RoadRailer Air Brake Fault Localization

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RoadRailer Air Brake Fault Localization

• ECE 480 Design Team 8
• Tia Twigg
• Marcelo de Castro
• Saurav Shrestha
• Abdulaziz Najm
• Dilo Benjamin

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Introduction

• RoadRailer system
• Bi-modal transportation
• Trailers
• Bogies
• Air ride system lifts trailer so bogie can roll
  under it
• Tires lift to clear rails

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Introduction

• Assembling the train
• Trailers and bogies are connected to form the
  train
• The glad-hands connect the air brake lines from
  the trailers to the bogies

4
Project Goals

• Hardware
• Develop a system to detect leaks or obstructions
  in air brake hoses
• Software
• Develop back-end software to compare incoming
  data with established baseline

5
Design Specifications

• Objectives
• Air tight hose connector
• Accuracy within 0.1 psi
• Transmit and receive signals from multiple
  sensors
• Display data from all sensors on one screen
• Constraints
• Durable and weather proof
• Independent power source
• Easy to install, maintain and operate

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Design Solutions Hardware
Glad-hand rose adaptor

• Air tight
• Installed in a non-destructive way into the
  existing system using glad-hands

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Design Solutions

• Sensor
• Independent power source
• Pressure range 100 psi with 0.1 psi accuracy
• Operating temperature -40C to 85C
• Wireless range 1.5 km
• Base Station
• Easy to install and operate
• ZigBee protocols

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Design Solutions

• Sensor
• Pressure range 100 psi with 0.1 psi accuracy
• Operating temperature
  -20 F to 120 F
• Independent power source
• Battery life 2 months
• Wireless range 1.5km
• Cost
• Base Station
• ZigBee protocols
• secure data connections
• Collision avoidance
• Support for multiple network topologies such as
  mesh networks

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LOOKING BACK AT PROJECT GOALS

• Wireless communication between sensors

• Solution
• Remote Antenna
• improve line-of-sight and signal strength

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Pressure Sensor 1 Test Application

• Provides a packet of information for one pressure
  sensor in real-time.
• Packet of information includes primary pressure,
  battery voltage, strength of received signal and
  module temperature.
• User role Connect receiver to the computer
• use X-CTU software to enable wireless
  communication
• enter sensor serial number and number of counts
  in PS1 Test Application.

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Pressure Sensor 1 Test Application
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Multi Test Application

• Collects same packet of information as that of
  PS1 Test Application in real time.
• Used to collect information from multiple
  sensors.
• User role PS1 Test Application user role enter
  sampling period (seconds)

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Multi Test Application
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Back-end Processing Application

• Designed and added a back-end processing
  application in Multi-Test Application and PS1
  Test Application.
• User Role Multi Test 1/PS1 Application Role
  enter a range for normal pressure value.
• PS1 Back-end Processing Separate plots for each
  sensors. User will set limit for each of the
  sensors.
• Multi Test Back-end Processing Application will
  make individual graphs for each sensors pressure
  in one plot.
• Both back-end processing application will flash
  message in real-time if the incoming pressure
  reading is outside the range.

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MULTI TEST BACK-END PROCESSING APPLICATION
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PS1 BACK-END PROCESSING APPLICATION
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Suggestions for future design improvements

• Better functionality for purchased sensors
• Practical tests of device on the actual pressure
  system
• Finding alternative solutions for the wireless
  range
• Further develop Backend Process

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Tests

• Notes and Assumptions
• Clamp Hose
• 50 psi
• Not instantaneous Reading
• Setup
• Nitrogen Tank
• 5 Glad hand connectors
• 2 pressure sensors
• Pressure gauge
• 1 leaky hose

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Tests

• Procedure
• Simulate the actual system
• Connect via glad hands
• Create restriction
• Turn on the pressure tank
• Results
• Restricted side pressurized slower
• Leak affected the restricted side
• Once the tank was turned off, restricted side
  dropped pressure faster due to leak

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Demonstration

• Pressurized with no restriction/ leaks

• Pressurized with restriction/ leak

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Conclusion

• Designed an adapter for the glad-hand connectors
• Pressure sensors installed in the adapter will
  transmit pressure information wirelessly
• Sensor operates in harsh environments from rain
  to desert storms
• Developed a back-end software to display out of
  rage pressure readings
• Tested the device in the laboratory to determine
  functionality

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Questions?