Vibration Measurement of Signal Bonds for Shinkansen

In automatic train control systems, which are indispensable for train services, a signal bond is used for positioning of and communicating with trains, and is welded to a rail. If the signal bond welded to the rail falls off over time and loses its electrical connection, trains cannot be operated. This paper proposes a method for detecting welding detachment of signal bonds by vibration analysis using IoT technology. Specifically, the vibration of signal bonds is analyzed by using the vibration when the train passes through the rails to detect welding detachment. A vibration measurement experiment was conducted at Shin-Tosu station of Kyushu Railway Company, Japan. This paper shows the vibration of a signal bond welded normally obtained from the experiment.