WO2003104016A1

WO2003104016A1 - Current tracks in road surfacing as drive for electric vehicles

Info

Publication number: WO2003104016A1
Application number: PCT/EP2003/005457
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bernhard Miller
Original assignee: Bernhard Miller
Priority date: 2002-06-11
Filing date: 2003-05-26
Publication date: 2003-12-18
Also published as: DE10225962B4; AU2003237676A1; DE10225962A1

Abstract

The invention relates to the integration of a current track in the road surface. Electric motor vehicles can be operated by means of a current pick-up located on the underneath of a motor vehicle. The current tracks can simultaneously be used as steering guide. The speed and separation of the vehicle from a preceding vehicle can be automatically controlled by means of a communication between the rail system and the appropriate vehicle. Inclusion of a current track in the road surface is made possible by the use of a rapidly switching current track. The supply voltage is switched on directly before the passage of a vehicle and switched off again immediately after the passage of the vehicle.

Description

Track in road surface as a drive for electric vehicles

1. Known

Vehicles have been known for years, which are guided in their steering. This guidance is carried out via guide cables which are integrated into the roadway and are scanned by sensors (Robert Bosch). Buses are also known in which a video camera scans and evaluates the road markings (Irisbus Civis). DB uses duo-operated buses in Essen, which use mechanical guidance along side concrete walls. Some of these buses follow the rail network of tram lines. A diesel engine or an electric motor, which is fed from batteries or two overhead lines, is usually used to drive such vehicles.

From a published patent application DE 44 17 065 AI it is further known that a busbar on the side of the roadway can be used as a power supply for electrically operated vehicles.

These vehicles can be operated both by an internal combustion engine and with an electric drive along the rail.

2. Advantages over the prior art

The basic idea of this invention is to operate various vehicles (cars, buses, trucks) electrically with an externally supplied current.

This enables a significant increase in comfort and traffic safety (truck accidents) to be achieved while at the same time saving considerable energy and reducing pollutants. According to a study by the University of Aachen, vehicles with the equivalent of less than 1 liter per 100 km should be able to be operated (based on FZ weight: 700 kg). Duo-powered vehicles (e.g. combustion and electric motors) can do without carrying batteries. Electric vehicles can charge their batteries while driving. In the area of downhill gradients, braking energy that is released can be fed back into the power grid. An optimization of the traffic flow controlled by the rail system enables the significant energy and pollutant reduction, combined with the central energy generation (and exhaust gas detoxification) in power plants 5 and / or the use of regenerative energies.

The power supply is realized by inserting a busbar into the road surface. This is made possible by using a switchable

L0 busbar, d. that is, the supply voltage is switched on immediately before passing a vehicle. This voltage is switched off immediately after passing through. Modern power semiconductor switches such as z. B. for the operation of

L5 trams can be used to switch off the voltage in the millisecond range if necessary.

In contrast to the above-mentioned laid-open publication, it is possible to equip several parallel lanes on motorways with one busbar with a busbar integrated in the carriageway. The side breakdown strip that is common on highways can also be used as a result.

5 Finally, mechanical protection is simplified in the event of an accident, since the side conductor rail must have a very high level of mechanical stability, while the conductor rail integrated in the carriageway has no protruding parts and therefore does not provide any points of attack 0. Furthermore, in the case of a busbar integrated in the carriageway, it is possible to easily branch off the rail without moving parts, which is not possible with a busbar attached to the side of the carriageway.

The conductor rail embedded in the carriageway can thus be integrated much better into the existing road infrastructure and thus far less expensive and easier to implement.

3. Detailed description

In order to be able to attach a conductor rail directly to the roadway, a number of measures are required to ensure that the system is safe from contact with live parts and that it can function reliably in all weather conditions. A busbar protected from contact in a recess would lead to greater implementation effort and further problems in wetness and ice formation. A solution is therefore proposed which only contains a small depression for guiding the pantograph. This groove-shaped depression was shown in the example shown in the busbar segments (1, 5 2).

However, it is also possible to design the rail segments with a flat surface and to provide a separate groove-like recess or web for a lateral guide of the current collector. The supply voltage should be approximately 2 - 5 kV in order to limit the currents at the pantograph for trucks to an acceptable maximum value. It is known from high-voltage investigations that ^' at voltages of 2 - 5 kV AC in this described application, no problems with flashovers are to be expected even in poor environmental conditions. In the event of a fault, it is still necessary to enable the busbar to be disconnected quickly and safely.

If the live busbar (2) is divided into small, individually switchable segment sections of approx. 10-30 m in length, this segment can be switched on directly before passing a vehicle via the respective busbar segment (2) and immediately after passing the vehicle be switched off. When using an alternating voltage, the power rail can be switched on or off at zero crossing to avoid interference voltages.

Since a vehicle at a speed of e.g. B. 100 km / h covers a distance of 28 m per second, a segment length of approx. 20 m is sufficient to switch on the power rail in less than 1 second before passing a vehicle.

It is sufficient to attach control devices (8, 10) after each of the two busbar segments

Tension on the rail of the back and back to switch and monitor the current track segment.

For safety reasons, the control and monitoring of the individual busbar segments can be carried out redundantly. This would be with a current segment length of z. B. 20 m only every 40 m a control unit (8, 10) necessary.

The control device (8) and the circuit breaker (10) for connecting the voltage can be integrated in the busbar or can be accommodated as an external device on the edge of the road.

In order to enable the smallest possible installation size for the conductor rail, as shown in FIG. 4, in addition to the control unit (8), the supply lines (3, 4, 9) can also be carried along outside the conductor rail along the edge of the carriageway. This can be particularly advantageous if the conductor rail is retrofitted into an existing pavement.

The mass supply is also divided into segment sections. As a result, a residual current circuit can be implemented for further protection against contact. To the busbar before voltage flashovers

Protect (in extreme weather) are also

Circuits known, which in the case of starting

Flashovers allow quick detection and shutdown. If necessary, by Lowering the supply voltage can prevent further flashovers.

At street exits, a busbar branching can be implemented in a simple manner without moving switch parts. Such a rail segment is shown in FIG. 2 with a branch. If a vehicle happens to B. a point with a turn to the right, but would like to continue driving straight ahead, then the vehicle presses the pantograph (18) down to the left (16). The pantograph thus slides along the left sloping wall of the busbar segments (1, 2) and thus selects another straight-ahead drive. If the vehicle is to turn to the right, the pantograph (18) is pressed down to the right (17). The pantograph thus follows the right sloping wall of the busbar segments (1, 2) and thus turns to the right. It is sufficient if one of the two pantographs (19) has a vertical or horizontal guide in the switch area.

In the short area of the two busbar crossings, the busbars are interrupted (26) (see FIG. 3). A rechargeable battery (somewhat larger starter battery) bridges the short-term supply failure. When the central rail segments (27) are acted upon in the area of the switch with either ground or supply potential, the length of the supply interruption of the rail can be minimized.

With the help of pantographs, high-frequency modulation can provide various information be exchanged between the rail system and the vehicle. The busbar system can transmit information such as the current vehicle position, target speed, energy consumption, distance to the vehicle in front and the vehicle behind it. Vehicle data such as the desired destination, vehicle length, vehicle type, weight and general information can be sent from the vehicle to preceding or following vehicles.

An air stream of the airstream is deflected by a nozzle (21) and directed onto the busbar segments (1, 2). This allows any accumulation of water or dirt to be blown away and the contact surfaces of the busbar segments to be cleaned. Similar to a snow plow (22) attached to the pantograph, larger items can be cleared from the rail.

As redundancy for the mechanical tracking z. B. an optical lane detection system can be used, which detects the track with a camera. This optical system can also be used as redundancy for vehicle distance control of the busbar.

During the docking of the pantograph to the conductor rail, the correct vehicle position above the conductor rail can be controlled by the driver or with the aid of the optical tracking system. Drawings:

1 shows a sectional view of a busbar embedded in the carriageway. Figure 2

5 shows a busbar in the area of a branch in a spatial sectional illustration. FIG. 3 also shows, as in FIG. 2, a top view of a busbar in the region of a branch. Figure 4 shows a sectional view of a busbar with a

0 pantographs installed on the vehicle. This busbar consists only of the two busbar segments (ground and supply potential). Figure 5 shows a side view of a pantograph with flow nozzle.

5

Legend:

1 busbar segment ground potential (e.g. 20 m length)

2 busbar segment supply potential .0 (e.g. 20 m length)

3 Continuous main supply ground potential

4 Continuous main supply potential

5 Main supply insulation

6 outer housing of the track _5 7 road surface

8 control unit for current segment connection, residual current detection, voltage flashover detection, FC communication etc.

9 Signal line for networking the individual SG (8) with 0 an external master computer

10 circuit breakers (electronic) for connecting the busbar segment (2) Highly insulating, dirt-repellent and waterproof cover. Electrical heating of the busbar segments to prevent ice formation Cover between the mass flow segment and the housing Nozzle for deflecting the airstream to clean the busbar segments (1, 2) Plow-like device for clearing the rail of objects or snow Fixing screw for replacing the busbar segments in the event of wear All-round seal for sealing when replacing the busbar segments Electromagnetic shielding of the main lines (minimization from electrosmog)

Interruption of the track segment PATENT TO SPEECH

5 1. conductor rail along the roadway for the power supply of electrically operated motor vehicles, characterized in that this conductor rail is assigned to the road surface, in particular is integrated into it.

0

2. Busbar according to claim 1, characterized in that with the aid of a pantograph (18) attached in the area of the underbody of vehicles, these vehicles are driven with current from the busbar L5.

3. Busbar according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electric drive units of the vehicle recover the braking energy generated in the downhill region and feed it back into the network via the busbar.

4. Busbar according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the busbar is used for 5 steering guidance of the vehicle.

5. Busbar according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two busbar segments (1, 2) for data exchange between

Claims

Vehicle and rail system are used and that the vehicle position along the rail and the vehicle in its speed and its distance to the vehicle in front is determined and controlled.

6. Busbar according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the busbar segments for preventing ice formation in winter are equipped with an L0 heating (for example electrical trace heating).

7. Busbar according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the main supply line

L5 (3, 4) is also carried in the rail.

8. conductor rail according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that this conductor rail also contains branches (e.g. at motorway exits). 0

9. Busbar according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that these busbar branches are also operated without mechanically moving parts. 5

10. Pantograph for the electrical tapping of a voltage from a power supply rail (1, 2), characterized in that the pantograph in the area of the busbar junction (switch) for the purpose of 0 targeted directional choice with a Lateral force of the type is applied, so that the pantograph is pressed against the right or left side wall of the busbar segment (1, 2) and thereby follows the vehicle according to the straight (1, 2) or 5 bending busbar (14, 15).

11. Current collector (18) for the electrical tapping of a voltage from a power supply rail (1, 2), characterized in that with the aid of an air flow nozzle deflected from the L0 airstream, which is connected to the current collector (18), air into the channel of the Busbar segments (1, 2) is blown in order to blow away any accumulations of water or dirt and to clean this channel. 5