ARTICULATED VEHICLE ARRANGEMENT FOR A RAIL FREIGHT TRAIN

Abstract

An articulated vehicle arrangement for a rail freight train is disclosed including an articulated vehicle for the transporting of containers having a first vehicle part and a second vehicle part. The first and the second vehicle parts are coupled together by an articulated coupling about a vertical articulation axis. The first vehicle part includes on its top side a first container parking place for one or more containers and the second vehicle part includes on its top side a second container parking place for one or more containers, and further including a power supply unit for the power supply of containers loaded on the articulated vehicle.

Claims

1. An articulated vehicle arrangement for a rail freight train, comprising: an articulated vehicle for the transporting of containers having a first vehicle part and a second vehicle part, wherein the first and the second vehicle part are coupled together by an articulated coupling about a vertical articulation axis, wherein the first vehicle part comprises on its top side a first container parking place for one or more containers and wherein the second vehicle part comprises on its top side a second container parking place for one or more containers, a power supply unit for the power supply of containers loaded on the articulated vehicle, wherein the power supply unit is situated in the region of the articulated coupling of the first and the second vehicle part between the first and the second container parking place.

2. The articulated vehicle arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the power supply unit comprises a supporting structure and multiple power supply components fastened to the supporting structure.

3. The articulated vehicle arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the supporting structure is fastened by an adapter device to the articulated vehicle.

4. The articulated vehicle arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the adapter device comprises at least one adapter plate, which is or are mounted at the end of the first vehicle part and protrudes or protrude toward the second vehicle part.

5. The articulated vehicle arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the adapter device comprises mounting pins and wherein the supporting structure has corresponding pin receptacles for engaging with the mounting pins.

6. The articulated vehicle arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the mounting pins are container pins according to standard UIC 571-4.

7. The articulated vehicle arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the power supply components comprise at least one energy storage.

8. The articulated vehicle arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the energy storage comprises at least one chargeable battery.

9. The articulated vehicle arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the power supply components comprise at least one electric generator for charging the battery.

10. The articulated vehicle arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the generator is operated with hydraulic pressure.

11. The articulated vehicle arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the articulated vehicle arrangement comprises a hydraulic pump for providing the hydraulic pressure, being mounted in a wheel set and driven by the latter.

12. The articulated vehicle arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the power supply components comprise at least one network charger for charging the battery with external grid current and at least one corresponding charging port for connecting to an external network connection.

13. The articulated vehicle arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the power supply components comprise at least one load connection for connecting to a corresponding terminal on a container.

14. An articulated vehicle for an articulated vehicle arrangement according to claim 1, comprising a first vehicle part and a second vehicle part, wherein the first and the second vehicle parts are coupled together by an articulated coupling about a vertical articulation axis, wherein the first vehicle part comprises on its top side a first container parking place for one or more containers, wherein the second vehicle part comprises on its top side a second container parking place for one or more containers, wherein the articulated vehicle comprises an adapter device for mounting a power supply unit for the autonomous power supply of containers loaded on the articulated vehicle, and wherein the adapter device is situated in the area of the articulated coupling between the first and the second container parking place.

15. A power supply unit for an articulated vehicle arrangement according to claim 1, comprising a supporting structure and multiple power supply components fastened to the supporting structure, wherein the supporting structure is adapted to be fastened by an adapter device to an articulated vehicle of the articulated vehicle arrangement.

Description

[0023] Preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be explained more closely below with the aid of a drawing. The drawing shows:

[0024] FIG. 1 a side view of an articulated vehicle arrangement according to one embodiment of the invention,

[0025] FIG. 2 a detail top view of the region of the articulated coupling of the articulated vehicle arrangement of FIG. 1 with the power supply unit situated there,

[0026] FIG. 3 a side view of the articulated vehicle arrangement of FIG. 1 loaded with two refrigerated semi-trailers,

[0027] FIG. 4 a side view of the articulated vehicle arrangement of FIG. 1 loaded with two reefer containers,

[0028] FIG. 5 a side view of the articulated vehicle arrangement of FIG. 1 loaded with four refrigerated swap bodies,

[0029] FIG. 6 a detail top view of the region of the articulated coupling of the articulated vehicle arrangement of FIG. 5 without power supply unit,

[0030] FIG. 7 a perspective view of an isolated adapter plate for mounting a power supply unit on an articulated vehicle according to the invention,

[0031] FIG. 8 a detail top view of the region of the articulated coupling of the articulated vehicle arrangement of FIG. 1 with adapter plates mounted there but without the power supply unit,

[0032] FIG. 9 an isolated top view of the end of the first vehicle part of the articulated vehicle arrangement of FIG. 1 and the power supply unit mounted there,

[0033] FIG. 10 an isolated front view of the end of the first vehicle part of the articulated vehicle arrangement of FIG. 1 and the power supply unit mounted there,

[0034] FIG. 11 a detail view of the mounting of the power supply unit at the end of the first vehicle part of FIG. 10 with a view of a mounting pin of an adapter plate engaging with a pin receptacle of a container,

[0035] FIG. 12 a side view of an articulated vehicle arrangement according to the invention with a view of a hydraulic pump mounted on the wheel set

[0036] FIG. 13 a perspective isolated view of the hydraulic pump of FIG. 12 and

[0037] FIG. 14 a front view of a power supply unit according to the invention with cutaway supporting structure and a view of the power supply components inside the supporting structure.

[0038] FIGS. 1 and 2 show an articulated vehicle arrangement 1 according to the invention for a rail freight train. The articulated vehicle arrangement 1 comprises an articulated vehicle 5 for the transport of containers 7, also known as a container carrier (CTW), as well as a power supply unit 9 for the electric power supply of containers 7 loaded on the articulated vehicle 5. Such containers 7 may be refrigerated semi-trailers 7, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, so-called reefer containers 7, as shown in FIG. 4, refrigerated swap bodies 7, as shown in FIG. 5, or tank containers.

[0039] The articulated vehicle 5 comprises a first vehicle part 11 and a second vehicle part 13, the first and the second vehicle part 11, 13 being coupled together by an articulated coupling 15 about a vertical articulation axis 17 and braced in the region of the articulated coupling 15 on a common bogie 21 at their mutually facing ends 19. Additional bogies 23 are provided at the ends 25 of the two vehicle parts 11, 13 facing away from each other. The first vehicle part 11 comprises on its top side a first container parking place 29 for one or more containers 7 and the second vehicle part 13 comprises on its top side a second container parking place 33 for one or more containers 7.

[0040] The power supply unit 9 is designed for the autonomous electric power supply of the containers 7 without resorting to a power supply of the locomotive, another articulated vehicle, or the overhead contact line. The power supply unit 9 is arranged and mounted in the area of the articulated coupling 15 of the first and second vehicle part 11, 13 above the common bogie 21 in the middle between the first and the second container parking place 29, 33 or the containers 7 placed thereon, as can be seen in FIG. 1 to 5. FIG. 6 shows an unimpeded top view of the articulated coupling 15.

[0041] As can be seen for example from FIGS. 9 and 10, the power supply unit 9 comprises a supporting structure 35 and multiple power supply components 37 fastened on or in the supporting structure 35. The supporting structure 35 has a closed housing form, formed by a welded steel frame construction 41 with outer cladding 43 of sheet steel.

[0042] The supporting structure 35 is fastened by an adapter device 45 to the articulated vehicle 5, as is shown in FIG. 7 to 11. It is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 that the adapter device 45 comprises two adapter plates 47 spaced apart in the transverse direction of the articulated vehicle 5, which are mounted at the end 19 of the first vehicle part 11 facing toward the second vehicle part 13 on its top side, and which protrude toward the second vehicle part 13. The adapter plates 47 comprise two mounting pins 53 on their top side and the supporting structure 35 has four corresponding pin receptacles 57 on the bottom side of the steel frame construction 41, for engaging and interlocking with the mounting pins 53, as can be seen in FIGS. 10 and 11. The mounting pins 53 are formed as container pins according to standard UIC 571-4, such as come standard on the container parking places 29, 33 for fastening the containers 7. The pin receptacles 57 are also designed according to standard UIC 571-4, so that a standard connection is formed between the mounting pins 53 and the pin receptacles 57.

[0043] The power supply components 37 comprise an energy storage 61 with multiple chargeable batteries 62, especially between three and seven high-power storage cell strings of LiFePO4 each with 9 kWh and modular storage capacity of 27 kWh to 63 kWh. The power supply components 37 moreover comprise an electric generator 63 for charging the batteries 62, especially an AC asynchronous generator with 22 kW. The generator 63 is operated by hydraulic pressure from the kinetic energy of movement of the articulated vehicle 5.

[0044] In order to provide the hydraulic pressure for operating the generator 63, the articulated vehicle arrangement 1 comprises a hydraulic pump 65, especially an axial-piston constant pump, which is mounted on a wheel set 66 of the common bogie 21 and operated by it, as shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 13 shows the hydraulic pump 65 all by itself. The hydraulic pump 65 is mounted on the wheel hub, where it picks off the kinetic energy from the rotation of the wheel set 66 and transforms this into hydraulic energy or hydraulic pressure, which is then taken to the generator 63 and operates it. Three hydraulic hoses 71 are provided for connecting the hydraulic pump 65 to the generator 63, taking the hydraulic pressure from the hydraulic pump 65 to the generator 63.

[0045] Moreover, the power supply components 37 comprise a network charger 73, especially a HF network charger with 10 kW, for charging the battery 62 with external grid current. Furthermore, the power supply components 37 comprise at least one corresponding charging port 75, especially two 5-pole CEE load boxes, for connecting the network charger 73 to an external network connection.

[0046] Furthermore, the power supply components 37 comprise at least one load connection 79, especially four 4-pole and/or 5-pole CEE load boxes, two for each side of the power supply unit 9, for connecting to a corresponding terminal on a container 7 to supply power to a consumer, such as a cooling or heating system of the containers.

[0047] Besides the aforementioned ones, the following additional power supply components 37 are also provided: at least one inverter, especially two 30 kW mobile drive dual inverters, for the generator operation and the air conditioning system operation; at least one regulator unit, especially a PMU-8-Dreifels controller with separate 24 V onboard storage cell and standby management, for the system management and monitoring; at least one operator and monitoring module for starting the power supply unit 9 and monitoring the operating state.

[0048] FIG. 14 shows the arrangement of the power supply components 37 inside the power supply unit 9. The power supply components are arranged here in three separate compartments 83, 85, 87. In a first compartment 83 on the left side are arranged the electronics and controls, especially the inverter, regulator unit, operating and monitoring module, and network charger 73. In a second compartment 85 in the middle are housed the batteries 62, especially the high-power storage cell strings, which are arranged in multiple drawers in a grid beneath and alongside each other and are separately removable. In a third compartment 87 on the right side are arranged the generator 63 and hydraulic hoses 71. FIG. 14 likewise shows the hydraulic pump 65, which is connected by the hydraulic hoses 71 to the generator. Furthermore, a load connection 79 can be seen on the right side of the third compartment 87.

[0049] With the above-described articulated vehicle arrangement 1 an uninterrupted power supply can easily be assured for loaded containers 7 even at standstill and in shunting operation. Moreover, the free gap space 81 between the containers 7 of adjacent vehicle parts 11, 13 of an articulated vehicle 5 is used to accommodate the power supply unit 9. This space 81 is large enough to accommodate a power supply unit 9 which can power the cooling or heating system of a container 7 for temperature-controlled goods. At the same time, in this way no space is taken up beneath the container parking places 29, 33 or at other locations of the vehicle parts 11, 13 restricting the container parking places 29, 33 by the power supply unit 9, so that the available space for the containers 7 is maximized.