CH701450B1 - Cable car cabin for a cable car system. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a cable car cabin (13) for a cable car system for transporting passengers and/or goods, with an electrical energy store (14) by means of which electrical loads in the cable car cabin (13) can be operated. The energy store is preferably designed as a double-layer capacitor, which is charged by means of a current collector (142') when the cable car cabin is in a station of a cable car system. As a result, electrical loads in the cable car cabin (13) can also be fed without interruption while the vehicle is in motion. In addition, a safety circuit can be implemented, by means of which mountain information devices, for example, can be operated in emergencies even when the energy store (14) has a minimal energy reserve.

Description

The invention relates to a cable car cabin for a cable car system for transporting passengers and/or goods according to the preamble of independent patent claim 1.

Cable car systems with driving equipment, eg. Cable car cabins or chairs, are known from the prior art, being fed electrically for the purpose of heating the driving equipment while the same is in a station of the cable car system. The electrical contact between the vehicle and a corresponding power supply in the station is established via a contact device. A disadvantage of this device is that heating is only possible while the vehicle is in a station and is therefore not guaranteed over the entire transport route.

There are also known cable car systems, especially aerial tramways with large cabins for transporting larger groups of people, in which heavy lead-acid batteries are used for temporarily or completely network-independent operation of electrical consumers with emergency or safety functions, such as mountain information devices. A major disadvantage of the lead-acid batteries or lead-acid batteries used is their short service life. In addition, these lead accumulators, also known as batteries, require a lot of maintenance. Another disadvantage is that lead-acid batteries have to be fully charged at certain intervals, otherwise the active plates of a battery will sulphate and be destroyed as a result. This full charge is time-consuming and can take several hours. In addition, a temperature range of approx. -18°C to +30°C is required for lead-acid batteries to function properly. If the batteries are operated outside of this temperature range, this can result in loss of performance, gassing or even the destruction of the battery. In the case of transportation equipment, especially cable car cabins, an internal temperature of up to 70 °C can occur when the cabin windows are closed, so that lead-acid batteries have to be protected from heat at great expense.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of proposing a cable car cabin in which the electrical energy can be transferred to or into the cable car cabin and stored efficiently, especially when the cable car cabin is in a station for a short time. A further object consists in proposing a cost-effective energy store which has a low dead weight, a small size and a long service life.

The object is achieved with the features of claim 1. One of the advantages of the invention consists in the fact that electrical consumers of a means of transport can be operated without interruption both while staying in a station and while driving between stations. Electrical consumers are typically light sources, for example halogen lamps or LEDs, heating systems, cooling systems, audio and/or video devices, ventilation systems, communication devices using radio, WLAN, Bluetooth, etc. for unidirectional or bidirectional communication. An energy store usually includes a capacitor with a high capacitance, which can be several thousand farads. The electrical voltage that falls after the capacitor has been charged is converted, for example by means of a DC/DC converter, to a usable voltage that can be specified for the consumer. A typical useful voltage is 24 V. The DC/DC converter, designed as a step-up or step-down converter, for example, is designed in such a way that it can generate an output voltage of 24 V even with a residual charge voltage of the capacitor of approx. 2 V. The capacitor is usually charged with a charging voltage of approx. 48 V, whereby the current can initially be very high, for example in the range of several 1000 A, diverging towards zero until the full charge is reached. However, the maximum charging current is often limited by the pantograph or the charger.

In one embodiment of the invention, the capacitor of the energy store of the cable car cabin is designed as a double-layer capacitor. One of the advantages of the invention is that the double-layer capacitor achieves specific powers of >20 kW/kg and is characterized by high cycle stability of more than 500,000 deep charging and discharging cycles. Brief peak power and/or continuous base loads can be achieved using an energy store with a double-layer capacitor. In the case of the operating means of a cable car system designed as cable car cabins, the cable car cabins are constantly in use throughout the day during the typical operating time, for example 5 p.m., and usually only remain in a station for seconds to minutes. A further advantage of the invention is that a double-layer capacitor can be sufficiently charged during this short dwell time in order to be able to feed the electrical consumers of the cable car cabin on the, for example, several 100 m long transport path.

One of the advantages of the invention is that electrical consumers can be operated, particularly in the interior of the cable car cabin, which serve to ensure passenger safety, entertainment by means of music or video, lighting or the like.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the pantograph of the vehicle includes sliding contacts that can be moved horizontally and/or vertically. One of the advantages of the invention is that the sliding contacts arranged movably on the vehicle allow reliable power transmission from the conductor rails arranged in the stations to the contacts even when the vehicle is being transported or moved.

In one embodiment of the invention, the contact device of the power supply device of a station is designed as a contact rail, the movable sliding contacts of the driving equipment engaging in the contact rails for the transmission of electrical energy. When charging the energy store, up to several 100 A of current can flow for a short time, which is advantageously realized with the proposed contact device.

In another embodiment of the invention, the contact rail is arranged at least partially along a rope of the cable car system. The power consumption along a cable or in the area of sheave batteries on masts is also advantageous because smaller capacitor capacities are required for large electrical consumers or larger electrical consumers can be connected.

In a further embodiment of the invention, a charging control device for controlled charging of the energy storage based on the internal temperature thereof is arranged between the pantograph and the electrical energy storage. One of the advantages of the invention consists in using a charge control device to control the charge voltage as a function of temperature based on the temperature of the cells of the capacitor. This can advantageously be used to extend the service life of a capacitor while at the same time using the maximum possible capacitance of the same.

The object is also achieved by a cable car system with at least one cable car cabin that is removably connected to a hoisting cable for accommodating passengers and/or goods, the cable car cabin being conveyable or oscillating between at least two stations, the cable car cabin having the properties indicated above . One of the advantages of the invention is that a cable car system can be implemented with cable car cabins that are removably arranged circumferentially or in an oscillating manner on a hoisting cable, with each cable car cabin meeting higher comfort and safety requirements. This is advantageously realized by electrical consumers, such as audio devices for music or information announcements, etc.

To charge an electrical energy store of a cable car cabin designed for conveying passengers and/or goods of a cable car system, the electrical energy store of the cabin is preferably electrically charged during the at least temporary stay of the cable car cabin in a station of the cable car system. The charging process can also be electrically charged during the at least temporary stay of the cable car cabin at a cable mast of the cable car system. For this purpose, the mast is equipped with a charging and contact device, so that corresponding counter-contacts on the cable car cabin or its linkage allow the energy store of the cable car cabin to be charged while the vehicle is in motion. The energy store or the double-layer capacitor is usually charged with a constant charging voltage. However, the duration and/or intensity of the charging of the electric energy store of the driving equipment can vary. Appropriate means for controlling or regulating the load are preferably arranged on the cable car cabin. Such a control or regulation can optionally also be present in a station or on a mast. Electrically and/or mechanically decoupled charging devices are provided for charging energy stores of several cable car cabins located in a station of the cable car system. The length of the conductor rails is usually smaller than the minimum distance that occurs between two vehicles in a station. The decoupling of the circuits is necessary because when charging several double-layer capacitors at a common charging station, the capacitors would equalize each other to the same voltage level and therefore very high equalizing currents can flow between the capacitors, which can destroy the charging contacts.

Driving resources: cable car cabin, chair, vehicle of a funicular and the like more, which or which is designed to accommodate people and / or goods and transport them from a starting point to a destination.

Cable car system: System, e.g. cable cars, aerial tramways, funicular railways, monorails or shuttles, which is designed for the local movement of transportation equipment, with the transportation equipment(s) being pulled, suspended, coupled or otherwise at least temporarily by means of one or more sides of the cable car system is or are connected.

Mast: spacer means for supporting a rope, cable, etc., the mast having a mast top on which rollers or wheels, usually as so-called roller batteries, are arranged, over which the rope is guided.

[0017] Consumers: Present in particular electrical consumers, such as lamps, heating, air conditioning units, fans, screens, audio and video switching systems, communication devices for radio, WLAN, Bluetooth, etc.

Energy storage: double-layer capacitors, batteries in the traditional sense, lead-acid batteries, NiMH, NiCd and other memory for temporarily recording and delivering electrical energy to electrical consumers.

[0019] Energy supply: Electrical current or voltage source designed to operate one or more electrical consumers and/or to charge electrical storage devices.

[0020] Double-layer capacitor: Capacitor usually designed as a plate capacitor, in which the electrodes have a very large surface area. Activated carbon is preferably used for this purpose, as a result of which, based on the active mass of an electrode, capacities of up to 100 μg can be realized. Conductive salt dissolved in an aqueous or organic solvent is often used as the electrolyte, which is located between the electrodes as a conductive liquid. When a voltage is applied, dissociated molecules of the electrolyte are attached to the carbon-coated electrode surfaces at a distance of a few angstroms as cations or anions, creating the so-called double layer. A permeable membrane, called a separator, acts as a separating layer to prevent a short circuit between the electrodes. The enormous surface of the electrode is reflected in a very large capacity yield.

[0021] Contact device: device for transmitting electrical energy from an energy source to an energy sink, the contact being able to be produced at least temporarily. A current collector is preferably guided over a current-carrying cable or a duct. The pantograph can be moved locally during current collection.

[0022] Charging device: regulation or control for the controlled charging of an energy store, for example a double-layer capacitor, in which case the charging current and the charging voltage are used as control parameters.

The charging device or charging station provides the charging voltage required for the double-layer capacitor.

[0024] Charging voltage: Voltage at an energy store at which it is charged.

Embodiments of the present invention are described below using examples. The examples of the designs are illustrated by the following attached figures: FIG. 2 shows a side view of the transportation equipment with a side, a floor and a roof and a hanger; 3 shows a plan view of the vehicle, with the sides and the roof, with an energy storage device being shown with a dashed line, which is protected by an overlying sunroof; FIG. 4 shows a detailed view of FIG. 1 of a current collector, which is movably arranged on the hanger of the transportation equipment, with contacts, these being guided in a respective depression in the conductor rails; Fig. 5 shows the sectional view along section line V-V of Fig. 4; 6 shows a cable car system with a valley station and a mountain station and a support mast with a mast top, in which the cable is preferably guided over rollers; 7 shows a schematic representation of a cableway installation 1 with three stations S, each of which includes at least one drive or freewheel wheel 29, around which the cable 11 is arranged to revolve; FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of two transportation resources, which are positioned in a station, with two charging devices separate from one another being present; FIG. 9 shows in a diagram the approximately expected service life of a cell of a double-layer capacitor as a function of the charging voltage and the operating temperature inside the capacitor; and FIG. 10 shows the charging time to reach the charging voltage with a nominal capacitance of a double layer capacitor of 165 farads.

Fig. 1 illustrates a train designed as a cable car driving equipment 13 of a cable car system 1. The driving equipment is used to transport passengers and / or goods. They have an electrical energy store, by means of which electrical consumers of the vehicle can be operated. The energy store includes at least one rechargeable capacitor. There may be multiple capacitors to increase the efficiency of the energy storage. In addition to a capacitor designed as a preferably double-layer capacitor, the energy store can also include one or more lead-acid batteries, NiCd, NiMh, NaS or comparable energy stores, with their different properties being able to be combined accordingly by means of charge control and/or charge regulation. Numeral 141 designates the wiring of the current collectors 142 to the double layer capacitor 14.

Fig. 2 illustrates a side view of the vehicle 13 with a side 133, a floor 134 and a roof 132 and a hanger 131. In the area of the roof, the energy store 14 is arranged and permanently connected. This can be done, for example, on the hanger or on the roof. Numeral 15 designates a cover, sunroof or shield. This protective shield protects the energy storage device from strong sunlight, rain, snow and other environmental influences.

Fig. 3 illustrates a plan view of the driving equipment 13, with the sides 133 and the roof 131. The energy storage device 14 is shown under the protective shield 15 with a dashed line.

Fig. 4 illustrates in a detailed view of Fig. 1 a on a cable clamp of the suspension 131 of the vehicle movably arranged pantograph with contacts 142, 142 ', which in a respective recess of the busbars 21,21' are pressed by spring force. The cable clamp has a roller 1311, which is designed here as a U-shaped rail s of a station and is used to promote the transportation equipment in a station.

Fig. 5 illustrates the sectional view along the section line V-V from Figure 4. The busbar 21 'is therefore shown in section. The sliding contact of the pantograph 142' of the vehicle is arranged on the rope clamp of the hanger 131 and is movably mounted.

Fig. 6 illustrates a typical cable car system with a valley and a mountain station S and a support mast M with a mast top m, over which the cable 11 is supported. Contact devices can also be provided in the area of the top of the mast, which are set up for briefly charging the energy store 14 of a cable car cabin 13 . A power supply device 2 for charging the energy store 14 is provided on the corresponding masts. Direct current or direct voltage is preferably transmitted to the energy store by means of the power supply device. In the area of the masts, the contact device can be designed in such a way that a so-called pole current collector with a contact roller, a scissors, bracket or lyre current collector is provided for each DC contact on the vehicle 13 .

Fig. 7 illustrates a schematic representation of a cable car system 1 with three stations S, each of which includes at least one drive or freewheel wheel 29, around which the cable 11 is arranged to revolve. The reference L1 shows the transport route or length between a valley station and a middle station, the reference L2 designates the transport route between the middle and a mountain station. The stations S are shown with a chain line. Within these stations, the contact devices denoted by reference numeral 21 are shown. Each cable 11 is driven by the drives at a usually constant speed in a range between L1/tvmin1 and L1/tvmax1 or L2/tvmin2 and L2/tvmax2 powered. When staying in or near the stations, the transportation equipment, not shown, moves at approximately walking pace or is briefly stopped so that passengers can easily board and disembark. During this phase, the energy store of the transportation equipment can be charged, with the current collectors of the transportation equipment engaging in the corresponding contact device, preferably U-shaped contact rails. In the middle station, the contact rails can be arranged over a length L1, 2 outside the two wheels 29.

FIG. 8 illustrates a schematic view of two transportation resources 13 which are positioned in a station S. FIG. There are two charging devices 2 that are separate from one another. The charging devices are designed as direct current sources with a positive and a negative pole. One of each of these poles is guided to a conductor rail 142, 142' shown in simplified form. Detection means or sensor means 22, 23 are preferably arranged in the area of the ends of the conductor rails, by means of which it can be determined whether the contacts 142, 142' of the transportation equipment 13, which is conveyed in the direction of travel F, have passed the sensors. The sensor means are designed, for example, as proximity sensors or metal detectors, so that, for example, the hanger or the suspension 131 of the transportation equipment 13 can be detected. The aim of this detection is to establish whether the contacts 142, 142' are firmly in contact with the busbar or the busbars 21, 21', so that even large currents can be transmitted without sparking. Sparks form in particular when a pantograph runs onto a live conductor rail or is uncoupled from it. Based on the signal from the sensor means 22, the charging voltage is applied to the contacts 21, 21' or, based on the sensor means 23, is interrupted or switched on or off. At least one DC-DC converter 143 is provided in order to provide a constant output voltage of 24 V based on an electrical input voltage of approximately 25 to 48 V in order to feed electrical consumers 3, which, for example, are used for the entertainment of passengers or the well-being (heating, cooling unit, lighting, etc.). A further DC-DC converter 144 is proposed in order to feed electrical loads 3 which fulfill emergency functions and/or provide rescue information. This circuit serves as a so-called safety circuit. The DC-DC converter for the emergency function circuit supplies a constant output voltage of e.g. 24 V until the capacitor is completely discharged. To ensure that the emergency functions are guaranteed until the double-layer capacitor is almost completely discharged, the electrical consumers can be prioritized. Depending on the voltage at the capacitor, light, heating or cooling, radio, etc., for example, are switched off early one after the other.

Figure 9 illustrates in a diagram the approximate expected lifetime of a cell of a double layer capacitor. It can be seen how the service life in years depends functionally on the cell voltage in VDC at a specific cell temperature in degrees C. A double-layer capacitor typically used for the cable car system has, for example, 18 cells, which results in a voltage of 48.6 V with a typical cell voltage of 2.7 V. If, for example, a service life of 10 years is aimed for, the internal temperature should not be much more than 25 degrees C. The double-layer capacitor 14 is therefore protected from excessive heat by a cover 15 . In order to prevent a reduction in the capacity of the double-layer capacitor even in summer when it is very hot, the charging voltage in the charging device 2 is reduced in such a way that with a lower cell voltage of e.g. 2.2 V and an internal temperature of e.g. max. 45 degrees C a maximum service life of approx. 15 years can be achieved. The charge voltage would be approximately 39.6V at this cell voltage and the same number of cells. The power required depends on the unloading time and the length of the cable car.

10 illustrates the charging time until the charging voltage is reached. It can be seen that with increasing charging current in amperes, at a certain charging voltage in VDC, the charging time in seconds decreases according to the curves shown. The power supply of the charging device 2 to the driving equipment 13 can be increased, for example, by using several current collectors.

reference number legend

1 cable car system 11 cable, hoisting cable 13 driving equipment, cable car cabin, chair 131 hanger, hanger with cable clamp 1311 roller 132 roof 133 page 134 floor 14 energy store, double-layer capacitor 141 cabling 142, 142' contact, sliding contact, pantograph 143 converter, DC -DC converter 144 converter for safety circuit, DC-DC converter 145 safety device, charging control device 15 cover, shell, protective shield 2 charging device, charging station, power supply device 21, 21' contact device, contact, busbar 22 sensor means, detector 23 sensor means, detector 29 wheel, revolving wheel, Drive wheel, running wheel 3 consumers, end devices F direction of travel, direction of transport L, L1, L2, ... length M mast tip m mast S station s rail t, tvmin, ... time, period of time, duration

Claims (11)

1. Cable car cabin (13) for a cable car system (1) for transporting passengers and/or goods, the cable car cabin having at least a floor, a roof and side walls and an electrical energy store (14), by means of which electrical consumers (3) of the cable car cabin (13) can be operated, characterized in that the energy store (14) comprises at least one rechargeable capacitor and in that at least one current collector connected to the energy store (14) is attached to a cable clamp, a hanger, a chassis or a fastening device for a cable (11). (142) is present, which is designed to interact with at least one contact device (21) of a power supply device (2) provided in a station and/or on at least one mast of the cable car system (1). 2. cable car cabin (13) according to claim 1, characterized in that the capacitor of the energy store (14) is designed as a double-layer capacitor. 3. Cable car cabin (13) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the current collector (142) comprises horizontally and/or vertically movable sliding contacts which are designed to interact with a contact device (21) designed as a contact rail of the power supply device (2) of the cable car system ( 1) are designed. 4. Cable car cabin (13) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that between the current collector (142) and the electrical energy store (14) there is a charge control device (145) for controlled charging of the energy store based on the internal temperature of the same. 5. Cable car system (1) with at least one cable car cabin (13) that is removably or permanently connected to a hoisting cable (11) for accommodating passengers and/or goods, wherein the cable car cabin (13) can be conveyed in a circulating or pendulum manner between at least two stations (S). , characterized in that the cable car system (1) has at least one contact device (21) of a power supply device (2) in at least one station and/or on at least one mast of the cable car system (1) and in that the cable car cabin (13) according to one of Claims 1 trained up to 4. 6. Cable car system (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that the contact device (21) of the power supply device (2) is designed as a contact rail and that the cable car cabin (13) is designed according to claim 3. 7. Cable car system (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the contact rail (21) is arranged at least in regions along one or more cables (11) of the cable car system (1). 8. Method for charging an electrical energy store (14) of a cable car cabin (13) designed for conveying passengers and/or goods of a cable car system (1) according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the electrical energy store (14) of the cable car cabin (13) during the at least temporary stay of the cable car cabin (13) in a station (S) of the cable car system (1) and/or during the at least temporary passing or stay of the cable car cabin (13) at a cable mast (M) of the cable car system (1) is electrically charged. 9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that the duration and/or intensity of the charging of the electrical energy store (14) of the cable car cabin (13) is regulated as a function of the residual charging voltage and/or the internal temperature of the same. 10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that when at least one other cable car (13) is staying in a station (S) at the same time, the charging of the energy stores (14) of these cable car cabins (13) depends on the respective residual charging voltages of their Energy storage takes place, with the individual power supply devices (2) being electrically and/or mechanically decoupled from one another. 11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that by means of sensor means (22, 23) of the cable car system (1) based on the presence of a cable car cabin (13) in a station (S), the charge of the energy store (14) of this Cable car cabin is controlled or regulated, with at least one sensor means (22) for switching on the power supply device (2) is used.