RDSO research directorate

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INTRODUCTION
The Research Design and Standards Organization {अनुसंधान अभिकल्प एवं मानक संगठन}
(RDSO) is an ISO 9001 research and development organization under the Ministry of
Railways of India, which functions as a technical adviser and consultant to the Railway Board,
the Zonal Railways, the Railway Production Units, RITES and IRCON International in respect
of design and standardization of railway equipment and problems related to railway construction,
operation and maintenance.
History
To enforce standardization and co-ordination between various railway systems in British India,
the Indian Railway Conference Association (IRCA) was set up in 1903. It was followed by the
establishment of the Central Standards Office (CSO) in 1930, for preparation of designs,
standards and specifications. However, till independence in 1947, most of the designs and
manufacture of railway equipment’s was entrusted to foreign consultants. After independence, a
new organization called Railway Testing and Research Centre (RTRC) was set up in 1952 at
Lucknow, for undertaking intensive investigation of railway problems, providing basic criteria
and new concepts for design purposes, for testing prototypes and generally assisting in finding
solutions for specific problems. In 1957, the Central Standards Office (CSO) and the Railway
Testing and Research Centre (RTRC) were integrated into a single unit named Research Designs
and Standards Organization (RDSO) under the Ministry of Railways with its headquarters at
Manak nagar, Lucknow.[1]
The status of RDSO was changed from an "Attached Office" to a
"Zonal Railway" on April 1, 2003, to give it greater flexibility and a boost to the research and
development activities.
The RDSO is headed by a Director General who ranks with a General Manager of a Zonal
Railway. The Director General is assisted by an Additional Director General and 23 Sr.
Executive Directors and Executive Directors, who are in charge of the 27 directorates: Bridges
and Structures, the Centre for Advanced Maintenance Technology (CAMTECH), Carriage,
Geotechnical Engineering, Testing, Track Design, Medical, EMU & Power Supply, Engine
Development, Finance & Accounts, Telecommunication, Quality Assurance, Personnel, Works,
Psycho-Technical, Research, Signal, Wagon Design, Electric Locomotive, Stores, Track
Machines & Monitoring, Traction Installation, Energy Management, Traffic, Metallurgical &
Chemical, Motive Power and Library & Publications. All the directorates except Defence
Research are located in Lucknow.

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Functions
RDSO is the sole R&D organization of Indian Railways and functions as the
technical advisor and consultant to the Indian Railway Board, regional railways
and rolling stock works.
Basically, its activities involve:
 Development of new and improved designs
 Development and adoption of new technologies for use on Indian Railways
 Development of standards for materials and products especially needed by
Indian Railways
 Technical investigation, statutory clearance, testing and provision of
consulting services
 Inspection of critical and safety items for rolling stock, locomotives, signals,
Telecommunications equipment, and track
RDSO also offers international consultancy services on design, testing and
inspection of railway equipment as well as surveys for construction of new lines.
Consultancy services have been provided to various countries such as Iraq, Sri
Lanka, South Korea, Zambia, Egypt, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, etc.
RDSO recognizes the imperative to generate basic knowledge through advanced
academic research to enable a truly self-reliant technology improvement
programme for the nation's railways. As a result, strong links have been forged
with other institutions and organizations, such as the Indian Institutes of
Technology (IIT) at Kanpur, Roorkee, New Delhi and Chennai, the Defense
Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in New Delhi, and the Central
Scientific Research Organization (CSIR).
IIT Kanpur has a Railway Technology Cell to handle projects related to
development of a detector for wheel flats, finite element method (FEM) analysis of
wheels and geo-technical problems such as field validation of design
methodologies for rehabilitation of unstable structures and strengthening of
existing structures for heavier axle loads.
Two professorial chairs have been established at IIT Roorkee in the fields of bridge
engineering and the dynamics of railway vehicle systems. The research covers

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revision of fatigue provisions in codes for steel bridges, formulation of design
guidelines for rational assessment of temperature gradient in PRC box girders,
reduction of scour around bridge piers, optimization of railway wheel profiles for
longer life, and representation of track irregularities by photo-spectral density. IIT
Chennai also has a project on development of knowledge-based expert systems for
integrated design of bridges. IIT Delhi has projects on reduction of diesel engine
noise and analysis of rail stress by FEM. RDSO also has a joint project with CSIO
Chandigarh to develop an oscillation monitoring system based on microprocessor
technology.
INFRASTRUCTURE
RDSO has a number of laboratories which are well equipped with research and testing facilities
for development, testing and design evaluation of various railway related equipment and materials.
Some of these are:
Air Brake Laboratory is equipped with facilities for simulating operation of air brakes on freight
trains up to 192 wagons and 3 locomotives as also for simulation of passenger trains up to 30
coaches.
Brake Dynamometer Laboratory has facilities to develop and test brake friction materials for
locomotives, coaches and wagons. A unique facility in India, this laboratory has also been used
by R&D organizations of Ministry of Defence like DMRL, DRDL and HAL for indigenization of
brake pads for Defence aircraft.
B&S Laboratory has a 6mx14m heavy/testing floor on which full scale models of beam (spans
up to 10 m, slabs, columns, towers, shells and other components made of concrete, steel, brick etc.
can be tested under static, dynamic or pulsating loads. A high frequency ranging 250-700
cycles/min pulsator for the application of a pulsating loads varying from 2 to 20 tonnes and a
maximum static load of 40 tonnes on heavy duty testing floor. The Laboratory is equipped with
analogue strain indicator, multi-channel dynamic strain recording system, switching & balancing
units, acoustic emission equipment, data acquisition system etc. for recording various parameters.
Diesel Engine Development Laboratory has four test beds capable of testing diesel engines from
100 to 6000 HP with fully computerized systems for recording of over 128 test parameters at a
time. This facility has already enabled RDSO to develop technologies for improving fuel
efficiency, reliability and availability of diesel engines as well as to extract higher output from
existing diesel engines.
Fatigue Testing Laboratory for testing prototype locomotive and rolling stock bogies, springs
and other railway equipment subjected to stress and fatigue so as to ascertain their expected life in
service.

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Geo-technical Engineering Laboratory is equipped with facilities for determining strength
parameters of soil in lab and field condition. The State-of-art Sub-surface Interface Radar (SIR)
system, Laser based soil particle analyzer, and computerized consolidation test apparatus have
been installed in the lab. The lab also has computerized Static Triaxial Shear apparatus for
determining the strength of soil as well as the design of embankment.
Metallurgical & Chemical Laboratory is capable of destructive and non-destructive testing of
metals, polymers, composites, petroleum products and paints for providing information to be used
in design and also for monitoring performance of materials in service.
The M&C laboratory include Scanning Electron Microscope, Direct reading spectrometer,
Ultrasonic Flaw Detector and other non-destructive examination equipment, polymer and
composite evaluation facilities, thermal analyzer, corrosion engineering evaluation facilities
including weather meter, static 760 hour AR test rig for grease testing. V2F dynamic test rig for
grease testing, lube oil filter evaluation rig Cetane rating machine & 50t machine for rubber
deflection characteristics.
Psycho-Technical Laboratory for assessment of critical psycho-physical attributes of
operational staff such as drivers, switchmen and station masters for efficient operation. The
ergonomic laboratory of psycho-technical Directorate is also equipped with bio-feedback system
for assessment of EMG, GSR (Galvanic Skin Resistance) temperature, pulse and respiration rate
& is used for stress management exercises.
Signal Testing Laboratory for testing of all types of signaling equipment such as safety signaling
relays, block instruments, power supply equipment, point machines, signaling cables, electro-
mechanical signaling equipment/ components etc. There is an exclusive environmental testing
section equipped with environmental testing facilities as per ISO: 9000. These include,
programmable heat, humidity & cold chambers, mould growth, dust, rain chambers. Signaling
Equipment Development Centre has been set up in the Signaling Lab. In this Centre, working
signaling equipment & systems have been set up. The working systems include SSI, universal axle
counter, VLSI axle counter, AFTCs, block instruments etc. In addition, equipment developed by
RDSO, such as signaling relays, poly-carbonate lenses, LED signal lamps, triple pole double
filament lamps, power supply equipment etc., have also been displayed. This Centre will be used
for testing minor improvements in designs of SSI, axle counters etc., as well as for imparting
training to newly inducted Inspectors.
Track Laboratory for testing full scale track panel under dynamic load patterns similar to those
encountered in service. Stresses at the various locations of track components under simulated load
conditions are measured and recorded for analysis. This has helped in rationalizing and optimizing
design of track structures for Indian conditions. The facility of fatigue testing of welded rail joints
is also available.
In connection with joint research project of UIC on rail defect management, RDSO has been
entrusted with lab testing of rail samples from various world railways under simulated loading
conditions. Special rail tensioning system for application of longitudinal forces on rail samples to
simulate the thermal forces of the field has indigenously been developed, installed and
commissioned in track lab. This system, with capacity of up to 150 tonnes in static condition, is
being used to conduct testing of different rail samples.

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Mobile Test Facilities for recording of track parameters, locomotive power and conducting
oscillograph trials for evaluating vehicle-track interaction as also for monitoring track conditions.
For condition monitoring of OHE under live line and to facilitate directed maintenance of
electrification, a Network of testing and recording apparatus (NETRA) car, first of its kind,
developed by RDSO is actively in service for scanning OHE in Railway.
Vehicle Characterization Laboratory for conducting vehicle characterization tests on railway
vehicles to study the behavior of suspension systems and to determine natural frequencies.
Centre for Advanced Maintenance Technology at Gwalior for upgrading maintenance
technologies, and methodologies. Also to achieve improvements in productivity and performance
of all railway assets and manpower. This covers reliability, availability, utilization and efficiency.

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TECHNOLOGY MISSION ON RAILWAY SAFETY (TMRS)
Introduction
Railways have been the engine of economic and technical growth and development in India.
Railway Safety is not merely an area of national concern but also poses challenges to the
engineering and research community of the country. A Technology Mission has been launched to
focus national attention and drive modern technologies of monitoring, control, communications,
design, electronics and materials for Railway Safety. The earlier national programs on space and
defense research have not merely achieved goals specific to the missions, but have also provided
impetus to technology endeavors in institutions all across the country. A Technology Mission on
Railways will similarly help to initiate and incubate design and development projects of significant
national importance.
Technology issues on Railway safety and economy relate to multitude of engineering disciplines.
The mission will help to pool relevant engineering knowledge, expertise and resources available
in various research organizations and academic institutions in order to address these issues in an
efficient manner.
Mission Goals
 To develop and adopt state-of- the-art safety and control technologies defined by needs
related to Indian conditions; to implement projects aimed at achieving higher throughput,
lower cost of transmission and safer train movement.
 To encourage and initiate R & D activities pertinent to Indian Railways in academic
institutions and laboratories and establish convergence and synergy among them.
 To evolve and establish the academia-research institution-industry consortium approach as
a viable and vibrant mission mode of research and development.
 To disseminate technologies through participatory approach to other application areas
Projects under TMRS scheme:
1. Sensors for Detecting Hotboxes and Hot Wheels
Most derailments can be traced to either the failure of wheel bearings or brake binding.
Both conditions lead to overheating followed by seizure which in turn can cause wheel flats, track
damage and derailment. Hot Axle and Box Detection (HABD) systems are used globally for the
purpose. These rely on remote measurement of temperatures of the bearing boxes and the wheels.
These systems have to be capable of measuring the temperatures very fast (at 200 kmph the
measurement of a minimum of 10 points has to be made within 0.004 second). Any system to be
used in India has to be designed to cope with climatic extremes.

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2. Fog Vision Instrumentation
The project envisages development of instrumentation for improving the visibility during foggy
weather, night and bad weather conditions by developing a Fog vision system. Train movement
gets severely hampered during foggy climatic conditions. The weather conditions consistently
worsen with fog getting more opaque and such weather conditions extends for months.
Instrumentation technology needs to be developed to enable the train driver to see through the fog
for uninterrupted and safe train operation. After examining several options such as Radar (mm-
wave), Radiometer (mm-wave), Radiometer (infrared), Sonar(ultrasonic), etc., it has been
concluded that laser based viewing systems will be most suited for the Fog Vision Application.
Information like position of obstacles on the track ahead should be made available on the graphical
console display. The distance covered should be at least equal to the normal distance visible due
to the driver under normal night conditions. Optical visibility may become nearly zero in severe
fog conditions. Hence, sensors with fog penetration capability should be developed and data from
them processed to give an enhanced image of the track ahead on a console. There may be
requirement for developing multiple types of sensors to cater to different scenarios. In such cases,
data from multiple sensors should be used intelligently to give a single display on the console.
Active Infrared stereo vision using gating will enable the enhancement of infrared viewing under
heavy attenuation in foggy conditions.
3. Satellite Imaging for Rail Navigation (SIMRAN)
The objective of this project is to
(i) Develop an effective way to collect and disseminate information dynamically of every train
in a given geographical boundary for its location, speed and direction of movement.
(ii) Ensure better and selective dissemination of information to passengers. Train tracking
system using Global Positioning System (GPS) is being developed. Each train will have a
train locator unit to receive information from GPS satellites and continuously identify the
position of the train with information about its location (latitude and longitude values).
GSM is to be used for connectivity and wherever needed as an alternate location identifier.
The data logger can also be used to provide services for a central train enquiry system, anti-
collision device, train charting etc.
4. Track Side Bogie Monitoring System
The objectives of this project include
a) Development of an automated system to be installed along the track for detecting faults in
bogies of rolling stock (on-line monitoring of the condition of bogies).
b) Measurement of lateral and vertical rail forces.
c) Automatic vehicle identification using RFIDs.
d) Development of instrumentation for detection of components of the rolling stock which may
cause derailment.

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RAILWAY SIGNALLING
Railway signalling is a system used to safely direct railway traffic in order to
prevent trains from colliding. Trains move on fixed rails so they are uniquely susceptible to
collision; the weight of trains and momentum makes it difficult to stop before reaching the
impending obstacle.
Most forms of train control involve movement authority being passed from those responsible for
each section of a rail network (e.g., a signalman or stationmaster) to the train crew. The set of
rules and the physical equipment used to accomplish this determine what is known as the method
of working (UK), method of operation (US) or safeworking (Aus.). Not all these methods require
the use of physical signals and some systems are specific to single track railways.
A signal is a mechanical or electrical device erected beside a railway line to pass information
relating to the state of the line ahead to train/engine drivers (engineers in the US). The driver
interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly. Typically, a signal might inform the driver
of the speed at which the train may safely proceed or it may instruct the driver to stop.
SOME IMPORTANT TERMS USED IN RAILWAY SIGNALLING
TIMETABLE OPERATION
The simplest form of operation, at least in terms of equipment, is to run the system according to a
timetable. A fixed schedule is drawn up with which every train crew must be familiar. Trains
may only run on each section of track at their scheduled time, during which they have
'possession' and no other train is permitted to use the same section.
The timetable system has several disadvantages. First, there is no positive confirmation that the
track ahead is clear, only that it is scheduled to be clear. The system does not allow for engine
failures and other such problems. A second problem is the system's inflexibility. Trains cannot
be added, delayed, or rescheduled without advance notice.
A third problem is a corollary of the second: the system is inefficient. To provide flexibility, the
timetable must give trains a broad allocation of time to allow for delays, so the line is not in the
possession of each train for longer than is otherwise necessary.
Nonetheless, this system permits operation on a vast scale, with no requirements for any kind of
communication that travels faster than a train.

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BLOCK SIGNALLING
Trains cannot collide with each other if they are not permitted to occupy the same section of
track at the same time, so railway lines are divided into sections known as blocks. In normal
circumstances, only one train is permitted in each block at a time. This principle forms the basis
of most railway safety systems.
Before allowing a train to enter a block, a signalman must be certain that it is not already
occupied. When a train leaves a block, he must inform the signalman controlling entry to the
block. Even if the signalman receives advice that the previous train has left a block, he is usually
required to seek permission from the next signal box to admit the next train. When a train arrives
at the end of a block section, before the signalman sends the message that the train has arrived,
he must be able to see the end-of-train marker on the back of the last vehicle. This ensures that
no part of the train has become detached and remains within the section. The end of train marker
might be a colored disc (usually red) by day or a colored oil or electric lamp (again, usually red).
If a train has entered the next block before the signalman sees that the disc or lamp is missing, he
will ask the next signal box to stop the train and investigate.
TRACK DETECTION
TRACK CIRCUITS
A track circuit is a simple electrical device used to detect the absence of a train on rail tracks,
used to inform signalers and control relevant signals. The rails at either end of each section are
electrically isolated from the next section, and an electrical current is fed to both running rails at
one end. A relay at the other end is connected to both rails. When the section is unoccupied, the
relay coil completes an electrical circuit, and is energized. However, when a train enters the
section, it short-circuits the current in the rails, and the relay is de-energized.
AXLE COUNTERS
An alternative method of determining the occupied status of a block is using devices located at
its beginning and end that count the number of axles entering and leaving the block section. If
the same number of axles leave the block section is equal to those which entered it, the block is
assumed to be clear.

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FIG 1
FIG 2
Colour light signals
On most modern railways, colour light signals have largely replaced mechanical ones. Colour
light signals have the advantage of displaying the same aspects by night as by day, and require
less maintenance than mechanical signals.
Although signals vary widely between countries, and even between railways within a given
country, a typical system of aspects would be:
 Green: Proceed at line speed. Expect to find next signal displaying green or yellow.
 Yellow: Prepare to find next signal displaying red.
 Red: Stop.

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Route signalling and speed signalling
Signalling of British origin generally conforms to the principle of route signalling. Most railway
systems around the world, however, use what is known as speed signalling.
Under route signalling, a driver is informed which route the train will take beyond each signal
(unless only one route is possible). This is achieved by a route indicator attached to the signal.
The driver uses his route knowledge, reinforced by speed restriction signs fixed at the line side,
to drive the train at the correct speed for the route to be taken. This method has the disadvantage
that the driver may be unfamiliar with a route onto which he has been diverted due to some
emergency condition. Several accidents have been caused by this alone. For this reason, in the
UK drivers are only allowed to drive on routes that they have been trained on and must regularly
travel over the lesser used diversionary routes to keep their route knowledge up to date.
Under speed signalling, the signal aspect informs the driver at what speed he may proceed, but
not necessarily the route the train will take. Speed signalling requires a far greater range of signal
aspects than route signalling, but less dependence is placed on drivers' route knowledge.

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ROLE OF TRANSDUCER
Transducer has a very important role in any Electronics lab. In brief Transducer is a heart of any
Electronic system. An Electronics Instrumentation System consists of a number of components
which together are used to perform a measurement and record the result. An Instrumentation
System consists of three major elements.
1) Input device.
2) Signal Conditioning or processing device.
3) Output device.
The kind of system depends on what is to be measured and how the measurement result is to be
presented.
Input Device
The input quantity for most instrumentation system is non electrical. In order to use electrical
methods and techniques for Measurement manipulation or control, the non-electrical quantity is
converted in to an electrical signal by a device called Transducer.
One definition states a Transducer is a device which, when actuated by energy in one transmission
system, supplies energy in the same form or in other form to a second transmission system.
This energy transmission may be Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Optical or Thermal. For
example device that convert mechanical force or displacement into an electrical signal. Many other
physical parameters such as heat, light, humidity may also be converted into electrical signals by
means of transducers.
CLASSIFICATION
Transducer may be classified according to their application method of energy conversion, nature
of the output signal and so on .Mainly electrical transducers classified in two categories.
1) ACTIVE TRANSDUCER 2) PASSIVE TRANSDUCER
ACTIVE TRANSDUCER
The active transducers are self-generating type, producing analog voltage or current when
simulated by some physical form of energy. Active transducer does not require external power
supply. Such transducer can convert a physical quantity in to an electrical quantity
Examples: - Thermocouple, Moving coil generator, peizo electric pickup (sound vibration,
acceleration etc.), Photocell.
PASSIVE TRANSDUCER
Passive transducer require external power supply. Such Passive transducer produce a variation in
some electric parameter such as resistance, capacitance inductance, etc. which can be measured as
voltage or current variation Examples: - Strain gauges, LVDT, String Pot .etc.

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LVDT
Fig 3: LVDT
An LVDT (Linear Variable Differential Transformer) is a transformer device which produces an
electrical output proportional to the displacement of a free moving core.
This type of transducer consists of a primary coil power-supplied by an AC signal and two
secondary coils.
When the core moves inside the coils, it induces voltage V1 and V2 in each secondary coil,
proportional to its displacement. The two secondary coils are connected in series and in opposite
polarity, so that the output signal is the difference between these voltages.
In this configuration, the output voltage is null when the core is at the center. When it moves
from the center, the differential voltage increases. This output voltage is then rectified in order to
get a DC signal proportional to the displacement core.
Displacing the core to the left causes the first secondary to be more strongly coupled to the
primary than the second secondary. The resulting higher voltage of the first secondary in relation
to the second secondary causes an output voltage that is in phase with the primary voltage.
Likewise, displacing the core to the right causes the second secondary to be more strongly
coupled to the primary than the first secondary. The greater voltage of the second secondary
causes an output voltage to be out of phase with the primary voltage.

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FIG 4: Working of LVDT
ADVANTAGES OF LVDT
 Contactless measurement
There is no physical contact between the core and the coil assembly. This allows both vibration
measurements and tests of delicate materials.
 Infinite resolution
Being an inductive frictionless transducer, an LVDT has an infinite resolution only limited by
the associated electronics.
 Severe environment compatibility
Due to its principle of operation and design (hermetically sealed coils inside a stainless steel
body, independent free moving core assembly), this type of transducer can withstand very hard
environments such as pressure up to 600 bar, temperature up to 235°C, radiation up to 2.5 x 108
rads, corrosive and explosive atmospheres.
 Input/ output insulation
As a transformer, the LVDT’s excitation and measurement electrical windings are completely
insulated.

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ACCELEROMETERS
An accelerometer is an electromechanical device that will measure acceleration forces. These
forces may be static, like the constant force of gravity pulling at your feet, or they could be
dynamic - caused by moving or vibrating the accelerometer.
By measuring the amount of static acceleration due to gravity, you can find out the angle the
device is tilted at with respect to the earth. By sensing the amount of dynamic acceleration, you
can analyze the way the device is moving. At first, measuring tilt and acceleration doesn't seem
all that exciting. However, engineers have come up with many ways to make really useful
products with them.
An accelerometer can help your project understand its surroundings better. Is it driving uphill? Is
it going to fall over when it takes another step? Is it flying horizontally or is it dive bombing your
professor? A good programmer can write code to answer all of these questions using the data
provided by an accelerometer. An accelerometer can help analyze problems in a train engine
using vibration testing.
FIG 5: Accelerometer
There are many different ways to make an accelerometer! Some accelerometers use the
piezoelectric effect - they contain microscopic crystal structures that get stressed by accelerative
forces, which causes a voltage to be generated. Another way to do it is by sensing changes in
capacitance.
Seismic type accelerometers has mass on the spring mounted in a case. Strain gage are the sensing
elements which gives the electrical output proportional to the motion between mass and case. This
transducer measures the acceleration of the moving body over which it is placed. The resistance
type strain gages are fixed on cantilever strip. Due to acceleration, stresses are produced in the
strip on which gages are cemented. The change in resistance occurs due to change of stresses.
Finally the signal in the output of the Wheat Stone Bridge appears at output terminals. This output
signal is calibrated in terms of acceleration.

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OSCILLATION MONITORING SYSTEM (OMS)
The objective of track maintenance is to provide a safe and comfortable riding to the
passengers. The acceleration experienced by the passengers while travelling in vehicles a
direct measure of the riding comfort. Acceleration is experienced in all directions by the
vehicle but can be resolved into three main directions viz longitudinal, lateral and vertical.
Here level of acceleration is normally low in longitudinal direction. However in the vertical
and lateral direction it is comparatively higher. Such acceleration is experienced due to
riding characteristics of the vehicle as well as due to the irregularities in the track. As such
other parameters remaining the same, the vertical and lateral accelerations experienced are
directly related to track irregularities. Based on the experimental studies a system was
developed to find out the irregularities of a track. This system was known as Oscillation
Monitoring System (OMS-2000). This portable OMS2000 is a microprocessor-based
system for track monitoring by measurement of the following parameters:
1. Speed
2. Vertical and lateral accelerations on loco/coach floor.
3. Sperling Ride Index.
The above three parameters are monitored in real time and results are produced in the form
of a print out on an alpha numeric printer. Whenever any of the above parameters exceeds
a preset limit, an exception report is printed out. Besides this, the data collected during the
run is stored in a battery-backed ram and may be transferred to a personal computer with
the help of software.
The speed of the train is measured by using a tachometer which driven by a flexible shaft
connected to the wheel. Tachometer generates pulses, which are fed to OMS 2000. The
gear ratio of the driving arrangement of the tachometer and the external tacho slotted plate
(normally 6 slots) should be such that one pulse is generated every 0.34 meters.
The Vertical and lateral acceleration levels on the coach floor are monitored using two
accelerometers mounted in a transducer assembly There is a built in instrumentation
amplifier to condition the raw signals coming from the accelerometers. The same
acceleration signals are used to detect large acceleration peaks. And for calculating Ride
Index. The Ride Index is calculated according to Sperling formulae implemented as per R
D S O Lucknow method.
The reports generated by OMS 2000 can be used for directing the track maintenance efforts
to the exact spots where high dynamic activity has been noticed.

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Fig 6: PC Based OMS Fig 7: Microcontroller based OMS
Fig 8: Display of results on PC based OMS Fig 9: Complete setup of microcontroller
based OMS

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SALIENT FEATURES
1) Portable. Total weight less than 18 Kgs including battery and transducer assembly.
2) Battery operated. Rechargeable battery is supplied along with a charger. On a fully charged
battery the system can operate continuously for more than 12 hours. The system can be
operated on 110 V DC, which is available in coaches. The system is supplied with a Multi
Input Power Supply Cum Battery (MIPS) .The input to this MIPS is 110V AC/DC&220V AC,
the output is 12V DC.
3) Built in instrumentation amplifier for transducer. No messy connections to be made during the
run.
4) Built in battery backed Real time clock, prints date and time at the start of each run to ease
record keeping.
5) In case a tachometer is connected, KM and distance in meters from the last KM post is printed
on the printout .In case tachometer is not connected ,KM telegraph post number from the last
Km post and time of occurrence of each peak (in seconds up to 2 decimal places) is printed
out for easily locating bad stretch of track. From the time of successive peaks it is also possible
to calculate the frequency of oscillations built up in the coach.
6) Facility to print ground features (Points and crossings, Bridges and level crossing) on the print
out.
7) Accurate results. Sperling Ride Index formula implemented exactly.
8) Complete report is generated during the run itself. No tedious calculations to be done later on.
Facility for printing AEN /PWI wise summary reports at the end of the run using the data
stored in the battery backed ram.
9) Stores data during the run in battery backed CMOS RAM, which can be transferred to a
computer at the end of the run for analysis with the help of software.
10) Simple operation. Can be operated by semi-skilled staff also.
11) Rugged, does not require air conditioning.

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SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF THE SYSTEM
12 V DC
Ext. socket
Input
90-260
VAC/DC
SMPS
based
MIPS
Signal Conditioner
&
Auto CAL Card
Key Board
Tacho
Control
Unit
LCD
Display
Port for 24 column
Alpha Numeric
printer
DC-DC
Converter
Card CPU
&
Memory
Card
Solid state
Memory
Module
1 MB
Tachometer
Sensing unit
Event Marker
/TP Switch
Accelerometer
Sub-assemblies
System
Cabinet
Mother Board
Schematic Block Diagram of Micro-Controller based Oscillation monitoring System (OMS)
RS-232
Serial port
12 V Ni-Mh Battery
Socket for charging
Fig 10: Microcontroller based OMS

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ULTIMATE PORTABLE MONITORING SYSTEM
OMS are used for measuring vertical and lateral accelerations to assess the condition of track.
This data is used as a maintenance tool for planning & carrying out maintenance of the track.
The earlier version of OMS was based on obsolete discrete technology and suffered from
sufficient data storage capacity and analysis capabilities. Moreover, it was bulky and heavy in
weight. To overcome these problems, PC based and Microcontroller Based OMS have been
developed based on latest technology. These systems have more capacity to store data, facility of
on-line and off-line printing of reports, low power consumption, higher reliability, compact and
light weight. The data portability to PC enables various types of analysis even at later stage for
taking managerial decisions. To overcome the defects of existing OMS like Poor reliability and
Maintainability - especially of microcontroller based equipment, Bulky, Higher power
consumption (mainly of accelerometer sensor assembly), need of operator for recording track
feature location & need for good visibility condition for recording, Research Directorate is
developing MEMS based oscillation monitoring system employing GPS technology for
identification of location of track features. The equipment to be developed shall be capable of
automatic recording of track acceleration in the route without manual intervention. The MEMs
based accelerometer sensor shall preferably employ wireless data transfer to recorder equipment.
Fig 11: Working of a Portable OMS

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WHEEL IMPACT LOAD DETECTOR (WILD)
Wheel Impact Load Detector (WILD) has been developed jointly by RDSO and IIT, Kanpur.
This system provides audio-visual signal to the train operating staff in the event of passing of an
abnormal wheel having higher impact load due to wheel flats/ defects, which may cause damage
to the track as well as rolling stocks. The WILD system automatically detects the wheels having
higher impact load & round the clock automated recording has also been started. In this system,
12 circuits of Rosette strain gauges are fixed on the web of rail between sleeper cribs on each rail
for covering two revolutions of most standard diameter wheels to ensure 100% detection of the
wheels having abnormal signatures. As a train approaches, the leading wheel set triggers the
advance sensor to start the system. After passing of the train, the recorded data is automatically
analyzed and down loaded through telephone link to control room computer.
Fig 12 WILD system
HOT WHEEL DETECTION (HAHW)
Some derailments can be traced to either the failure of wheel bearings or brake binding. Both
conditions lead to overheating followed by seizure which in turn can cause wheel flats, track
damage and derailment. Hot Axle and
Hot Wheel Detection (HAHW) systems are used globally for the purpose. These rely on remote
measurement of temperatures of the bearing boxes and the wheels. These systems have to be
capable of measuring the temperatures very fast. Any system to be used in India has to be
designed to cope with climatic extremes. Two prototype systems have been developed. The
system uses state of the art technology to measure the axle box and the wheel tread temperature
of the axles passing the site and report the data through the internet website. System also has the
capability to send critical messages to the nominated person through SMS in case of critical
readings. The field testing of these prototypes are underway.

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Fig HAHW System
Fig14 HAHW System
Fig 15 Pyrometer Fig 16 MCT