ZA200801586B

ZA200801586B - A method for manufacturing a passenger transportation railway car, the corresponding sub-unit and car, and families of sub-units and cars

Info

Publication number: ZA200801586B
Application number: ZA200801586A
Authority: ZA
Inventors: Geoffroy Pascal; Bernhard Georges
Original assignee: Alstom Transport Sa
Priority date: 2007-02-16
Filing date: 2008-02-18
Publication date: 2008-12-31
Also published as: ES2368964T3; EP1958844A1; EP1958844B1; FR2912717A1; ATE516193T1

Abstract

The method involves forming a sub-assembly (40) by connecting a case of a carried module (4) at an end in a rigid manner to a case of a carrier module (2). A control cabin (8) deprived of a guiding and support unit is connected in a rigid manner to another end of the case of another support module (2), where the support unit (22) is motorized. The sub-assembly is equipped with traction equipments that are adapted to produce and/or recuperate electrical energy. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a railway vehicle having a railway vehicle sub assembly (2) a family of railway vehicle sub-assembly.

Description

.

CI eee

A method for manufacturing a passenger transportation railway car, the corresponding sub-unit and car, and families of sub-units and cars

The present invention relates to a method for producing a sub-unit of a passenger transport railway car.

Railway tracks, whether new or old, have different characteristics. The cars intended to travel on a railway track are designed according to the specific characteristics of such railway track (radius of curvature of bends, slopes, track gauge, etc.), and other characteristics (travel speed, number of passengers, etc.).

This leads to designing and producing new cars for the new railway tracks or for the renewal of the cars of the older railway tracks. Besides, the passenger transport railway cars are also produced in small series, of the order of one hundred units.

The result is that the manufacturing fixed charges and the design costs are very high for such railway cars.

One aim of the invention is to provide a method for producing railway cars of various types with a limited production cost.

For this purpose, the invention aims at providing a method for producing a sub-unit of a passenger transport railway car from intermediate modules including at least one carrying module having a body and at least one body supporting and quiding unit, at least one carried module having a body and provided without any supporting and guiding unit, wherein the sub-unit is formed by connecting the body of a carried module at one end to the body of a carrying module in a rigid manner.

Thus, starting from associated carrying modules and carried modules, it is possible to produce sub-units of

Ce — 2008/4 - 2 386 different types, in which a carried module is connected to a carrying module in a rigid or articulated manner.

According to other implementations, the method comprises one or several of the following characteristics, taken one by one or according to any technically possible combination thereof: - the body of the carried module is cennected at its other end to the body of another carrying module in a rigid or articulated manner; ; - the body of a carried module is connected, at each of its ends, to the body of a carried module in an articulated manner; — a driving cab without any supporting and guiding unit is connected to one end of the body of a carrying module in a rigid manner; - a driving cab provided with a supporting and guiding unit is connected to the body of a carried module in a rigid or articulated manner; — the sub-unit is formed from at least two carried modules having different lengths; - the sub-unit is formed from carrying modules and/or carried modules having carrying structure bodies of the same design; - the sub-unit is formed from carrying modules and/or carried modules having identical carrying structure bodies; - the supperting and guiding unit of at least one carrying module is motorised and the sub-unit is provided with traction equipment adapted to produce and/or collect electric energy and transform it into energizing signals for electric motors of the, or each, supporting and guiding motorised unit, the traction equipment being distributed on the carrying modules of the sub-unit;

- the length of the body of each carrying module is greater than the length of the supporting and guiding unit of the carrying module.

The invention also relates to a sub-unit of a passenger transport railway car obtained by a method such as defined hereabove.

The invention also relates to a passenger transportation railway car comprising at least one such sub- unit.

The invention also relates to a family of sub-units of passenger transport railway cars formed from carrying modules having a body and at least one supporting and guiding unit of the body, and carried modules having a body and without any supporting or guiding units, characterised in that it includes a first sub-unit having a carrying module and a carried module, the bodies of which are connected to each other in an articulated manner, and a second sub-unit having a carrying module and at least one carried module, the bodies of which are connected in a rigid manner.

According to other embodiments, the family of sub-units includes one or several of the following characteristics, taken one by one or according to any technically possible combinations; - the second sub-unit comprises a second carrying module, the body of which is connected to the other end of the body of the carried module of such sub-unit in a rigid or articulated manner. - the first sub-unit and/or the second sub-unit comprise at least one driving cab without any supporting and guiding unit connected to the body of the carrying module in a rigid manner.

"-2008/0958¢ - the first sub-unit and/or the second sub-unit comprise at least one driving cab connected to the body of the carrying module in a rigid manner; - the carried modules and/or the carried modules of the first or second sub-units include at least two carried modules the bodies of which have different lengths; - the bodies of the carrying modules and/or the carried modules of the first and second sub-units have carrying structures having the same design; - the bodies of the carrying modules and/or the carried modules of the first and second sub-units have substantially identical carrying structures; - the length of the body of each carrying module is greater than the length of the supporting and guiding unit of the carrying module.

The invention further relates to a family of passenger transport railway cars comprising a family of sub-units such as defined hereunder

The invention and its advantages will be better understood when reading the following description which is given only as an example and while referring to the appended drawings, wherein: - Figure 1 is a schematic side view of the main elements intended to be assembled to form passenger transport railway cars or railway cars sub-units; - Figures 2 to 10 are side views of sub-units obtained while assembling the elements of Figure 1; - Figures 11 to 16 are side views of railway cars obtained by assembling elements of Figure 1; - Figure 17 and 18 are exploded schematic side views of a carrying module and a carried module, respectively; and - Figure 19 is a schematic side view of a railway car formed from the modules of Figures 17 and 18.

BE)

As shown in Figure 1, the main elements comprise a carrying module 2, a long carried module 4, a short carried module 6, a carrying driving cab 8 and a carried driving cab 10.

The word “carrying” indicates an element having at least one unit supporting and guiding such element along a railway track. A supporting and guiding unit for instance is in the form of a two-axle or one-axle bogie.

The word “carried” indicates an element which has no supporting or guiding unit and intended to be suspended to one or two carrying elements.

The word “module” means an intermediate portion of a car intended to be positioned between two other car portions, which means between two other modules or between one module and one car end element such as a driving cab.

The word “module” should be understood as one element different from an end element which, by definition, is not an intermediate portion.

Thus, each module 2, 4, 6 has a tubular body respectively 12, 14, 16 which extends along a longitudinal direction L and is open at its two longitudinal ends. The body 14 is shorter than the body 12.

Each body 12, 14, 16 has in a manner known per se a frame, a roof and side faces.

Each body 12, 14, 16 defines, inside, a passenger compartment intended to be arranged for example and in an non limitative way with side linings, seats, bench seats jump seats, handrails, lighting systems, venting and air- conditioning systems and/or display systems.

The side faces of the body 12, 14, 16 are provided with windows.

The side faces of the body 12 have no door. The side faces of the body 14 and 16 are provided with doors for example one door or two doors. As shown in Figure 1, the body 14 has two doors and the body 16 has only one.

The cabs 8 and 10 are railway car end elements. Each cab 8, 10 has a body 18, 20 having an aerodynamic profile 5 and defining inside a driving cab. Optionally, a cab 8 or can have a passenger compartment at the rear of the driving station.

The module 2 and the cab 10 which are carrying elements each have a bogie, respectively 22, 24. 10 Each bogie 22, 24 is optionally motorised and then includes at least one wheel driving unit for example one electric motor. As an alternative, the bogie is not motorised.

The body 12 has a length which is substantially equal © 15 to or higher than the length of the bogie 22.

The modules 4 and 6 and the cab 8 are carried elements and have no supporting and guiding unit.

The modules 2, 4, 6 and the cabs 8, 10 are provided to be fastened to each other to form the whole or a part of a railway car.

According to one aspect of the invention, it is possible to connect the bodies 12, 14, 16 of two among the modules 2, 4, 6 in an articulated manner .

For this purpose and in a manner known per se, the bodies of two modules are connected in an articulated manner by interposing between the bodies of the two modules an articulation and intercommunication device 26 which connects the bodies while allowing a relative motion of the bodies (articulation) and defining a communication gangway making it possible for the passengers to go from one body to the other (intercommunication).

In a known manner , the articulation is for instance of the spherical joint type which makes it possible for the bodies to rotate about a longitudinal axis, a transversal

[ ] 220087015 86 axis and a vertical axis. The intercommunication is for example of the bellows type.

According to another aspect of the invention, the bodies of two modules are connected in a rigid manner. The rigid connection is performed for example by bolting.

According to the connection type provided for the end of the module, suitable interface elements will be fixed at the end of the module.

If the end of the module must be connected in an articulated manner, interface elements will be fixed on this end, thus allowing the fastening of the articulation and intercommunication device. The interface elements are, in this case, elements which are fixed on the frame, the roof and/or the side faces of the body, and can be used as a 16 fastening collar for the articulation and the intercommunication device.

If the end of the module must be fixed in a rigid manner, interface elements intended to be fixed in a rigid manner are fixed on such end for example by bolting and welding on additional interface elements provided to be fixed on the end of another module.

Anyway, the ends of modules 2, 4, 6 are originally provided for fixing such rigid or articulated connection interface elements, so that the same module can selectively be fixed on another module in a rigid or articulated manner.

According to the invention, the modules 2, 4, 6 and the cabs 8, 10 are produced and associated in different ways to obtain various types of sub-units (for example, as shown in

Figures 2 to 10), thus forming families of sub-units of railway cars which can be associated together, whether of the same type or of different types and various types of railway cars (for example, as shown in Figures 11 to 15) which form a family of cars comprising car sub-units forming at least a family of sub-units according to the invention.

As shown in Figure 2, a sub-unit 30 which is articulated comprises a module 4 which is suspended between two modules 2 and connected to each of these two modules 14 by means of a device 26 in an articulated manner.

As shown in Figure 3, the sub-unit 32 is different from the sub-unit 30 of Figure 2 in that the module 4 is connected to each of the modules 2 in a rigid manner, thus forming a sub-unit corresponding to a “conventional” type car which is self-contained and has a bogie 22 at each of its ends.

Thus, the ends of the body 14 of the module 4 are connected to the adjacent ends of the body 12 of the modules 4 in a rigid manner.

As shown in Figure 4, a sub-unit 36 comprises a module 4 connected at one of its ends to a module 2 in a rigid manner, the other end being free, thus forming a sub-unit corresponding to a “semi-trailer” type car.

According to one aspect of the invention, a sub-unit of a railway car end is formed by fixing a cab 8 to the module 2 or a cab 10 to a module 4 or 6 in a rigid or articulated manner, preferably a rigid manner.

As shown in Figure 5, a sub-unit 38 of the end of a railway car is formed by a cab 8 connected to a first module 2 in a rigid manner.

As shown in Figure 6, a sub-unit 40 of the end of a railway car is different from that of Figure 5 in that it further includes a module 4 connected to the first module 2 on the side opposite the cab 8 in a rigid manner.

As shown in Fiqure 7, a sub-unit 42 of the end of a railway car is different from that of Figure 6 in that it further comprises a second module 2 connected to the module 4 on the side opposite the first module 2 in a rigid manner. }

As shown in Figure 8, a sub-unit 44 of the end of a railway car is formed by a cab 10 connected to a module 4 in a rigid manner.

In all the sub-units, it is possible to replace a module 4 with a module 6, if a shorter sub-unit is desired.

Thus, as shown in Figure 9, a sub-unit 46 is formed by a module 2 connected to a module 6 in a rigid manner.

A sub-unit could further include a second module 2 connected to the other end of the module 6 in a rigid manner, as shown in mixed lines in Figure 9.

As shown in Figure 10, a sub-unit 48 of the end of a railway car is formed from one end to the other by a cab 8, a module 2, and a module 6 connected together in a rigid manner.

A sub-unit could further include a second module 2 connected to the other end of a module 6 as shown in mixed lines in Figure 10 in a rigid manner.

The sub-units illustrated in Figures 2 to 10 are described only as examples. Other sub-units could be obtained by combining the modules 2, 4, 6 and the cabs 8, 10 in a different way.

The sub-units 30, 32, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 and 48 are intended to be connected, in an articulated or a rigid manner, together with other sub-units which are not shown or with the modules 2, 4, 6 to form railway cars.

As shown in Figures 11 to 16, railway cars are “generally formed by modules 2, 4, 6 and cabs 8, 10. In such cars sub-units, such as shown in Figures 2 to 10 can be found.

As shown in Figure 11, a railway car 50 has two sub- units 38 between which modules 4 and modules 2 are positioned in an alternative way, the sub-units 38 and modules 2 and 4 being connected together in an articulated way through devices 26. Each of the sub-units 38 is connected to a module 4.

The number of modules 2, 4 depends on the length desired for the railway car 50.

In alternative solutions, the modules 4 or at least some of them can be replaced by modules 6 to keep the same architecture while reducing the length of the railway car.

As shown in Figure 12, a railway car 52 varies from that in Figure 11 in that each sub-unit 38 and the module 4 which is adjacent are replaced with a sub-unit 40.

As shown in Figure 13, a railway car 54 successively includes a sub-unit 42, a sub-unit 32 and a sub-unit 42 connected together, by devices 26, in an articulated manner.

As shown in Figure 14, a railway car 56 successively includes a sub-unit 40, a sub-unit 36, a sub-unit 32 and a sub-unit 40 connected together by devices 26, in an articulated manner.

As shown in Figure 15, a railway car 58 successively comprises a sub-unit 42, a module 6, a sub-unit 32, a module 6 and a sub-unit 42 connected together by devices 26, in an articulated manner.

As shown in Figure 16, a railway car 59 successively includes a sub-unit 40, a sub-unit 36, a module 2, a sub- unit 36 and a sub-unit 40, connected together by devices 26, in an articulated manner. + Bach of the railway cars 52, 54, 56, 58, 59 has at least a module 4 or 6 connected to a module 2 in a rigid manner. Each of the railway cars 54, 56 and 58 further has at least one module 4 or 6 which is carried and connected at each of its ends in a longitudinal direction, to a module 2 in an articulated manner.

The railway cars of Figures 11 to 16 are shown for example only, and other railway cars could be designed, particularly by replacing in each railway car a sub-unit 40 by a sub-unit 44 or a sub-unit of the same type comprising a cab 10 in a rigid manner fixed to a module 4 or 6.

Various types of railway cars can thus be obtained by means of a modular construction from elements including the modules 2, 4, 6 and the cabs 8, 10.

Railway cars are made from modules 2 having carrying structure bodies of the same design, and modules 4 and 6 having carrying structures bodies of the same design.

The carrying structure of one module is composed of elements which participate in the mechanical resistance and the transmission of constraints. It includes the side faces, the frame and the roof.

The carrying structure does not include the ends of the module which are designed by the addition of the interface elements, depending on the connection type (rigid or articulated) provided at each end.

The carrying structure of the side faces includes the elements which define the distribution and the number as well as the overall dimensions of the windows on the side faces. When one side face is composed by a frame and an outer skin covering the frame, the carrying structure of the module includes the frame of the side face but not the external skin which can be modified easily, depending on the number of windows and doors that it is desired to have in the side face, and the shape of the corresponding openings.

Carrying structure of the same design means the modules having carrying structures using the same main elements in their frames, their side faces and their roofs.

Preferably, the modules 2 have identical carrying structures, the modules 4 have identical carrying structures, and the modules 6 have identical carrying structures.

Advantageously, the carrying structure of a module 4 is obtained from the carrying structure of a module 6 and extended by adding an additional longitudinal section.

In this case, the carrying structure of each module 6 is advantageously formed by at least two substantial identical longitudinal sections and a module 4 is thus obtained by adding at least one additional section to extend the module.

This reduces the design and production costs.

Thus modules 2, 4, 6 having carrying structures of the same design or identical design are produced on an industrial scale which reduces the production cost.

The railway cars and the sub-units are more or less adapted to travelling on meandering railway tracks as a function of the number of their articulations.

For example, a railway car travelling on a meandering track has preferably a greater number of articulations.

Using modules 4 and 6 of various lengths makes it possible to adapt the capacity of the railway car as well as its length, so as to adjust for example the length of the railway car to that of the platforms of the track on which the car is to travel.

The costs of the design of the railway cars and the sub-units are reduced, since it is sufficient to use modules 2, 4 and/or 6 which are pre-existing and to assemble them in different ways to obtain the sub-units and the railway cars depending on the particular means.

The production costs are reduced, since the same modules 2, 4 and/or 6 can lead to various types of sub-units and railway cars and since the fixed costs of production of modules 2, 4 and/or 6 can be amortised on larger series.

As shown in Figure 17, bogies and traction equipment n are intended to be fixed on a module 2 to form a carrying module.

Bogies include a bogie 22a which has a motor and a bogie 22b which is not motorised which is only a carrying module.

The traction equipment is equipment adapted to collect electric energy from a power supply, produce electric energy from a fuel and transform the electric energy produced or collected into energizing signals for the motors of the motorised bogies of a railway car, which the carrying module . belongs to.

The traction equipment for example include, in an non- exhaustive way a transformer 62, an inverter 64 and a pantograph 66, intended to be positioned on the roof 68 of the module 2. The traction equipment could also include a circuit breaker, a chopper, a rectifier and an isolator.

As shown in Figure 18, a venting and possibly air- conditioning unit 70 is intended to be positioned on the roof 72 of the module 4.

As shown in Figure 18, a railway car 74 successively includes from one end to the other (from left to right in

Figure 18), a cab 8, a first module 2, a first module 4, a second module 2, a second module 4, a third module 2 and a second cab 8.

Traction equipment is advantageously positioned on the modules 2. More precisely, the first module 2 carries a pantograph 66, the second module 2 carries a rectifier 64 and the third module carries a transformer 62.

A bogie 22a of the second module 4 is motorised, the others are not motorised.

The pantograph 66, the rectifier 64, the transformer 62 and the bogie 22a which are motorised are of course connected by electric connections (not shown) .

The carried modules 4 are provided on the roofs 72 of their modules 4 with venting units 70.

The distribution of traction equipment on the modules 2 makes the constitution of various railway cars easy, depending on the considered application.

As a matter of fact, depending on the length of the railway car, one or several motorised bogies and the required traction equipment will be provided consequently, to collect and convert a sufficient quantity of energy. The addition of equipment is made by adding a carrying module 2 provided with the desired equipment.

Carrying modules 2 receive various traction equipment, depending on the country or the railway track, which the railway car is intended for.

As a matter of fact, the voltages of the supplied power : lines are for example different from one country to another.

It is even possible to easily produce a railway car comprising modules 2 provided with traction equipment suited for another country and modules 2 provided with traction equipment suitable for another country. Such a railway car can travel on the railway tracks of both countries.

It is thus possible to manufacture various railway cars having different traction equipment but without modifying the modules 4 which reduces the production and design costs for the railway car as a unit.

The modules 4 are provided with access doors and can vary as far as their inner arrangement 1s concerned, depending on the needs. Thus, modules 4 the passenger compartments of which have areas for disabled persons and/or boarding platforms for this tvoe of persons, areas for bicycles, restaurants, etc. can be provided.

Thus, the modules 2 concentrate the traction equipment and the special arrangements are provided on the modules 4.

This distribution of functions between modules 2 and modules 4 reduces the production costs by making the construction of railway cars and modular sub-units easy. As a matter of fact, there are only a limited number of different carrying modules and a limited number of different of carried modules, which limits the manufacturing costs but such modules can be combined in different ways which increases the number of possibilities.

The modularity of the equipment and the arrangements of the carried modules and the carrying modules could be considered independently from the modularity connected to the articulated or rigid connection of the carried modules and carrying modules.

Claims

di . SE I oT CLAIMS l1.- A method for producing a sub-unit of a passenger transport railway car, from intermediate modules (2, 4, 6) including at least a carrying module (2) having a body and at least one body separating and guiding unit, and at least one carried module (4) having a body without any supporting and guiding unit, wherein the sub-unit is formed by connecting the body of a carried module (4) in a rigid manner to one end of the body (10) of a carrying module (2).
2.- A method according to claim 1, wherein the body of the carried module (4) is connected at its other end in a rigid or articulated manner to the body of another carrying module (2).
3.- A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the body of another carried module (6) is connected at each of its ends to the body of a carrying module (2) in an articulated manner.
4.- A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a driving cab (8) without a supporting and guiding unit is connected to one end of the body of a carrying module (2) in a rigid manner.
5.- A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a driving cab (10) provided with a supporting and quiding unit is connected to the body of a carried module (4, 6) in a rigid or in an articulated manner.
6.- A method according to any of the preceding claims, Characterised in that the sub-unit is formed from at least two carried modules (4, 6) having different lengths.
7.- A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sub-unit is formed from carrying modules (2) and/or carried modules (4, 6) having carrying structure bodies of the same design.
8.- A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sub-unit is formed from carrying modules (2) and/or carried modules (4, 6) having identical carrying structure bodies.
9.- A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the supporting and guiding unit (22) of at least one carrying module (2) is motorised and in that the sub-unit is provided with traction equipment (60, 62, 64, 66) adapted for producing and/or collecting electric energy and transforming it into energizing signals for the electric motors of the, or each, motorised supporting and guiding unit (22), the traction equipment (60, 62, 64, 66) being distributed on the carrying modules (2) of the sub-unit.
10.- A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the length of the body of each carrying module (2) is greater than the length of the supporting and guiding unit of the carrying module (2).
11.- A sub-unit of a passenger transport railway car, characterised in that it is obtained by means of a method according to any one of the preceding claims.
12.- A passenger transport railway car, characterised in that it includes at least one sub-unit according to claim

11.
13.- A family of sub-units of passenger transportation railway cars formed from carrying modules (2) having a body (12) and at least one supporting and guiding unit (22) and carried modules (4, 6) having a body (14, 16) and without supporting and guiding units, characterised in that it includes a first sub-unit having a carrying module (2) and a carried module (4, 6) the bodies of which are connected in an articulated manner, and a second sub-unit having a carrying module (2) and at least

. one carried module (4, 6) the bodies of which are connected in a rigid manner.
14.- A family according to claim 13, characterised in that the second sub-unit comprises a second carrying module (2) the body of which is connected to the other end of the body of the carried module (4) of such sub-unit in a rigid or articulated manner.
15.- A family according to «claim 13 or 14, characterised in that the first sub-unit and/or the second sub-unit comprise at least one driving cab (8) without any supporting or guiding unit and connected to the body of a carrying module (2) in a rigid manner.
l6.- A family according to claim 13 or 14, characterised in that the first sub-unit and/or the second sub-unit comprise at least one driving cab (10) connected to the body of a carried module (4,6) in a rigid manner.
17.- A family according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterised in that the carrying modules (2) and/or carried modules (4, 6) of the first and second sub-units include at least two carried modules (4, 6), the bodies of which are of different lengths.
18.- A family according to any one of claims 13 to 17, characterised in that the bodies of the carrying modules (2) and/or the carried modules (4, 6) of the first and second sub-units have carrying structures of the same design.
19.- A family according to any one of claims 13 to 18, characterised in that the bodies of the carrying modules (2) and/or the carried modules (4, 6) of the first and second sub-units have substantially identical carrying structures.
20.- A family according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the length of the body of each carrying module (4) is greater then the length of the supporting and guiding unit of the carrying module (4).
2l.- A family of cars, characterised in ‘that it includes at least one ramily of sub-unics according to any : onc cf claims 13 to 20.
22. A method according to claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures.
23. A sub-unit of a passenger transport railway car according to claim 11, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures
24. A passenger transport railway car according to claim 12, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures. A family of sub-unit of passenger transportation railway cars according to claim 13, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures Dated this I$ th 1 ! d this day of Febresy aur Patent wl / Agent ¢ gent for the Applian Ce