GB2549296B

GB2549296B - Train unit air conditioning and propulsion system

Info

Publication number: GB2549296B
Application number: GB1606180.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Akimaru Daisuke; Iwasaki Mitsuo; Morita Kiyoshi
Original assignee: Hitachi Ltd
Current assignee: Hitachi Ltd
Priority date: 2016-04-12
Filing date: 2016-04-12
Publication date: 2019-10-09
Anticipated expiration: 2036-04-12
Also published as: GB2549296A

Description

[Document] Specification

[Title] TRAIN UNIT AIR CONDITIONING AND PROPULSION SYSTEM

[Technical Field] [0001]

The present invention relates to a train formed by connecting a plurality of railway cars, and specifically, relates to a train having conditioned air supplied across a gangway connecting adjacent railway cars from a railway car arranged on one side to a railway car arranged on an other side.

[Background Art] [0002]

In general, suburban trains mainly used for commuting purposes have an air conditioning device installed on a rooftop for controlling a temperature and humidity environment in an interior of the car. The air conditioning device installed on the rooftop supplies the conditioned air having controlled temperature and humidity through a duct laid on a ceiling along a longitudinal direction of the train to respective portions in the interior of the train (patent literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H8-253139).

[0003]

High-speed railway cars having an airtight structure with limited airflow between an interior and an exterior of the car has a smoking room disposed on an optional car among a several cars. An amount of fresh air substantially equal to an amount of flow of exhaust air discharged to the exterior of the car from the smoking room is taken into the interior ofthe high-speed railway car from an air ventilator provided on the railway car in which the smoking room is installed and an air ventilator provided on other railway cars adjacent the railway car, so that interior pressure of the car is maintained substantially equivalent to atmospheric pressure (patent literature 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-137406).

[Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be solved by the Invention] [0004]

The railway cars composing a train operated on a track having a small clearance limit has a small vehicle gauge, so that it may be difficult to install the air conditioning device on the rooftop of the car. In that case, the air conditioning device must be installed under the floor of the railway car, but since there are many equipments, such as a propulsion device supplying power to a traction motor provided on a bogie, an auxiliary power supply supplying power to broadcasting equipment, and illuminating devices, an air compressor and a braking resistor, already installed under the floor of the railway car, the air conditioning device must be installed in a limited space under the floor of the railway car. Therefore, designing and manufacturing of the railway car accompanies much difficulty.

The present invention provides a train having an air conditioning device capable of corresponding to cases where there is only a small vehicle gauge.

[Means for solving the Problem] [0005] A first aspect of the present invention provides a train according to claim 1. A second aspect of the present invention provides a train according to claim 2.

[Effect of the Invention] [0006]

The present invention enables to provide a train having an air conditioning device capable of corresponding to cases where there is only a small vehicle gauge. [Brief description of the Drawings] [0007] [FIG. 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a train according to the present invention composed of a plurality of railway cars.

[FIG. 2] FIG. 2 is an air conditioning duct system diagram of a train according to a first embodiment.

[FIG. 3] FIG. 3 is an air conditioning and ventilation system diagram of a train according to the first embodiment.

[FIG. 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a cross section intersecting a longitudinal direction of the railway car loading a propulsion device according to the first embodiment.

[FIG. 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a cross section intersecting a longitudinal direction of the railway car loading an air conditioning device according to the first embodiment.

[FIG. 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a cross section intersecting a longitudinal direction of the railway car having a portion including a conditioning air supply unit according to the first embodiment.

[FIG. 7] FIG. 7 is an air conditioning and ventilation system diagram of a train according to a second embodiment.

[FIG. 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a cross section intersecting a longitudinal direction of the railway car having a portion including the conditioning air supply unit according to the second embodiment.

[Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments] [0008]

We will now describe the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. At first, respective directions referred to in the present description are defined. A longitudinal (rail) direction of a train or a railway car is referred to as an X direction, a width or sleeper direction thereof is referred to as a Y direction, and a height direction intersecting X and Y directions is referred to as a Z direction, wherein in the following description, the directions are simply referred to as the X direction, the Y direction and the Z direction. Regarding the X direction, a left direction of a sheet surface is referred to as one side, and a right direction of a sheet surface is referred to as the other side, whereas regarding the Y direction, a bottom direction of the sheet surface is referred to as one direction, and a top direction of the sheet surface is referred to as the other side.

[First Embodiment] [0009] FIG. 1 is a side view of a train composed of a plurality of railway cars. A train refers to a train operated on a track with a small clearance limit including a tunnel with a small cross-sectional area, for example, and such train also has a small vehicle gauge, so that devices such as air conditioning devices cannot be installed on roof tops.

[0010] A propulsion device such as a main converter supplying power to a traction motor provided on a bogie, an air conditioning device adjusting the temperature and humidity within a cabin, a brake control device, an air compressor generating high pressure air, a storage battery device supplying power when starting a train and during emergency, and an auxiliary power supply supplying power to a lighting system or a broadcasting equipment and the like, are all installed under a floor of cars constituting the train. In FIG. 1, only a propulsion device 10 and an air conditioning device 12 are illustrated, and other equipments described above are not illustrated.

[0011]

The train illustrated in FIG. 1 is composed of three types of cars, which are a car 2c, a car 4 and a car 6, wherein the car 2c includes a driver's cab 8 provided at an end portion of one side of the X direction and the propulsion device 10 installed under the floor, the car 4 includes the air conditioning device 12 installed under the floor, and the car 6 includes the propulsion device 10 installed under the floor but does not include the driver's cab 8.

[0012]

The car 2c and the car 4 assemble a unit U1 (a two-car unit), and the car 6 and the car 4 assemble a unit U2 (a two-car unit). For example, if the train is a six-car train as illustrated in FIG. 1, the train is composed of a total of three units, two sets of unit U1 and one set of unit U2.

[0013]

In the unit U1, M bogies 30 having a motor support an underfloor portion at one side of the car 2c in the X direction, that is, the side having a driver's seat 8, and a coupling portion disposed under the floor at the other side of the car 2c and at one side of the car 4. The propulsion device 10 supplies power to traction motors (not shown) provided on the M bogies 30 arranged on both sides of the propulsion device 10 in the X direction.

In the unit U2, an end portion on the other side of the car 6 and an end portion on one side of the car 4 is supported by the M bogie 30, and an end portion on the other side of the car 4 and an end portion on one side of the car 4 constituting the unit U1 is supported by a trailer bogie 32 not having the traction motor.

[0014] FIG. 2 illustrates an air conditioning duct system diagram of a unit composed of a railway car mounting the propulsion device and a railway car mounting the air conditioning device of the train (corresponding to cross-section A-A of FIG. 1).

The air conditioning device 12 supplies conditioned air having controlled temperature and humidity to respective portions of cars 4 and 6 in the unit U2 and to respective portions of cars 4 and 2c in the unit U1. Therefore, the car 4 mounting the air conditioning device 12 has CA ducts 52 provided under the floor on one side and on the other side.

[0015]

The CA duct 52 on one side extends from an end portion on one side in the Y direction of the air conditioning device 12 to an end portion of one side in the X direction. The CA duct 52 on the other side extends from an end portion of the other side in the Y direction of the air conditioning device 12 to an end portion of the other side in the X direction.

Further, the CA duct 52 on one side extends to the end portion on one side in the X direction of the car 4 and then rises in the Z direction, passes through an underframe 20 and connects to a CA chamber 54a disposed on an end portion on one side in the Y direction. Similarly, the CA duct 52 on the other side is connected to the CA chamber 54a provided on an end portion on the other side in the X direction of the car 4, and an end portion on the other side in the Y direction. In the car 4, the CA chamber 54a on one side and the CA chamber 54a on the other side are arranged at diagonal corners of the car 4. Further, the pair of CA chambers 54a is disposed below a seat surface of a seat 76.

[0016]

The car 6 also includes a pair of CA chambers 54b below the seats 76 at both end portions in the X direction. The CA chamber 54b disposed at an end portion on the other side in the X direction of a car body 6 and the CA chamber 54a disposed at an end portion on one side in the X direction of a car body 4 are connected via a flexible duct 53. The flexible duct 53 is provided to enable the duct to follow the movement of the car when the train passes a curved track and the like.

[0017] A pair of CA chambers 54b provided on the car body 6 is arranged at diagonal corners of the car body 6, similar to the pair of CA chambers 54a provided on the car body 4. Further, the pair of CA chambers 54b is disposed below a seat surface of the seat 76.

[0018] FIG. 3 illustrates an air conditioning and ventilation system diagram of a unit composed of a railway car mounting the propulsion device and a railway car mounting the air conditioning device of the train. The unit U2 (U1) illustrated in FIG. 3 is composed of the car 6 (2c) mounting the propulsion device 10 and the car body 4 mounting the air conditioning device 12.

[0019]

In the unit U2 (U1), a cooling fan (not shown) included in the propulsion device 10 cools a heat generated from electric components (not shown) included in the propulsion device 10 using an exhaust air 64 taken in from an interior of the car.

The exhaust air 64 having cooled the electric components is discharged to the exterior of the car (outside the propulsion device 10) via the cooling fan described above. Fresh air 60 of substantially a same amount as the flow of exhaust air 64 is drawn in through a fresh air intake port (not shown) provided in the air conditioning device 12 to an inner side ofthe car 4 constituting the unit U2 (U1). In the unit U2 (U1), the amount of flow of the fresh air 60 that the air conditioning device 12 of the car 4 introduces from the exterior is balanced with the amount of flow of exhaust air 66 that the propulsion device 10 of the car 6 (2c) discharges to the exterior, so that the pressure within the car is maintained substantially equal to the external pressure of the car (atmospheric pressure).

[0020] A conditioned air 62 is ventilated from the air conditioning device 12 of the car 4 through the CA duct 52 to the CA chamber 54a, and a part of the air is supplied from a CA duct 51 disposed between a backrest of the seat 76 and a side body structure 22 to the Z direction in the interior of the car 4, as illustrated in FIG. 6. The remaining conditioned air 62 ventilated to the CA chamber 54a is supplied via a flexible duct 53 to the CA chamber 54b. The conditioned air 62 supplied to the CA chamber 54b is fed from the CA duct 51 disposed between the backrest of the seat 76 and the side body structure 22 to the Z direction in the interior of the car 6 (2c). [0021]

The CA chamber 54a (54b) has a duct structure (not shown) capable of feeding the conditioned air 62 in the Z direction. The CA chamber 54a (54b) compensates for a pressure loss of the CA duct 52 as needed, and can include a boost fan (not shown) for supplying the conditioned air 62a (62b) to respective portions in the interior of the car.

[0022]

In the car 4, a conditioned air 62a supplied from the CA chamber 54a into the car controls the interior temperature and humidity of the car, passes through an RA duct 57 positioned at a center portion in the X direction of the car 4, and is drawn into the air conditioning device 12 as a recirculation air 64. During the process, a large circulation of a pair of conditioned air 62a is formed along the X direction of the car, and the conditioned air 62a is supplied to respective areas within the car 4.

[0023]

The conditioned air 62a forming a pair of large circulations and controlling the temperature and humidity inside the car is taken into the air conditioning device 12 through the RA duct 57 as the recirculation air 64. The recirculation air 64 taken into the air conditioning device 12 is mixed within the device 12 with the fresh air 60 taken in from the exterior, and while passing through an indoor heat exchanger, the recycled air turns into conditioned air with temperature and humidity controlled, and the air is sent into the CA duct 52 again.

[0024]

In the car 6 (2c), a conditioned air 62b supplied from the CA chamber 54b into the car controls the temperature and humidity inside the car, and then the air is drawn into an EA duct 58 positioned at a center portion in the X direction of the car 6 and connected to the propulsion device 10. During the process, a large circulation of a pair of conditioned air 62b is formed along the X direction of the car, and the conditioned air 62b is supplied to respective areas within the car 6.

The conditioned air 62b forming a pair of large circulations is drawn into the EA duct 58, and thereafter, cools the electric components in the propulsion device 10 as exhaust air 66 before being discharged.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a cross section intersecting a longitudinal direction of the railway car mounting the propulsion device (corresponding to B-B cross-section of FIG. 1).

The car 6 (similarly as the car 2c) is composed of the underframe 20 constituting a floor surface, the side body structures 22 erected on both end portions in the Y direction of the underframe 20, and a roof body structure 24 placed on an end portion in the Z direction of the side body structure 22. A heat insulating material suppressing heat from entering or exiting the interior of the car, a decorative panel and the like are arranged on an inner side of the car on the side body structures 22 and the roof body structure 24. Seats 76 are disposed along the X direction on both end portions in the Y direction of the underframe 20. Handrails 74 provided for passengers and the like not seated in the car to maintain body balance are also installed.

[0026]

The car 6 (2c) mounts the propulsion device 10 on a bottom surface of the underframe 20 at a center portion in the X direction. The propulsion device 10 includes electric components generating heat disposed in the interior thereof, and a cooling fan (not shown) forcibly cooling the electric components.

[0027]

The car 6 (2c) has exhaust ducts 58 disposed below a portion of the seats 76, and the exhaust ducts 58 function to conduct the exhaust air 66 from the interior of the car to an inlet port of the cooling fan provided on the propulsion device 10. Specifically, the exhaust ducts 58 penetrate the underframe 20 from below the seats 76 and connect to a cooling air passage disposed inside the propulsion device 10.

The exhaust air 66 is taken in via the cooling fan provided in the propulsion device 10, cools the electric components, and is discharged from the propulsion device 10 to the exterior.

[0028] FIG. 2 illustrates an example where the inlet (discharge port) of the exhaust duct 58 on the inner side of the car is disposed below the seats 76, but it is also possible to adopt a design where a duct (not shown) is disposed between the backrest of the seat 76 and the side body structure 22, and the exhaust duct 58 is connected to the duct to introduce the exhaust air 66 from above the backrest of the seat 76 to the propulsion device 10.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a cross section intersecting the longitudinal direction of the railway car mounting the air conditioning device (corresponding to C-C cross section of FIG. 1).

The car 4 mounts the air conditioning device 12 on a bottom surface of the underframe 20. The air conditioning device 12 has an outdoor heat exchanger, a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger and the like (not shown) disposed in the interior thereof, and also has a refrigerating cycle in which a refrigerant is circulated and a blower corresponding to respective heat exchangers.

[0030]

The car 4 has RA ducts disposed below a portion of the seats 76, and the RA ducts 57 constitute a passage of recirculation air 64 flowing from the interior of the car into the air conditioning device 12. Actually, the RA ducts 57 penetrate the underframe 20 below the seats 76 and connect to the air conditioning device 12.

The air conditioning device 12 mixes the fresh air 60 taken in from the exterior with the recirculation air 64 taken from the interior of the car, controls the temperature and humidity by the indoor heat exchanger, and generates the conditioned air 62. The conditioned air 62 generated in the air conditioning device 12 passes through the CA duct 52, and is supplied to the CA chamber 54a provided on an end portion of the car 4 and the CA chamber 54b provided on an end portion of the car 6.

[0031] FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a cross section intersecting a longitudinal direction of a railway car with a portion having the conditioning air supply unit (corresponding to D-D cross-section of FIG. 1).

The conditioned air 62a is supplied from the air conditioning device 12 via the CA duct 52 provided below the underframe 20 to an inner side of the CA chamber 54a provided below the seat surface of the seat 76 with respect to both end portions in the X direction of the car 4. Then, the conditioned air 62a is supplied from the CA chamber 54a to the interior of the car 4, and flown along the inner side of the side body structure 22 and the roof body structure 24 toward the Z direction. Along therewith, the conditioned air 62a controls the temperature and humidity environment in the interior of the car while changing directions and moving to the center portion in the X direction of the car 4, and is drawn into the RA duct 57 provided in the air conditioning device 12 as the recirculation air 64.

[0032]

In the car 6, the conditioned air 62b is supplied to the interior of the car from the CA chambers 54b provided at both ends in the X direction of the car 6, and flows along the interior of the car of the side body structure 22 and the roof body structure 24 toward the Z direction. Along therewith, the conditioned air 62b controls the temperature and humidity environment in the interior ofthe car while changing directions and moving to the center portion in the X direction of the car 6, and is drawn into the EA duct 58 provided in the propulsion device 10.

[0033]

Therefore, the first embodiment has the following advantages (effects) A through E according to the configuration illustrated above. A. Even when the vehicle gauge is small, equipment installation space under the floor of the railway cars constituting the train can be utilized effectively. Further, the present embodiment enables to provide a train equipped with an air conditioning device and capable of supplying conditioned air to the whole train.

[0034] B. The electric components of the propulsion device are cooled by exhaust air discharged to the exterior from an inner side of the car having a lower temperature than the outer air temperature, so that the electric components can be cooled effectively with a small amount of flow of exhaust air. Further, since the amount of exhaust air can be reduced, the amount of flow of fresh air balanced with the amount of flow of exhaust air can also be reduced. Therefore, the ventilation load of the air conditioning device can be reduced and the power consumption of the air conditioning device can be cut down, while ventilating the train.

[0035] C. The conditioned air 62a (62b) supplied to the interior of the cars 4 and 6 (2c) constituting the unit U2 (U1) forms a large circulation of air from both end portions in the X direction of the car 4 (6 or 2c) toward the center portion in the X direction of the car 4 (6 or 2c), so that conditioned air can be supplied to the respective portions of the car 4 (6 or 2c) to control the heat and humidity environment.

[0036] D. A short circuit that may occur by the conditioned air 62a (62b) supplied to the interior of the car being drawn into the air conditioning device 12 as recirculation air 64 or into the propulsion device 10 as exhaust air 66 without controlling the temperature and humidity environment in the interior of the car can be suppressed, and a pleasant interior environment of the car can be realized with conditioned temperature and humidity.

[0037] E. The train having a plurality of units composed of cars mounting the propulsion device and cars mounting the air conditioning device is capable of making efficient use of the equipment installation space under the floor of the train even in a configuration where the vehicle gauge is small and equipments are installed under the floor, and bogies having traction motors can be arranged substantially uniformly through the whole train. Thus, a train having a high adhesive performance with an average axle load can be provided.

[Second Embodiment] [0038] FIG. 7 is an air conditioning and ventilation system diagram of a train according to a second embodiment (corresponding to section E of FIG. 1). The second embodiment similarly constitutes a unit of a car loading a propulsion device and a car loading an air conditioning device. Further, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a cross section intersecting a longitudinal direction of the car 4 including a portion having a conditioning air supply unit according to the second embodiment (corresponding to an E-E cross-section of FIG. 7). Now, the characteristic features of the second embodiment will mainly be described while omitting the explanation of configurations common to the configurations described in the first embodiment.

[0039]

The car 4 includes an air conditioning device 12 provided below the underframe 20, and includes a pair of CA ducts 51 connected to the air conditioning device 12. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the pair of CA ducts 51 is formed to penetrate the underframe 20 at both end portions in the Y direction and rises along the inner side surface of the side body structures 22 and the roof body structure 24 to the center portion in the Y direction of the roof body structure 24. The upper end portions of the pair of CA ducts 51 are connected to a CA duct 50.

[0040]

The CA duct 50 is installed at a ceiling of the car 4 in a state extending in the X direction of the car 4 in the inner side of the car at the center portion in the Y direction of the roof body structure 24. Moreover, the CA duct 50 has a conditioned air supply port (not shown), and the condition air 62a is supplied discretely along the X direction through the supply port to the interior of the car. It is also possible to provide a perforated panel having adjusted aperture ratio instead of the conditioned air supply port arranged in a discrete manner.

[0041]

The conditioned air 62a is supplied through the conditioned air supply port to the interior of the car 4, controls the temperature and humidity in the interior of the car 4, passes through a grid 55 and drawn into the interior of the air conditioning device 12 as the recirculation air 64. The grid 55 is provided on the inlet port of the RA duct 57 connected to the air conditioning device 12.

[0042]

Further, the conditioned air 62 is introduced to the end portion in the X direction of the CA duct 50, passed through a conditioned air release port (not shown) provided at the end portion into a gangway 26 connecting cars 4 and 6, and blown out toward the center portion in the X direction of the car 6. Thereafter, the conditioned air 62 supplied to the car 6 controls the temperature and humidity environment in the interior of the car 6, and then the air is drawn into the EA duct 58 (refer to FIG. 4). The EA duct 58 is connected to the propulsion device 10 provided at the center portion in the X direction of the car 6, and the conditioned air 62 drawn into the EA duct 58 is discharged to the exterior of the car after cooling the electric components of the propulsion device 10.

[0043]

Further, the conditioned air 62 is supplied from the end portion in the X direction of the CA duct 50 of the car 4 through the gangway 26 toward the center portion in the X direction of the car 6. Thereby, the conditioned air 62 forms a large circulation of air from the center portion in the X direction of the car 4 across the gangway 26 to the center portion in the X direction of the car 6 constituting the same unit U1 with the car 4.

[0044]

Therefore, the second embodiment has similar advantages as A through E described in the first embodiment mentioned earlier. However, the second embodiment relates to adjusting the temperature and humidity environment in the interior of the cars of the train, including the car 6 without the air conditioning device 12, by forming a large air circulation across cars by providing a duct arrangement including the CA duct 50 disposed on a ceiling.

Claims

1. A train comprising a unit formed of a first railway car and a second railway car, the first railway car comprising an air conditioning device drawing in a fresh air from an exterior of the car and a recirculation air from an interior of the car; and the second railway car comprising a propulsion device cooled by an exhaust air discharged from the interior to the exterior of the car; wherein: the air conditioning device is mounted under a floor of the first railway car, the air conditioning device comprising a recirculation air duct drawing the recirculation air into the air conditioning device; a first conditioned air duct is arranged to extend from the air conditioning device to an end portion in a longitudinal direction of the first railway car and to ventilate conditioned air generated by the air conditioning device; a first chamber connects with the first conditioned air duct and is provided in the interior of the first railway car at the longitudinal end portion of the first railway car, the first chamber comprising a second conditioned air duct supplying a conditioned air generated by the air conditioning device from the first chamber upward to an interior of the first railway car, and the conditioned air supplied through the second conditioned air duct to the interior of the first railway car being drawn into the recirculation air duct; the propulsion device is mounted under a floor of the second railway car; an exhaust air duct connects to the propulsion device from an interior of the second railway car; a second chamber connects to the first chamber via a flexible duct and is provided at an end portion in a longitudinal direction of the second railway car, the second chamber having a third conditioned air duct supplying the conditioned air generated in the air conditioning device from the second chamber upward to the interior ofthe second railway car; and the conditioned air supplied through the third conditioned air duct into the interior of the second railway car is drawn into the exhaust air duct.

2. A train comprising a unit formed of a first railway car and a second railway car, the first railway car comprising an air conditioning device drawing in a fresh air from an exterior of the car and a recirculation air from an interior of the car; and the second railway car comprising a propulsion device cooled by an exhaust air discharged from the interior to the exterior of the car wherein: a vertical duct ventilates the conditioned air generated in the air conditioning device along a height direction of the first railway car; a ceiling duct connects to the vertical duct, the ceiling duct being positioned at a center portion in a width direction of a roof body structure of the first railway car and laid along a longitudinal direction of the first railway car, the ceiling duct comprising a supply port supplying the conditioned air into the interior of the first railway car along a longitudinal direction of the first railway car, and a release port supplying the conditioned air toward the second railway car at an end portion in the longitudinal direction of the first railway car; the air conditioning device comprises a recirculation air duct drawing the recirculation air in the interior of the first railway car and the conditioned air supplied through the supply port into the air conditioning device; and the propulsion device comprises an exhaust air duct drawing the exhaust air in the interior of the second railway car and the conditioned air supplied through the release port into the propulsion device.