Remaining useful life estimation of metropolitan train wheels considering measurement error

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop an approach for estimating the remaining useful life (RUL) of metropolitan train wheels considering measurement error. Design/methodology/approach The paper proposes a wear model of a metropolitan train wheel based on a discrete state space model; the model considers the wheel's stochastic degradation and measurement error simultaneously. The paper estimates the RUL on the basis of the estimated degradation state. Finally, it presents a case study to verify the proposed approach. The results indicate that the proposed method is superior to methods that do not consider measurement error and can improve the accuracy of the estimated RUL. Findings RUL estimation is a key issue in condition-based maintenance and prognostics and health management. With the rapid development of advanced sensor technologies and data acquisition facilities for the maintenance of metropolitan train wheels, condition monitoring (CM) is becoming more accurate and more affordable, creating the possibility of estimating the RUL of wheels using CM data. However, the measurements of the wheels, especially the wayside measurements, are not yet precise enough. On the other hand, few existing studies of the RUL estimation of train wheels consider measurement error. Practical implications The approach described in this paper will make the RUL estimation of metropolitan train wheels easier and more precise. Originality/value Hundreds of million yuan are wasted every year due to over re-profiling of rail wheels in China. The ability to precisely estimate RUL will reduce the number of re-profiling activities and achieve significant economic benefits. More generally, the paper could enrich the body of knowledge of RUL estimation for a slowly degrading system considering measurement error.