Development of Algorithms for Improving Fiber-Optical Rail Circuit on Railway Spans

Abstract

For the safety of train traffic, the most important step is the introduction of a new type of rail circuits — fiber-optic rail circuits. The high sensitivity of the fiber optic cable to external influences (deformation, vibration) is an important property both for fixing mechanical damage to rails and for monitoring railway rolling stock. The branches (fragments) of the optical fiber through mechanical amplifiers perform both the functions of the information perception element — the sensor and the conducting channel of the transmitted information. Using reflectometer OTDR (Optical Time Domain Reflectometer), based on the analysis of the backscattered light signal, the form of the effect that caused the bending is determined. Knowing the exact distance between the OTDR and the sensors, when analyzing the received signals, it is possible to determine different parameters of the passing rolling stock. The article shows the schematic diagram and the algorithm of the proposed system developed by the authors.