EP2753525B1 - Particle scattering system for a rail vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic control device for a particle scattering system of a rail vehicle, a particle scattering system with such a control device and a corresponding rail vehicle. Moreover, the invention relates to a method for controlling a particle scattering system of a rail vehicle. The technical environment is on the WO 2005/077679 A1 and the US 2005/0253397 A1 directed

In rail vehicles, the effect of a brake or a drive device depends crucially on the frictional connection between wheels and rail, because a driving force or braking force is transmitted via the wheels to the rail. In this case, a parameter called the adhesion coefficient or adhesion coefficient determines the amount of braking force or driving force that can be transmitted to the rail. If more force is applied to a wheel to brake or accelerate the rail vehicle than can be received in accordance with a prevailing frictional connection via the wheel-rail contact, this can lead to a sliding, spinning or locking of the wheel, which is an undesirable condition. The adhesion between a wheel and a rail depends heavily on the friction conditions between the wheel and the rail. At high friction, a high adhesion is possible, while at a low friction, such as water or ice on the rail, there is only a low adhesion. In order to improve the efficiency, in particular of braking, rail vehicles may be equipped with particle spreading systems, via which a spreading material, for example sand, can be applied to a rail. Due to the spreading material, the adhesion between the wheel and rail and thus the adhesion can be improved.

It is an object of the present invention to improve the control of a particle scattering system of a rail vehicle.

This object is solved by the features of the independent claims. Further advantageous embodiments and modifications of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

The control device may have one or more separate components, such as control devices, which are interconnected for data transmission. It is conceivable that a control device connected to a brake control device for data transmission or is connectable, such as a brake computer, a Gleitschutzrechner and / or a traction computer. The control device can also be designed as part of a brake control device or traction control device. A controller may be configured to receive data representing a particular size and / or condition. It is conceivable that such data directly indicate a particular state or size. It can also be provided that the respective state or the respective variable can be determined from such data indicating a state and / or a size. An appropriate determination or determination of the size or the state can be carried out, for example, by processing or calculations based on the associated data. Such calculations or manipulations may be performed by a controller and may include, for example, data format changes, transformations, and / or physical calculations. A state represented by data may be, for example, an adhesion state or a frictional connection between a wheel and a rail. An actual value a particle amount to be delivered by a particle scattering system may be a size that may be represented by corresponding particle data. Such an actual value may relate to a quantity of particles which is removed from a storage container by the particle scattering system for discharge from the particle scattering system, for example for application to a rail. An actual value of a quantity of particulates to be delivered may in particular relate to a moving stream of particles. The actual value may relate to a particle flow which is located within the particle scattering system, for example within a metering device and in particular within a delivery tube of the metering device. A quantity of particles to be delivered can be parameterized, for example, by an amount of particles per unit time and / or per area cross section. An amount can be parameterized by a mass and / or a volume. In particular, a quantity of particles to be delivered can be represented by particle data which relate or indicate a mass flow of the particles to be delivered and / or a particle to be delivered. A frictional connection can be represented, for example, by traction data relating to or specifying a traction coefficient or adhesion coefficient and / or at least one wheel slip and / or an actual value of a friction and / or a desired value of a friction and / or the triggering or interrupting of an antiskid state can. The control device can be designed correspondingly for determining a size or a state, in particular an adhesion state and / or a particle quantity, from corresponding data. A particle scattering system may comprise at least one metering device, which may be provided to deploy a spreading material and / or particles of a spreading material onto a rail. The grit can be composed in particular of particles. The particles may be suitable for improving a traction between the rail and the wheel, for example by increasing friction between the wheel and the rail. Grit may include, for example, sand and / or ceramic particles. A particle scattering device can have one or more storage containers for receiving and providing spreading material or particles. In this case, particles can differ in different containers Material and / or different sizes and / or different nature be provided. A metering device may be designed to dispense particles and / or grit from one or more storage containers onto a rail. It can be provided that a metering device is able to mix particles from a plurality of storage containers in order to dispense a corresponding particle mixture onto the rail. It may be expedient for a quantity of particles to be applied to be determined or detected before the particles in question or the amount of particles leave the metering device and / or hit the rail. In particular, detection or determination of particle data can be provided at or near a particle outlet of the metering device, via which particles can escape into the open. Such an outlet may for example be provided at the end of a conveyor pipe. The metering device can have at least one delivery device for the targeted and / or adjustable delivery of a certain amount of particles in a specific time and / or for taking a corresponding amount of particles to be taken from one or more storage containers. A conveyor may for example act electrically, pneumatically and / or mechanically. For example, the conveyor may operate based on a combination of negative pressure and positive pressure. It is conceivable that a conveyor device has a blower for blowing out particles with compressed air and / or a particle nozzle and / or a worm drive and / or a cellular wheel and / or a reciprocating piston. A conveying device may be associated with a manipulated variable which is related to a quantity of particles to be dispensed and / or to be dispensed. Such a manipulated variable may be a pressure and / or a rotational speed and / or a stroke and / or a pulse width according to the type of action of the conveyor. It is conceivable that a quantity of particles to be delivered after removal from one or more storage containers is moved and / or accelerated by a transport device, for example pneumatically in a delivery tube of the metering device. In general, a transport device can be designed to move and / or accelerate material removed from a storage container. It is conceivable that no additional transport device is provided, or that a conveyor is designed to take over the function of a transport device. The metering device and / or the conveyor device and / or the transport device can be controlled by a control device. The activation of a conveying device and / or transport device can be regarded as activation of the metering device. A control of a metering device, conveying device or transport device by a control device may comprise controlling the metering device or conveyor or transport device by the control device such that a certain amount of particles or a specific particle stream is taken from at least one storage container, transported or moved within the particle scattering system within a certain time unit and / or applied to the rail. An activation can also mean the activation in such a way that no particles are applied to the rail. The setting of a manipulated variable of a conveyor or transport device by the control device can be regarded as a triggering of the particle scattering system. It is conceivable that a metering device is designed to dispense a mixture of particles of different types and / or sizes in accordance with the control device. In particular, particles from different storage containers can be mixed. For mixing of the particles and several conveyors can be controlled simultaneously, each of which can be assigned to individual storage containers. A particle scattering system may have one or more metering devices, each with associated storage containers. In this case, the reservoir can be arranged spatially separated, for example, on different bogies of a rail vehicle or on different cars of the rail vehicle. It can be provided that different components of the control device are assigned to different metering devices. Different components of the control device may be spatially distributed, for example, to be associated with corresponding elements of the particle scattering system. The control device may be designed to control metering devices or delivery devices separately, so that the Dosage devices or conveyors may each be driven to deploy different streams of particles and / or scattering compositions, which may be different in particular in terms of particle size and / or particle type. It is conceivable that the control device is designed to control the metering device for discharging particles based on a scatter request and / or a brake request. Such a request can for example come from a further control device, such as an anti-slip computer, a train computer or a brake computer, or a driver. It is also conceivable that a controller of the particle scattering system is adapted to receive braking requests and / or acceleration requests and / or signals indicative of antiskid actuation, and optionally triggering or initiating particulate application by the particulate scattering system to implement a given brake request or acceleration request , A braking request may relate, in particular, to emergency braking or rapid braking, in which a high adhesion is particularly important. A rail vehicle or train may refer to one or more cars with or without its own drive and / or a towing vehicle in any combination. In particular, a rail vehicle may have railcars. A rail vehicle or a carriage of the rail vehicle may have bogies on which wheel axles of the vehicle are arranged. The bogies can be attached to a car body. A wheel axle can rigidly connect wheels or suspend a wheel individually. A rail vehicle may have a brake system. A brake system may include one or more types of brakes, such as pressure actuated or electrically actuated friction brakes, rail brakes and / or dynamic brakes such as electrodynamic brakes or eddy current brakes. The brakes of the brake system can be controlled by a brake control device, which may have, for example, one or more brake computer. For transmitting data to the control device, suitable further control devices and / or sensor devices may be provided which are able to determine corresponding data. The control device can be formed to receive corresponding data. A sensor device may generally comprise one or more sensors. Sensors of a sensor device can be designed to determine measured values with respect to different variables. In general, a connection for data transmission may designate a radio connection and / or a wired connection.

According to the invention, an electronic control device for a particle scattering system of a rail vehicle is provided, wherein the control device for controlling the particle scattering system can be connected to it. The control device is designed to receive particle data representing an actual value of a particle quantity to be delivered by the particle scattering system. Thus, according to the invention, a detection of the amount of particles to be delivered can take place, which enables a precise control of the particle scattering system based on a particle quantity actually to be applied. The control device can be designed to control the particle scattering system based on particle data. Alternatively or additionally, it may be provided that the control device is designed to transmit particle data to a brake control device. The control device and / or the brake control device may be designed to control a braking and / or a brake system and / or the particle scattering system based on particle data. In this case, for example, a maximum speed of the rail vehicle and / or actuation variables of the brake system and / or braking forces exerted by the brake system can be controlled and / or regulated on the basis of particle data. An actuating variable may be, for example, a brake pressure for actuating pressure-actuated brakes such as pneumatic or hydraulic brakes, an electric current for actuating an electric, magnetic or electromechanical brake and / or a force exerted by an actuator. A braking force may be a force acting to decelerate the vehicle. It is also conceivable that the control device is designed to control a brake control device based on particle data. The amount of particles to be delivered can be provided for application to a rail. The particle data may be from a sensor device or another control device may be provided, with which the control device for data transmission can be connected or connectable. The particle scattering system may comprise at least one metering device, which may be controllable by the control device. It can be provided that the metering device is capable of discharging particles onto a rail in accordance with the control device. A control of the metering device can be regarded as driving the particle scattering system. It may be provided that the control device is designed to perform a functional diagnosis of the particle scattering system based on particle data. For example, it may be provided that the control device controls the particle scattering system to disperse particles and determine based on received particle data, whether particles are applied and / or if an actual value of the amount of particles to be applied reaches a minimum value and / or if an actual value of auszubringenden Particle quantity remains below a maximum value and / or whether an actual value of the particle quantity to be delivered corresponds to a value which corresponds to a manipulated variable set during the control. In the event that the actual value of one or more of these conditions is not sufficient, the control device can generate a corresponding signal and, for example, take into account for further control and / or to another control device of the vehicle, such as a train computer and / or brake computer. It is conceivable that the control device is designed to recalibrate data relating to a relationship between a manipulated variable and a particle quantity to be delivered based on a functional diagnosis and / or to store it for later evaluation. Performing a functional diagnosis may be generally regarded as a case of driving the particle scattering system by the controller. Particle scattering system and control device may be provided in particular for attachment to a rail vehicle and / or be mounted on a rail vehicle. It is conceivable that the control device is able to control the particle scattering system during travel or operation of the rail vehicle. Particles can be particles of a grit. For example, a grit may include sand, such as quartz or sand Feldspar. It is conceivable that a grit has ceramic particles. The particle scattering system may have multiple reservoirs to receive grit. A metering device can be designed to dispose a grit or particles of a grit on the rail or directly into a gap between a wheel and the rail. A metering device can be designed to dispense particles from one or more storage containers onto the rail. It can be provided that a metering device can be controlled by the control device such that parameters of a quantity of particles to be delivered are adjustable, in particular a mass flow and / or a speed. In particular, a velocity of particles to be ejected may relate to a velocity at a location at which a mass flow of the particles is determined. It is conceivable that in different storage containers of the particle scattering system different materials are available. In particular, it can be provided that different materials differs from each other in terms of material, size and / or shape. Thus, for example, it may be provided that a type of particles having a certain size and of a certain material are received in a storage container, while particles of a different material and / or a different size are accommodated in another storage container. For example, a particle size may refer to an average particle size. It can be provided that the control device is designed to control the particle scattering system for discharging different particles or scattered goods. It is conceivable that the control device is able to control the particle scattering system for discharging particles from a plurality of storage containers based on particle property data. Particle property data may in this case be stored in a storage device of the control device and relate, for example, to frictional properties and / or hardness and / or material and / or size and / or trickling properties of the particles. The particle scattering system can be designed to be able to disperse particles from different storage containers onto the rail in accordance with the control device. The control device can be equipped with a brake control of the rail vehicle and / or traction control of the rail vehicle be connected or connectable. The control device may also be part of a brake control and / or traction control and / or vehicle control of the rail vehicle. In particular, it can be provided that the control device is designed to control a brake system and / or braking of the rail vehicle based on particle data. Thus, during braking, the condition of the particle scattering system can be taken into account. It is conceivable that a particle scattering system has a filling level sensor device. Such a level sensor device may comprise one or more sensors which are capable of detecting a fill level of a reservoir and / or a quantity of particulate matter received in a reservoir and to provide corresponding level data representing the level and / or amount of particulate collected. A level sensor may be a level limit switch which generates a signal when a level exceeds and / or falls below a certain threshold. It can be provided that the level sensor device is capable of monitoring, detecting and / or determining the fill level in each reservoir of the particle scattering system. The filling level sensor device can be connected or connectable to the control device for data transmission. The control device can be designed to receive level data. It is conceivable that the control device is able to control the particle scattering system based on level data. It is conceivable that the control device is capable of receiving speed data representing a vehicle speed. The vehicle speed can be provided for example by a suitable sensor device and / or a control device such as a train computer or a brake control device and transmitted via a suitable connection to the control device. It is conceivable that the control device is able to control the particle scattering system based on speed data. It may be provided that the control device is designed to determine a desired value for a quantity of particles to be delivered based on data received from it. In this case, determining the desired value may include receiving a desired value determined by another control device and / or calculating a desired value Include target value based on received data. It is conceivable that the control device is able to control the particle scattering system and / or a metering device in such a way that the desired value for the amount of particles to be delivered is set. To control the control device may be configured to set a corresponding manipulated variable of a particle scattering system, in particular a metering device and / or conveyor and / or transport device. It may be provided that a functional relationship between one or more manipulated variables and a quantity of particles to be delivered is stored in a memory device of the control device. The functional relationship can be defined, for example, in the form of a characteristic curve, in tabular form and / or by a formula which the control device is able to read out. The control device may be designed to control the particle scattering system taking into account the functional relationship, for example, to set a manipulated variable such that it corresponds to a desired value of a quantity of particles to be delivered. The functional relationship can be taken into account, in particular in a functional diagnosis, for example to determine whether an actual value of a quantity of particles to be delivered corresponds to an expected value. It is conceivable that the control device is designed to control the particle scattering system based on environmental data, which represent at least one environmental condition. The at least one environmental condition may include outdoor temperature and / or humidity and / or precipitation and / or wind direction and / or wind speed. The control device can be designed to receive corresponding data, for example by being connected or connectable to a corresponding sensor device for detecting environmental data.

According to the invention, the control device is designed to carry out a control and / or regulation of the particle scattering system based on the particle data. Thus, the particle scattering system can be precisely and efficiently controlled or regulated. It can in particular be a control or regulation of the auszubringenden Particle quantity be provided. In particular, it is conceivable that in a scheme the control device is designed to determine from the particle data an actual value of the amount of particle to be delivered and to control the particle scattering system in such a way that the actual value follows a desired value of the amount of particle to be delivered.

In a development, it may be provided that the control device is designed to receive traction data representing a frictional connection of at least one wheel of the rail vehicle. In particular, it can be provided that the control device is able to control or regulate the particle scattering system based on adhesion data. The at least one wheel may be a wheel whose frictional connection can be influenced by the particle scattering system. In particular, it can be provided that the at least one wheel is a wheel, which is arranged in the direction of travel behind a particle scattering system. The frictional connection of a wheel is influenced in particular by the friction conditions between wheel and rail. By introducing a grit, the friction between the wheel and rail can be significantly increased, resulting in a higher adhesion. The traction data may, for example, be data indicating the initiation or termination of a release of a slip guard. Such a slide protection device is usually triggered in particular when a brake of a wheel is actuated with an actuating force which can not be absorbed via the wheel-rail contact. In this case, there is no sufficient adhesion between the wheel and rail for receiving the intended braking force and the wheel may slip or jam. A slip protection device is provided to reduce the actuation force for a wheel in such a case and to provide a corresponding signal. The signal can be transmitted to the control device, for example, by an anti-slip computer and / or a brake computer and / or a traction computer. It is also conceivable that a device for force detection of at least one wheel is provided, which is able to determine a current adhesion between a wheel and the rail even without triggering a Gleitschutzeinrichtung. Such a device can For example, comprise a suitable sensor device with one or more brake force sensors and / or optical sensors and / or a running axis, which can be selectively braked to determine a frictional connection. It is also conceivable that traction data is provided by a control device such as a train computer, a brake computer or a traction computer. Traction data may be provided during braking and / or during an acceleration process of the rail vehicle. It may be provided that the control device and / or a control device connected to it, such as a brake computer or traction computer, is able to store adhesion data and / or associated desired values for the amount of particulates to be applied and / or associated manipulated variable values and optionally characteristics or other stored values Correct or recalibrate values accordingly. It is also conceivable that such stored data can be provided for a later evaluation, for example during maintenance.

In a development, it is provided that the control device for receiving particle data is connected or connectable to a sensor device which comprises at least one conveyor sensor for determining particle data. The sensor device may be formed separately from the control device or viewed as part of the control device. The conveyor sensor can be designed to detect or determine the particle data, for example, optically, electrically or in another suitable manner from a moving particle flow. The conveyor sensor may be assigned control electronics and / or evaluation electronics in order to detect measured values and / or to determine particle data. It can also be provided that the conveyor sensor transmits measured values directly as particle data. It is conceivable that the conveyor sensor is arranged on a metering device. The delivery sensor can be designed to detect or monitor the particle flow within a metering device and / or the particle scattering system before the particle flow reaches an outside area. For example, particle data from the conveyor sensor may indicate whether a particular amount of particulate matter has been reached and / or not reached. This can be a Defined limit for a particle amount, whose achievement and / or undershoot the conveyor sensor is able to monitor. Alternatively or additionally, particle data from the conveyor sensor may indicate, for example, a detected amount of particles to be delivered. Conveniently, the delivery sensor is designed such that it is not arranged in a stream of auszubringenden particle amount. It may be particularly expedient if the delivery sensor is arranged on the outside of an outer wall of a delivery tube of the metering device or the particle scattering system. It is conceivable that the conveyor sensor is formed integrally with a heater which is capable of heating a particle stream to be delivered and / or the conveyor sensor and / or the conveyor pipe, for example, to prevent freezing and / or moisture accumulation.

The delivery sensor may be able to detect an electric charge distribution in a particle flow to be delivered. In particular, the conveyor sensor can be designed to detect a charge shift generated by a flow of moving particles. As a result, the physical effect can be utilized that particles of a grit have surface charges that can be generated, for example, by frictional effects. If such charged particles move in a particle stream, the charges shift, which may result in mirror charges, for example, in a probe element of a conveyor sensor. The charges may be stochastically distributed, so that there is no uniform charge current in a particle flow. The conveyor sensor may accordingly comprise one or more sensor elements or electromagnetic scanning elements capable of detecting electric and / or magnetic fields, in particular time-varying electric or magnetic fields. In particular, the delivery sensor may comprise one or more sensor elements or feeler elements arranged around a delivery tube for delivering a quantity of particles, which may, for example, be of annular design. The conveyor sensor may in particular comprise two sensing elements, which may be arranged at a defined distance from each other. The conveyor sensor or a The control device connected thereto can be designed to determine a quantity of particles to be delivered from a detected electrical charge distribution.

It is conceivable that the particle data represent a mass flow of an amount of particles to be delivered. Such a mass flow can be detected by a suitable conveyor sensor. By way of example, a mass flow can be calculated from an electrical charge distribution and / or a change in an electrical charge distribution of a particle flow of a particle quantity to be delivered. A mass flow represents particularly well an amount of particles to be delivered and is therefore ideal as a size for controlling and in particular for controlling a particle scattering system.

Alternatively or additionally, it can be provided that the particle data represent a speed of a quantity of particles to be delivered. From the particle velocity conclusions can be drawn on a particle quantity to be delivered. The particle velocity may correspond to an average flow velocity of the particles of a particle flow representing the amount of particles to be delivered. The control device can be designed to take into account the speed and / or a mass flow in the control and / or regulation of the particle scattering system. For example, the speed of particles to be ejected may have an impact on the amount of particles that actually contribute to an improvement in wheel-rail friction conditions. For example, at high wind speeds from the side, too slow particles can be quickly blown away from a region of the rail, so that they can not contribute to a change in the friction conditions. In this case, if necessary, an increase in the particle velocity, for example by a suitable control by the control device, lead to an improvement of the friction conditions between wheel and rail. It is conceivable that the particle scattering system and / or a metering device has a transport device which has a speed an amount of particles to be applied in accordance with the control device is able to change. The transport device can be connected to the control device by means of the control device or can be connected. Such a transport device may, for example, comprise a pneumatic device capable of providing an air flow with an adjustable speed and / or an adjustable pressure for carrying and / or conveying a quantity of particles. Such an air flow can be fed, for example, into a delivery tube of the particle scattering system. The control device may be designed to control the transport device, for example based on particle data representing a particle velocity, and / or environmental data and / or adhesion data. For determining the particle velocity and / or a velocity of the particle flow, a conveying sensor with two scanning elements for detecting an electrical charge distribution, as mentioned above, may be provided. The feeler elements can be arranged in a ring around a conveyor tube. It may be expedient to arrange the feeler elements in the direction of the particle flow and / or the mass flow at a distance from one another. By correlating measured values of the spaced-apart scanning elements, it is possible to deduce a velocity of the particle flow.

The invention also relates to a particle scattering system with a control device described herein. In particular, the particle scattering system may comprise one or more reservoirs and one or more metering devices as described herein. It is conceivable that the particle scattering system is able to apply different spreading materials to the rail. Scattering materials may differ, in particular with regard to material, size and / or quality. The particle scattering system may comprise a sensor device described herein with a conveyor sensor.

The invention further relates to a rail vehicle with a particle scattering system described herein.

In addition, the invention relates to a method for controlling a particle scattering system of a rail vehicle by a control device, comprising the step of receiving, by the control device, particle data representing an actual value of a particle quantity to be delivered by the particle scattering system. The step of driving, by the controller, the particle scattering system based on the particle data may be provided. It can be provided that the control device controls a brake system and / or braking of the rail vehicle based on particle data. The control device may be a control device described herein. The particle scattering system may be a particle scattering system as described herein. According to the invention, it is provided that the control device carries out a control and / or regulation of the particle scattering system based on the particle data, in particular a control or regulation of the amount of particles to be delivered. The control device can receive adhesion data, which represents a frictional connection of at least one wheel of the rail vehicle. It is conceivable that the control device carries out a control and / or regulation of the particle scattering system based on adhesion data. The control device can receive particle data from a sensor device, which has at least one conveyor sensor for determining particle data. A conveyor sensor can detect an electric charge distribution in a particle stream. From the electrical charge distribution, particle data can be determined by the control device or by the sensor device. Conveniently, the particle data may represent a mass flow of a particulate matter to be delivered. It is conceivable that the particle data alternatively or additionally represent a speed of auszubringender particles.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings with reference to preferred embodiments.

Figur 1

schematisch eine Partikelstreuanlage; und

Figur 2

schematisch ein Beispiel für einen Fördersensor.

Show it:

FIG. 1

schematically a particle scattering system; and

FIG. 2

schematically an example of a conveyor sensor.

In the figures, connections for data transmission are shown in dashed lines.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a particle scattering system 10. The particle scattering system 10 is attached to a rail vehicle not shown in detail. The rail vehicle has a wheel 100 which is arranged on a rail 102. In this example, the particle scattering system 10 has three particle reservoirs 12, 14, and 16. In each storage container 12, 14, 16 different scattering goods are included, which differ in material, size and / or quality and have different friction properties. Furthermore, a metering device 18 is provided, which is capable of discharging particles from one or more storage containers onto the rail 102. The metering device 18 is part of the particle scattering system 10 and in this example comprises a conveyor 13 associated with the reservoir 12, a conveyor 15 associated with the reservoir 14 and a conveyor 17 associated with the reservoir 16. Each conveyor 13, 15, 17 is capable of being assigned to it Reservoir 12, 14, 16 in accordance with a control device described below to remove grit. The metering device 18 further comprises a transport device 20, which in this example is able to pneumatically remove particles taken from the storage containers into a delivery tube 22. About the conveyor tube 22 particles can be applied to the rail 102. On delivery tube 22, a delivery sensor 24 is further provided, which is capable of detecting and / or monitoring a quantity of particles flowing through delivery tube 22. This amount of particles or the particle flow correspond to the amount of particles to be delivered. The delivery sensor 24 may in particular be designed to determine a quantity of particle or mass flowing through the delivery tube and / or through a specific cross-sectional area of the delivery tube and / or a corresponding particle velocity. One through the conveyor sensor certain size may be an average size that indicates, for example, an average speed or an average mass flow. The conveying sensor 24 may be, for example, a conveying sensor described below. A delivery pipe 22 may generally be formed as a solid tube, as a downpipe or as a hose. It is conceivable that a heating, not shown, for heating the auszubringenden grit and / or in the conveying pipe 22 existing air and / or the conveying pipe 22 and / or the conveyor sensor 24 is provided on the conveying pipe 22. The heater may be integrally formed with the conveyor sensor 24. The particle scattering system 10 further comprises a control device 26, which is connected to receive data with the conveyor sensor 24. The control device 26 is further configured to control the dosage device 18 based on particle data received from the delivery sensor 24. In particular, the control device 26 is able to control from which storage container or from which combination of storage containers and in what proportion particles are to be dispensed. Furthermore, the control device 26, the metering device 18 and / or the transport device 20 and / or the delivery devices 13, 15, 17 can control such that a desired amount of particulate for delivery to the rail 102 is provided by the delivery tube 22, which is represented by a target Value of the mass flow of the auszubringenden particle quantity is given. In particular, the control device 26 is able to carry out a regulation of the amount of particles to be delivered based on data from the conveyor sensor 24. Further, the controller 26 is connected to a brake controller 28 in this example. Via the brake control 28, the control device 26 is provided with traction data and speed data. The traction data can be provided, for example, by an anti-slip computer of the brake controller 28. It is also conceivable that the adhesion data is provided by a force sensor device which is capable of detecting and / or monitoring a frictional connection, for example between the wheel 102 and the rail 104. The speed data represents a vehicle speed of the vehicle. The control device 26 may also be connected to at least one further device 30 for receiving further data his. The at least one further device 30 can, for example, provide environmental data and / or data representing further vehicle characteristics or states. Such vehicle properties may relate, for example, to a load on the vehicle or of wheel axles of the vehicle and / or a vehicle mass and / or a braking state. The actuation of the metering device 18 can be effected, for example, by setting a suitable manipulated variable of the conveyors 13, 15, 17 and / or the transport device 20, for example a pressure, a stroke or a pulse width of a piston, a rotational speed of a screw or a cellular wheel the conveyors or the transport device in order to achieve a desired value of the amount of particles to be delivered. It is conceivable that the control device is able to determine a relationship between the manipulated variable and the amount of particles to be delivered, in particular a relationship between the manipulated variable and a mass flow and / or a particle velocity. Such a relationship may, for example, be represented as a characteristic curve and / or stored in a suitable form in a memory device of the control device, for example in tabular form. Furthermore, it can be provided that the control device 26 is able to control the particle scattering system 10, in particular the metering device 18, the conveyors 13, 15, 17 and / or the transport device 20 based on adhesion data. The control device 26 can, for example, if the adhesion data from the triggering of a slip protection device, the particle scattering system 10 for discharging particles on the rail 102 to control. It can be provided that the control device 26 increases the amount of particles until the anti-slip device signals sufficient adhesion, for example, when the anti-slip device is no longer triggered. It is also conceivable that the control device 26 is designed to determine from the adhesion data a desired frictional connection and / or a desired friction and to control the particle scattering system 10 in such a way that the desired frictional connection and / or friction is established. Based on data transmitted by the conveyor sensor 24, the control device 26 monitors the amount of particles to be delivered. If an actual value results of the mass flow, which does not correspond to the desired value, the control device 26 regulates the metering device 18 accordingly, for example by suitably adjusting one or more manipulated variables. It can be provided that in the event of deviations between an actual value of the amount of particle to be delivered, in particular the mass flow, and a value to be expected based on adjusted manipulated variables, which exceed a specific limit value, the control device 26 generates an error message. The error message can be transmitted to a train computer and / or brake computer and / or a traction computer. Furthermore, the particle scattering system 10 has a fill level sensor device, not shown, which determines a fill level in each storage container. If the level in one or more storage containers below a predetermined minimum value, the controller 26 may also generate a corresponding signal. The control device 26 can also perform the activation of the particle scattering system 10 based on fill level data from the fill level sensor device. For example, in the control device 26, when in a reservoir 12, 14 or 16 is a small amount, the amount of spreading material is removed, which is removed from other storage containers. It may further be provided that, based on a corresponding signal from the control device 26, a control of the rail vehicle takes place in such a way that a lower maximum speed of the rail vehicle is set. This can be reacted by the rail vehicle to a low level of grit. In the event that a predetermined value of the frictional connection is not achieved by controlling the particle scattering system, the control device 26 can transmit a corresponding signal to a train computer, brake computer and / or traction computer. Based on such and / or further signals of the control device 26 may optionally be adapted to a braking operation. The control device 26 can also change the particle velocity of the amount of particles to be delivered by activating the transport device 20. In general, the control device 26 may be designed to take into account in the activation of the particle scattering system data that it receives from one or more of the devices connected to it. In particular, this data may include data from the conveyor sensor 24, from the brake control device 28 and / or data from further devices 30. With the system described a complete monitoring of the effect of the particle scattering system can be achieved. On the one hand, this enables efficient use of the particle scattering system. On the other hand, the particle scattering system can now be used for the brake calculation in a development of a rail vehicle, since its effect is completely detected. Moreover, it is possible to fully automatically check the particle scattering system or its effect, for example, by a standby or while driving a function diagnosis is performed in which about a target value of a particulate amount to be applied is set, and is checked by means of a conveyor sensor, whether the desired value is ausbringbar.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a conveyor sensor, for example, a conveyor sensor 24 of the FIG. 1 can be. The conveyor sensor 24 comprises two annular electromagnetic sensing elements 50 and 52 which surround a conveyor tube 22. About each probe element 50, 52, a charge shift can be detected, resulting in the flowing through the delivery pipe 22 particles. The direction of flow of the particles is indicated by the arrows. From the charge shift in a probe element 50 or 52, a mass flow can already be determined. The scanning elements 50, 52 are arranged at a known distance x from each other. The conveyor sensor 24 has evaluation electronics 54 which are designed to determine a particle velocity based on a correlation of the signals of the feeler elements 50, 52. In this case, in particular the propagation of stochastically distributed signal forms can be taken into account, which are detected at a time interval from the feeler elements 50, 52. For the transmission of particle data representing the mass flow and the particle velocity, the evaluation electronics 54 can be connected to a control device 26.

The features of the invention disclosed in the foregoing description, in the drawings and in the claims may be essential to the realization of the invention both individually and in any combination.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

Particle scattering instrument

12

reservoir

13

Conveyor

14

reservoir

15

Conveyor

16

reservoir

17

Conveyor

18

metering device

20

transport means

22

delivery pipe

24

feed sensor

26

control device

28

Brake control device

30

Other facilities

50

scanning element

52

scanning element

54

evaluation

100

wheel

102

rail

Claims (9)

1. Method for controlling a particle-scattering system (10) of a rail vehicle by means of a control device (26), said method having the steps:

   the control device (26) receives particle data that represent an actual value of a quantity of particles to be delivered by the particle-scattering system (10), such that the particle data relate to or indicate a mass flow of particles to be delivered and/or a speed of the particles to be delivered, and

   the control device (26) carries out a control and/or regulation of the particle-scattering system (10) on the basis of the particle data.
2. Electronic control device (26) for a particle-scattering system (10) of a rail vehicle, such that the control device (26) is configured so as to carry out the method according to Claim 1.
3. Electronic control device according to Claim 2, such that the control device (26) is designed to receive friction data which represent a friction of at least one wheel (100) of the rail vehicle.
4. Electronic control device according to Claim 3, such that in order to receive particle data the control device (26) is connected to a sensor device which comprises at least one conveyor sensor (24) for the determination of particle data.
5. Electronic control device according to Claim 4, such that the at least one conveyor sensor (24) enables the detection of an electric charge distribution in a particle stream to be delivered.
6. Electronic control device according to any of Claims 2 to 5, wherein the particle data represent a mass flow of a quantity of particles to be delivered.
7. Electronic control device according to any of Claims 2 to 6, wherein the particle data represent a speed of the particles to be delivered.
8. Particle-scattering system (10) with an electronic control device (26) according to any of Claims 2 to 7. I f
9. Rail vehicle with a particle-scattering system (10) according to Claim 8.

Images