Analysis of the possibilities in railways shape assessing using GNSS mobile measurements

Abstract

In recent years, a dynamic development of satellite positioning techniques using both static and mobile GNSS coordinates register mode can be observed. In addition, still developing Real-time GNSS Networks, post-processing algorithms and another measurement signal analysis algorithms, make the satellite measurements increasingly used in railway industry sector. In the article the possibilities which follows from the mobile satellite measurements in railway engineering are briefly presented. In the years 2009-2015, the authors conducted a series of field investigations on operated railway lines. The obtained results of these measurements led to the development of a number of algorithms that increase the range of applicability of GNSS measurements. The analysis of obtained results also showed how the accuracy of the measurements have increased since 2009. The achieved accuracy has been increased due to a development of GNSS positioning systems as well as improvement of the measurement methodology, i.e. configurations of satellite receivers and layouts of their placement on a mobile measuring platform. It was also found that the development of data analysis algorithms contributed to the increase in the obtained accuracy in assessment of a railway track axis shape. The authors indicate the possibilities of applying GNSS techniques at various stages of construction and operation of railways. According to the authors, the most important advantage of both the presented measurement technique and computational methodology is the ability to effectively and relatively low-cost data acquisition regarding the existing state of the railway line. These data can be successfully used to design changes to the geometry of railway lines, and therefore satellite positioning has enormous application potential in the process of modernization of operated railway lines.

The Accuracy of a Marine Satellite Compass under Terrestrial Urban Conditions

“…Improvement of the GPS and Glonass system accuracy [7,8], construction of new systems (Galileo/Beidou) and creating new multi-constellation geodetic GNSS systems [9] have contributed to the rapid development of the method. Studies were conducted in 2009-2017 in two main directions: geodetic-associated with increasing the measurement accuracy and availability [10][11][12], and related to the device construction-aimed at developing new design and operation methods [13][14][15][16]. Further examination of the method under development was conducted at Gdańsk Brzeźno on a several-kilometre tramway track with variable sky visibility conditions.…”

Testing the Positioning Accuracy of GNSS Solutions during the Tramway Track Mobile Satellite Measurements in Diverse Urban Signal Reception Conditions

“…Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as Global Positioning System (GPS), Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) and Galileo [1][2][3][4], and their augmentation systems [Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS), European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) and Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) [5][6][7][8]] are widely used in various branches of transport, including maritime, air and land, as well as rail transport [9][10][11][12]. There are three major areas in rail transport, in which satellite systems can be applied: passenger information, rail traffic management and rail traffic control [13][14][15]. However, it must be noted that, depending on the needs, a navigation system must meet the accuracy-related requirements related to train positioning.…”

“…Increasing the accuracy of the GPS and GLONASS systems [19], the construction of the next systems (BDS/Galileo) and the creating of new multi-constellation GNSS geodetic networks [20] contributed to the rapid development of the method. Studies were conducted in 2009-2017 in two main directions: geodetic-associated with increasing the measurement accuracy and availability [10,21,22], and device construction-aimed at developing new design and operation methods [14,[23][24][25].…”

Digital Filtering of Railway Track Coordinates in Mobile Multi–Receiver GNSS Measurements

“…This results from the fact that in this method, the time needed for precise geodetic coupling to physical infrastructure situated along the track is omitted, and the synchronized measuring signals are recorded with a relatively high frequency. In many countries, GNSS techniques are introduced to support determining of track coordinates; however, their use for accurate (in the global sense) mapping of track axis, especially in areas with varying access to satellites, is still a challenging issue [ 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]. That is why the research project InnoSatTrack included an attempt to build a platform for multi–sensor track geometry measurement [ 35 ].…”