INTERFACE DEVICE FOR A TRACK MAINTENANCE MACHINE

Abstract

An interface device for supplying a plurality of users with electrical power from a railway converter of a track maintenance machine includes a connection device for electrically linking to a DC voltage circuit of the railway converter and a distribution device, electrically connected to the connection device, for connecting the plurality users. A track maintenance system and a track maintenance machine are also provided.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. An interface device for supplying a plurality users with electrical power from a railway converter of a track maintenance machine, the interface device comprising: a connection device for electrically linking to a DC voltage circuit of the railway converter; and a distribution device electrically connected to said connection device for connecting the plurality users.

14. The interface device according to claim 13, which further comprises a diode electrically conductively interconnecting said connection device and said distribution device for directing electrical current from said connection device to said distribution device.

15. The interface device according to claim 13, which further comprises a smoothing unit for smoothing voltage fluctuations at least at one of said distribution device or said connection device.

16. The interface device according to claim 13, which further comprises an overvoltage protection for limiting a maximum voltage to a supply threshold voltage.

17. The interface device according to claim 16, wherein said overvoltage protection is configured to cause the supply threshold voltage to be higher than a maximum voltage at said connection device being limited by a railway overvoltage protection of the railway converter.

18. A track maintenance system, comprising: an interface device according to claim 13; and at least one user connected to said interface device.

19. The track maintenance system according to claim 18, wherein said at least one user is a plurality of users including at least one user configured for working on a track installation.

20. The track maintenance system according to claim 18, wherein said at least one user is a plurality of users including at least one user configured as an energy store.

21. The track maintenance system according to claim 18, wherein said at least one user is a plurality of users including at least one user having an industrial converter.

22. A track maintenance machine, comprising: a rail car for riding on rails; a railway converter disposed on said rail car for providing electrical power; and a track maintenance system disposed on said rail car and connected to said railway converter; said track maintenance system including an interface device according to claim 13 and at least one user connected to said interface device.

23. The track maintenance machine according to claim 22, wherein said railway converter has a DC voltage circuit to which said interface device is connected.

24. The track maintenance machine according to claim 23, wherein said DC voltage circuit has a voltage of at most 5 kV.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Additional features, advantages and details of the invention become apparent from the following description of an embodiment. There is shown in:

[0031] FIG. 1 a schematic representation of a track maintenance machine having a rail car, a railway converter arranged on the rail car, and a track maintenance system arranged on the rail car and connected to the railway converter, and

[0032] FIG. 2 a schematic representation in detail of the railway converter and the track maintenance system in FIG. 1, wherein the track maintenance system has an interface device with a connection means and a distribution device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0033] Shown in FIG. 1 is a track maintenance machine 1 for working on a track installation, in particular for consolidating a ballast bed 2 of the track installation. The track installation comprises two rails 3 which rest on the ballast bed 2 via sleepers 4. The track installation further has an overhead line 5 for power supply of the track maintenance machine 1. The overhead line voltage provided at the overhead line 5 is 15 kV and has an overhead line frequency of 16⅔ Hz. The track maintenance machine 1 is in electrically conductive connection with the overhead line 5 via a pantograph 6.

[0034] The track maintenance machine 1 comprises a rail car 7 for travelling on the rails 3. The rail car 7 has drive motors 8 for displacing the track maintenance machine 1 on the rails 3. The drive motors 8 are in torque-transmitting connection to running wheels 9 of the rail car 7.

[0035] The track maintenance machine 1 has a railway converter 10 for supplying electrical power, in particular for converting the overhead line voltage into a converter DC voltage. In addition, the track maintenance machine 1 comprises a track maintenance system 11 arranged on the rail cars 7 and connected to the railway converter 10.

[0036] The railway converter 10 is electrically conductive connected to the pantograph 6. The railway converter 10 comprises a railway rectifier 12 for converting or rectifying the overhead line voltage into the converter DC voltage. The railway converter 10 further has a railway inverter 13. The railway inverter 13 is electrically conductive connected to the railway rectifier 12 via a DC voltage circuit 14. The converter DC voltage applied at the DC voltage circuit 14 is 750 V. The railway inverter 13 is designed for actuating the drive motors 8 with electrical power. For powering the drive motors 8 designed as three-phase induction machines, the railway inverter 13 supplies a drive AC voltage.

[0037] The track maintenance machine 1 additionally has a power generator 15, driven by a combustion engine, which is designed for supplying a generator voltage and is in electrically conducting connection to the railway rectifier 12. The power generator 15 allows the operation of the track maintenance machine 1 in the absence of an overhead line 5, or in the absence of actuation of the overhead line 5 with the overhead line voltage.

[0038] The track maintenance system 11 has an interface device 16 as well as several users 17, 18, 19 connected to the interface device 16. The users 17, 18 are designed for working on the track installation. The user 17 is a hydraulic drive of a tamping unit 20 of the track maintenance system 11. The user 18 is designed as an electrical eccentric drive of the tamping unit 20. The user 19 is an electro-chemical energy store, in particular a lithium-polymer accumulator. Present in each case between the users 17, 18, 19 and the interface device 16 is a current circuit called a user circuit 21. A consumer voltage applied at the user circuit 21 is 750 V.

[0039] In FIG. 2, the railway converter 10 and the track maintenance system 11 are shown in further detail. The users 17, 18, 19 have industrial converters 22 for converting the user voltage present as DC voltage into the respectively required voltage form. The industrial converters 22 have an industrial overvoltage protection for interrupting a power supply if a threshold voltage is exceeded.

[0040] The interface device 16 has a distribution device 23 for electrical connection to the users 17, 18, 19. The interface device 16 further has a connection means 24 for electrically connecting the distribution device 23 to the railway converter 10, in particular to the DC voltage circuit 14.

[0041] The interface device 16 has a diode 25. Via the diode 25, the distribution device 23 is connected to the connection means 24. The diode 25 is designed for directing current from the connection means 24 to the distribution device 23. The diode 25 is designed as a semiconductor diode.

[0042] The interface device 16 has a smoothing unit 26 for smoothing voltage fluctuations at the distribution device 23, in particular between the diode 25 and the distribution device 23. For smoothing the voltage fluctuations, the smoothing unit 26 comprises a throttle, a capacitor and/or an ohmic resistor. The smoothing unit 26 is designed particularly for regulating or damping a possibly formed electrical oscillating circuit between the connection means 24 and the users 17, 18, 19 in such a way that voltage peaks are avoided.

[0043] The interface device 16 has an overvoltage protection 27. The overvoltage protection 27 is designed for limiting a maximum voltage at the distribution device 23 to a supply threshold voltage. The overvoltage protection 27 comprises a resistor for converting electric energy into thermal energy. The overvoltage protection 23 further comprises a chopper.

[0044] The railway converter 10 has a railway overvoltage protection 28. The railway overvoltage protection 28 is designed to limit the converter DC voltage to a converter threshold voltage. The overvoltage protection 27 is designed such that the supply threshold voltage is higher than the converter threshold voltage.

[0045] The mode of function of the track maintenance machine 1 or the track maintenance system 11 or the interface device 16 for supplying electrical power to the users 17, 18, 19 from the railway converter 10 is as follows:

[0046] The track maintenance machine 1 is situated on the rails 3 of the track installation. The pantograph 6 is in electrically conductive connection with the overhead line 5.

[0047] The track maintenance machine 1 is displaced along the rails 3. For that purpose, the overhead line voltage is converted into the converter DC voltage in the railway converter 10, in particular in the railway rectifier 12. The railway inverter 13 is supplied with electrical power via the DC voltage circuit 14 with the converter DC voltage. The railway inverter 13 converts the converter DC voltage into the drive AC voltage. The drive AC voltage supplied at the drive motors 8 causes the running wheels 9 to be driven. The track maintenance machine 1 is accelerated and displaced along the rails 3. The track maintenance machine 1 is displaced to that location where a treatment of the track installation, in particular a consolidation of the ballast bed 2, is to take place. The drive motors 8 are deactivated. To that end, a drive control interrupts the supply of drive AC voltage to the drive motors 8.

[0048] Electrical power is conducted via the connection means 24 to the diode 25. The diode 25 ensures a directed current conducting from the connection means 24 in the direction of the distribution device 23. The smoothing unit 26 connected in a current-conductive manner to the diode 25 smooths voltage peaks which result particularly from the rectifying in the railway rectifier 12. The voltage applied at the overvoltage protection 27 is less than the supply threshold voltage. The distribution device 23 is connected via the overvoltage protection 27 in a current-conductive way to the smoothing unit 26. The electrical power is conducted via the distribution device 23 via the user circuits 21 to the users 17, 18, 19.

[0049] A tamping unit control, not shown, controls the actuation of the hydraulic drive 17 and the eccentric drive 18 with electrical power. To operate a respective electric motor of the hydraulic drive 17 and the eccentric drive 18, the industrial converters 22 convert the supply DC voltage applied at the distribution device 23 into the required voltage form. Furthermore, the energy store 19 is charged via the industrial converter 22 and the user circuit 21. The ballast bed 2 is consolidated by means of the tamping unit 20.

[0050] Due to fluctuations of the overhead line voltage and/or based on a reaction of the drive motors 8, there may be voltage peaks in the DC voltage circuit 14. If a converter threshold voltage in the region of the DC voltage circuit 14 is exceeded, then the railway overvoltage protection 28 ensures a reduction of the converter threshold voltage. The railway overvoltage protection 28 converts electrical energy into thermal energy by means of a resistor. Surplus electrical energy is dissipated from the DC voltage circuit 14 in the shape of thermal energy.

[0051] An influence of voltage peaks on the DC voltage circuit 14 in the region of the user circuits 21 is prevented by the diode 25. If a voltage applied in the distribution device 23 exceeds the supply threshold voltage, electrical energy is converted into thermal energy by means of the overvoltage protection 27, in particular by means of the resistor, and is thus removed from the power circuit. The voltage in the power circuit is thus reliably lowered. Electrical energy is converted into thermal energy by means of a resistor of the overvoltage protection 27. A damage to the users 17, 18, 19, in particular the industrial converters, is thus reliably avoided.

[0052] In the case of an interruption of the energy supply via the DC voltage circuit 14, the energy store 19 can be used for supplying the users 17, 18. In particular, the energy store 19 can be used for supplying the users 17, 18 if there is no overhead line 5 available for supplying the track maintenance machine 1 with electrical power.

[0053] As a result of the interface device 16 being connected to the DC voltage circuit 14 of the railway converter 10, a supply of the users 17, 18, 19 with electrical power can take place in a particularly energy-efficient manner. Providing the supply threshold voltage at the users 17, 18, 19 dispenses with the intermediate step of inverting the supply DC voltage in the railway inverter 13 for supplying the users 17, 18, 19. Based on the avoidance of additional converters, the track maintenance system 11 can be produced particularly economically. Overall, the treatment of the track installation by means of the track maintenance machine 1 can take place in a particularly efficient and economical manner.