Austria | Germany | France | Sweden | India | USA | China | Singapore
Cloud-based Railway Bridge Monitoring with Solar Powered Q.series DAQ
News | 2 minutes Reading Time |

Cloud-based Railway Bridge Monitoring with Solar Powered Q.series DAQ

For a large railway operator, Gantner Instruments continuously monitors a railway bridge using displacement transducers to detect deflection in bridge support elements.

Bridge movement is measured with every passing train and data is transferred to a Gantner Cloud system via 4G modem. In the case of unwanted bridge movement, an alarm is generated and the Railway Operations Center is notified by Email. For every passing train, data is acquired at 500Hz with high resolution to ensure precise measurement of bridge movements for further evaluation.

The challenge was the tight schedule to provide a solution with no possibility to power the measurement system from any local grid. In combination with the demand to generate fast and precise measurement data with every passing train, the power supply system had to be designed with great care. After analysis of the local region’s weather data from the past 5 years, two solar panels were selected along with a high-quality Lithium-Ion battery. This carefully selected combination of products guarantees several days of measurement autonomy, even under harsh environmental conditions including low temperature and solar radiation during the winter season.

The entire process from first customer interaction to the installation and commissioning of the off-grid measurement system took only 3 months. Gantner Instruments was responsible for the complete system design of the measurement cabinet as well as the simulation and design of the solar powered off-grid system. After 2 weeks of full-scale testing at Gantner Instruments’ headquarters located in Schruns, the complete measurement system was delivered on-site.

Thanks to close cooperation with the customer during all project phases, both the installation and commissioning of the complete measurement system were executed within one day. With the Gantner Cloud system now in operation, data is collected with every passing train while live measurement values and system status information is accessible for railway crew with just a few mouse clicks. With a web browser-based fleet monitoring system such as the Gantner Cloud, it is possible to manage any number of constructions, regardless if on-site grid power is available.

More articles

Success Stories

Airbus has selected the Q.raxx EC with EtherCAT interface as the integrated control and measurement solution for their component structural testing lab

Airbus Helicopters is a world-leading designer and manufacturer of helicopters. The company’s product line offers the full spectrum of rotary-wing aircraft solutions for civil, government, military, law enforcement and parapublic uses. With the growth in business and innovation of their product offering, Airbus Helicopters decided to modernize their structural test facility at their main facility in Donauwörth, Germany.

Read more...
Events

TechDay SHM 2026

This event focuses on Structural Health Monitoring and gives you a great chance to explore the latest technologies and connect with industry experts.

Read more...
Tips & Trends

Systèmes d’acquisition de données portables et mobiles

De nombreuses raisons justifient un système de mesure flexible et robuste qui doit être facile à transporter pour collecter des données de mesure à différents endroits. Il peut s'agir, par exemple, de mesures à court terme sur des machines ou des composants d'usine lors de la mise en service après un entretien, ou de mesures récurrentes sur des ponts ou d'autres ouvrages d'art.

Read more...
Success Stories

Gantner Instruments Sponsors STEM Education

The world is changing around us. Advances in technology impact everything, especially the world of work. It’s predicted that future workers will spend more than twice as much time on job tasks requiring science, math, and critical thinking than today. At Gantner Instruments, we recognize the importance of STEM education: it holds the keys to success for kids facing a world where STEM knowledge is imperative. For that reason, we are proud to be a Platinum Sponsor of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space at the University of California, San Diego (SEDS UCSD).

Read more...