reflected light will again be reflected. The light ray will then continue this bouncing path down the length of the fiber optic cable. If the light ray strikes the core-tocladding interface at an angle less than the critical angle then it passes into the cladding where it is attenuated very rapidly with propagation distance.

Light can be guided down the fiber optic cable if it enters at less than the critical angle. This angle is fixed by the indices of refraction of the core and cladding and is given by the formula: Qc = arc cosine (n2 /n1).

Propagation of a light ray down a fiber optic cable

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STANDARDS
Standardization or Standardisation is the process of developing and implementing technical standards. The goals of standardization can be to help with independence of single suppliers (commoditization), compatibility, interoperability, safety, rep eatability, or quality. In social sciences, including economics, the idea of standardization is close to the solution for a coordination problem, a situation in which all parties can realize mutual gains, but only by making mutually consistent decisions. Standardization is defined as best technical application consentual wisdom inclusive of processes for selection in making appropriate choices for ratification coupled obtained standards. with consistent includes decisions the case for of maintaining "spontaneous This view

standardization processes"

ISO 9001

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 AboutISO9001 An ISO 9001 standard is one of the most widely known standards, which is introduced in the 1987 and implemented in 162 countries. The ISO 9001 standard has become the international reference for an Organization of any size or any sector to demonstrate their ability and expertise to perform. Meeting the customer requirements. Following the applicable regulatory requirements. Enhancing the customer satisfaction. Continual Improvement.

Benefits of ISO 9001 Certification

Customer Satisfaction. International Recognition Enhancement of the Process Performance. Continual Improvement of the Management system of the Organization. Consistency in product and service Compliance with Regulatory requirements. Enhancement in the competence level of Employee. Enhancement of Employee satisfaction. Standards can be laid down by a single person, company, country or a firm. It can followed by whoever wants to come in its coverage.

INDIAN STANDARDS(ISI)
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The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the national Standards Body of India working under the aegis of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India. It is established by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 which came into effect on 23 December 1986.The Minister in charge of the Ministry or Department having administrative control of the BIS is ex-officio President (Emaad Amin) of the BIS. The organization was formerly the Indian Standards Institution (ISI), set up under the Resolution of the then Department of Industries and Supplies No. 1 Std.(4)/45, dated 3 September 1946. The ISI was registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. As a corporate body, it has 25 members drawn from Central or State Governments, industry, scientific and research institutions, and consumer organizations. Its headquarters are in New Delhi, with regional offices in Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Delhi, and 20 branch offices. It also works as WTO-TBT enquiry point for India

Association with International Standards Bodies BIS is a founder member of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) It represents India in ISO, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the World Standards Service Network (WSSN)

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Standard Formulation & Promotion One of the major functions of the Bureau is the formulation, recognition and promotion of the Indian Standards. As on 31 March 2008, 18446 Standards formulated by BIS, are in force. These cover important segments of economy, which help the industry in upgrading the quality of their products and services. BIS has identified 14 sectors which are important to Indian Industry. For formulation of Indian Standard, it has separate Division Council to oversee and supervise the work. The Standards are regularly reviewed and formulated in line with the technological development to maintain harmony with the International Standards. Laboratories To support the activities of product certification, BIS has a chain of 8 laboratories. These laboratories have established testing facilities for products of chemical, food, electrical and mechanical disciplines. Approximately, 25000 samples are being tested in the BIS laboratories every year. In certain cases where it is economically not feasible to develop test facilities in BIS laboratories and also for other reasons like overloading of samples, equipment being out of order, the services of outside approved laboratories are also being availed. Except for the two labs, all the other labs are NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accredited. It operates a laboratory recognition scheme also. Product Certification Scheme Product Certifications are to be obtained voluntarily. For, some of the products like Milk powder, Drinking Water, LPG Cylinders, Thermometers
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etc., certification is mandatory. Because these products are concerned with health and safety. Scheme-Foreign Manufacturers All foreign manufacturers of products who intend to export to India are required to obtain a BIS product certification license. Towards this, BIS launched its Product Certification Scheme for overseas manufacturers in the year 1999. Under the provisions of this scheme, foreign manufacturers can seek certification from BIS for marking their product(s) with BIS Standard Mark. If or otherwise, the foreign manufacturer has not signed an MoU with BIS, it has to set up a liaison office in India with the permission of Reserve Bank of India. Otherwise, an authorized representative or agent needs to be appointed by the foreign firm. Scheme for Indian Importers Indian importers who intend to get Certification Mark may apply for the license. However, the assessment visit is paid to the original product manufacturer. Management System Certification

Quality Management System Certification Scheme IS/ISO 9001 Environmental Management System Certification Scheme IS/ISO 14001

Occupational Health and Safety Management System Certification Scheme IS 18001

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Scheme IS/ISO 22000

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Service Quality Management System Certification Scheme IS 15700

European Standards Organizations (ESOs)

CENELEC is a European regional standards organization that together with its sister organizations CEN, the European Committee for Standardization, and ETSI, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, compose the so-called and known European Standards Organizations (ESOs) that are officially recognized by the European Commission and act as a European platform through which European Standards are developed.

In the European Union, only standards developed by CEN, CENELEC and ETSI are recognized as 'European Standards'. Hence, CENELEC closely cooperates with CEN and ETSI; working jointly in the interest of European harmonization, creating both standards requested by the market and harmonized standards in support of European legislation.

CEN, CENELEC, ETSI are the regional mirror bodies to their international counterparts, i.e. ISO (the International Organization for Standardization), IEC (the International Electrotechnical Commission) and ITU-T (the International Telecommunication Union, telecommunication standardization sector) respectively.

CEN
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The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) is a business catalyst in Europe, removing trade barriers for European stakeholders such as industry, public administration, service providers, consumers and other stakeholders. Its mission is to foster the European economy in global trading, the welfare of European citizens, and the environment. Through its services CEN provides a platform for the development of European Standards and other specifications.

CENs 31 National Members work together to develop voluntary European Standards (ENs) in various sectors to build a European Internal Market for goods and services and to position Europe in the global economy. By supporting research, and helping disseminate innovation, standards are a powerful tool for economic growth. More than 60.000 technical experts as well as business federations, consumer and other societal interest organizations are involved in the CEN network that reaches over 480 million people.

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