DE102006005206B3 - System to monitor the integrity of couplings in a railway train rake, while traveling, has sensors at the couplings linked to a monitor unit with a data store to ensure that they are functioning - Google Patents

Abstract

A Device (4) for monitoring the train integrity in railway trains (1) with a plurality of railway vehicles coupled together (2, 3) has at least one force sensor (5) in the range at least a connection of railway vehicles (2, 3) of a railway train (1) and a monitoring unit (6) connected to the at least one force sensor (5) and to determine train completion the with the at least one force sensor (5) detected tensile and / or thrusts between railway vehicles (2, 3) is set up.

Description

The The invention relates to a device for on-vehicle monitoring of completeness railbound Vehicle associations, consisting of a plurality of mutually coupled vehicles, with at least one locating unit for determining the position of the Vehicle Association.

Currently In practice, the completeness of rail-bound vehicle associations exclusively determined with devices on the track. From the state of the art In addition, devices and methods are known which have a vehicle-side and not, as currently, a trackside determination of train completion enable.

The DE 199 02 77 A1 discloses a train integrity monitoring device in which operating variables of rail-bound vehicles are detected by means of a sensor device. Such operating variables are in particular parameters of the braking system used in a train. By means of a control device, the operating variables thus detected are compared with predetermined values, it being possible to infer the train's completeness as a function of this comparison.

When Company sizes can be next to the parameters of the braking system also, for example, values of the driving speed, the route and the train weight taken into account where the train weight must already be known.

In the DE 199 55 010 A1 a method and a device is provided with which the tensile force of a rail-bound vehicle association can be determined. The invention is based on the idea to determine the tensile force from the total driving resistance, wherein the total driving resistance of the traction is directed against, ie is negative with respect to the direction of travel. The total driving resistance can be determined from a sum of instantaneous individual driving resistances, wherein in particular a running resistance, an arc resistance, a pitch resistance and an acceleration resistance is determined as individual driving resistances.

Furthermore, in the DE 101 59 957 A1 discloses a method for determining specific physical parameters of a train as the current state variable during a train ride. In this case, the physical state variables of the train are determined such as the wheel circumference transmitting tractive force, traveled distance, speed and / or time and assigned to one of the phases of motion such as acceleration, steady drive, coasting or braking. Subsequently, the parameters are calculated by means of dynamic formulas as a function of the current movement phase of the train as the current state variable.

In Heidmann, PTOK: System for train completion monitoring, in: Signal + Wire from 11/1997, p. 22-25, is an overview of known train integrity monitors shown. These include known solutions for train integrity monitoring listed, such as test methods, based on the volume flow control of the main air line, ultrasonic transmitter at the end of the train with sound transmission via the main air line to the recipient in the locomotive, ultrasonic transmitter and receiver for reflection measurement on the locomotive, train length measurement by means of satellite navigation u.a. For a force measurement in the field of Connection of railway vehicles, there is no indication.

For example, from the DE 101 12 920 A1 . DE 198 02 896 A1 . DE 198 28 906 C1 . DE 198 33 279 A1 . DE 199 02 777 A1 . DE 199 22 267 A1 . DE 199 30 252 A1 . DE 199 33 789 A1 . DE 298 23 381 U1 and DE 298 24 583 U1 Known devices and methods for train-side completeness control use the compressed air line to control the brakes, which is located in each train. The pressure and / or volume signals in the compressed air line are continuously measured.

The DE 197 23 309 A1 . DE 00 54 230 C1 . DE 101 07 571 A1 and DE 102 48 246 A1 describe facilities for monitoring the integrity of railway trains, in which a signal transmitter on the last wagon of the railway train communicates with a signal receiver on the leading locomotive directly or via relay stations. Optionally, there is still a position determination of the signal generator on the last car and the signal receiver to the leading locomotive.

Likewise is in the DE 199 51 259 A1 a device for detecting the train completeness of a railway train described in the railcar and the last car a transmitting / receiving device are arranged to exchange the modulated signals in the form of electromagnetic waves with each other. The running time and signal strength of the modulated signal is measured and compared with a stored setpoint.

From the DE 198 32 602 A1 and DE 199 63 258 A1 are devices for Zuglängenbestimmung and Zugintegritätsfeststellung known in which track-side sensors are required to transmit the result, the detection of the train.

Main disadvantage of the latter systems are the extremely high costs of equipping the line with monitoring sensors, such as axle counters and track circuits. While the equipment level of the main European routes with such facilities is quite high in terms of speeds traveled and thus the block size, ie the monitored distance, is reasonably small, the density of monitoring sensors on sub-routes is substantially lower due to cost pressure. This leads to a much less accurate and inherently discrete train location and thus to a poorer usability of the capacity of the route. The local change of monitoring sensors is also very inflexible and expensive. In addition, the maintenance of the equipment is costly because the equipment is along the track and maintenance and repair personnel must go to the installation site. The environmental influences, such as temperature, moisture, etc. lead to an increased burden on the monitoring sensors and reduced availability.

The known facilities for train-side completeness monitoring also require disadvantageous additional equipment in the wagon group. They are either of existence, dependability and signal quality existing electrical lines or main air lines depends or require an additional to be mounted at the end of the train.

outgoing It is the object of the invention to provide an improved device to monitor the train integrity in railway trains with a plurality of coupled railway vehicles to that works reliably without trackside infrastructure.

The The object is achieved with the device of the type mentioned in the present invention by at least a force sensor in the range of at least one compound of railway vehicles a train and a monitoring unit, connected to the at least one force sensor and for detection the train integrity from the tensile and / or shear forces detected with the at least one force sensor Railway vehicles is set up.

In order to becomes the completeness of the railway train during driving dynamically by determining the forces at the interface between railway vehicles, preferably determined between the traction vehicle and the first car. This has the advantage that only at one point of the railway train, i. In the area of the traction vehicle, for example, force sensors on the Coupling or buffers must be installed, which there with the monitoring unit is connected. With that you can Force sensor and monitoring unit preferably installed directly in the locomotive and the train completion system is independent of the equipment of the railway vehicles coupled to the locomotive functioning.

So is preferably at least one force sensor for detecting the between at least one traction unit at the beginning and / or end of the train and the subsequent Wagons acting tensile and / or shear forces provided.

The monitoring unit has in a preferred embodiment a data memory for storing a track-related force curve and is to compare the stored force curve with a currently measured force curve and for the detection of separations of railway vehicles from differences of the force courses furnished. The distance-related force curve, for example, in conjunction with a digital route map, which may be available in modern locomotives be filed.

In order to is the course of the tensile or shear forces along the driven Distance measured and a normal course of force change stored in a memory. The change of forces, in particular a sudden change, is used to detect a train separation. In an evaluation the relative force change can a train separation even with a changed number of wagons be recognized.

Especially It is advantageous if the monitoring unit to count of power pulses and comparisons with a predetermined number is set up by power pulses. This can be especially true at Starting or braking are used. If the cars are not too are tightly coupled, they usually stand after stopping denser than the length the coupling between the wagons. This makes it possible for the Number of pulses to count The result of the fact that the cars are tightened in succession. If at a stop no wagons were uncoupled, then the number must The pulses at each startup be constant, as they are the number corresponds to the wagons. The reverse procedure, counting the Impulses of accumulating wagons, can also be used if the train is operational only from the locomotive (eg with the generator Brake) is braked.

When driving on a level track or at the transition between a level and a slope or a slope separation of railway vehicles is preferably detected in sudden changes in traction. In the normal case, there is no sudden change in the tractive force when the train rolls completely on a level track. If the traction changes on one even route defies constant speed, this indicates a train separation. The same applies to the transition between a plane, slope and gradient, in which there is normally no sudden change in traction.

At the moving upwards on an uphill stretch can be a train separation in a sudden Reduction of the tensile force can be detected.

at a downhill drive on a downhill stretch in unbraked railway vehicles, a train separation from the detected thrust by determining the total weight of coupled railway vehicles are determined. In the fall works namely from one length the slope is larger than the train length is, a slope-dependent Thrust. Because the entire train is unrestrained or not currently Braking railway vehicles only braked by the leading locomotive the weight can be measured from the thrust on the buffers become. Usually this is at low slopes or low speeds Sufficiently possible.

Of the Braking condition can be determined by the monitoring unit for example, by measuring the pressure in the main air line be recorded.

at a tub ride or Kuppenfahrt may be the length of the train a sequential passage of the railway vehicles through a on both sides by inclines trapped depression in the Wannenfahrt or dome at a dome occurring load changes and a respectively determined distance of the force sensor on the towing vehicle and the sink or dome are determined.

For train integrity monitoring can the gliding as near be viewed constantly. Short-term changes can be made by suitable low-pass filtering be filtered out. For this purpose, it is advantageous if the monitoring unit and / or the force sensors a low pass filter for reduction the inevitable measurement noise and associated detected short-term force changes and elimination of such short - term force changes from those over the Time determined force gradients Has.

The The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It shows:

1 - Sketch of a railway train with a built-in traction unit for train integrity monitoring.

The 1 leaves a sketch of a railway train 1 recognize that from a leading locomotive 2 and attached wagons 3a . 3b , ... 3n consists. The locomotive 2 is with a facility 4 set up to monitor train completion, the at least one force sensor 5 in the connection between the locomotive 2 and the first car 3a and a monitoring unit 6 for example, in the form of a computer equipped with a suitable program. The monitoring unit 6 can with a data store 7 be connected, are stored in the track-related force profiles, preferably in relation to a digital route map.

A first train force sensor 5a can connect to the clutch 8th of the locomotive 2 to the first wagon 3a be attached to the between the locomotive 2 and the first car 3a to detect tensile forces acting over time. Another push force sensor 5b can with at least one buffer 9 of the locomotive 2 be coupled to the between the locomotive 2 and the following cars 3 detect compressive forces acting over time.

The tensile and / or compressive forces are sent to the monitoring unit 6 forwarded and evaluated there. For this purpose, the time course of the forces is calculated, which assumes a constant draw weight and a relation to the total train length almost invariable distribution of the masses. With the help of force sensors 5 deviations from this course can be measured and interpreted, for example by the normal course of the force change in the data memory 7 depends on the route. The change in forces, in particular a sudden change, can be used to detect a train separation.

The tractive force is essentially dependent on the acceleration, the friction resistance at the axle bearings and the accelerated mass. Will she be at the clutch between the locomotive 2 and the first wagon 3a measured, then the accelerated mass corresponds to the mass of the towed wagons 3 , The influence of friction in the bearings may be due to a map in the central monitoring unit 6 be taken into account in the data store 7 is deposited. Slope and incline also affect the traction. They go by the formula F G = m · g · sin (α) where F _{g is} the force through the slope, m is the mass of the cars, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and α is the angle of the slope (positive) or the gradient (negative).

The friction in the wheel bearings is assumed to be approximately constant and can possibly through a suitable high-pass filtering are filtered out. Short-term changes can be filtered out by suitable low-pass filtering.

• a) Anfahren: Sind die an das Triebfahrzeug 2 angekoppelten Eisenbahnfahrzeuge 3 nicht zu dicht gekoppelt, stehen sie nach dem Anhalten in der Regel dichter als die Länge der Kupplung zwischen den Eisenbahnfahrzeugen 3. Dadurch ist es möglich, die Anzahl der Impulse zu zählen, die dadurch entstehen, dass die Eisenbahnfahrzeuge 3 nacheinander angezogen werden. Wurden bei einem Halt keine Eisenbahnfahrzeuge 3 abgekuppelt, so muss die Anzahl der Impulse bei jedem Anfahren konstant sein, da sie der Anzahl der Waggons 3 entspricht.
• b) Ebene Strecke: Wenn der Eisenbahnzug 1 vollständig rollt, ändert sich die Zugkraft auf ebener Strecke trotz konstanter Geschwindigkeit. Dies weist ebenso wie eine sprunghafte Änderung der Kraft auf eine Zugtrennung hin.
• c) Steigung: Fällt bei einer Steigung die Zugkraft sprunghaft bei konstanter Geschwindigkeit, so weist dies auf eine Zugtrennung hin.
• d) Gefälle: Im Gefälle wirkt ab einer Länge der Steigung, die größer als die Zuglänge ist, eine neigungsabhängige Schubkraft, die in zwei Fällen auftreten kann: 1) Der gesamte Eisenbahnzug 1 wird nur von dem Triebfahrzeug 2 gebremst. In diesem Fall kann das Gewicht aus der Schubkraft an den Puffern 9 gemessen werden. Dies ist z. B. beim Einsatz einer generatorischen Bremse bei geringen Gefällen oder geringen Geschwindigkeiten möglich. 2) Jedes Eisenbahnfahrzeug 3 des Eisenbahnzuges 1 bremst selber. In diesem Fall ist die Messung unwirksam, da keine auswertbaren Zug- oder Druckkräfte wirken.
• e) Übergang: Beim Übergang zwischen Ebene, Steigung und Gefälle kommt es im Normalfall zu keiner sprunghaften sondern einer kontinuierlichen Änderung der Zug kraft. Daher weist eine sprunghafte Änderung der Kraft auf eine Zugtrennung hin.
• f) Wannenfahrt: In diesem Fall kann durch den sequentiellen Durchgang aller Eisenbahnfahrzeuge 3 durch eine Senke, die beidseitig von Steigungsstrecken eingeschlossen ist, zusätzlich zu der Gewichtsbestimmung ein zweiter Algorithmus arbeiten, der die Länge des Eisenbahnzuges 1 aus dem Abstand der Zugvollständigkeitsüberwachungseinrichtung 4, die sich typischerweise auf dem Triebfahrzeug 2 an der Zugspitze befindet, zum Mittelpunkt der Senke bestimmt werden.
• g) Kuppenfahrt: Hier treten drei Phasen der Überfahrt auf: 1) Das Triebfahrzeug 2 muss Zugkräfte aufbringen. Dieser Abschnitt entspricht der Fahrt in einer Steigung. 2) Der Zugteil hinter der Kuppe zieht den Zugteil vor der Kuppe. In diesem Fall ist ähnlich wie bei der Wannenfahrt eine Bestimmung des Zuggewichts und der Zuglänge aus dem Lastwechsel möglich. 3) Alle Eisenbahnfahrzeuge 3 des Eisenbahnzuges 1 bremsen. In diesem Fall ist die Messung unwirksam, da keine auswertbaren Zug- oder Druckkräfte wirken.

The monitoring unit 6 differentiates between the following cases for train integrity monitoring:

• a) Start: Are they to the locomotive 2 coupled railway vehicles 3 not too tightly coupled, they are usually closer after stopping than the length of the coupling between the railway vehicles 3 , This makes it possible to count the number of pulses that result from the fact that the railway vehicles 3 be tightened in succession. Were at a stop no railway vehicles 3 uncoupled, the number of pulses must be constant at each startup, as it is the number of wagons 3 equivalent.
• b) level track: if the train 1 completely rolling, the traction changes on a level track despite constant speed. This indicates as well as a sudden change in the force on a train separation.
• c) Slope: If the traction force jumps at a constant speed on an incline, this indicates a draft separation.
• d) Gradient: In downhill gradients, starting from a length of the slope greater than the length of the train, a pitch-dependent thrust, which may occur in two cases: 1) The entire railway train 1 is only from the locomotive 2 braked. In this case, the weight of the thrust on the buffers 9 be measured. This is z. B. when using a regenerative brake at low slopes or low speeds possible. 2) Every railway vehicle 3 of the railway train 1 slow down yourself. In this case, the measurement is ineffective, since no evaluable tensile or compressive forces act.
• e) Transition: In the transition between plane, incline and incline there is normally no sudden but continuous change in the traction. Therefore, a sudden change in the force indicates a train separation.
• f) Wannenfahrt: In this case, by the sequential passage of all railway vehicles 3 through a dip that is enclosed on both sides by uphill sections, in addition to the weight determination, a second algorithm that measures the length of the railway train 1 from the distance of the train integrity monitor 4 that are typically on the locomotive 2 located at the Zugspitze, be determined to the center of the valley.
• g) Kuppenfahrt: Here are three phases of the crossing: 1) The locomotive 2 must apply tensile forces. This section corresponds to the drive in a slope. 2) The pulling part behind the dome pulls the pulling part in front of the dome. In this case, a determination of the train weight and the train length from the load change is possible, similar to the trough travel. 3) All railway vehicles 3 of the railway train 1 brake. In this case, the measurement is ineffective, since no evaluable tensile or compressive forces act.

With the train integrity monitoring device 4 a trackside equipment can be saved, for example, with Achskreisen. The device 4 can with a train control device to cause, for example, an automatic braking of the train when a train incompleteness he has been known. If the device 4 Sensitive enough set, can also be detected, at which point, ie between which railway vehicles 3 the train 1 was separated.

Claims (12)

Facility ( 4 ) to monitor the train completion of railway trains ( 1 ) with a plurality of interconnected railway vehicles ( 2 . 3 ), characterized by at least one force sensor ( 5 ) in the area of at least one connection of railway vehicles ( 2 . 3 ) of a railway train ( 1 ) and a monitoring unit ( 6 ) connected to the at least one force sensor ( 5 ) and to determine the train completion from the with the at least one force sensor ( 5 ) detected tensile and / or shear forces between railway vehicles ( 2 . 3 ) is set up. Facility ( 4 ) according to claim 1, characterized by at least one force sensor ( 5 ) for detecting between at least one traction vehicle ( 2 ) at the beginning and / or end of the train ( 1 ) and the subsequent wagon ( 3 ) acting tensile and / or shear forces is provided. Facility ( 4 ) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the monitoring unit ( 6 ) a data memory ( 7 ) for storing a track-related force curve and for comparing the stored force curve with a currently measured force curve and for detecting separations of railway vehicles ( 2 . 3 ) is established from differences of the force courses. Facility ( 4 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Monitoring unit ( 6 ) is set up to count force pulses and compare with a predetermined number of force pulses. Facility ( 4 ) according to claim 4, characterized in that the force pulses when stopping and starting the railway train ( 1 ) are counted and compared with each other. Facility ( 4 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the monitoring unit ( 6 ) for detecting a separation of railway vehicles ( 2 . 3 ) is set up in the event of sudden changes in tractive force when driving on a level track or in the transition between a level and a grade or grade. Facility ( 4 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the monitoring unit ( 6 ) for detecting a separation of railway vehicles ( 2 . 3 ) is set up in a sudden reduction in the traction when driving uphill on a slope distance. Facility ( 4 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the monitoring unit ( 6 ) for detecting a separation of railway vehicles ( 2 . 3 ) from the detected thrust when traveling downhill on a downslope for unbraked or currently non-braking railway vehicles ( 2 . 3 ) by determining the total weight of the coupled railway vehicles ( 2 . 3 ) is arranged from the thrust. Facility ( 4 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the monitoring unit ( 6 ) for detecting the braking state of railway vehicles ( 2 . 3 ) is set up for example by pressure measurement in the main air line. Facility ( 4 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the monitoring unit ( 6 ) to determine whether the railway train ( 1 ) currently brakes. Facility ( 4 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the monitoring unit ( 6 ) for determining the length of the railway train ( 1 ) from one in the sequential passage of the railway vehicles ( 2 . 3 ) by a trapped on both sides by inclining slopes sink during a trough trip or dome in a dome ride occurring load change and a respectively determined distance of the force sensor on the railway vehicle ( 2 ) and the sink or dome is set up. Facility ( 4 ) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the monitoring unit ( 6 ) and / or the force sensors ( 5 ) has a low-pass filter for reducing measurement noise and eliminating short-term force changes from the force curves determined over time.