DK3114280T3 - Rail Heating Device - Google Patents

Description

[0001] The invention at hand concerns a rail heating device according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Such a rail heating device is known by DE 20 2012 103 255 U1.

The safety and reliability in rail traffic can be restricted or endangered in cold weather and in particular ice or snow formation on rails and in particular on rail switches. In particular, moving switch parts can freeze undesirably, which can endanger switch operation. For this reason, rail heating systems are increasingly being used in areas with cool winter weather, in particular for heating switches. Heaters, which are operated with a warm heating fluid must on the one hand be shaped in such a way that they have a shape suitable for heating; on the other hand, they must be able to be placed next to other installations such as holding devices for slide chairs and switch arrangements, particularly in the area of switches; the shape of rail heaters can therefore depend on external conditions. This can make it difficult to achieve an even distribution of heating fluid and/or heat within the heater.

[0003] An object of the invention at hand is to provide an easy-to-install rail heater with improved heat distribution.

[0004] This object is solved by a rail heater with the characteristics of claim 1.

[0005] Advantageous embodiments and advancements result from the subordinate claims.

[0006] In the context of this description, a rail heating device, in particular a device, can be described, which can be provided for a heat-transferring contact on a rail, in particular on a rail web, in contrast to, for example, slide chair heaters, which are intended to heat a slide chair of a switch. A rail heating device can be designed to be operated with a heating fluid and/or to transfer heat from a heating fluid to a rail. A heating fluid may designate a liquid and/or a gas and/or a liquid mixture and/or gas mixture and/or phase mixture thereof, such as water and/or oil and/or a mixture of water and alcohol, such as water and glycol. In general, a rail heating device may have a heating rear wall, which may be designed to be in and/or to be capable of being brought into heat-transmitting and/or physical contact with the element to be heated in order to heat a rail, in particular a rail web. There may be a good heat conducting layer between the heating rear wall and the rail, such as a layer comprising heat conducting paste. A heating rear wall may comprise elements, which are designed and/or shaped to be in heat-transferring contact with a rail base adjacent to the rail web and/or a rail base adjacent to the rail web and/or to be capable of being brought into contact. A heat transferring contact can generally provide good heat conduction to transfer heat from the heating fluid to the rail. The shape of the heating rear wall can be essentially such that it matches and/or it is capable of clinging to the shape of the rail area to be heated. The rail heating device may generally be designed to be insertable or inserted into a rail chamber formed and/or defined by the rail web, rail head and rail foot. The heating rear panel may be formed as part of a heating chamber, which may itself be formed or regarded as part of a radiator. The heating chamber may have a chamber front wall which may be arranged on a side that faces away from the rail web and/or opposite with respect to the heating rear panel and/or can be formed to be arrangeable opposite. The front wall of the chamber and the rear wall of the heater may form a wall of the heating chamber and/or radiator. The heating chamber can be designed so that heating fluid can flow through it. It may be provided that heat from the heating fluid is transferred and/or can be transferred via the wall of the radiator and/or the heating chamber, in particular the heating rear wall, to the rail, in particular a rail web. In general, a directional designation with respect to a rear or a rear direction hereinafter designates a direction towards the rail web and/or the heating rear wall, whereas a directional designation with respect to the front designates a direction away from the rail web and/or the heating rear wall. The heater may generally have a front wall which may be formed by the heating chamber front wall. Alternatively, it is conceivable that a chamber is formed between the front wall of the heating chamber and the front wall of the heating device, such as an isolation chamber, which may be provided for thermal isolation in the front direction.

In such an isolation chamber, thermal isolation material, such as isolating foam and/or air, can be accommodated or receivable. The isolation chamber and the heating chamber may be integral and/or part of the radiator. For example, a rear wall of the isolation chamber can be formed by the front wall of the heating chamber.

Upper and/or lower wall areas can be provided to seal and/or interconnect the isolation chamber and/or heating chamber in cross-section. The radiator may generally have an outer wall, which may be defined in particular by the heating rear wall and/or front wall and/or other outer walls or wall areas. The head sides of the radiator and/or the heating chamber may define a longitudinal direction of the radiator and/or the heating chamber. Two head sides that are arranged opposite to each other, may be present. It is conceivable that one head side is a side which is substantially perpendicular to the heating rear wall and/or chamber front wall and/or radiator front wall and/or which runs parallel to a rail cross-section in the transverse direction. The heating chamber and/or radiator may be open at one or the head sides. It is conceivable that the head side of the heating chamber and/or the radiator is covered and/or can be covered by a cover device. Such a cover device can also cover an isolation chamber on the head side if necessary. A cover device may generally have a wall and/or one or more wall areas which are each capable of continuing corresponding wall areas of the radiator such as the outer wall and/or heating rear wall and/or front wall and/or chamber front wall. Corresponding wall areas can adjoin each other and continue along a longitudinal stretch, e.g. along a longitudinal direction of the rail. The contour shape of the respective wall can essentially be retained over at least part of the longitudinal extension of the cover device. It is conceivable that in a connection region, in which the cover device and the radiator are attached to each other, the cross-section and/or an outer wall contour of the cover device substantially corresponds and/or resembles the cross- section and/or the outer wall contour of the radiator. The cover device and the radiator can each be sealed fluid-tight against each other, for example by means of a suitable sealing device such as a rubber seal. In particular, a cover device may have a front wall of the cover which is capable of continuing a front wall of the radiator. It is conceivable that a cover device has a cover rear wall which is able to continue the heating rear wall. Two components of a rail heating system, such as a radiator and/or heating chamber and cover device, can be in fluid communication with each other. Fluid communication can generally describe that a fluid flow, especially of heating fluid, is formed and/or is capable of forming between the components. A fluid connection can generally comprise an opening in a wall through which fluid can flow and/or which allows a fluid chamber and/or pipe and/or hose to be connected. A rail heating device may generally comprise a radiator and at least one cover device, in particular two cover devices. Optionally, a rail heating device may include pipes and/or hoses and/or a heat source and/or a heating fluid source and/or sink. It is conceivable that a rail heating device may comprise several radiators with, where appropriate, associated cover devices. A radiator may, for example, be made of a metallic material, in particular aluminium and/or steel. In particular, a radiator may be designed as an extruded section, for example of aluminium. A heating rear wall can be made of a material with good thermal conductivity, such as a metal. A cover device may be fastened or attachable to the radiator in a suitable manner, for example by welding and/or screwing, for example by self-tapping screws.

[0007] The present invention concerns a rail heating device comprising a radiator with a heating chamber adapted to be flowed through by a heating fluid, said radiator having a heating rear wall adapted to be in heat-transferring contact with and/or to be brought into heat-transferring contact with a rail web of a rail to be heated. The rail heating device further comprises at least one cover device mounted or attachable to a head side of the radiator, the cover device having a cover rear wall adapted to continue the heating rear wall; the cover device having a cover front wall in which a cover opening is provided for a fluid connection for supplying or discharging heating fluid. Furthermore, a fluid supply transverse to the longitudinal extension of the radiator is possible. A redirection of the fluid flow, for example by a suitable fluid guidance within the cover device, results in a turbulence of the fluid flow, so that a uniform heat distribution and temperature distribution of the heating fluid can be achieved within the radiator. In this way, zones of preferred temperature are easily avoided. For example, applying an additional baffle plate, which can be useful for variants with fluid supply in the longitudinal direction of the radiator, can be omitted.

In general, two cover devices can be provided, one of which can be provided for fluid supply and the other for fluid removal. The structure of the cover device essentially can be identical; it is understood that the function of a cover device as fluid supply or fluid discharge is essentially defined by the overall arrangement and connections to the outside. In general, a fluid guide can be formed within a cover device, for example through channels which can be designed as bores. Such bores or channels can be especially straight. The fluid guide can generally be designed to bring one or more fluid connection openings of the cover device into fluid communication with the at least one cover opening and/or to bring the cover opening into fluid communication with the heating chamber. A cover opening may generally have a connection device for a fluid guide device such as a pipe and/or hose, such as a receptacle and/or thread. A channel and/or bore may be guided from the cover opening substantially obliquely upwards or substantially horizontally. In this description, the up generally refers to the direction towards the rail head, the down to the rail foot. In general, channels or bores of the fluid guide can be designed with a constant cross-section. Cross-sectional changes within the fluid supply system can essentially result from the fact that different channels or holes meet each other. It may be provided that channels and/or bores extend in a straight line from the opening from which they extend into the interior of the cover device to a branching point within the cover device at which they meet one or more other channels and/or bores. Accordingly, it is conceivable that individual channels and/or bores of the fluid guide of the cover device do not penetrate the cover device in a straight direction. Within the scope of this description, a cover opening can essentially describe an opening to the outside through which a connection to a fluid supply or discharge to or from the rail heating device and/or cover device is possible. A cover opening may be in or can be brought into fluid communication with a heating chamber via a fluid guide and/or one or more fluid connection openings. A cover opening may generally be an opening in an outer wall contour of a cross-section of the cover device. A fluid connection opening can essentially be an opening to the heating chamber through which fluid can flow into or out of the heating chamber from a cover device. A fluid connection opening may have a normal surface directed into the heating chamber; a normal surface of the cover opening may be directed past the heating chamber and/or directed into an external area.

[0008] In a variant, the cover device may have at least one fluid connection opening on one side mounted or mountable to the radiator, allows a heating fluid to flow into or out of the heating chamber. Such a fluid connection opening can open from a fluid guide within the cover device into the heating chamber. The cross-sectional area dimension of a fluid connection opening may generally be smaller than the cross-sectional area dimension of the heating chamber. This allows a relatively large heating surface to be formed on the heating rear wall.

[0009] It may be provided that the at least one fluid connection opening is in fluid communication with the cover opening. Thus, a fluid flow can be formed between the cover opening and the at least one fluid connection opening. The surface normal of a fluid connection opening can be formed obliquely and/or transversely, in particular substantially at right angles to the surface normal of the cover opening. A fluid guide within the cover device can be designed to enable fluid communication between the openings. The cross-sectional area dimension of the cover opening may be larger than the cross-sectional area dimension of the at least one fluid connection opening.

[0010] It is conceivable that the cover device and the radiator have essentially identical cross-sectional surfaces. Consequently, the cover device can also cling to the rail profile and/or be accommodated in the rail chamber without requiring additional adjustment measures.

[0011] In a nembodiment, it may be provided that the cover device has at least and/or exactly two fluid connection openings, each of which allowing heating fluid to flow into and/or out of the heating chamber. The sum of the cross-sectional area dimensions of the fluid connection opening may be less than the cross-sectional area dimension of the heating chamber, so that a slower flow may be formed within the heating chamber than within the channels of the fluid guide leading to the fluid connection openings. The fluid guide may have a branching point from which such channels branch off from a channel connected by a cover opening. From at least one of the fluid connection opening, a channel and/or bore may extend obliquely within the cover device to a channel or bore guided by the cover opening. The cross-sectional shape of an obliquely guided channel may differ from a round cross-sectional shape and e.g. may be oval, e.g. due to the oblique guidance of a milling or drilling tool. The fluid connection openings can be arranged one above the other in order to make good use of the space available and to allow further turbulence of the heating fluid in the vertical direction.

[0012] The cover device may generally have a fluid guide in fluid communication with the cover opening. The fluid guide may be formed by bores, each of which may be drilled into the inside of the cover body from at least one cover opening and/or at least one fluid connection opening, for example to meet in such a way that a continuous fluid guide is formed.

[0013] According to an embodiment, the fluid guide within the cover device may show a constriction of the flow cross-section. The constriction can be formed at a point where at least two channels, in particular bores, of the fluid guide meet. The constriction can in particular be provided at a point where a channel from the cover opening meets a channel from a fluid connection opening to the heating chamber.

[0014] The constriction may be an abrupt constriction. This results in a point of impact which leads to turbulence of the incoming heating fluid. An abrupt constriction can denote a constriction at which the flow cross-section changes essentially instantaneously and/or abruptly and/or discontinuously. This can be achieved, for example, by the fact that the cross-sectional area dimension of a channel from a fluid connection opening is smaller than the cross-sectional area dimension of a channel from the cover opening which opens into this channel. Alternatively or additionally, the cross-sectional shape of the channels and/or the impact position of the channels on each other may be suitably designed to provide such an abrupt constriction.

[0015] The fluid guide can have at least one branch. The branch may be designed to divide or join fluid streams from or to two fluid openings. It is conceivable that a branch is formed within the cover opening in such a way that channels from the cover opening and channels from the fluid connection openings to the heating chamber meet at a common point and define the branch. Several branches may be provided, each of which may be formed by channels and/or bores meeting one another, in particular those which are guided in a straight line. Thus a branching structure of the fluid guide can be formed.

[0016] It is conceivable that the fluid guide is designed to guide the heating fluid essentially orthogonally to the direction of inflow of the fluid into the cover opening in the heating chamber. The deflection of the heating fluid flow results on the one hand in a space saving in the longitudinal direction and on the other hand in a turbulence of the heating fluid flow.

[0017] In the following, embodiments of rail heating devices are explained using the enclosed figures in an exemplary manner. The same reference signs designate the same or functionally similar elements.

[0018] It is shown:

Fig. 1 : a cross-section of an exemplary radiator of a rail heating system;

Fig. 2 : a side view of an exemplary rail heating device;

Fig. 3 : a head side view of an exemplary cover device;

Fig. 4 : an oblique view of an exemplary rail heating device; and

Fig. 5 : an oblique view of another exemplary rail heating device.

[0019] Fig. 1 shows a cross-section of an exemplary radiator 10 of a rail heating device 100. The radiator 10 has a heating chamber 12, which is formed between a heating rear wall 14 and a chamber front wall 16, which merge into one another at the top and bottom via transverse walls 13. The heating rear wall 14 and the transverse walls 13 are designed to cling to a rail profile of a rail to be heated (not shown). An isolation chamber 20 is also provided, which is formed between a front wall 18 and the chamber front wall 16. The front wall 18 together with the heating rear wall 14 and the transverse walls 13 formed in between form the outer wall contour of the radiator 10. The heating chamber 12 and the isolation chamber 20 are each open at the head end and can be screwed together with a cover device via the screw channels 22. During operation, heating fluid is introduced into the heating chamber 12 via one of the open head sides, which is able to dissipate heat to a rail via the heating rear wall 14 and leaves the heating chamber 12 on the opposite head side.

[0020] Fig. 2 shows a side view of a rail heating device 100 with a radiator 10, for example as shown in Fig. 1, to which cover devices 30 are screwed on at the head. The cover devices 30 each have a cover opening 32 for the connection of a fluid guide device, and can each have suitable connection devices, for example threads and/or pipe projections and/or connections, for example to connect pipes and/or hoses for heating fluid. Self-tapping screws 24 are visible, which fasten the cover devices to the radiator 10 at the head end via the screw channels 22 and corresponding channels 34 provided in the cover devices 30. The cover device 30 and the radiator 10 are each sealed against each other by a seal 26. The seal surrounds the fluid connection openings from the outside as shown subsequently.

[0021] Fig. 3 shows a cross-section of a cover device 30. In this example, a fluid channel 33, which is listed as a bore, is led from the cover opening 32 in a straight line slantwise upwards into the interior of the cover device 30. An upper fluid connection opening 36 and a lower fluid connection opening 38 can be seen, which each open into the heating chamber 12 in Fig. 2. A fluid channel 37 is drilled obliquely downwards from the upper fluid connection opening 36 in order to meet the bore 33 from the cover opening 32 at a branching point 40. In this example, a fluid channel 39 extends in a straight line horizontally from the lower fluid connection opening 38 to the branching point 40. The cross-sectional area dimension of the channel 33 is larger than the cross-sectional area dimension of the channels 37 and 39, so that at the branching point 40 a constriction of the flow cross-section results with an impact edge which is formed at the branching point by transition from the channel 33 to the channels 37 and 39. At the transition of heating fluid from duct 33 to the branching point 40 and the ducts 37 and 39, a turbulence of the heating fluid emerges. Further turbulence is produced by the deflection of the heating fluid when flowing through the fluid guide of the cover device 30 formed by channels 33, 37 and 39 from the inflow direction into the cover device in the outflow direction to the heating chamber 12. In addition, a turbulence emerges in the heating chamber 12 due to the meeting of the heating fluid flows, which are guided separately in the channels 37, 39. As a result, an even heat distribution can form and there is no layering of heating fluid at different temperatures within the heating chamber 12. On the opposite side of the head, the heating fluid is discharged again via a corresponding cover device 30. However, a different cover device can be provided for the discharge, as turbulence is not absolutely necessary here. However, the use of a similar cover device 30 on both head sides allows the fluid supply to be connected on any of the sides.

Fig. 4 shows a slanted view of an exemplary rail heating device 100, which is attached to a rail 200. The rail 200 has a rail head 202, a rail web 204 and a rail foot 206 which define a rail chamber 208 in which the rail heating device 100 is accommodated so that the heating rear wall 14 clings to the profile formed by the rail. It can be seen how connecting elements 42 such as pipes or hose pieces extend from the cover openings 30 in a straight continuation of the direction of the hole 33.

Fig. 5 shows a oblique view of another exemplary rail heating device 100, which differs from the arrangement shown in Fig. 1-4 with regard to the cross-section and the rail profile intended for heating. Due to the overall lower profile, the hole 33 of the cover opening 30 in this example is essentially horizontal.

List of reference signs [0022] 10 : radiators 12 : heating chamber 13 : cross wall 14 : heating rear panel 16 : chamber front wall 18 : front wall 20 : isolation chamber 22 : screw channel 24 : screws 26 : seal 30 : cover device 32 : cover opening 33 : channel 34 : screw channel 36 : upper fluid connection opening 37 : channel 38 : lower fluid connection opening 39 : channel 40 : branch point 42 : connection element 100 : rail heating device 200 : rail 202 : rail head 204 : rail web 206 : rail foot 208 : rail chamber

Claims (10)

A rail heating device (100), comprising: a heater (10) having a heating chamber (12) configured to be flowed by a heating fluid, wherein the heater (10) has a heater wall which is configured to be or being able to contact heat transferring with a rail rib (204) of a rail to be heated; at least one cover device (30) disposed or disposed on an upper side of the heater (10), wherein the cover device (30) has a cover back wall configured to continue the heat back wall (14); characterized in that the cover device (30) has a cover preform in which a cover opening (32) is provided for a fluid connection for supplying or dissipating heating fluid. A rail heater (100) according to claim 1, wherein the cover device (30) on a side disposed or may be mounted on the heater (10) has at least one fluid connection opening (36, 38) which allows a heating fluid to flow into the heating chamber (12) or to flow out of it. Rail heating device (100) according to claim 2, wherein the at least one fluid connection opening (36, 38) is formed in fluid communication with the cover opening (32). Rail heating device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover device (30) and the heating element (10) have substantially identical cross-sectional surfaces. Rail heating device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover device (30) has at least two fluid connection openings (36,38) which allow a respective heating fluid to flow into the heating chamber (12) or flow out of it. . A rail heating device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover device (30) has a fluid guide formed in fluid communication with the cover opening (32). Rail heating device (100) according to claim 6, wherein the fluid guide within the cover device (30) has a narrowing of the flow cross-section. A rail heating device (100) according to claim 7, wherein the constriction is a discontinuous constriction. Rail heating device (100) according to one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the fluid guide has at least one branch (40). A rail heating device (100) according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the fluid guide is designed to convey the heating fluid into the heating chamber (14) substantially orthogonal to the flow direction into the cover opening (32).