Oscillations Monitoring

System
&
Oscillograph Cars
By
Siraj ahamed
 OMS-2000 (Para 513/IRPWM)
• Oscillations Monitoring System (OMS)-2000 is a microprocessor
based system to record oscillations in vehicle.
• It has a portable Accelerometer which can be directly placed over
coach or locomotive floor near bogie pivot to record the oscillations.
• By transducers, Oscillations are converted into electrical signals
which can be recorded electronically and processed on PC
• It is a portable system which can be easily transported for use.
• Works in the control of Division or Zonal HQ /
Accelerometer Box

DAMPING FLUIDE

Strain gauges

MASS
x

ACCELEROMETER
 Accelerometer

• Accelerometer is main component of Oscillograph Car

• It consists of a mass “m” attached to a thin flexible plate
whose one end is firmly fixed in casing of accelerometer
and other end remains cantilever.
• Space within casing is filled with damping fluid which is
normally Silicon liquid.
• Cantilever flexible plate is strain gauged, to sense
deflection of mass, and calibrated to indicate acceleration
to which the mass is subjected to.
 OMS-2000

It records-
• Speed of Vehicle
• Vertical and Lateral Acceleration on coach floor.
 Record /Display exceedance of vertical / lateral acceleration above a Lower threshold
value.
 Location of such exceedance as distance in meters from any predetermined reference
point (Generally a km post)

• Gives RI Values (Sperling’s Ride Index)

 Acceleration Peaks (Para 515)
Lateral and vertical acceleration peaks exceeding the following values
are considered for track quality assessment
a) High Speed routes above 110 kmph > 0.15g
On A and B routes

b) Other route upto to 110 kmph: > 0.20g

Total number of peaks per Km exceeding above limits are taken for
Track Quality Classification.
Track Quality Classification (Para 516)
Track Quality is judged on the basis of total number of Vertical
and Lateral acceleration peaks/Km in a continuous stretch of
SSE/AEN/Division jurisdiction -

Very Good Good Average

Speed > 100 Kmph < 1.0 1-2 >2

Others < 1.5 1.5-3.0 > 3

 Ride Index Vs Riding Quality
R.I. Interpretation
1.0 - Very good
1.5 - Almost very good
2.0 - Good
2.5 - Almost good
3.0 - Satisfactory
3.5 - Just satisfactory
4.0 - Tolerable
4.5 - Not tolerable
5.0 - Dangerous in service

•
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 Typical Output of OMS
04,11,88 Date (DD/MM/YR)
12.56.16 Time (Hr/Min/Sec) 24 hr format

1251 0000 K Starting location in KM

0100 0.15 0.15 G Max. speed, V accn. limit, L accn limit
2.50 2.50 R Max. V RI limit and L RI limit

1251 0092 K Location in KM, Distance from last KM

102 0.16 0.04 G Speed, Vert. accn., Lat. accn. in ’g’
1251 0320 K
089 0.19 0.07 G
1251 0917 K
095 0.06 0.17 G
1251 Km switch pressed
092 Average speed during last KM
01 2.93 2.33 R Block No., Vert. RI , Lat. RI
02 2.91 2.63 R
03 3.14 2.54 R
04 3.02 3.30 R
05 2.97 2.83 R
Micro Controller Based Oscillation Monitoring System
PC Based Oscillation Monitoring System
Android-GPS Based OMS (AG-OMS)
 Map View of AG-OMS
• Real Time View of path
traversed by Train.
• Peaks are marked on the map
with color coding.
• Red - Above 0.30 g
• Yellow- 0.20-0.29 g
• Green - Upto 0.19 g

• Taping the marker will give

more details about the peak.

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Peak View of AG-OMS

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AG-OMS Run information on Google Maps

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 Advantage of OMS

• Quick and easy method to judge the Riding Quality of Track.

• No need for special train running and separate path for
recording. It can be placed on any running train.
• Identify the defect locations in terms of acceleration peaks.
• Though it does not give track parameter details like TRC, but
it can help in planning the maintenance activities by
identification of defect locations.

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Maintenance Planning on the basis of OMS

• Para 523(1)
• If peaks recorded by OMS exceeds UML category, suitable speed
restrictions have to be immediately imposed, which shall be relaxed only
after suitable attention/maintenance of track at concerned location.

• Para 523(4)
• For sections in which TRC has not run for more than one year and the
last tamping has been done more than two years before, the need based
maintenance and urgent maintenance should continue to be carried out
based on OMS recording and other inspections.

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 Important Points for using OMS
• The OMS equipment shall be kept in the rearmost coach of the
fastest train in the section or in a dedicated coach, which shall be
attached, as last vehicle, to the fastest train in the section. {(Para 513(2)(i)}
• When kept in Loco, may give wrong result due to induction effect.
• Trained operator should be used
• OMS should be sent to RDSO once in Eight months or whenever in
doubt for calibration check

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Frequency of OMS
(Para 514)

a) On route having speed above 100 kmph

– once in a months.

b) Other Routes
– once in 2 months

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 Recording Speed of OMS

• A-Routes : 75 Kmph
• B- Routes : 65 Kmph
• Other Routes : 60 Kmph or 75% of Maximum Sectional Speed,
whichever is less.

Recording below above speed is considered as “Non Recording” //

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Oscillograph Car (Para 517/IRPWM)

• Run by Mechanical directorate of RDSO

• This is mainly for research purpose to check the track vehicle
response on riding.
• It is run to To monitor oscillations in vehicle on account of
track in terms of accelerations for the sections where speed is
more than the running speed of TRC and TRC is not capable of
monitoring accelerations on higher speeds

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 Threshold Values of Acceleration
As per Para 517(3) of IRPWM, values are as under

Vertical/Lateral
For diesel & electric Locos , with double 0.20 g
stage suspension
For other locos with single stage 0.30 g
suspension
On passenger coach floor 0.15 g

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 Analysis and Interpretation of Results

• Vertical and Lateral acceleration peaks above threshold value are counted
separately.

• Track should be attended to at all such locations where peaks above

threshold values are reported so as to ensure good riding (Para-518/1).

• Analysis is done km wise under following heads:

•Station Yards
•Other Than Station Yards
•Active Continuous Stretch

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 STATEMENT
OCILLOGRAPH RESULTS
‘A’
(Para 517; Annexure-5/1)
Total length of Section: 232 Kms Section : BPQ-KZJ
Length recorded : 185 Kms Loco No……….
Date of recording : 22nd March 1982 Type of Loco………..
Station Yards (Peaks above Threshold values)
Sl. No. Name of Yard and Speed in Kmph Vertical Acceleration Lateral Remarks
Location Acceleration
1 SRUR 100 - 0.26
FP-2
2 MCI 100 0.22 -
TP-1 100 0.22
TP-2
3 PPZ 100 0.20 -
FP-1 105 0.20 -
FP-2
4 BGSF 110 - 0.22
324/10-11
5 OPL 100 0.26 -
343/5-6
6 HSP 100 0.20
TP-1
 STATEMENT ‘B’
Date of recording: 22nd March 1982 Section : BPQ-KZJ(Km 367-135)
Loco No………. Length recorded : 185 Kms
Type of Loco……….. Total Length: 232 Kms
Oscillograph Results in Places other than Station Yards Isolated Locations
(Peaks above Threshold value)
Sl. No. Location Speed in Vertical Lateral Remarks
Kmph Acceleration Acceleration
1 146/1-2 100 - 0.28 Curve
2 148/15-16 110 - 0.28 Br.
3 149/7-8 110 0.28 -
4 149/7-8 110 0.35 - Br.
5 151/8-9 110 - 0.24
6 151/8-9 110 - 0.22
7 151/11-12 105 - 0.24
8 160/7-8 110 - 0.22 Curve
9 164/9-10 110 0.24 -
10 168/1-2 100 And so on 0.30
 STATEMENT ‘C’
Date of recording: 22nd March 1982 Section : BPQ-KZJ(Km 367-Km135)
Loco No………. Length recorded : 185 Kms
Type of Loco……….. Total Length: 232 Kms
OSCILLOGRAPH RESULTS
Active Continuous Stretches
Sl. Kms Distance Speed in Total No. of Maximum No. of peaks No. of Remarks
No. in Kms. Kmph peaks above Value between peaks
0.20 g 0.20g & above
From To 0.30g 0.30 g

Note - If there are on an average more than 10 peaks above the threshold value per km,
the length may be included in this statement.
Frequency of Oscillograph Car Run
[ Ref: IRPWM 517(2)]

a) On route having speed above 110 kmph and up to 130 kmph

– once in 6 months.

b) On route having speed above 130 kmph and up to 160 kmph

– once in 4 months //

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