Level Crossing Barrier Machine Faults and Anomaly Detection with the Use of Motor Current Waveform Analysis

Barrier machines are a key component of automatic level crossing systems ensuring safety on railroad crossings. Their failure results not only in delayed railway transportation, but also puts human life at risk. To prevent faults in this critical safety element of automatic level crossing systems, it is recommended that fault and anomaly detection algorithms be implemented. Both algorithms are important in terms of safety (information on whether a barrier boom has been lifted/lowered as required) and predictive maintenance (information about the condition of the mechanical components). Here, the authors propose fault models for barrier machine fault and anomaly detection procedures based on current waveform observation. Several algorithms were applied and then assessed such as self-organising maps (SOM), autoencoder artificial neural network, local outlier factor (LOF) and isolation forest. The advantage of the proposed solution is there is no change of hardware, which is already homologated, and the use of the existing sensors (in a current measurement module). The methods under evaluation demonstrated acceptable rates of detection accuracy of the simulated faults, thereby enabling a practical application at the test stage.