MXPA99007000A - An electronic system for the air brake control for railroad wagons - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic system for the control of air brakes , which uses a detector for measuring the distance between wagons and for determining the distance between adjacent wagons and determining with this the coupling space and the performance and response of the brake applications for wagons. The system provides the capacity of controlling the space in order to increase of decrease the 0space at a controlled speed and also for supervise and regulate the required signal intensity of pneumatic brake for producing a predetermined degree of wheel resistance, together with a system and a method to apply brakes for railroad wagon when predetermined characteristics relative to the distance between wagons and to the distance change speed between wagons fulfill the predetermined characteristics.

Description

ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR THE CONTROL OF AIR BRAKES FOR RAILWAY WAGONS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates in a general way to control systems for railroad cars and more particularly, relates to braking systems for wagons and even more particularly relates to pneumatic brake systems for wagons, electronically controlled (ECP electronically controlled pneumatic). In the past, wagon brake systems have used a pneumatic brake system in which the pneumatic brake control signals are sent along an air pipeline extending along the train. While this system has been widely used for many years, it has had several drawbacks, including those that arise from the delayed application of the brake in the rear of the train, due to the slow propagation of pneumatic control signals to through the air pipe. With the advent of electronically controlled pneumatic brake systems, very fast electrical signals can be used to activate all the brakes in all the wagons, simultaneously. This has the beneficial ability to reduce the braking distances of the train. However, ECP brake systems continue P1435 / 99MX exhibiting some of the problems of the first fully pneumatically controlled systems. For example, the differences in braking performance from wagon to wagon can cause changes in the gap between wagons and create a potential for damage to the train, its cargo and the track, especially when there are rapid changes in the gap between each car. Consequently, there is a need for improved electronically controlled pneumatic brake systems for wagons, which tend to reduce the potential for damage to the train, for its loading and for the track when the wagons impart potentially destructive forces on the adjacent wagons.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronically controlled pneumatic brake system for wagons, which reduces the forces between unwanted wagons. It is a feature of the present invention to include a distance measuring device for measuring the distance between wagons. It is an advantage of the present invention to use information on the speed and distance between wagons, in the process to control the application of brakes for wagons. P1435 / 99MX It is another feature of the present invention to control the train clearance during braking, with a controlled rate of change. It is still another feature of the present invention to include the controlled stretching of the train clearance during braking with a controlled rate of change. It is still another feature of the present invention to include intelligent electronic brake systems that learn from prior brake applications. It is still another feature of the present invention to include a system and an apparatus for displaying to a locomotive engineer, absolute and important information related to train clearance. It is another advantage of the present invention to decrease the damage to wagons and tracks that would otherwise arise from the imprecise application of wagon brakes. It is still another advantage of the present invention to reduce the damage to the load by reducing the shock forces induced on the wagons when uncontrolled changes occur in the train clearance. It is another advantage of the present invention to positively affect the wear of the shoe. It is still another advantage of the present invention P1435 / 99MX to reduce the noise of the train that would otherwise result when the wagons clatter with each other during braking. The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the control of electronic air brakes that is designed to meet the aforementioned needs, achieve the objects mentioned above, include the features described here and achieve the aforementioned advantages. The invention is carried out in a controlled slack change system in the sense that uncontrolled slack changes are significantly reduced. Accordingly, the present invention includes an electronically controlled pneumatic brake system of the type having an air pipe for brake that extends along a train and some means of electronic communication between the locomotive and the wagons in the train, together with a device for measuring distance placed in at least one of the wagons, to determine the distances between wagons, wherein the distance is used by an electronic control means to regulate the application of brakes in the wagon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention can be understood more P1435 / 99MX fully with the reading of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, together with the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a block diagram of a segment of a train showing wagons having disposed in the same equipment to measure the distance,. Figure 2 is a block diagram of the brake control system of the present invention, including a segment of the air brake line extending along the train and a segment of the air brake control network It also extends along the train, along with the system components that would be located in each railway car. The blocks enclosed in a dot and dash line circle represent those components of the system that are located in each rail car.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, wherein all the time similar numbers refer to similar issues and, referring more particularly to Figure 1, a train equipped with ECP designated generally as 100 is shown, which it has a first wagon 102, a second wagon 104, a third wagon 106 and a fourth wagon 108. The arrows drawn on wagons 102-P1435 / 99MX 108 represent the direction of travel of the train. Interconnecting wagons 102-108 is an air brake line 110 having flexible components between wagons which may be hoses or the like. Interconnecting the wagons 102-108 is also an electrical power line 111, having flexible segments 132, 134 and 136 between the wagons. Detectors 124, 126 and 128 for measuring distance are placed in wagons 104, 106 and 108, respectively. The detectors 124, 126 and 128 for measuring the distance are used to accurately measure the distance between the wagons. For example, the detector 124 for measuring distance is used to accurately measure the distance from the front side 154 of the car 104 to the rear side 112 of the car 102. While the mechanical couplings between the cars are lengthened or compressed, the gap between the wagons can result in relative movement between wagons. The detector 124 for measuring distance is provided to accurately measure the spacing between wagons. The detector 124 for measuring the distance can be any type of device that is capable of measuring the distance between wagons and generating a corresponding measurement signal, among which include, but are not limited to: radars, ultrasound detectors, optical detectors, etc. . P1435 / 99MX In a specific embodiment, the detector 124 for measuring the distance is one of the radar type. One type of detector 124 for measuring distance is a Micropo er Impulse Radar signal locator or range finder, as described in the Patents of the United States Nos. 5,361,070; 5,630,216; 5,457,394; ,510,800 and 5,512,834 granted to Thomas E. McEwan and assigned to The Regents of the University of California. The preferred radar implementation works using very short pulses of radio frequency (RF) energy centered at 5.8 GHz. This frequency is preferred to operate the radar because: This frequency band is currently available for low power devices that operate without a license from the FCC (Federal Communications Commission). The wavelength of a signal in this band is approximately 5.2 centimeters, which is small compared to the size of the target. (Operation at a lower frequency would result in wavelengths greater than the target size with significantly reduced reflection and resolution). The frequency is sufficiently low to not be affected significantly by environmental conditions such as rain and snow. A radar over other detector technologies is preferred because it is less susceptible to P1435 / 99MX environmental conditions such as rain, snow, dirt, etc. Acoustic and ultrasound detectors are also affected to a lesser extent by temperature, barometric pressure and humidity. These acoustic detectors and other detectors are well known in the field and are discussed in U.S. Patent No. 5,603,556 issued to Douglas D. Klin and assigned to Technical Services and Marketing, Inc. The preferred scanning rate of this type of Radar for this use is 38 cycles per second. A low speed can be used, up to 20 cycles per second. Electronic circuitry may be included in the device 124 for distance measurement and which records the relative spacing between the wagons during the previous brake applications. The electronic circuitry could be of any type that is sufficient to learn from the previous brake applications, so that the subsequent application of brakes is done more accurately. Additionally, the device 124 may be capable of providing important information regarding the differences in relative speed of the wagons and the rate of change of play. Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown a system of the present invention designated P1435 / 99MX generally like 200, where various components enclosed with a dot and dash line are shown, representing the equipment on board the rail car 104. Included in the car 104 is a brake actuator 210 and a brake cylinder 220, which are well known in the field. The detector 124 for measuring the distance can continuously generate, towards the electronic controller 144 of air brake, reports of distance and relative speed. The controller 144 can electronically regulate the brake cylinder 220, providing the brake actuator 210 with control signals and brake status. A closed-loop system is achieved that can compensate for variations in braking performance by measuring the distances between wagons that are affected by the performance of the brake application. Once a closed-loop brake control system is implemented, various operating characteristics can be included to further improve braking performance. In one embodiment, an instruction related to the controlled accumulation of train clearance during braking may be issued by a controller in a head end unit located in the locomotive. This head end unit can not only dictate the amount of train clearance that will be achieved, but also control the speed at which P1435 / 99MX which train gap changes. Similarly, a head end unit can issue a braking command that is intended to control the lengthening of the train clearance at a controllable rate of change. Another operating feature of the present invention would be to reduce the number and severity of the shock forces that occur when any wagon-to-wagon coupling changes, either to fully elongated or to a fully compressed state. The present invention will monitor the speed at which a coupling changes over the interval between compressed and elongated and vice versa. Depending on the speed of change and the proximity of a range end of a range, the present invention can emit an electronic control signal to operate the brake at a suitable braking effort level. Each railway car may be capable of recording the maximum and minimum separation distances corresponding to elongated and compressed clearance states, respectively. By performing and recording the maximum and minimum measurements, the electronic braking system is able to learn the variations in available clearance that may exist while a car is coupled with several different types of wagons. For example, the amount of gap between couplers depends not only on the P1435 / 99MX condition of the coupler with which the distance measurement device is associated, but also of the coupler with which it is coupled in the immediately adjacent car. While these wagons are exchanged in a track yard, the maximum and minimum clearance associated with each wagon is variable. This learning of previous brake applications can be carried out in many ways that are a matter of designer selection. For example, detector 124 for measuring distance may be capable of storing and comparing several reports to effectively learn the appropriate strike ranges for each coupler combination. Additionally, the ability of the electronic and / or computing devices may reside in the electronic air brake controller 144. Furthermore, it is possible that, if the appropriate information is transmitted on the power line 111 between the wagons, the learning of the above brake applications can be carried out at a central location, such as, for example, at a head end unit. If this information is transmitted on the power line 111 in one embodiment of the present invention, it can provide the engineer with an information display on the train gap, providing a video display on the locomotive that provides not only absolute clearance information, but also, the speed of change P1435 / 99MX of train clearance. This information can be valuable to the engineer as it provides more accurate control of train acceleration and deceleration. The precise location of the processing capacity to determine control and for monitoring is a matter of the selection of the designer and the ability of the hardware and software to adapt to the performance of these functions is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art. It is expected that various electronic components of the present invention may be dedicated circuits and microprocessors or electronic resources that are shared for use with other train control functions. In still another operating feature, the present invention can be used to reduce energy in the impact that often occurs in the coupling process of the wagons. For example, wagons are often rolled with a slight inclination to gain enough momentum to couple with a stationary wagon. Often, these wagons will be impacted with forces between wagons beyond what is necessary to effect the coupling. The detector 124 for measuring the distance of the present invention could be used to apply the brake of the railway car when it detects an excessive approach speed with another car. P1435 / 99 X It should also be understood that while the line 111 of electric power of the train can provide energy and a means of communication, it could be replaced with a power generating means and RF link or with an energy storage means located in each wagon. The method and apparatus of the present invention will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and stages and in the arrangement of the parts and the stages thereof, without departing from the scope of the invention. spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing all its substantial advantages. The form described herein is a preferred or emplificative mode thereof.

P1435 / 99MX

Claims (21)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and, therefore, property is claimed as contained in the following CLAIMS i 1. An electronic system for the control of air brakes, comprising: a brake of air for railway wagon, to apply variable resistance to a wagon wheel in response to a pneumatic signal; a brake actuator, pneumatically coupled with the air brake, to provide the pneumatic signal in response to an electronic control signal; an electronic controller for the air brake electrically coupled to the brake actuator to provide the electronic control signal, in response to a distance measurement signal related to a measured distance characteristic between wagons; a detector for measuring the distance and coupled to the electronic air brake controller to provide the distance measurement signal; whereby, variable resistance is applied to a wagon wheel, in response to a measured distance characteristic between wagons.
2. 2. An electronic system for the air brake control according to claim 1, wherein the P1435 / 99MX electronic control signal is provided in response to an order that has a predetermined characteristic related to a predetermined train gap setting.
3. 3. An electronic system for the air brake control according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined configuration of train clearance refers to maximizing the train clearance.
4. 4. An electronic system for controlling the air brake according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined configuration of train clearance refers to minimizing the train gap.
5. An electronic system for the air brake control according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control signal is provided in response to a relation with a predetermined characteristic related to the measured speed of the distance change between wagons.
6. An electronic system for the air brake control according to claim 5, wherein the electronic control signal is further provided in response to the characteristic related to an amount of clearance existing between a measured current position and a corresponding wagon separation. to a compressed state.
7. 7. An electronic system for the air brake control according to claim 6, wherein the detector for measuring the distance is a radar. P1435 / 99MX
8. 8. An electronic system for the air brake control according to claim 6, wherein the detector for measuring the distance is an ultrasound detector.
9. An electronic system for the air brake control according to claim 1, further comprising an electronic system for communication between wagons, for communicating electronic brake control signals between a rail car and a head end unit arranged in a locomotive.
10. 10. An electronic system for air brake control according to claim 9, wherein the electronic communication system is an electric line between wagons.
11. 11. An electronic system for the air brake control according to claim 9, wherein the electronic communication system is a radio frequency link and the electrical energy is obtained from each car.
12. 12. An electronic system for controlling the air brake according to claim 10, further comprising a deployment device coupled to an electronic communication system and adapted to display train clearance information to the occupants of a locomotive.
13. 13. An electronic system for air brake control according to claim 9, comprising P1435 / 99MX plus a head end unit arranged in a locomotive and coupled to the electric line between wagons; the head end unit is adapted to receive and use the distance measurement signal from a plurality of wagons, in order to regulate a train gap configuration of the plurality of wagons.
14. 14. An electronic system for air brake control comprises means for measuring separation distances between wagons that varies in response to changes in clearance, associated with mechanical couplers between wagons; means for generating a pneumatic signal to control an air brake in a railway car, in response to electronic brake control signals; and means for generating electronic brake control signals in response to a measured distance signal representative of the distances between wagons.
15. 15. An electronic system for air brake control according to claim 14, further comprising: means for electronic communication between wagons.
16. 16. An electronic system for air brake control according to claim 15, further comprising: means for effecting electronic signals P1435 / 99MX brake control in relation to an order to reach a predetermined configuration of train clearance.
17. 17. An electronic system for the air brake control according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined train gap configuration is related to a fully compressed train.
18. 18. An electronic system for the air brake control according to claim 15, further comprising means for effecting the electronic signal for the brake control in relation to a rate of change of separation between wagons.
19. 19. An electronic system for the air brake control according to claim 18, wherein the means for measuring is an ultrasound measuring apparatus.
20. 20. A method for controlling the braking of a train, comprising the steps of: measuring the separation distances between wagons and generating a measured separation signal, in response thereto; apply air brakes on a rail car in response to the measured separation signal.
21. 21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the step of applying the air brakes is based on an order to limit the forces between wagons. P1435 / 99MX