RU2399533C1 - Method of rails lubrication - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transport. ^ SUBSTANCE: invention relates to railway transport, namely to lubing the rails on curvilinear track sections. Proposed method consists in sending control signals to actuators arranged on running rolling stock and acting by actuators on rail head friction surface to apply lubricant thereon. At least one lubrication actuator is arranged behind the last drive mounted axle of rolling stock, while actuator of rail head cleaning is arranged ahead of lubrication actuator. Fouling degree pickup is used to determine rail head fouling degree, level of signal generated by said pickup is compared with preset threshold value. If pickup signal exceeds threshold level, cleaning signal is generated to be sent to cleaning actuator. Lubrication control signal is sent after cleaning control signal or simultaneously with it. ^ EFFECT: reduced friction forced. ^ 5 cl, 2 dwg

Description

The invention relates to railway transport, and in particular to methods of lubricating rails on curved sections of a railway track, and can be used to increase the wear resistance of rails and flanges of wheelsets of railway vehicles.

A known method of increasing the wear resistance of rails and wheel flanges of railway vehicles [1], which consists in the fact that previously on the initial surface of the wheel flanges in the area of its possible contact with the surface of the rail head, solid lubricant is applied, and then regularly alternating protrusions are formed on this section and troughs. Further, the surface of the protrusions and depressions, as well as the areas of their mating are performed with additional recesses that accumulate lubricant. As a result, the wear resistance of rails and flanges of railway vehicles is increased.

The disadvantage of this method is the need to create on the surface of the flanges regularly alternating protrusions and depressions, which is associated with technological difficulties.

There is also known a method of lubricating wheel flanges of rolling stock [2], which consists in compressing solid lubricant in the form of a disk to the working surface of the flange. The intensity of the supply of solid lubricant is controlled by placing weights on the end surface of the ridge. A liquid auxiliary material is introduced into the friction zone of the disk on the ridge. The intensity of introduction of this material is ensured by placing it inside the disk case and combining the channels made in the outer surface and the disk case with the channels made in the sleeve located in the disk case and elastically connected with the disk case.

There is also known a method of supplying grease and sand to the rails [3], which consists in supplying lubricant when moving along the curves of a section of the track and supplying sand when skidding of the wheels occurs, while passing the curved sections of the track interrupts the supply of sand to the outer rail, and the lubricant is fed to both rails.

A disadvantage of the known methods of lubrication [2, 3] is that their implementation does not control the state of the surface of the rails, as a result of which the presence of contaminants on it, including abrasive particles, sand, etc., which are not previously removed, sharply reduces the effectiveness of the lubrication operation and often does not lead to the desired results.

The closest in technical essence to the proposed technical solution is a known method of reducing the wear of the side surface of the rails and wheel flanges of a railway vehicle [4], which consists in applying a magnetic field to the side surface of the rails and wheel flanges, then mechanically cleaning them and supplying a cooling chemical agent for ensure the deposition of moisture from the air in the form of hoarfrost as a lubricant on the contacting surfaces of the wheel and rail.

The disadvantage of this method is the low efficiency of the known method, since the grease is frost deposited from the air, and not substances specially designed for lubrication, which significantly reduce the friction of the surfaces of the rails and wheel flanges on curved sections of the railway track.

In addition, the effect of a magnetic field on the side surface of the rails and wheel flanges leads to a negative effect, since in this case magnetic particles of dirt, metal dust, crumbs, including abrasive particles are attracted to rubbing magnetized surfaces from the surrounding space, which increases the friction coefficient in the interaction of wheel flanges of a railway vehicle and rail surfaces.

The technical result, which consists in reducing the frictional force during frictional interaction of a pair of wheel-rail flanges, which ensures an increase in the service life of the wheel flanges of the rolling stock and increase the wear resistance of the rails, is achieved in the proposed method for lubricating railway rails, which consists in supplying control signals to actuators located on a moving rail vehicle, and the action of actuators on the friction surface of the rail heads and wheel sets by lubricant, in that at least one of the lubrication actuators is located behind the last driving wheel pair of the rail vehicle, and in front of one or more lubrication actuators in the direction of movement of the rail vehicle, there is an actuator for cleaning contaminants of the friction surfaces of the rail heads, wheel pairs in contact with the friction surface, the lubrication control signal being supplied after the cleaning control signal or simultaneously but with him.

In addition, the technical effect is achieved by applying a lubricant to the crest of the wheel pairs by means of a lubricating actuator and transferring it during the movement of the rail vehicle on the surface of the rail heads in contact with the friction surface of the wheel pairs, while the lubricant is supplied in liquid form or the lubricant is transferred from the working fluid of the lubrication actuator, the working fluid being pressed against the lubricated surface.

At the same time, the indicated technical effect is achieved by installing a sensor for detecting contamination of the friction surfaces of the rail heads in front of the cleaning actuating mechanism, comparing the signal level generated by the specified sensor with a threshold level and, when this level is exceeded, the cleaning signal is generated from the said pollution sensor on the cleaning actuator.

The proposed method is implemented as follows.

On the locomotive (Fig. 1), the lubrication actuators are located behind the last driving wheel pair of the rail vehicle. In front of the first lubrication actuator in the direction of movement of the rail vehicle, there is an actuator for cleaning contaminants of the friction surfaces of the rail heads in contact with the friction surface of the wheel pairs, as well as a pollution detection sensor.

Using the specified sensor determine the degree of contamination of the friction surfaces of the rail heads. A sensor for detecting contamination of the friction surfaces of the rail heads is installed in front of the cleaning actuator.

Using the sensor form a pollution signal.

In the electronic unit for analysis and control, the signal level generated by the specified sensor is compared with a predetermined threshold level.

If this level is exceeded by a signal from the aforementioned pollution sensor, a cleaning signal is generated, which is supplied to the cleaning actuator.

In this case, the control signal of the lubricant is fed to the contaminated sections of the rails after the control signal of cleaning or at the same time so that the lubricant gets onto the friction surfaces prepared after cleaning.

The lubricant is applied by means of a lubrication actuator to the wheel pair of flanges and is transferred during the movement of the rail vehicle on the surface of the rail heads in contact with the friction surface of the wheel pairs.

The lubricant is supplied in liquid form, or it is transferred from the working fluid of the lubrication actuator, the working fluid being pressed against the lubricated surface.

The proposed method is implemented in one of the possible options for the lubrication system of railway rails.

Figure 1 is a drawing explaining the placement of blocks and system elements on a rail vehicle - a locomotive.

Figure 2 shows the functional diagram of the analysis and control unit, which is part of the system.

The system (figure 1) contains located on the vehicle 1 block 2 analysis and control, device 3 for applying lubricant to the friction surface of the rails 4, a sensor 5 for determining the degree of contamination and an amplifier-driver 6 control signals. The vehicle 1 also shows the last driving wheel pairs 7 and the actuator 8 for cleaning the surfaces of the friction of the rail heads 4 from dirt. At least one of the lubricating devices 3 is located behind the last driving wheel pair 7 of the rail vehicle 1, the pollution detection sensor 5 located in front of the lubricating device 3 in the direction of movement of the rail vehicle 1.

The analysis and control unit 2 (FIG. 2) comprises a calculator 9, a memory unit 10, an interface, and an analog-to-digital converter 11 and an interface 12.

The inputs of the Converter 11 are the information inputs of block 2, and the output is connected to the information input of the calculator 9 connected to the memory node 10, the interface 12 and the inputs of the amplifier-shaper 6.

The information inputs of block 2 analysis and control (figure 2) are connected to the outputs of the sensors 5 (of which there may be several). The outputs of the amplifier-former 6 are connected to the control inputs of the devices 3 for applying lubricant 3 and the actuator 8 for cleaning contaminants of the friction surfaces of the rail heads 4.

As sensors 5, in addition to the sensor for determining the degree of contamination, the system can use a speed sensor and a centripetal acceleration sensor of a rail vehicle on curved sections of the railway track, as well as a rail lubrication level sensor (not shown).

The analysis and control unit 1 is intended for receiving signals from sensors 5, analyzing and processing these signals according to special programs, and generating control signals for influencing the lubrication device 3 and the cleaning actuator 8.

The rail lubrication level sensor is located at the end of the locomotive 1 or at the end of the train (not shown).

The system mounted on a railway vehicle, such as locomotive 1, operates as follows.

When a vehicle 1 moves along a track, speed, centripetal acceleration, environmental parameters - temperature, humidity, and the degree of contamination of the friction surfaces of the rail heads 4 (deposits on the surfaces of the rails in the form of dust, dirt, abrasive particles, water film, snow, ice, which affects the coefficient of friction of the friction surfaces of the wheels of the vehicle and the rail heads 4).

On curved sections of the path, it is required to reduce friction between the friction surfaces of the pairs of wheels, for which purpose devices 3 for applying lubricant are intended. However, the lubricant must be applied after the leading pairs of wheels 7 on the surface of the rail heads 4 cleaned of contaminants.

The pollution sensor 5 and the cleaning actuator 8 are located at and near the working surfaces (friction surfaces) of the rails.

From the sensors 5, the signals in analog form are sent to the converter 11, from the output of which the signals are digitally supplied to the information input of the calculator 9. In the memory node 10, programs are recorded in accordance with which the calculator 9 processes the data according to a predetermined algorithm.

At the same time, control signals are generated that pass through the driver-amplifier 6 to the actuators - lubrication devices 3 located after the leading pairs of wheels 7, and the pollution cleaning mechanism 8 for the rails located at the beginning of the locomotive.

Depending on the speed of the vehicle 1, centripetal acceleration on the curved sections of the rail track, as well as other parameters whose values are received from the sensors 5, the required flow rate of grease coming from the devices 3 on the friction surface in the corresponding sections of the track is determined. In this case, the contaminated sections of the rails are pre-cleaned using the actuator 8. At the same time, the contamination of the heads of the rails 4 is monitored using a sensor 5 for determining the degree of contamination. There may be various embodiments of the indicated sensor (in the form of an elastic plate element with a temperature sensor, using scanning optics, etc.).

In block 2, the signal level generated by the specified sensor is compared with a predetermined threshold level, and when this level is exceeded, a cleaning signal is generated, which is supplied to the cleaning actuator 8. In this case, the control signal of the lubricant is fed to contaminated sections of the rails after the control signal of cleaning or at the same time.

However, the calculator 9 through the interface 12 exchanges information with an external data processing device (not shown), which can introduce adjustments to the operation of block 9.

The lubricant can be applied by means of lubrication devices 3 in various ways:

- on the crest of the wheelset and then transferred during the movement of the rail vehicle 1 on the surface of the rail heads 4 in contact with the friction surface of the wheelsets;

- be supplied in liquid form or transferred from a working fluid (not shown) of the lubrication device 3, the working fluid being pressed against the lubricated surface.

The sensors 5 of the system and block 2 are made on the basis of elements of analog and digital computer technology. Actuators 3 and mechanism 8 contain solenoids (not shown in the drawing) that control the mechanisms, for example, dosing lubricant that can be supplied directly to the surface of the rail heads 4, and on the friction surface of the wheels 5, through which the lubricant transferred to the rails.

The proposed method has passed experimental tests and has shown high efficiency in operation compared to the closest analogue.

As a result of using this method, a reduction in lateral wear of the rails and wear of the flanges of the wheelsets and, accordingly, extension of their service life is achieved.

Information sources

1. RF patent No. 2182093, M.cl. B61K 3/00, 2000

2. RF patent No. 2178750, M.cl. B61K 3/02, 2000

3. RF patent No. 1757945, M.cl. B61K 3/00, 1990

4. RF patent No. 2142890, M.cl. B61K 3/02, 1997

Claims (5)

1. The method of lubrication of railway rails, which consists in applying control signals to actuators located on a moving rail vehicle and the action of actuators on the friction surface of the rail heads and wheel pairs by applying a lubricant, characterized in that at least one of the lubrication actuators are located behind the last driving wheel pair of the rail vehicle, and in front of the lubrication actuator in the direction of movement A rail vehicle has an actuator for cleaning contaminants of the friction surfaces of the rail heads in contact with the friction surface of the wheel pairs, determine the degree of contamination of the friction surfaces of the rail heads using a pollution detection sensor, and compare the signal level generated by the specified sensor with a given threshold level and when exceeding of a given level, a signal from the said pollution sensor forms a cleaning signal supplied to the purification actuator ki, wherein the control signal is supplied to the lubrication after cleaning the control signal or simultaneously therewith. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the lubricant is applied by means of an actuator to the crest of the wheel pairs and transferred during the movement of the rail vehicle on the surface of the rail heads in contact with the friction surface of the wheel pairs. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the lubricant is supplied in liquid form. 4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the lubricant is transferred from the working fluid of the actuator of the lubrication mechanism, the working fluid being pressed against the lubricated surface. 5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor for determining contamination of the surfaces of friction of the rail heads is installed in front of the cleaning actuator.

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