Temperature Sensor for Rail Track

[hn123]

Hi,

I wants to know about Temperature sensor for special used for Railway track.

I am working on mini project to detect railway track temperature measurement.

Please give some name of Temperature sensor which can be able to detect track temperature .

Is there any same sensor in TI .

 

[betwixt]

Your specification narrows it down to about 1,000 alternatives. Have you tried looking for temperature sensors in data sheets?

You need to specifiy the range of temperatures you are measuring, this rail track could be at the equator or in Siberia.
You need to specify the kind of interface it should have, digital or analog and how far the data has to be carried before it is used.
You need to specify the accuracy and resolution you need.
And any special environmental considerations, dry, wet, how mounted, vibration, on ground, under ground or on a bridge.......

Brian.

 

[hn123]

Hello Brian,

I wants to design this for Indian weather condition which is change in 3 seasons.

I wants to get output in term s of UART interfacing .

Weather condition here is generally dry & hot in summer upto 47 c. so for track's it would be 70-80 C.
In Winter its minimum up-to 10 C so track's would be 25-35 C.

I searched so many Temperature sensor but not specially for Track temperature monitor.


Can I use Thermo-couple instead of Temperature sensor?

Suggest me

 

[ThirunavukkarasuThoondi]

Hi
you can try the RTD type temperature sensors, but you have to attach it to the railway track

 

[hn123]

hi,

how i can start selection of RTD .

 

[ThirunavukkarasuThoondi]

Hi
you can select the size and specifications of the RTD depending upon your requiement(where you going to use it)
RTD available in different sizes and different temperature ranges also.

 

[KlausST]

Hi,

the most problem i see in the vibrations. Expect very high g force.

The other problems are (see it combined with the vibratons) braking isolation (and wires) especially in combination with chemicals, heat, UV.
Therefore i tend to simple sensors like thermocouple. I think they are rather robust.
Consider potting in mechanically damping silicon gel.

Use some meters of wire to the active part. The active part (amplifier, filter, ADC, microcontroller, supply, interface...) should be mounted in a closed metal case with vents.
It should be mounted in a place with low vibration. Consider to elcetriacally isolate the controller and the data lines. Either by using optocouplers or - even better - use POV or glass viber for signal transmission ... or wireless.

Then RTD, PT100, PT100.

I don´t think active semiconductor sensors are suitable.

***

Is it an electrical railway? If so then take care about the influence of high voltage, high current.

 

[betwixt]

All good suggestions but I would do it a different way (typical rebel!).

I would hold a semiconductor sensor to the rail (MCP17xx or DS1802 maybe) with a small saddle clamp. Attach short but flexible 3 or 4 core cable to a small box, fix the sensor end of the cable to the rail so it can't move relative to the sensor and cause stress at the joints. Then cover the sensor and the sensor end of the cable with silicone to thermally isolate it from atmosphere and diirect sunlight and also cushion from vibrations. In the box I would use an MCU with either an ADC (for analog sensor) or 1-Wire interface (for a digital sensor) and a UART to produce the serial data stream. I would then interface it using RS432 and a twisted pair data cable. At say 1200 Bauds it should give error free data over a distance of up to at least 1Km and draw maybe 15mA of current.

I have used this method for remote temperature monitoring many times, including under several metres of water on one occasion but never on an Indian rail track!

Brian.