System for monitoring the condition of structural elements and a method of developing such a system

1. A computer implemented method of developing a transducer-based failure detection system, the method including the steps of:

identifying modes of propagation and signal frequencies that can be expected to travel large distances through an elongate structural element by numerically modelling the elongate structural element to develop a numerical model of the elongate structural element;

selecting a suitable mode of propagation and frequency of operation;

designing a transducer that is adapted to excite the selected mode at the selected frequency;

numerically modelling the transducer as attached to the elongate structural element by coupling the resulting numerical model of the transducer to the numerical model of the elongate structural element;

analyzing a harmonic response of the selected mode of propagation to excitation by the transducer in order to validate the transducer design; and

iteratively changing dimensions of transducer components in order to achieve an optimal response of the selected mode of propagation at the frequency of operation to develop a modelled transducer, and computing a predicted displacement time response of the elongate structural element to an electrical excitation of the modelled transducer.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the step of identifying modes of propagation and signal frequencies that can be expected to travel large distances through the elongate structural element comprises the use of the numerical model of the elongate structural element developed for a particular rail profile having predetermined material properties.

3. The method of claim 1 or claim 2 in which the selecting of a suitable mode of propagation and frequency of operation entails selecting as the suitable mode a mode (i) having low attenuation over a large range of frequencies, and (ii) being relatively insensitive to small changes in the rail profile.

4. The method of claim 1 or claim 2 including a verification phase that includes the further steps of:

manufacturing a prototype in accordance with the modelled transducer;

attaching the transducer to a predetermined length of the structural element;

measuring a displacement response on a surface of the structural element; and

comparing the measured response to the predicted displacement time response.

5. A system for monitoring and detecting cracks or breaks in rails of a railway track, the system including a plurality of transducers defining transmitting and receiving stations of the system, characterised in that the transducers are designed and manufactured in accordance with the method of claim 1 or claim 2 .

6. A system for monitoring and detecting cracks or breaks in rails of a railway track, the system including a plurality of transducers defining transmitting and receiving stations of the system, characterised in that the transducers are designed and manufactured in accordance with the method of claim 3 .

7. A system for monitoring and detecting cracks or breaks in rails of a railway track, the system including a plurality of transducers defining transmitting and receiving stations of the system, characterised in that the transducers are designed and manufactured in accordance with the method of claim 4 .

8. The method of claim 1 or claim 2 further comprising manufacturing one or more transducers in accordance with the validated transducer design.