No abstract

The tensile fracture behavior of polymer matrix composite materials was investigated with the aid of a nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technique. The materials, E-glass fiber reinforced epoxy matrix composites, which are applicable to bogie materials in railway vehicles to reduce weight, were used for this investigation. In order to explain stress-strain behavior of polymer matrix composite sample, the infrared thermography technique was employed. A high-speed infrared (IR) camera was used for in-situ monitoring of progressive damages of polymer matrix composite samples during tensile testing. In this investigation, the IR thermography technique was used to facilitate a better understanding of damage evolution, fracture mechanism, and failure mode of polymer matrix composite materials during monotonic loadings.

The electrical units of diesel electric locomotives, which were used for over 30 years, were characterized for deterioration evaluation through insulation resistance measurement, degradation testing, and infrared thermography method. Especially, an infrared camera and thermocouples were employed for the evaluation. The thermocouples were attached on high-voltage cables connected to traction motors, for in-situ measurement of abnormal heating during test running. After test running, the thermographic images were obtained for the inspection of high-voltage cables using the infrared camera. The thermographic results were quantitatively analyzed, and compared with temperature changes during running. In this investigation, various analysis techniques for the safety characterization of diesel electric locomotives have been introduced, and the analysis results have been used to provide the deterioration or wear information in current locomotive systems.

Engineering safety diagnosis of collided subway electric multiple units (EMUs) was conducted for safety assessment. Several advanced engineering analysis techniques including nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques and stress and structural analyses programs, were performed for better understandings and exploration of failure analysis and safety concerns. NDE techniques such as ultrasonic testing and magnetic particle testing, were used to detect manufactureinduced and/or in-service defects and collision-induced flaws, and measure the dimensions of deformed and non-deformed parts on damaged EMUs due to a rear-end collision. Moreover, stress and structural analyses using commercial I-DEAS software provided important information on stress distribution and load transfer mechanisms as well as the amount of damages during the crash. A good agreement has been found between structural analysis results and the results of actual damages in EMUs during crash. In this investigation, various advanced engineering analysis techniques for the safety analysis of subway EMUs have been introduced and the analysis results have been used to rovide the critical information for the safety assessment of collided EMUs.

The hot spot generation has been considered as the main degradation mechanism in railway brake disc. Therefore, the understanding of hot spots, also called hot judder, which is undesirable low frequency vibrations developed by non-uniform contact area between brake pad material and brake disc, is important for a better understanding of material design as well as enhancement of materials properties in railway brake disc. Also, infrared (IR) thermography is a powerful NDE technique for the characterization of thermal phenomenon in engineering components and/or systems including engineering materials. The high-speed IR camera provides the measurement of temperature change during brake operation as well as the images of temperature contour on the brake disc surface. In this investigation, damage evolution due to generation of hot spots on railway brake disc was investigated using the infrared thermography method. Moreover, based on obtained thermographic images of hot spots, the hot spots and thermal damage of railway brake disc during braking operation were qualitatively analyzed.