Introduction
The first UIC Fiber Optics Sensing Workshop will take place at UIC on 21st February 2024. This workshop, organized by the UIC Infrastructure Department together with the Track Expert Group (TEG) and the Pannel of Structural Experts (PoSE), will allow the Infrastructure Managers, supported by the industry, to exchange knowledge on FOS use for track and structure maintenance and to present some existing use cases.
Fiber Optics Sensing (FOS) allows the Infrastructure Managers to obtain information almost in real time. The sensor consists of a light guided through an optical fibre that interacts with external excitations and produces a modulated light signal from the source, traveling to the detector. Events can therefore be detected and located to forecast maintenance activities, and since additional installations close to the tracks are commonly not necessary (it is possible to use existing cables for it), FOS seems a promising technique for the future.
Some of current applications of Fiber Optic Sensing in railways are track condition monitoring (rail surface inspection), natural alarms related to rockfalls or landslides, localization of catenary flashovers and security alarms concerning track intrusions and cable thefts.
There are still many uncertainties related to Fiber Optics Sensing application to railways, such as how to interpretate the compiled data, how to calibrate models and how can the results be extrapolated to other parts of the network or other countries. These and other questions, focused on the fields of track and structure, will be addressed during the workshop.
Language
The event will be held in English.
Programme
9h00 – 10h30 Session 1:
Fiber Optics Sensing: Technology Fundamentals
Moderated by Rosa Casquero, UIC
- Rosa Casquero, UIC. Opening and welcome remarks
- Francisco López, Aragon Photonics. “DFOS technology fundamentals, applications and system description”
- Yannick Maier, Sensonic. “DFOS algorithms, client interfaces and live demonstration”
- Q&A
10h30 – 11h00 Coffee break (Mezzanine)
11h00 – 12h30 Session 2:
Use cases on track
Moderated by Bernhard Knoll, ÖBB
- ÖBB. “FOS use for ballast degradation analysis”
- Tarik Hammi, SNCF. “SNCF experience on broken rail detection”
- Pedro Pérez, ADIF. “Adif experience on broken rail detection and operational issues”
- Q&A
12h30 – 13h30 Lunch break (Mezzanine)
13h30 – 15h00 Session 3:
Use cases on structures
Moderated by Tuomas Kaira, UIC
- Pedro Pérez, ADIF. “Adif experience on rockfalls”
- Joseph Grand, SNCF. “Rockfalls, underground cavities and bridge monitoring in SNCF”
- Attila Buzás, AdvaNet Kft. & Axel R.Tóth, MÁV Zrt.. “Case study: Railway bridge monitoring (Hungary / Érd) based on Fiber Optic Sensing”
- Q&A
15h00 Closure
Registration
The workshop is initially addressed only to experts from the Infrastructure Managers which are members of the TEG and/or PoSE groups. Concerning these companies, it is open to all the experts, subject to the event capacity.
In case of not being a member of any of these groups, please contact Mr. Jesús Palma at palma@uic.org in order to request for attendance (Company details will be required).