EP3141452B1 - System of train location along the railway of a rail network - Google Patents

Description

The subject of the invention is that of systems for locating trains along the tracks of a rail network, and more particularly locating systems forming part of an architecture for automatic train control, also called ATC architecture, according to English acronym "Automatic Train Control"

In an ATC architecture, it is necessary to accurately and safely determine the instantaneous position of a train.

For this, it is known to have magnetic beacons along the track, in known positions. Each beacon is capable of transmitting a telegram comprising in particular an identifier of the beacon. Each train traveling on the network is equipped with a reception antenna capable of receiving telegrams transmitted by a beacon when the antenna is in the immediate vicinity of the beacon. An on-board computer, connected to the receiving antenna, then determines the instantaneous position of the train from the identifier of the beacon that has just been detected and from a network map associating beacon identifier and position on the network . It is thus possible to precisely determine the position of the train when it is plumb with a beacon.

To determine the instantaneous position of the train between two successive beacons, the train is equipped with various sensors allowing the on-board computer to determine a distance traveled since the last beacon crossed by the train.

The calculation of this distance traveled turns out to be particularly complex.

For a train whose wheels are fitted with tires, which are liable to deform in particular during lateral acceleration of the train, the distance traveled is not the simple course of the circumference of the tire multiplied by the number of wheel turns counted since the last cross tag.

For a train traveling on rails, the slippages between the wheel and the rail, in particular during longitudinal acceleration of the train, again make the distance traveled not the simple course of the circumference of the wheel by the number of wheel revolutions counted since the last crossed beacon.

It is therefore necessary to equip the train with multiple sensors (tone wheels, accelerometers, speedometers, etc.) so that the on-board computer can determine, from the measurements made by these sensors and from models describing the dynamics of the train. , the distance traveled since the last cross tag.

To this complex determination is added the fact that the determination of the instantaneous position of the train being a fundamental datum for train safety, it must be determined in accordance with safety integrity level (SIL) 4, known to those skilled in the art. To achieve such a level of safety, a possible technique consists in redundant the algorithms for determining the instantaneous position of the train.

All this means that the on-board computer of a train must have significant computing capacities in order to be able to determine the instantaneous position of the train in safety.

In some ATC architectures, notably in CBTC architectures (according to the acronym "Car Board Train Control"), we take advantage of this calculation capacity on board trains to ask the on-board computer to perform other tasks, such as for example the calculation of the train speed curve.

More specifically, the computer on board the train is in communication with a computer on the ground, for example by means of a GSM infrastructure. The on-board computer periodically communicates the instantaneous position it has determined to the computer on the ground. From this information and other information related to the other trains running on the network, the ground computer defines a movement authorization for the train, which has an end point that the train must not cross and for all sections of track, from the current train position to this end point, of the maximum authorized speeds. This movement authorization is transmitted to the on-board computer, which from a detailed cartography of the line (mentioning the slope, the curvature etc. of each section of the track) and other information relating in particular to the train (mass, number of cars, etc.), calculates a speed profile for the train.

In an alternative embodiment, it is the ground computer which, once the movement authorization has been calculated, determines a speed profile for the train, then transmits it to the onboard computer.

Besides the complexity of determining the instantaneous position of a train and its consequences, another problem lies in the installation of magnetic beacons along the track. To do this, a preliminary study makes it possible to establish a plan for setting up the beacons. However, it is not certain that the technician who must implement the beacons in accordance with this plan correctly positions the beacons. It is therefore necessary, after the installation of the beacons, to qualify the track in order to note the exact position of each of the installed beacons. These deployment steps are long and costly.

It should be noted that any modification of the position of a beacon and more generally any modification of the railway leads to the updating of the cartography describing the line. In the case where each on-board computer of trains authorized to run on the track stores a version of this map, it is then necessary to implement a procedure to ensure that the on-board computers of all trains are running with the updated version of the cartography.

There is also known an autopilot system for metros comprising a plurality of belts arranged one after the other between the rail wires. Each carpet incorporates a plurality of transmitting antennas. An antenna is configured so as to form a succession of induction loops in the direction of the track, each loop having a longitudinal dimension which corresponds to a speed setpoint for the train traveling above this loop.

The switching of a controlled switch to apply a continuous supply current to one or the other of the transmitting antennas of the belt makes it possible to select the speed reference profile with which it is desired to control the train.

A train is equipped with a receiving antenna and a regulation circuit making it possible to detect the running of the induction loops of the powered transmitting antenna and to regulate the speed of the train so that this running takes place at a rate regular.

We also know, by the document FR 2 562 018 A1 , a system for the geographic location of a train comprising a two-wire line circulating between the lines of rails of the track. The line is twisted so as to present loops of regular dimensions. The system further includes a plurality of beacons disposed along the track. Each beacon is capable of emitting a code identifying the emitting beacon. A train traveling on the track embeds equipment capable of counting the number of loops since the reception of the code identifying the last crossed beacon. The two-wire line is supplied with a signal comprising a code corresponding to the signaling state along the channel, this code allowing modulation of the signal carrier.

The invention therefore aims to overcome the problems affecting the location systems implemented in ATC architectures.

• au sol, une pluralité de tapis disposés les uns à la suite des autres le long de la voie, chaque tapis comportant un circuit de contrôle et une antenne émettrice connectée au circuit de contrôle, l'antenne émettrice étant conformée pour définir, sur la totalité du tapis, une pluralité de boucles d'induction selon la direction de la voie, le circuit de contrôle étant propre à appliquer en entrée de l'antenne émettrice un signal d'alimentation en courant intégrant un identifiant dudit tapis ; et,
• à bord de chaque train autorisé à circuler sur la voie, une antenne de réception propre à générer un signal de réception corrélé au signal d'alimentation de l'antenne émettrice, et un calculateur de bord connecté à l'antenne de réception, propre à analyser le signal de réception de manière à en extraire l'identifiant du tapis à l'aplomb duquel ladite antenne de réception se situe et à comptabiliser un nombre de boucles d'induction détectées depuis le dernier changement d'identifiant, ledit identifiant et ledit nombre de boucles d'induction détectées permettant de déterminer la position instantanée du train.

For this, the subject of the invention is a system for locating trains along the tracks of a railway network for an architecture for automatic train control, comprising:

• on the ground, a plurality of belts arranged one after the other along the track, each carpet comprising a control circuit and a transmitting antenna connected to the control circuit, the transmitting antenna being shaped to define, over the whole of the mat, a plurality of induction loops according to the direction of the track, the circuit of control being adapted to apply at the input of the transmitting antenna a current supply signal integrating an identifier of said mat; and,
• on board each train authorized to run on the track, a reception antenna capable of generating a reception signal correlated to the power signal of the transmitting antenna, and an on-board computer connected to the reception antenna, suitable for analyze the reception signal so as to extract the identifier therefrom from the mat above which said reception antenna is located and to count a number of induction loops detected since the last change of identifier, said identifier and said number of detected induction loops to determine the instantaneous position of the train.

• le système comporte plusieurs circuits de contrôle correspondant à autant de tapis disposés successivement sont regroupés et connectés en série les uns aux autres et avec un calculateur de contrôle situé en bordure de la voie de manière à former un réseau de communication ;
• le calculateur de contrôle d'un groupe de tapis est propre à modifier l'identifiant (Id) mémorisé par le circuit de commande d'un tapis dudit groupe ;
• les dimensions longitudinales des boucles d'induction d'une antenne émettrice sont constantes sur la totalité de la longueur d'un tapis et, de préférence, constantes d'un tapis à l'autre de manière à ce que les tapis soient des tapis standards ;
• un circuit de contrôle d'un tapis est relié à une ligne d'alimentation en puissance électrique circulant le long du tapis, les lignes d'alimentation d'une pluralité de tapis successifs étant connectées entre elles et à une source de puissance électrique ;
• un tapis comporte une unique antenne émettrice ;
• le circuit de contrôle est propre à appliquer à l'antenne émettrice un courant comportant une porteuse et une modulation, la modulation correspondant à l'identifiant du tapis ; et
• le calculateur de bord d'un train stocke une cartographie du réseau associant une position à chaque boucle d'induction de chaque tapis.

According to particular embodiments, the system comprises one or more of the following characteristics, taken in isolation or according to all technically possible combinations:

• the system comprises several control circuits corresponding to as many belts arranged successively are grouped together and connected in series with each other and with a control computer situated at the edge of the track so as to form a communication network;
• the control computer of a carpet group is able to modify the identifier (Id) memorized by the control circuit of a carpet of said group;
• the longitudinal dimensions of the induction loops of a transmitting antenna are constant over the entire length of a carpet and, preferably, constant from one carpet to another so that the carpets are standard carpets ;
• a carpet control circuit is connected to an electric power supply line circulating along the carpet, the supply lines of a plurality of successive belts being connected to each other and to a source of electric power;
• a carpet has a single transmitting antenna;
• the control circuit is suitable for applying to the transmitting antenna a current comprising a carrier and a modulation, the modulation corresponding to the identifier of the mat; and
• the on-board computer of a train stores a map of the network associating a position with each induction loop of each belt.

• la figure 1 est une représentation schématique de l'architecture de contrôle automatique de la circulation d'un train le long d'une voie comportant le système de localisation des trains selon l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une représentation schématique, en vue de dessus, de la voie de la figure 1 équipée du système de localisation des trains selon l'invention ;
• la figure 3 est une représentation schématique en vue de dessus d'un tapis appartenant au système de localisation des trains selon l'invention ; et,
• la figure 4 est une représentation schématique d'un circuit de contrôle equipant le tapis de la figure 3.

The invention and its advantages will be better understood on reading the detailed description which follows of a particular embodiment given solely by way of nonlimiting example, this description being made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• the figure 1 is a schematic representation of the architecture for automatically controlling the movement of a train along a track comprising the train location system according to the invention;
• the figure 2 is a schematic representation, in top view, of the way of figure 1 equipped with the train location system according to the invention;
• the figure 3 is a schematic representation in top view of a carpet belonging to the train location system according to the invention; and,
• the figure 4 is a schematic representation of a control circuit equipping the mat of the figure 3 .

On the figure 1 , a train 1 runs along a railway track 2 of a rail network.

Track 2 consists of two rail wires 3 and 4 held by a plurality of crosspieces 5, as shown in the figure 2 . Track 2 extends in a direction D.

The automatic train control architecture 10 includes a train location system 12 along the track comprising a ground component 20 and an on-board component 70.

Furthermore, the architecture 10 comprises a radiocommunication infrastructure 14 for on-board / ground communication and a set of computers 16 on the ground, capable of controlling the movement of the train.

The automatic train control architecture 10 for example implements an ATO system, for “Automatic Train Operation”, coupled to an ATC / ATP system, for “Automatic Train Control / Automatic Train Protection”.

The ground component 20 of the train locating system 12 comprises a plurality of belts 22, arranged between the track wires 3 and 4, for example fixed to the sleepers 5 of the track 2.

As shown in the figure 3 , a mat 22 has a parallelepiped shape, the length L of which is much greater than the width l and the thickness e of the mat 22.

For example, the length of a carpet 22 is of the order of a hundred meters, while the width and thickness of a carpet 22 are of the order of ten centimeters.

A belt 22 has an upstream end 33 and a downstream end 34 in the direction D of the track.

A mat 22 comprises, sandwiched between two layers of a rubbery protective material, a transmitting antenna 25, a control circuit 26, a supply line 28 and a network cable 29.

The antenna 25 is shaped to form, between its end terminals, 34 and 36, a plurality of induction loops 37 arranged one after the other in the direction D of the channel, from the upstream end 33 to the downstream end 34 of the belt 22.

The induction loops 37 are identical to each other. They have in particular an identical length L0.

As shown in the figure 4 , the control circuit 26 comprises a network card 41, a module 42 for supplying the circuit 26 with electrical power, a memory 43, comprising in particular an identifier Id of the circuit 26 and therefore of the corresponding mat 22, and a module 44 of generation of a signal intended to be applied to the antenna 25.

The module 41 comprises an input port 45 and an output port 46. The input port 45 is connected to an input portion of the network cable 29. The distal end of this input portion of network cable 29 being connected to a male network connector 55 located on the upstream end 33 of the belt 22.

The output port 46 of the module 41 is connected to an output portion of the network cable 29. The distal end of this output portion of the network cable 29 is connected to a female connector 56 provided on the downstream end 34 of the belt 22 .

The electrical power supply module 42 is connected by a first terminal 49 to line 28 and by a second terminal to ground. Line 28 includes a male connector 58 on the side of the upstream end 33 of the belt 22 and a female connector 59 on the downstream end 34 of the belt 22.

The signal generation module 44 has two output terminals, 47 and 48, which are respectively connected to terminals 35 and 36 of the antenna 25.

The module 44, supplied by the module 42, is capable of generating a current signal comprising a carrier and a modulation of this carrier. The modulation, which can be in frequency, in amplitude or in phase, depends on the identifier Id of the corresponding mat.

In the present embodiment, the carrier, of frequency F0, for example equal to around 200 kHz, is frequency modulated as a function of the identifier Id stored in the memory 43. Thus, the signal transmitted by the antenna 25 integrates the identifier Id of the carpet 22.

Other embodiments are conceivable so that the signal emitted by the antenna 25 is specific to the mat 22 considered. For example, as a variant, the signal generated by the module 44 is an amplitude modulated signal.

The belts 22 are advantageously identical to each other so as to standardize production, to simplify supply on site and implantation.

As shown in the figure 2 , the belts 22 are arranged one after the other, so that the downstream end 34 of a carpet is in contact with the upstream end 33 of the following carpet.

Two consecutive belts are connected to each other so as to associate the male and female connectors 55 and 56 of the network cables 29 of the two belts and the male and female connectors 58 and 59 of the supply lines 28 of the two belts.

N successive carpets 22 are associated with each other so as to form a group of carpets. The number of belts per group can vary depending on the section of the track concerned: long straight section (between two stations), short straight section (along a platform in station), needle, etc.

The network cable 29 of each of the belts located at the end of a group of belts are connected not to the network cable of the neighboring belt, but to a control computer 60 located at the edge of the track and dedicated to the control of the N belts 22 members of the group. Thus, the various control circuits 26 of the belts of a group form, with the computer 60, a network 61.

Preferably, the topology of the network 61 is in a ring so as to offer greater reliability in the detection of a discontinuity in the system.

Thus, in the network 61, the various control circuits 26 are placed in series with one another, in a configuration called "DAISY CHAIN". In this configuration, a data message sent by the computer 60 on the network 61 is received on the input port of a first circuit 26. If the message is addressed to this first circuit 26, the latter processes it. On the other hand, if this message is not addressed to the first circuit 26, the latter retransmits it on its output port bound for the second circuit 26. The massage is thus propagated, step by step, until arriving at its recipient. This configuration makes it possible to dispense with a signal amplifier along the network 61, which can therefore be large.

The computer 60 is able to communicate with a circuit 26 so as to acquire an operating state of this circuit 26 and possibly, for example in the event of reconfiguration of the system 12, to assign to the circuit 26 a new identifier Id to be stored in its memory 43.

The supply lines 28 of the belts are connected in series and, for example at the end of a group of belts, to a power source 62, capable of maintaining the lines 28 at a reference potential.

It should be noted that the installation of the ground component 20 of the system 12 is particularly simple, since it involves fixing the belts on track 2 and connecting them successively. Network and possibly power cables should not be passed under a rail wire than all N carpets. The deployment of this location system can be envisaged on new tracks as well as on existing tracks.

On the on-board component side 70 of the train location system 12, the train 1 is provided with a receiving antenna 75 connected to an on-board computer 76.

The on-board computer 76 is connected to a radiocommunication module 77 suitable for communicating with access points 80 of the radiocommunication infrastructure 14.

The receiving antenna 75 is placed under the body of the train 1, for example at the front of the first car constituting the train 1. In a simple embodiment, the receiving antenna comprises a conductive loop.

When the transmitting antenna 25 is supplied, each of the loops 37 creates a magnetic field directed substantially vertically. In one embodiment of the transmitting antenna 25, the conducting wire of the antenna is configured so that if at the current instant the magnetic field generated by a loop is directed upwards, the magnetic field generated by the two loops neighbors will be headed down.

The flow of the magnetic field generated by the transmitting antenna 25 through the receiving antenna 75 induces a current between the terminals of the receiving antenna 75.

The dimensions of the receiving antenna 75 being similar to those of a loop 37, the current at the terminals of the receiving antenna 75 is maximum when the receiving antenna 75 is located exactly above a loop of the antenna transmitter 25.

The flow reversing from one loop to the other of the transmitting antenna 25, the current across the terminals of the receiving antenna 75 changes sign when the receiving antenna 75 moves from one loop to the other by the transmitting antenna 25.

It should be noted that the range of the magnetic field generated being reduced, the distance between the antennas 25 and 75 should not exceed approximately 20 cm. This has the advantage that the train location system 12 is very insensitive to interference. He also creates very few.

The signal generated at the output of the receiving antenna 75 thus corresponds to the signal applied to the transmitting antenna 25.

The computer 76 is capable of extracting from the signal at the output of the receiving antenna 75, the identifier Id of the mat 22 at the base of which the receiving antenna 75 is located.

The computer 76 is suitable for counting the number of induction loops of the transmitting antenna 25 above which the receiving antenna 75 has passed, since the last change of carpet identifier, that is to say since the passage of the antenna receptor 75 over a new carpet. This counting is carried out by determining the number of inversion of the sign of the current generated at the output of the receiving antenna 75.

From the identifier Id of conveyor 22 and the number of induction loops 37 crossed from the upstream end 33 of this conveyor 22, the computer 76 is able to determine the position of the receiving antenna 75 along the track, and consequently that of train 1. To do this, the computer 76 includes a network map associating with each loop 37 of each belt 22 of the system 12 a precise position along track 2.

The positioning accuracy of the train 1 depends on the length L0 of each induction loop of the transmitting antenna 25 but also on the shape of the receiving antenna 75. Positioning accuracy of the order of a few centimeters can be achieved by adapting the shape of the antennas 25, 75.

Once the computer 76 has determined the instantaneous position of the train, it transmits it to the computer on the ground 16 via the radio communication module 77 and the infrastructure 14.

On the ground, from this instant position information of train 1, the computer 16 is able to determine a route for train 1, a movement authorization for train 1 along this route, but also a speed profile for train 1 taking into account this movement authorization.

To do this, the computer 16 uses different information notably related to the topology of the track: subdivision of the track into a section, state of occupation of each section, train mission, maximum authorized speed, gradients of the track, radius of curvature track, etc.

Once a speed profile has been calculated for train 1, it is transmitted to the on-board computer 76 of train 1 via the communication infrastructure 14 and the radio communication module 77. The computer 76 is then able to regulate the speed of the train 1 according to its instantaneous position and in accordance with the speed profile which has been transmitted to it.

Thus, thanks to the ground component 20 of the train location system 12, the train 1 can easily determine its instantaneous position. It can therefore determine a speed setpoint at any time, indicated by a speed profile which has been transmitted to it by the computer 16, the latter being able to determine a speed profile for train 1 taking account of the position report emitted by the train 1.

In the embodiment just described, the calculations making it possible to obtain a speed profile are no longer carried out on board the train, but by a computer on the ground. This is made possible since the speed profile can be simply expressed in the repository of the locating belts used by the train to know precisely and at all times its position, the belts constituting a sort of graduation of the track.

Thus the on-board computer 76 of a train has reduced computation capacities compared to the on-board computers of the prior art, the computation capacities being offset towards the ground.

Claims (8)

1. System for locating trains (12) along the tracks (2) of a railway network for an architecture for automatic control of trains, comprising:

   - on the ground, a plurality of mats (22) disposed one following the other along the track, each mat comprising a control circuit (26) and a transmitting antenna (25) which is connected to the control circuit, the transmitting antenna being configured in order to define, over the totality of the mat, a plurality of induction loops (37) according to the direction (D) of the track, the control circuit being able to apply, at the input of the transmitting antenna, a signal for supplying with current integrating an identifier (Id) of said mat; and

   - on board each train (1) authorised to travel on the track, a receiving antenna (75) which is able to generate a receiving signal correlated to the supply signal of the transmitting antenna, and an onboard calculator (76) connected to the receiving antenna which is able to analyse the receiving signal so as to extract therefrom the identifier of the mat perpendicular to which said receiving antenna is situated and to count a number of induction loops detected since the last change of identifier, said identifier and said number of detected induction loops making it possible to determine the momentary position of the train.
2. System according to claim 1, in which a plurality of control circuits (26) corresponding to the number of mats (22) disposed successively are regrouped and connected in series to each other and with a control calculator (60) situated at the edge of the track (2) in order to form a communication network (61).
3. System according to claim 2, in which the control calculator (60) of a group of mats is able to modify the identifier (Id) stored by the control circuit (26) of a mat (22) of said group.
4. System according to any of the preceding claims, in which the longitudinal dimensions (L0) of the induction loops (37) of a transmitting antenna (25) are constant over the totality of the length (L) of a mat (22) and, preferably, constant from one mat to the other such that the mats are standard mats.
5. System according to any of the preceding claims, in which a control circuit (26) of a mat (22) is connected to a supply line (28) of electric power travelling along the mat, the supply lines of a plurality of successive mats being connected to each other and to a source of electrical power (62).
6. System according to any of the preceding claims, in which a mat (22) comprises a single transmitting antenna (25).
7. System according to any of the preceding claims, in which the control circuit (26) is able to apply to the transmitting antenna (25) a current comprising a carrier and a modulation, the modulation corresponding to the identifier (Id) of the mat (22).
8. System according to any of the preceding claims, in which the onboard calculator (76) of a train (1) stores a cartography of the network associating a position with each induction coil (37) of each mat (22).

Images