fabrication of solar railway crack detecting vehicles.pptx

The Solar Railway Crack Detecting Vehicle is an innovative, energy-efficient system designed to detect cracks and faults on railway tracks using solar-powered operation and sensor-based monitoring. The main objective of this project is to prevent railway accidents caused by undetected track fractures, misalignments, or discontinuities — while reducing dependency on manual inspection and fossil fuels.

The vehicle is powered by solar energy, harvested through photovoltaic panels mounted on top of the system. The energy is stored in rechargeable batteries, which drive a DC motor for vehicle movement along the railway track. This renewable energy source ensures continuous, eco-friendly operation even in remote railway sections without electrical supply.

At the core of the system lies a sensor array, typically comprising ultrasonic sensors, infrared sensors, or vibration sensors, that continuously scan the rails as the vehicle moves. When a crack or discontinuity is detected, the change in sensor signal is processed by a microcontroller or Arduino-based control unit, which triggers an alert mechanism — such as a buzzer, LED indicator, or wireless transmitter — to notify maintenance personnel.

The entire process is monitored using IoT-based communication or GSM module, allowing real-time updates of track condition to a central monitoring station. The AI or machine learning extension can further classify crack severity and predict possible track failure.

The system’s lightweight frame, solar panel integration, and autonomous movement make it ideal for low-cost, sustainable railway safety monitoring.

1. NOORUL ISLAM CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

2. FABRICATION OF SOLAR RAILWAY CRACK DETECTING VEHICLES Enter your details

3. The Indian railway has one of the largest railway network in the world, crisscrossing over 1,15,000 km in distance ,all over India. However , with regard to reliability and passenger safety Indian railways is not up to global standards. Among other factors cracks developed on the rails due to the absence of a timely detection and the associated maintenance pose serious questions on the security of operation of rail transport. A recent study revealed that over 25% of the crack length is in need of replacement due to the development of the cracks on it. Manual detection of cracks is cumbersome and not fully effective owing to much time consumption and requirement of skilled techniques. This project works is aimed at addressing the issue by developing an automatic railway tracking detection system. This work introduces a project that aims in designing robust crack detecting scheme a system which avoids the train accidents by detecting the cracks on railway tracks. And also capable of alerting the authorities in the form of SMS messages along with location by using GPS and GSM modules. The system also includes a distance measuring sensors which displays the crack deviation distance between the railway tracks. ABSTRACT

4. INTRODUCTION India has 164 years of great history of railway network. The first train in India was started on 16th April 1853, Saturday at 3:35 P.M. between Bori bunder to Belgaum. Now onwards India has world’s top largest railway network. Its length is 1,19,630 Km of total track and running route is 66,687 Km with 7216 stations. In India billions of passengers are traveling in railway. So, it is necessary to required safety and reliability of railway network. According to newspaper 90% of railway accidents are occur due to railway track fault. Generally, railway track fault is occurring due to natural climates or any other mechanical damage. This cause unnecessary railway accidents and damage our valuable property of railway. So, for reduction of railway accidents we think one of the idea. By using an autonomous railway track crack detection device, we can reduce railway accidents and save people life. So, the project relates to reduce railway accidents by using autonomous railway track crack detection vehicle for finding railway crack. It is based on solar power so its required very less amount of external power.

5. In an era marked by rapid technological advancement and an increasing emphasis on sustainable energy solutions, the integration of renewable energy sources into various sectors of transportation has emerged as a key priority. Among these innovations, solar-powered railway crack detecting vehicles stand out as a promising solution for enhancing the safety and efficiency of railway systems worldwide. These vehicles, equipped with advanced sensing technologies and powered by solar energy, represent a fusion of cutting-edge engineering and environmental consciousness, offering a sustainable approach to railway maintenance and safety. The fabrication of solar-powered railway crack detecting vehicles embodies a convergence of diverse disciplines, including mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, materials science, and computer science. This intricate process requires meticulous planning, precise execution, and innovative design to create a robust and efficient vehicle capable of meeting the rigorous demands of railway inspection.

6. At its core, the fabrication process begins with comprehensive research and development to conceptualize the vehicle's design and functionalities. Engineers delve into the complexities of railway infrastructure, studying factors such as track geometry, stress distribution, and environmental conditions to inform the vehicle's specifications. Simultaneously, advancements in sensing technologies, such as ultrasonic testing, electromagnetic induction, and visual inspection systems, are explored to ensure the vehicle's ability to accurately detect cracks, defects, and abnormalities along the railway tracks. Once the design parameters are established, the fabrication process moves into the realm of mechanical engineering, where the vehicle's chassis, propulsion system, and structural components are meticulously crafted. The chassis must be robust yet lightweight, capable of withstanding the dynamic forces encountered during railway inspection while maximizing energy efficiency. Integration of solar panels onto the vehicle's surface is a critical aspect, requiring careful consideration of orientation, tilt angle, and surface area to optimize solar energy capture.

7. Simultaneously, electrical engineers work to develop the vehicle's power management system, leveraging solar energy to drive propulsion, sensor operation, and data processing functions. Energy storage systems, typically comprising lithium-ion batteries or supercapacitors, are incorporated to ensure uninterrupted operation during periods of low sunlight or nocturnal inspection activities. Moreover, sophisticated control systems are implemented to coordinate the vehicle's movements, sensor operation, and data transmission, facilitating real-time monitoring and analysis of railway conditions. In parallel, material scientists play a pivotal role in selecting and optimizing the materials used in the vehicle's construction, prioritizing durability, corrosion resistance, and thermal stability. Advanced composites, aluminum alloys, and high-strength steels are commonly employed to achieve the desired balance of strength and weight, ensuring longevity and reliability in demanding railway environments. As the fabrication process progresses, rigorous testing and validation procedures are conducted to verify the vehicle's performance under simulated operational conditions. Dynamic testing on railway tracks, endurance trials in varying weather conditions, and stress testing of critical components are integral steps in refining the vehicle's design and functionality.

8. LITERATURE REVIEW - RAILWAY TRACK Track-caused derailments are often caused by wide gauge. Proper gauge, the distance between rails, is 56.5 inches (four feet, eight-and-a-half inches) on standard gauge track. As tracks wear from train traffic, the rails can develop a wear pattern that is somewhat uneven. Uneven wear in the tracks can result in periodic oscillations in the truck, called 'truck hunting.' Truck hunting can be a contributing cause of derailments. A rail breaks cleanly, it is relatively easy to detect. A track occupancy light will light up in the signal tower indicating that a track circuit has been interrupted. If there is no train in the section, the signaller must investigate. One possible reason is a clean rail break. For detecting the rail break this way, one has to use signal bonds that are welded or pin brazed on the head of the rail.

9. CRACK DETECTION USING ULTRASONIC AND PIR SENSOR In this detection of the rail road crack, measuring distance for two rail road and also measure the pursuing human in the railway track. When IR sensor are used for detect the crack in the track and ultrasound sensor measure the distance between the two track and also PIR sensor are used to detect human being pursuing in the track. If any crack are occurred in the track means longitude and latitude of the place are messaged to the nearest station and ultrasonic sensor are measure the distance between the two track if any small variance means they detect and message to the nearest station using GPS and GSM modem. When PIR sensor are detect the human being and animals on the railway track, if any one pursuing on the track means they stop the surveying work after crossing rail road they are detect the track

10. CRACK DETECTION USING LED-LDR The principle involved in crack detection is the concept of LDR. In the proposed design, the LED will be attached to one side of the rails and the LDR to the opposite side. During normal operation, when there are no cracks, the LED light does not fall on the LDR and hence the LDR resistance is high. Subsequently, when the LED light falls on the LDR, the resistance of the LDR gets reduced and the amount of reduction will be approximately proportional to the intensity of the incident light. As a consequence, when light from the LED deviates from its path due to the presence of a crack or a break, a sudden decrease in the resistance value of the LDR ensues. This change in resistance indicates the presence of a crack or some other similar structural defect in the rails. In order to detect the current location of the device in case of detection of a crack, a GPS receiver whose function is to receive the current latitude and longitude data is used. To communicate the received information, a GSM modem has been utilized. The GSM modem transfers the received Information to the GPRS which then shows the exact location of the faulty rail track in the mobile. The proposed rail track detection system architecture consists of ARM7 controller, GPS, GSM, LED-LDR Assembly, and GPRS, DC Motor.

11. INTELLIGENT RAILWAY CRACK DEFECT INSPECTION The proposed system consists of mainly three components that are Micro-controller, IR module and Zigbee module. IR sensor is used to detect the crack in railway track. Infrared (IR) transmitter is one type of LED which emits infrared rays generally called as IR Transmitter. The transmitted light rays are received by IR receiver on adjacent side. IR transmitter and receiver should be kept parallel and adjacent to each other so that transmitted light can fall on receiver straight. Then the LCD display is used to view the result.

12. COMPONENTS AND DESCRIPTION Components of the automatic railway track crack detecting vehicle IR Sensor FM transmitter and Receiver Unit D.C. Motor Engine (Spur Gear Mechanism) Railway Track Battery SENSORS

13. 1. IR Sensor (Infrared Sensor): An IR sensor detects infrared radiation to measure heat or proximity. It emits and detects infrared radiation to determine the presence or absence of an object or measure its distance or temperature. 2. FM Transmitter and Receiver Unit: FM (Frequency Modulation) transmitter and receiver units are used for wireless communication. The transmitter modulates an audio signal onto an FM carrier wave, which is then received and demodulated by the receiver. 3. DC Motor: A DC (Direct Current) motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. It typically consists of a stator (stationary part) and a rotor (rotating part) and is commonly used in various applications from small electronics to industrial machinery.

14. 4. Engine (Spur Gear Mechanism): An engine, often referring to an internal combustion engine, converts fuel into mechanical energy to produce motion. The spur gear mechanism is a type of gear system with teeth parallel to the gear's axis, commonly used for transmitting motion and power. 5. Railway Track: A railway track is the physical structure upon which trains run. It typically consists of two parallel rails made of steel or other materials, along with support structures like sleepers or ties. 6. Battery: A battery is a device that stores chemical energy and converts it into electrical energy. It provides power to various electronic devices, ranging from small gadgets to vehicles. 7. Sensors: Sensors are devices that detect and respond to input from the physical environment. They can measure various parameters such as temperature, pressure, light, motion, and more. Sensors play a crucial role in robotics, automation, and many other fields by providing feedback and enabling systems to react to their surroundings.

15. WORKING PRINCIPLE In our project, there are two set of IR sensor units are used to fit the two sides of the vehicle. This unit is used to activate/deactivate FM transmitter unit when there is any cracks in there path. The IR transmitter and IR receiver circuit is used to sense the cracks. It is fixed to the front sides of the vehicle with a suitable arrangement. AT NORMAL CONDITION: The IR transmitter sensor is transmitting the infrared rays with the help of 555 IC timer circuit. These infrared rays are received by the IR receiver sensor. The Transistor T1, T2 and T3 are used as an amplifier section. At normal condition Transistor T5 is OFF condition. At that time relay is OFF, so that the vehicle running continuously. AT CRACK CONDITION: At crack detection conditions the IR transmitter and IR receiver, the resistance across the Transmitter and receiver is high due to the non-conductivity of the IR waves. So the output of transistor T5 goes from OFF condition to ON stage. In that time the relay is ON position. In that time, the motor power supply is disconnected and switch on to the FM transmitter unit. The Fm receiver is fixed to the nearest station master, so that the alarm signal is given to the station master.

16. FINAL IMAGE OF PROJECT Paste project image

17. CONCLUSION This project work has provided us an excellent opportunity and experience, to use our limited knowledge. We gained a lot of practical knowledge regarding, planning, purchasing, assembling and machining while doing this project work. We feel that the project work is a good solution to bridge the gates between institution and industries. We are proud that we have completed the work with the limited time successfully. The AUTOMATIC RAILWAY TRACK CRACK DETECTING VEHICLE is working with satisfactory conditions. We are able to understand the difficulties in maintaining the tolerances and also quality. We have done to our ability and skill making maximum use of available facilities. In conclusion remarks of our project work, let us add a few more lines about our impression project work. Thus, we have developed an “AUTOMATIC RAILWAY TRACK CRACK DETECTING VEHICLE” which helps to know how to achieve low cost automation. The application of sensor produces accurate operation. By using more techniques, they can be modified and developed according to the applications.

18. REFERENCES [1] Noninvasive rail track detection system using Microwave sensor, K. Vijayakumar, S. R. Wylie, J. D. Cullen, C.C. Wright, A. I. Shamma’a [2] International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) - Volume4 Issue7- July 2013 Automatic Broken Track Detection Using LED-LDR Assembly, Avinash . Vanimireddy , D. ArunaKumari [3] High speed detection of broken rails, rail cracks and surface faults, Prof. M Dhanasekar , Wirtu , LBayissa & M Dhanasekar [4] Spencer Ackers, Ronald Evans, Timothy Johnson, Harold Kess , Jonathan White, Douglas E Adams, Pam Brown, "Crack detection in a wheel end spindle using wave propagation via modal impacts and piezo actuation", Health Monitoring and Smart Nondestructive Evaluation of Structural and Biological systems V, SPIE (2006) [5] PaperJ . Trehag , P. Handel, and M. Ögren , _Onboard estimation and classification of a railroad curvature,IEEE Trans. Instrum . Meas., vol. 59, no. 3,pp. 653-660, Mar.2010

19. [6] Paper L. Beales, Track system requirements,_ Railway Group Standards, GC/RT5021, Railway Safety, London, Oct.2003 [7] C. Saravanan, Dr. M. A. Panneerselvam , and I. William Christopher,” A Novel Low Cost Automatic Solar Tracking System,” InternationalJournal of Computer Applications, 31(9), pp.62-67, October 2011. [8] SOLAR VEHICLES AND BENEFITS OF THE TECHNOLOGY”, by John Connors, ICCEP paper2007 [9] Paper IJREAT International Journal of Research in Engineering & Advanced Technology, Volume 2, Issue 2, Apr-May, 2014, ISSN: 2320 – 8791, Innovative Railway Track Surveying With Sensors and Controlled By Wireless Communication by Athira Ajith1, Aswathy K S2, Binoy Kumar H3, Dantis Davis4,Lakshmi S Pai5, Janahanlal P Stephen. [10] Paper I. Milev and L. Gruendig , _Rail track data base of German rail The future automated maintenance,_ in Proc. INGEO FIG Regional Central Eastern Eur. Conf. Eng.Surv ., Bratislava, Slovakia, Nov. 11-13, 2004,pp. 1-8. [11] http:// www. microchip. com/ wwwproduct s/Devices . aspx?product =PIC16F877A