Patent attributes
Methods, systems and devices for monitoring the stress of a rail, in particular, of continuous welded rail (CWR), providing a device that includes radar processing mechanisms and circuitry which is mountable on a rail to be monitored. The radar unit is sealed in a housing and projects a beam to a fixed target that is within a detection range of the radar unit. The radar unit also includes circuitry that allows programming of readings to take place at predetermined time intervals so changes and the extent of changes in conditions of the rail may be determined, and communicated to a remotely situated monitoring device, which may take place through a gateway or other communication network. The devices also may be used to measure temperature and other properties, rail conditions within a tunnel, such as proximity of the rail to walls, as well as ground condition, and bridge monitoring.
