Patent ID: 11893322
Assignee: LORAM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  B  E | IPC B  E  G

Claim 14:
15. A method for maintaining a train track, the method comprising:
modeling wear in a rail of a train track due to an estimated train traffic by:
obtaining a train wheel profile of a train car;
providing two or more sets of maintenance parameters, each set of maintenance parameters including:
a rail profile;
grinding parameters; and
rail material properties;
wherein at least one pair of corresponding maintenance parameters in the two or more sets of maintenance parameters is different from one another;

for each of the two or more sets of maintenance parameters:
generating a contact model of an interaction between the rail profile and a wheel of a train based on the rail profile, the train wheel profile, and estimated train traffic on the rail;
generating a wear model based on the material properties;
performing a wear simulation using the rail profile for a predetermined time period of one month or less by:
running the contact model to produce a simulated loading;
running the wear model to produce a simulated wear profile based on the simulated loading; and
generating an updated rail profile by modifying the rail profile by the simulated wear profile and the grinding parameters;

repeating the wear simulation iteratively for additional predetermined time periods using the updated rail profile and subsequent updated rail profiles until a final updated rail profile exceeds a predetermined wear limit for the rail; and
calculating a wear time until the final updated rail profile exceeds the predetermined wear limit, wherein the wear time is at least one year; and

comparing the wear times associated with each set of maintenance parameters;

generating a maintenance recommendation based on the wear times associated with each set of maintenance parameters, wherein generating the maintenance recommendation includes either i) comparing a cost value over the wear time for each set of maintenance parameters, the cost value based on maintenance costs associated with the corresponding set of maintenance parameters, and selecting a set of maintenance parameters having a lower cost value, or ii) selecting a set of maintenance parameters having the longest wear time; and
grinding the rail according to the grinding parameters of the maintenance recommendation.