Moving Vehicle Rail Foot Flaw Detection Interim Progress Report

Available on the Participants Portal

A method is required to inspect for fail foot fatigue defects that can be deployed at speeds at least as high as the current ultrasonic processes (~20 km/hr). This project will deliver research on possible measurement methods and practical instrumentation concepts through the use of simulation studies with experimental validation for a variety of detection techniques.

This report provides details of an early stage experimental investigation into the infrared response of three types of laboratory generated foot flaws. It defines the approach taken for the experimentation including the generation of the flaws, heating of the rail and infrared measurement.