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6 December 2004
CPR Installs
"Smart" Sound Technology for Predicting Wheel Bearing
Failure
Canadian Pacific Railway
(TSX/NYSE: CP) has installed "smart" technology that can predict failure in wheel bearings
based on distinct sounds emitted by distressed bearings. The new technology, which is capable of
reading the acoustic signatures of different defects, will contribute to safer operations and greater
fluidity in Canada's busiest rail corridor.
Installed at trackside about 75 km east of Vancouver, it is the first of its kind in Canada and only
the ninth in the world. It uses acoustic monitoring devices and intelligent analytical software to
filter out background noise and identify the subtlest bearing sounds that signal a defect.
Defective bearings emit warning sounds well before they begin to overheat, the final stage leading to
bearing failure.
Currently, the most widely used warning system - called a hot-box detector - is tripped
by heat emitted from a defective bearing as the train rolls by. But hot-box detectors
cannot measure a bearing's level of distress nor can they generate the data needed to predict how
long a defective bearing is likely to last before failing and possibly causing a derailment. Without
this predictive ability, a train must be stopped and the defective bearing inspected at every
hot-box alarm.
The new smart technology, called Trackside Acoustic Detection System (TADS), detects defects in their
earliest stages - well before the risk of bearing failure. These early warning sounds are analyzed
to determine how far a train with a defective bearing can safely proceed. This predictive ability
eliminates unnecessary and costly train stoppages, leading to improved fluidity of rail operations
and higher productivity.
"We are very excited about the promise this smart technology holds for making rail operations
safer and for generating higher train productivity in Canada's busiest freight corridor," Neal
Foot, CPR's Senior Vice-President of Operations, said.
TADS was developed by the Transportation Technology Center, Inc., a unit of the Association of
American Railroads. Researchers isolated the acoustic signatures of different defects and programmed
them into the detector. By reading these signatures, TADS can identify multiple defects in a single
bearing and its data can be used to determine the severity of each of the flaws. Researchers expect
the database of acoustic signatures will expand as use of the detector grows, further improving the
system's predictive ability.
The TADS is located in an area where CPR and CN share each other's track through a directional
running agreement. Under this agreement, CPR and CN run westbound trains over the CN line and run
eastbound trains over CPR's line.
In a quid pro quo arrangement, CN will use CPR's TADS in return for CPR's use of a new CN image
mapping device that takes digital images of wheels in passing trains and analyzes their condition.
They will be located in the same area.
"In the marketplace, CPR and CN are intense competitors. But when it comes to safety, we are
ready to put down the competitive swords," Mr. Foot said.
The cost of purchasing and installing the unit is about US$450,000.
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