The Wheel Whisperer: Sound Transit’s Good Neighbor Program S ound Transit needed to expand locations between the rail line but the desired route went right under advanced research facilities at the University of Washington (UW) where unexpected vibrations could compromise critical projects. With UW’s delicate research and medical facilities, it would not grant the right of way unless Sound Transit could prove that there would be zero vibration impact. An intelligent, vibration and fl at spot monitoring system with increased sensitivity, reliability, fl exibility and utility would enable Sound Transit train operators to ensure that no trains with wheel fl ats or other unacceptable vibration would enter the critical zone. Sound Transit had to demonstrate to the university, that its train operations would have no discernible impact on the neighboring research centers. Given the requirements, there were valid concerns as to whether the ongoing operations of the urban rail system could meet those requirements. Aft er 2-1/2 years of work, Sound Transit has now reported that the system is up and running and meeting all internal goals and expectations. Innovation Throughout Th e sound and vibration and wheel fl at monitoring system consists of four key elements: • A vibration monitoring system that incorporates the fi rst commercial application of calibrated ultrasensitive vibration measurement sensors. • A wheel fl at detection system that uses sophisticated signal processing to identify small fl at spots before they reach the point of damaging the wheel, the rail and the suspension system, not to mention impacting the public; too small to be audible to the human ear. • A mobile monitoring system that could be installed at a variety of 20 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | FEBRUARY 2017 and the UW buildings sensitive locations, such as a wafer fab facility or medical research lab, to acquire quantifi able performance data regarding the actual rates of sound and vibration transmission through the unique geography and subsurface soil conditions specifi c to the location of each critical UW building and the train system. • A smart infrastructure monitoring system (SIMStm), a robust, redundant communications network, employing high-level data mining and data analytics to provide report alarm generation capacity in real time (within one second) on a 24/7 basis for machine-to-machine, as well as machine-to-human reporting for UW offi cials, Sound Transit administrators, Sound Transit maintenance personnel, and the IEM monitoring team. In normal rail operations, the frequent stopping and starting of By Richard Arthur An intelligent vibration and fl at spot monitoring system enables Sound Transit train operators to ensure that no trains with wheel fl ats or other unacceptable vibration enter the critical zone. THE WHEEL flat detector system located at the entrance to a tunnel. Since there is no proven technology to avoid the development of flat spots, the only option is to detect them and repair them by truing the wheel.
MassTransit_February_2017
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