A complete overview and a detailed description of the available test axles and the axles which have to be procured for the project was produced. The preparation of new test axles by including cracks from fatigue tests was planned and the raw axles for these tests were provided.
Based on a review of the WOLAXIM project the specifications for the corrosion inspection system in the RAAI prototype were defined. Possible changes from the WOLAXIM project for further optimization of the construction, to achieve a higher scan speed along and around the axis, were investigated.
The project website was installed under www.raai-project.eu.
For the new system an automated data collection and image analysis probe with a related scanning system and a data acquisition and interpretation software was developed. The new system was designed and the manufacturing was completed.
The optimisation of the construction of the phased array probe, to achieve a higher sensitivity, was finished. The dependency of the incidence angle on the sensitivity especially in the transition regions was investigate theoretical by modelling and tested in laboratory trials. Therewith the angle was optimised for a better detecting of flaws in the curved surface with an acceptable signal-to-noise ratio at the plane surface of the axle.
Improved software modules which will provide the reliability of the axle under high cycle variable amplitude (HCVA) fatigue and corrosion conditions was developed for different materials. This includes the preparation and inputting of high cycle load spectra and the inclusion of the crack growth equations. The modules can be easily parametrised and applied by a new graphic user interface (GUI). It provides a simple evaluation of the calculated results for the predicted lifetime and the related inspection interval.
At the special meeting of ESIS TC24 in October 24th/25th 2016 in Leoben (Austria) the planned approach of the RAAI system and the first results of the project were presented to a technical audience. The posters were uploaded on www.raai-project.eu.
An ESIS TC24 workshop "Integrity of Railway Structures" was held in Wittenberge Germany, 25th and 26th of September 2017. Several presentations about the RAAI project were delivered. The presentations are available at:
http://esistc24.mecc.polimi.it/wittenberge.html(si apre in una nuova finestra)The prototyping, demonstration and testing of the RAAI system were finished and the performance of the RAAI system has been verified.
The data research, for the evaluation of the cost of RAAI systems and its services for rail axle inspection was finished. The market research, for the determination of the overall market strategy, was done and the management structure was defined. The finance and revenue model and the promotion and distribution model were developed.
We presented the project results on the 10th Symposium for NDT in railroading on 13-15 March 2018 in Wittenberge (Germany). The presentations are available at:
https://www.dgzfp.de/seminar/eisenbahn#vortraege(si apre in una nuova finestra)A further presentation is registered for the 45th Annual Review of Progress in Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation on 16-19 July 2018 in Burlington (Vermont). See
https://www.qndeprograms.org/home(si apre in una nuova finestra)The consortium members use the offered coaching service from EU experts regarding developing strategies for exploitation and market penetration. The first unit of the offered 12 day coaching is scheduled in June 2018 in Berlin.
