A rail installation has an overhead line in the region of a stop and at least one rail vehicle with a current collector for making contact with the overhead line. The overhead line has a central part having a limited, predefined length and an adjoining end portion. The central part has a substantially constant predefined height above a rail. The end portion has a height that increases outward from the central part. The current collector of the rail vehicle is raised and matched to the overhead line such that, as the rail vehicle enters the stop, sliding strips of the current collector have a height above the rail that is at least equal to the substantially constant height of the central part of the overhead line, and that is at most equal to the greatest height of the raised first end portion of the overhead line above the rail.

A method is for maintenance of a ground-level power supply for a transport vehicle. The device includes: a power supply rail, a detector of spatial coordinates of a vehicle; and a power supply shoe. The device and the shoe equip the same vehicle. The supply shoe includes a vibration sensor. The method includes measuring vibrations of the shoe and simultaneously detecting spatial coordinates of the vehicle during the movement of the vehicle along the rail, followed by comparing measured vibrations of the shoe with a threshold value, and determining spatial coordinates corresponding to vibrations above the threshold value.

This support (36), as a profile in an electrically insulating material, comprises a substantially planar upper surface (50), provided with a longitudinal flute (60) intended for receiving a track segment, and a longitudinal groove (70) intended for receiving a low voltage electric power supply cable; and a lower surface (52) intended to bear upon a base for maintaining the support in the roadway. It is characterized in that the lower surface (52) is curved, preferably V-shaped, so that the support is concave so as to be at least transversely maintained in a recess with a mating shape, made in the base.

A protection arrangement for a current collector arranged on a vehicle having a rechargeable energy storage includes a first protective state in which the current collector is covered by the protection arrangement and a second open state in which the protection arrangement allows contact between the current collector and a corresponding current supply during charging of the energy storage and where the protection arrangement is automatically opened from the protective state to the open state when the vehicle has reached a predefined charging position. The current collector can be enclosed when the vehicle is not charged and the protection arrangement can open automatically when a charging position is reached. This can improve the safety of the vehicle and obviate the need of a specific circuit breaker that can disconnect the current collector from the electric energy storage. The charging of the vehicle can also be simplified.

A protection arrangement for a current collector arranged on a vehicle having a rechargeable energy storage includes a first protective state in which the current collector is covered by the protection arrangement and a second open state in which the protection arrangement allows contact between the current collector and a corresponding current supply during charging of the energy storage and where the protection arrangement is automatically opened from the protective state to the open state when the vehicle has reached a predefined charging position. The current collector can be enclosed when the vehicle is not charged and the protection arrangement can open automatically when a charging position is reached. This can improve the safety of the vehicle and obviate the need of a specific circuit breaker that can disconnect the current collector from the electric energy storage. The charging of the vehicle can also be simplified.

A traffic system includes: a vehicle having a power-receiving section on an outer surface thereof; and a ground facility having a power-supply section for supplying the power-receiving section with power by coming in contact with the power-receiving section. The power-supply section has a spring for applying a biasing force to a power-supply shoe in the power-supply section toward the power-receiving section. The power-receiving section has a flat surface that extends along the outer surface of the vehicle, and tapered surfaces that are connected to the flat surface in the forward and backward moving directions of the vehicle and guide the power-supply shoe to the flat surface against the biasing force to bring the power-supply shoe into contact with the flat surface when the vehicle moves backward and forward.

A traffic system includes: a vehicle having a power-receiving section on an outer surface thereof; and a ground facility having a power-supply section for supplying the power-receiving section with power by coming in contact with the power-receiving section. The power-supply section has a spring for applying a biasing force to a power-supply shoe in the power-supply section toward the power-receiving section. The power-receiving section has a flat surface that extends along the outer surface of the vehicle, and tapered surfaces that are connected to the flat surface in the forward and backward moving directions of the vehicle and guide the power-supply shoe to the flat surface against the biasing force to bring the power-supply shoe into contact with the flat surface when the vehicle moves backward and forward.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for enabling fast charging of an electric vehicle at a charging station. In one embodiment, an electric vehicle in positioned in a given location for charging and/or discharging. A charging arm comprising a plurality of charging brushes is then positioned relative to the position of the electric vehicle. The plurality of charging brushes on the charging arm is positioned to contact a charging interface of the electric vehicle. The charging brushes are moved relative to the charging interface such that a portion of the charging brushes is removed as a result of the movement.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for enabling fast charging of an electric vehicle at a charging station. In one embodiment, an electric vehicle in positioned in a given location for charging and/or discharging. A charging arm comprising a plurality of charging brushes is then positioned relative to the position of the electric vehicle. The plurality of charging brushes on the charging arm is positioned to contact a charging interface of the electric vehicle. The charging brushes are moved relative to the charging interface such that a portion of the charging brushes is removed as a result of the movement.

The inventive system, of the conduction type, comprises: a pair of power supply tracks, comprising a so-called live conductive track (11), designed to be electrically connected to a voltage source, and a so-called neutral conductive track (12), for the current return, designed to be electrically connected to a reference potential (V.sub.ref), the neutral track traveling parallel to the live track on a first side thereof; and a protective conductive track (13), designed to be connected to a ground potential, the protective track traveling parallel to the live track (11) on a second side thereof, opposite the first side. The system is installed in a roadway such that the live, neutral and protective conductive tracks are flush with a surface (18) of the roadway (2).