Thermal non-destructive characterization of rail networks by using Infrared Thermography and FEM simulation

Abstract

Because of the repeated passage of trains, anomalies are created inside the rails in the form of cracks of different shapes and position. These are due essentially to the wheel – rail contact. They present a hazard causing at the final stage rail failure, train derailment and accidents. Detecting track anomalies has become a major issue for the entire rail industry around the world. This paper focuses on the degradation of rails in urban railways in terms of cracks. The purpose is to develop an approach to detect and predict rail breaks, which will optimize maintenance task. Infrared thermography was used in order to characterise the effect of a defect on the acquired thermogram. Different defects were considered by varying their size, depth and inclination angle with respect to the rail surface.