A surface conditioning device for railway tracks or wheels

摘要

The device 1 for removing matter such as compacted leaves and dew from railway tracks or wheels, has a microwave generator 3 connected to a power supply 4 and waveguide 11 which delivers microwaves to a microwave cavity 5 located within plasma delivery head 13 also containing a dielectric delivery tube 6 passing through the cavity, the device including a first gas delivery means in fluid communication with the delivery tube and suitable for generating a vortex in the delivery tube, and an ignition means for igniting the gas in the delivery tube. The microwave energy in the cavity energises the ignited first gas to maintain a plasma. The device may be mounted between the wheels of a train to deliver plasma, driven by the vortex, out of the delivery tube and onto a track to clear matter therefrom. Also claimed is a rail vehicle including the device. There may be a second gas used for the ignition stage. The delivery tube may include a nozzle to deliver the plasma.