RoadRailer Air Brake Fault
Localization
ECE 480 Design Team 8
Tia Twigg
Marcelo de Castro
Saurav Shrestha
Abdulaziz Najm
Dilo Benjamin
Introduction:
RoadRailer system:
 Bi-modal transportation
 Trailers
 Bogies
 Air ride system lifts trailer so bogie can roll under it
 Tires lift to clear rails
Introduction:
Assembling the train:
 Trailers and bogies are
connected to form the
train
 The glad-hands connect
the air brake lines from the
trailers to the bogies
Project Goals:
Hardware:
 Develop a system to detect leaks or obstructions in air brake
hoses
Software:
 Develop back-end software to compare incoming data with
established baseline
Design Specifications:
Objectives:




Air tight hose connector
Accuracy within ±0.1 psi
Transmit and receive signals from multiple sensors
Display data from all sensors on one screen
Constraints:
 Durable and weather proof
 Independent power source
 Easy to install, maintain and operate
Design Solutions: Hardware
Glad-hand rose adaptor
 Air tight
 Installed in a nondestructive way into
the existing system
using glad-hands
DESIGN SOLUTIONS
Sensor
 Independent power source
 Pressure range 100 psi with ± 0.1 psi
accuracy
 Operating temperature : -40°C to 85°C
 Wireless range 1.5 km
Base Station
 Easy to install and operate
 ZigBee protocols
Design Solutions
Sensor
 Pressure range 100 psi with 0.1 psi
accuracy
 Operating temperature:
-20 °F to 120 °F
 Independent power source
 Battery life 2 months
 Wireless range 1.5km
 Cost
Base Station
 ZigBee protocols
 secure data connections
 Collision avoidance
 Support for multiple network topologies
such as mesh networks
LOOKING BACK AT PROJECT GOALS
 Wireless communication between sensors
Solution
Remote Antenna
improve line-of-sight
and signal strength
PRESSURE SENSOR 1 TEST
APPLICATION
 Provides a packet of information for one pressure sensor in
real-time.
 Packet of information includes primary pressure, battery
voltage, strength of received signal and module temperature.
 User role: Connect receiver to the computer;
 use X-CTU software to enable wireless communication
 enter sensor serial number and number of counts in PS1 Test
Application.
PRESSURE SENSOR 1 TEST
APPLICATION
MULTI TEST APPLICATION
 Collects same packet of information as that of PS1 Test
Application in real time.
 Used to collect information from multiple sensors.
 User role: PS1 Test Application user role + enter sampling
period (seconds)
MULTI TEST APPLICATION
BACK-END PROCESSING
APPLICATION
 Designed and added a back-end processing application in
Multi-Test Application and PS1 Test Application.
 User Role: Multi Test 1/PS1 Application Role + enter a range
for normal pressure value.
 PS1 Back-end Processing: Separate plots for each sensors.
User will set limit for each of the sensors.
 Multi Test Back-end Processing: Application will make
individual graphs for each sensor’s pressure in one plot.
 Both back-end processing application will flash message in
real-time if the incoming pressure reading is outside the range.
MULTI TEST BACK-END
PROCESSING APPLICATION
PS1 BACK-END PROCESSING
APPLICATION
Suggestions for future design
improvements
 Better functionality for purchased sensors
 Practical tests of device on the actual pressure system
 Finding alternative solutions for the wireless range
 Further develop Backend Process
Tests
 Notes and Assumptions
• Clamp Hose
• 50 psi
• Not instantaneous
Reading
 Setup
•
•
•
•
•
Nitrogen Tank
5 Glad hand connectors
2 pressure sensors
Pressure gauge
1 leaky hose
Tests
 Procedure
•
•
•
•
Simulate the actual system
Connect via glad hands
Create restriction
Turn on the pressure tank
 Results
•
•
•
Restricted side pressurized
slower
Leak affected the restricted
side
Once the tank was turned
off, restricted side dropped
pressure faster due to leak
Demonstration
 Pressurized with no
restriction/ leaks
 Pressurized with
restriction/ leak
Conclusion
 Designed an adapter for the glad-hand connectors
 Pressure sensors installed in the adapter will transmit pressure
information wirelessly
 Sensor operates in harsh environments – from rain to desert
storms
 Developed a back-end software to display out of rage pressure
readings
 Tested the device in the laboratory to determine functionality
Questions?