Southeastern Railways buys self-powered wireless sensors

Bearing and wheel-wear on trains to be monitored using energy-harvesting devices

Train operator Southeastern has become the first rail company in the UK to buy self-powered wireless sensors for its fleet of trains.

The Perpetuum sensors convert vibrations into electrical energy using a magnet that moves across a fixed coil to produce magnetic flux and induce a voltage. The harvester is mechanically “tuned” to a resonant frequency within its operating environment.

Perpetuum was spun out from the University of Southampton in 2004 using research into energy harvesting.

Southeastern is fitting the sensors to monitor the wear of the bearings and wheels on all of the 618 cars in its fleet. The sensors will collect vibration data while the train is in motion and transmit that data wirelessly to maintenance personnel, enabling them to make maintenance decisions more effectively and efficiently, in turn improving the trains utilisation.

Wayne Jenner, Engineering Director of Southeastern Railways said: “The Perpetuum product has been deployed on a trial basis over the past year and we have been impressed by the information it provides us. The system could redefine the way we undertake some significant and costly elements of fleet maintenance.”

According to Perpetuum the self-powered wireless sensors can be retrofitted in minutes and will last more than hundred years.

Most train operators service trains on a mileage basis which can lead to components being needlessly replaced. Data supplied using condition monitoring can be used to enable cost savings through predictive maintenance regimes that identify components before they fail.

Steve Turley, chief executive of Perpetuum, said: “The market reaction to Perpetuum’s sensor products led by Southeastern has been very positive. Our wireless condition monitoring systems provide our customers with information that was not available before, enabling operators to look at maintenance in a different way.”

Perpetuum said they have interest in their technology from European train operators in a number of countries including Sweden, Italy, Spain, Ireland and Germany.