Full Text Available

Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.

Implementation of machine learning techniques for railway wheel prognostics

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2019.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Du Plessis, Johannes Andreas
Other Authors: Fourie, Cornelius Jacobus
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2019
Subjects:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1867613922848145408
access_status_str Open Access
author Du Plessis, Johannes Andreas
author2 Fourie, Cornelius Jacobus
author_browse Du Plessis, Johannes Andreas
Fourie, Cornelius Jacobus
author_facet Fourie, Cornelius Jacobus
Du Plessis, Johannes Andreas
author_sort Du Plessis, Johannes Andreas
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2019.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/106012
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:43:50.825Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2019
publishDateRange 2019
publishDateSort 2019
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
record_format dspace
source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/106012 Implementation of machine learning techniques for railway wheel prognostics Du Plessis, Johannes Andreas Fourie, Cornelius Jacobus Van der Merwe, A. F. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Industrial Engineering. Machine learning -- Technique Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) Railroad trains -- Maintenance Railway wheels -- Maintenance -- Evaluation Logistic regression analysis Neural networks (Computer science) Sampling (Statistics) UCTD Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2019. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Passenger Rail Agency of South Arica (PRASA) is in the process of moving from a mostly reactive to a preventive approach to maintenance. The key to cost-efficient preventive maintenance strategies is the ability to predict the condition of components at a future time. The objective of this research project was to ascertain whether machine learning techniques can be used to provide prognostic predictions with respect to the condition of PRASA’s railway and train components. The input data used to build the machine learning models was provided by Metrorail, a subsidiary of PRASA. Metrorail’s railway wheels were selected to serve as the case study for this project, owing to the fact that the condition monitoring data collected on the railway wheels represented the most granular and complete data set related to fluctuating conditions of a Metrorail train component. Five types of wheel wear are monitored by Metrorail. These forms of wheel wear are flange height increase, tread diameter decrease, hollow wear, flange slope increase and flange thickness decrease. Three machine learning models were built to provide prognostic predictions related to these types of wheel wear. These model types were logistic regression, artificial neural networks and random forest. One of each of these model types was developed for each of the wheel wear types. The performance of the models was then compared to ascertain which model performed the best for each of the wheel wear types. A normalised combination of sensitivity, specificity, F1 score and AUC was used to rank the models. Logistic regression was surpassed by the artificial neural network and random forest models for each of the wheel wear types. The artificial neural network was the best prognostic model for tread diameter decrease (accuracy: 96.4%, normalised score: 0.964). Random forest was the best prognostic model for flange height increase (accuracy: 93.5%, normalised score: 0.822), hollow wear (accuracy: 92.5%, normalised score: 0.731), flange slope increase (accuracy: 94.2%, normalised score: 0.953) as well as flange thickness decrease (accuracy: 92.9%, normalised score: 0.733). The encouraging results of these models showed that machine learning techniques can indeed be used to provide PRASA with train component wear prognostics. The models developed during the completion of this project can also be implemented by Metrorail to alleviate the need for manual wheel condition monitoring, by providing technicians with wheel prognostics. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Passasiers Spooragentskap van Suid-Afrika (PRASA) is besig om te beweeg vanaf ‘n hoofsaaklik reaktiewe na ‘n voorkomende benadering tot die onderhoud van bates. Dit is noodsaaklik om in staat te wees om die toekomstige toestand van bates te kan voorspel, sodat ‘n koste-effektiewe benadering tot die onderhoud daarvan geïmplementeer kan word. Die doel van hierdie navorsingsprojek was om vas te stel of masjienleertegnieke gebruik kan word om prognostiese voorspellings te maak ten opsigte van die toekomstige toestand van PRASA se treinonderdele. Die insetdata vir die masjienleermodelle was verskaf deur Metrorail, ‘n filiaal van PRASA. Metrorail se treinwiele was gebruik as die gevallestudie vir hierdie navorsingsprojek, aangesien dít die treinonderdeel is met die mees volledige en gedetailleerde datastel, waarin die toestand van die onderdeel oor 'n bepaalde tydperk opgeneem is. Drie masjienleermodelle was gebou om prognostiese voorspellings te gee ten opsigte van vyf vorms van wielverwering wat gemonitor word deur Metrorail. Die vorms van wielverwering is flenshoogte toename, wieldiameter afname, holverwering, flenshelling toename en flensdikte afname. Die drie masjienleermodelle was logistieke regressie, kunsmatige neurale netwerke en "random forest". Een van elk van hierdie modelle was gebou vir elkeen van die wielverweringstipes. Die voorspellingsvermoë van die modelle was dan met mekaar vergelyk om te bepaal watter model die beste geskik is om prognostiese voorspellings te maak vir watter wielverweringstipe. ‘n Genormaliseerde kombinasie van akkuraatheid, sensitiwiteit, spesifisiteit, F1 telling asook area onder kurwe was gebruik om te bepaal watter model die beste geskik was om prognostiese voorspellings te maak vir ‘n gegewe wielverweringstipe. Logistieke regressie as voorspellingsmodel het die swakste gevaar ten opsigte van elk van die wielverweringstipes. Kunsmatige neurale netwerke was die beste geskik vir wieldiameter afname prognose (akkuraatheid: 96.4%, genormaliseerde telling: 0.964). Die "random forest" was die modeltipe wat die beste presteer het ten opsigte van flenshoogte toename (akkuraatheid: 93.5%, genormaliseerde telling: 0.822), holverwering (akkuraatheid: 92.5%, genormaliseerde telling: 0.731), flenshelling toename (akkuraatheid: 94.2%, genormaliseerde telling: 0.953) asook flensdikte afname (akkuraatheid: 92.9%, genormaliseerde telling: 0.733). Die hoogs positiewe resultate wat die modelle gelewer het, toon dat masjienleer beslis gebruik kan word om prognostiese voorspellings te maak met betrekking tot die toestand van PRASA se treinonderdele. Die modelle wat gebou was deur die verloop van hierdie navorsingsprojek kan ook geïmplementeer word deur Metrorail om prognostiese wielverweringsvoorspellings aan Metrorail se onderhoudstaakspanne te verskaf. 2019-02-20T08:35:24Z 2019-04-17T08:23:33Z 2019-02-20T08:35:24Z 2019-04-17T08:23:33Z 2019-04 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/106012 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xi, 147 pages ; illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Machine learning -- Technique
Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA)
Railroad trains -- Maintenance
Railway wheels -- Maintenance -- Evaluation
Logistic regression analysis
Neural networks (Computer science)
Sampling (Statistics)
UCTD
Du Plessis, Johannes Andreas
Implementation of machine learning techniques for railway wheel prognostics
title Implementation of machine learning techniques for railway wheel prognostics
title_full Implementation of machine learning techniques for railway wheel prognostics
title_fullStr Implementation of machine learning techniques for railway wheel prognostics
title_full_unstemmed Implementation of machine learning techniques for railway wheel prognostics
title_short Implementation of machine learning techniques for railway wheel prognostics
title_sort implementation of machine learning techniques for railway wheel prognostics
topic Machine learning -- Technique
Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA)
Railroad trains -- Maintenance
Railway wheels -- Maintenance -- Evaluation
Logistic regression analysis
Neural networks (Computer science)
Sampling (Statistics)
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/106012
work_keys_str_mv AT duplessisjohannesandreas implementationofmachinelearningtechniquesforrailwaywheelprognostics