The L2M Rail team and IISc have pioneered fiber Bragg grating sensing technology to develop a Structural Health Monitoring System (SHMS), which will monitor civil engineering structures of Kerala Rail’s Silverline project, according to a statement.
The MoUs were exchanged between Kerala Railways MD V Ajith Kumar and IISc Registrar Captain Sridhar Warrier in the presence of IISc Director Govindan Rangarajan and IISc Chief Executive Officer B Gurumurthy in Bengaluru on Thursday.
The partnership addresses the need for accurate, real-time data about the status of all rail structures. The team uses FBG-sensor technology to ensure the stability and integrity of structures even in vulnerable areas, which include a large portion of the terrain covered by the ambitious Silverline project, it said.
There is a need for a change from the traditional manual inspection to ensure rail safety in settlement prone locations, flood prone areas, soil slippery locations, weak soil and heavy rainfall areas etc.
Continuous, technology-driven monitoring of both running trains and rail structures provides the ideal solution, the statement said. Through this partnership, Kerala Rail Development Corporation aims to ensure the safety of trains on this 530 kms. Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod.
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About the partnership, Srinivasa Rao Ganapa, co-founder of L2M Rail and former IRSSE officer, said that there is a gap between the critical need for rail safety and the lack of systems that continuously monitor both trains and railway structures in real time. We do.
He said, “Structural faults are generally identified only when an accident occurs, and preventive identification of weak links can help avoid mass casualties, such as the recent collapse of the Mexico metro rail structure.” ,” They said.
The official said that the potential of FBG sensor technology is immense, and its application is not limited to rail surveillance, but in any area where continuous, real-time monitoring and timely warning alerts are needed for loss of detection. is required.
Through this FBG-sensor powered monitoring system, rail corporations will be able to embed or attach sensors to rail structures, enabling on-demand and continuous data, as well as 24/7 warning alerts in case of damage detection .
The technology will be uniquely adapted to each structure and location, with no standard methodology.
“Rail safety has always been a major concern for us, and while trains are regularly inspected, structural damage is not noticed during manual inspections. We are working to strengthen Silverline infrastructure and guard against potential rail casualties. We welcome the channeling of innovative solutions towards taking preventive action, said V Ajith Kumar, Managing Director, Kerala Railways.
The immense potential of FBG sensor technology has been harnessed by IISc researchers in diverse fields ranging from aerospace to biomedical.
Earlier, L2MRL-innovated Fiber Bragg Grating Sensing Technology-based Wheel Impact Load Detector was deployed at two locations in Bengaluru in collaboration with RDSO/Indian Railways and IISc.
L2MRail has also developed several other IPs for innovative applications of FBG sensing technology to monitor critical parameters to ensure train safety. The startup aims to take the technology to all parts of the country, thereby transforming the standards of rail safety, the release said.
Lab To Market Innovation Pvt. Ltd. is developing/innovating next generation technologies to make Railways safe and efficient.
Lab to Market Innovation Pvt Ltd is funded by Society for Innovation and Development (SID) at IISc.