Dynamic analysis of on-board mass data to determine tampering in heavy vehicle on-board mass systems

Transport Certification Australia Limited, jointly with the National Transport Commission, has undertaken a project to investigate the feasibility of on-board mass monitoring (OBM) devices for regulatory purposes. OBM increases jurisdictional confidence in operational heavy vehicle compliance. This paper covers technical issues regarding potential use of dynamic data from OBM systems to indicate that tampering has occurred. Tamper-evidence and accuracy of current OBM systems needed to be determined before any regulatory schemes were put in place for its use. Tests performed to determine potential for, and ease of, tampering. An algorithm was developed to detect tamper events. Its results are detailed.

Static accuracy and precision of heavy vehicle on-board mass systems

Objective • Feasibility programme for on-board mass (OBM) monitoring of heavy vehicles (HVs) • Australian road authorities through Transport Certification Australia (TCA) • Accuracy of contemporary, commercially-available OBM units in Australia • Results need to be addressed/incorporated into specifications for Stage 2 of Intelligent Access Program (IAP) by Transport Certification Australia

Tamper evidence for heavy vehicle on board mass systems

On-board mass (OBM) monitoring devices on heavy vehicles (HVs) have been tested in a national programme jointly by Transport Certification Australia Limited and the National Transport Commission. The tests were for, amongst other parameters, accuracy and tamper-evidence. The latter by deliberately tampering with the signals from OBM primary transducers during the tests. The OBM feasibility team is analysing dynamic data recorded at the primary transducers of OBM systems to determine if it can be used to detect tamper events. Tamper-evidence of current OBM systems needs to be determined if jurisdictions are to have confidence in specifying OBM for HVs as part of regulatory schemes. An algorithm has been developed to detect tamper events. The results of its application are detailed here.

On-board mass monitoring of heavy vehicles : results of testing program

The Transport Certification Australia on-board mass feasibility project is testing various on-board mass devices in a range of heavy vehicles (HVs). Extensive field tests of on-board mass measurement systems for HVs have been conducted during 2008. These tests were of accuracy, robustness and tamper-evidence of heavy vehicle on-board mass telematics. All the systems tested showed accuracies within approximately +/- 500 kg of gross combination mass or approximately +/- 2% of the attendant weighbridge reading. Analysis of the dynamic data also showed encouraging results and has raised the possibility of use of such dynamic information in tamper evidence in two areas. This analysis was to determine if the use of averaged dynamic data could identify potential tampering or incorrect operating procedures as well as the possibility of dynamic measurements flagging a tamper event by the use of metrics including a tampering index (TIX). Technical and business options to detect tamper events will now be developed during implementation of regulatory OBM system application to Australian heavy vehicles (HVs).

Monitoring of the vertical movements of rail sleepers with the passage of trains

Due to an ever increasing demand for more frequent and higher volume of train service, the physical conditions of tracks in modem railways are deteriorating more quickly when compared to tracks built decades ago. There are incidences in both the UK and Hong Kong indicating there are needs for a more stringent checks on the rail conditions using suitable and effective non-invasive and nondestructive condition monitoring system.

Study of acoustic emission data analysis tools for structural health monitoring applications

Acoustic emission (AE) technique is one of the popular diagnostic techniques used for structural health monitoring of mechanical, aerospace and civil structures. But several challenges still exist in successful application of AE technique. This paper explores various tools for analysis of recorded AE data to address two primary challenges: discriminating spurious signals from genuine signals and devising ways to quantify damage levels.

Advanced mathematical modelling and experimental investigation of new torque arms for shaft-mounted drives

Shaft-mounted gearboxes are widely used in industry. The torque arm that holds the reactive torque on the housing of the gearbox, if properly positioned creates the reactive force that lifts the gearbox and unloads the bearings of the output shaft. The shortcoming of these torque arms is that if the gearbox is reversed the direction of the reactive force on the torque arm changes to opposite and added to the weight of the gearbox overloads the bearings shortening their operating life. In this paper, a new patented design of torque arms that develop a controlled lifting force and counteract the weight of the gearbox regardless of the direction of the output shaft rotation is described. Several mathematical models of the conventional and new torque arms were developed and verified experimentally on a specially built test rig that enables modelling of the radial compliance of the gearbox bearings and elastic elements of the torque arms. Comparison showed a good agreement between theoretical and experimental results.

Reduction of environmental effects of civil aircraft through multi-objective flight plan optimisation

With rising environmental alarm, the reduction of critical aircraft emissions including carbon dioxides (CO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) is one of most important aeronautical problems. There can be many possible attempts to solve such problem by designing new wing/aircraft shape, new efficient engine, etc. The paper rather provides a set of acceptable flight plans as a first step besides replacing current aircrafts. The paper investigates a green aircraft design optimisation in terms of aircraft range, mission fuel weight (CO2) and NOx using advanced Evolutionary Algorithms coupled to flight optimisation system software. Two multi-objective design optimisations are conducted to find the best set of flight plans for current aircrafts considering discretised altitude and Mach numbers without designing aircraft shape and engine types. The objectives of first optimisation are to maximise range of aircraft while minimising NOx with constant mission fuel weight. The second optimisation considers minimisation of mission fuel weight and NOx with fixed aircraft range. Numerical results show that the method is able to capture a set of useful trade-offs that reduce NOx and CO2 (minimum mission fuel weight).

Altering heavy vehicle air suspension dynamic forces by modifying air lines

An experimental programme in 2007 used three air suspended heavy vehicles travelling over typical urban roads to determine whether dynamic axle-to-chassis forces could be reduced by using larger-than-standard diameter longitudinal air lines. This paper presents methodology, interim analysis and partial results from that programme. Alterations to dynamic measures derived from axle-to-chassis forces for the case of standard-sized longitudinal air lines vs. the test case where larger longitudinal air lines were fitted are presented and discussed. This leads to conclusions regarding the possibility that dynamic loadings between heavy vehicle suspensions and chassis may be reduced by fitting larger longitudinal air lines to air-suspended heavy vehicles. Reductions in the shock and vibration loads to heavy vehicle suspension components could lead to lighter and more economical chassis and suspensions. This could therefore lead to reduced tare and increased payloads without an increase in gross vehicle mass.

Development of a diagnostic tool for condition monitoring of rotating machinery

This paper presents an overview of the CRC for Infrastructure and Engineering Asset Management (CIEAM)’s rotating machine health monitoring project and the status of the research progress. The project focuses on the development of a comprehensive diagnostic tool for condition monitoring and systematic analysis of rotating machinery. Particularly attention focuses on the machine health monitoring of diesel engines, compressors and pumps by using acoustic emission and vibration-based monitoring techniques. The paper also provides a brief summary of the work done by the three main research collaborating partners in the project, namely, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Curtin University of Technology (CUT) and the University of Western Australia (UWA). Preliminary test and analysis results from this work are also reported in the paper

Advanced numerical study of impact forces on railway sleepers under wheel flat

Wheel-rail interaction is one of the most important research topics in railway engineering. It includes track vibration, track impact response and safety of the track. Track structure failures caused by impact forces can lead to significant economic loss for track owners through damage to rails and to the sleepers beneath. The wheel-rail impact forces occur because of imperfections on the wheels or rails such as wheel flats, irregular wheel profile, rail corrugation and differences in the height of rails connected at a welded joint. In this paper, a finite element model for the wheel flat study is developed by use of the FEA software package ANSYS. The effect of the wheel flat to impact force on sleepers is investigated. It has found that the wheel flat significantly increases impact forces and maximum Von Mises stress, and also delays the peak position of dynamic variation for impact forces on both rail and sleeper.