JPH04208009A - Levitation control method for magnetic levitation vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent erroneous function and to realize safe traveling by a method wherein a gap amount, detected through a sensor immediately in front of a joint of track, is sustained for a predetermined time in a vehicle traveling along the track while being levitated magnetically and normal gap control takes places after passing through the joint. CONSTITUTION:Guide rails 2 composed of magnetic bodies are disposed on the opposite sides over the entire length of a track 1 composed of nonmagnetic body and a vehicle (not shown) travels on the track 1 while being levitated magnetically. A gap sensor is mounted on the vehicle and a tape-like secondary conductor 8 is laid entirely along the guide rail 2. When the vehicles arrives at a joint 1b of the track 1 or immediately in front of a joint 38 in front or rear of the turn table section 47 of the track and the gap sensor detects abrupt increase of impedance, the vehicle is passed through the gap while keeping the gap at that time point. According to the constitution, erroneous function of the gap sensor is prevented resulting in safe traveling of the vehicle.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a conveyance system vehicle that travels while magnetically floating while maintaining an appropriate gap between a guide rail and a float electromagnet mounted on the vehicle. The present invention relates to a floating height control method that maintains an appropriate float amount even at rail joints and the like.

[Prior Art] A device for magnetically levitating a conveyance vehicle (vehicle) used in a system for conveying various articles along a conveyance route is disclosed, for example, in JP-A-60-170401 and JP-A-61-61-1.
It is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 102105.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] Conventional magnetic levitation transportation systems require a power source on the vehicle side,
It is equipped with permanent magnets and electromagnets for magnetic levitation, and a control device that controls the excitation current flowing through the electromagnets. Therefore, the vehicle is magnetically levitated with a required gap, and a gap sensor detects the gap and holds the vehicle.

However, if there is a rail joint such as a turntable that rotates part of the rail in the middle of the rail, when the second joint position is reached, a sensor will accurately measure the gap even if the gap with the rail is constant. However, even if this seam is small, the sensor detects that it has become an impedance or dog, and based on this false detection, the electromagnet is excited.
A command is issued from the control circuit to control the current and increase the starting force, or attraction force, of the levitation electromagnet. If this attraction force increases, the vehicle will rise more than necessary, causing the electromagnet to come into contact with the rail located above it, damaging the electromagnet or causing various gaps.

Especially when the vehicle is running at a low speed, for example, about 20 m/m or less, if the detection by the gap sensor is interrupted even slightly by the rail joint, the vehicle will come into contact with the rail as described above. However, since the flying height of this type of magnetically levitated rail is usually small, when constructing the rail, steps are suppressed so that there is no need to control the flying height to that extent at the joints. From this point of view, the object of the present invention is to hold the rail by controlling the flying height just before the rail joint, allow the vehicle to pass without contacting the rail joint, maintain a predetermined gap, and drive safely. .

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention has been made to achieve the above object. In a magnetically levitated vehicle that is running, the gap sensor detects a sudden change in impedance when the vehicle passes a joint in the travel path. When this occurs, it is determined that the vehicle has passed the joint, and the vehicle flying height based on the gap value detected by the gap sensor immediately before the travel path joint position is maintained for a certain period of time, and then normal control is resumed. The gist is that the vehicle is made to run stably.

[Function] Even at a rail joint, the flying height based on the gap value detected by the gap sensor installed on the vehicle immediately before the joint is maintained for the time the vehicle passes the rail joint position, so there is no joint in the rail. Even if the secondary conductor detected by the gap sensor is slightly decomposed, the vehicle can continue to run stably.

[Embodiment] The method for controlling the flying height of a magnetic levitation vehicle according to the present invention will be described below based on the illustrated embodiment.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 indicates a running path (runway) in a system for transporting goods between multiple points within a building. Two parallel guide rails 2, 2 are arranged and supported on the road body frame 1a. The guide rail 2 is made of iron or other magnetic material in the shape of a flat bar or has at least a flat inner end surface and a flat bottom surface, and is attached to the running path body frame 1a of a non-excitable material on the inner surface thereof. They are supported in a protruding manner so as to face each other.

The running path main frame 1 is connected to each other by a precisely machined joint plate lb in order to maintain the level difference at the joint portion to be approximately 0. Further, when a turntable 37 rotated by a turning device 36 is provided on a part of the rail, a kite roller 38 is provided protruding from the main body frame l side to maintain the rail joint level difference to zero.

A vehicle (transportation truck) 3 that travels along this travel path 1
A pallet 32 of a desired size and shape is provided on a frame 31, and a rear axle lamp plate 33 of a near motor is vertically disposed on the lower surface of the frame 31, so that when the vehicle 3 travels, it is placed on a traveling path).
The rear axle lamp plate 33 passes between the drive linear motors 4 which are arranged opposite to each other at a required interval on the side, and provides the required thrust to the vehicle. An electromagnet 34 for levitation is installed at the lower end position, and the magnetomotive force surface of this electromagnet 34 faces the bottom surface of the guide rail 2, and the vehicle is also provided with an electromagnet 35 for guidance.

A plurality of levitation electromagnets 34 are arranged, for example, one each on the left, right, front and back as shown in the figure, so that the vehicle 3 floats almost horizontally, and a gap is set between the bottom surface of the guide rail 2 and the magnetomotive force surface of the electromagnet 34. The control device 5 and i! mounted on the vehicle are maintained at the specified value. It is electrically connected to the rA (battery) 6, and when the transported goods are loaded on the pallet of the vehicle and the vehicle is traveling, the excitation current is controlled according to the load and other factors. A predetermined gap is maintained.

Further, the magnetomotive force surface of the guide electromagnet 35 is arranged opposite to the inner surface of the guide rail 2 with a required gap, and the electromagnet 3
Adjustable excitation current is applied to 5, and its magnetomotive force is adjusted.
Balance is maintained by the rail adsorption force of two opposing guide electromagnets so that the vehicle travels along a prescribed travel path without contacting the rails and guided by the guide rails.

Further, in order to detect the gap between the guide rail 2 and the levitation electromagnet 34 and maintain a constant value, a gap sensor 7 is provided on the vehicle side and a tape-shaped secondary conductor 8 is provided on the guide rail side.

This secondary conductor 8 is provided on the lower surface of the guide rail 2 over the entire length of the rail, and while facing this secondary conductor 8, the cap sensor 7 moves along the secondary conductor 8 as the vehicle moves. At the same time, the gap is detected and this detection signal is supplied to the control device.

Therefore, either a tape-shaped secondary conductor 8 that continuously outputs a magnetic field is laid on the guide rail 2, or a fourth secondary conductor 8 is placed in the middle of the guide rail at the joint of the rail such as a turntable. There are two parts that are divided into different parts (not shown in the figure)5.
Even if this division is about 0.1 to 0.5, the cap sensor 7 will detect a large gap value, or the division position of the secondary conductor will be determined only by the passage time of the gap sensor. The flying height control value immediately before separation is maintained. By immediately returning to the original control after the passage time of the dividing position has elapsed, the vehicle can run normally without malfunctioning even if there is a slight disconnection of the secondary conductor.

Additionally, a sensor for detecting the rail joint position is installed on the vehicle and installed on the rail side.
You can also use Riker to determine whether it is a seam.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, when a magnetic levitation vehicle travels along a guide rail, even if there is a rail joint, there is no problem with the rail joint.
Since the floating amount J- can be maintained for a certain period of time, there is an advantage that malfunction of the gap sensor can be prevented and safe driving can be achieved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the floating amount control method for a magnetically levitated vehicle according to the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a front view, Fig. 2 is a plan view, Fig. 3 is a side view, and Fig. 4 is a secondary It is an explanatory view showing division of a conductor. 1 is a running path, 2 is a guide rail, 3 is a vehicle, 31 is a frame, 32 is a pallet, 33 is a rear axle lamp plate, 34 is a levitation electromagnet, 35 is a guide electromagnet, 36 is a turntable rotation device, 37 is a A turntable, 4 a linear motor, 5 a control device, 6 a power source, 7 a gap sensor, and 8 a tape-shaped secondary conductor. Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a magnetically levitated vehicle that is levitated along the guide rail of the traveling path by the adsorption force of electromagnetic force mounted on the vehicle and is driven by a linear motor, the vehicle passes through a joint position of the traveling path. At this time, the flying height of the vehicle is maintained for a certain period of time according to the gap value detected by the gap sensor immediately before the joint position of the traveling road, and the vehicle is returned to normal control when the gap is detected after passing the joint position of the traveling road. A method for controlling the flying height of a magnetically levitated vehicle, characterized in that the flying height of a magnetically levitated vehicle is made to run stably.