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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

RAIL-MOUNTED OPTICAL FIBER SENSORS FOR MONITORING TRACK TRANSITIONS

Document Series
Research Results
Author
Federal Railroad Administration
Report Number
RR 23-21
Office
RDI-21
Subject Track
Keywords
Optical Fiber Sensors, Fiber Bragg Grating, Track Monitoring, Rail Strain
Document
Rail-Mounted Optical Fiber Sensors.pdf (670.94 KB)

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) sponsored a research team from Oklahoma State University (OSU) to assess how well Optical Fiber Sensors (OFS), specifically Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors, can monitor railroad track transitions. The initial laboratory work focused on comparing the strains and deflections in a section of statically-loaded rail. The team collected strain gage and linear transducer data for comparison to FBG sensors and numerical modelling predictions. The results show good agreement between the methods, providing confidence in this new measurement technique. Additional planned research includes dynamic load tests and experiments to determine the best way to mount the FBG-sensor to the rail


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