Rail vehicle comprising an engine compartment and at least one driver's cab, and method for generating overpressure in the engine compartment

Abstract

In order to optimize the failure safety of electrical and electronic components located in an engine compartment of a rail vehicle, which additionally comprises at least one driver's cab, the rail vehicle is operated with an air conditioning system, which is provided to generate overpressure in the engine compartment and to control the climate of the at least one driver's cab. The air conditioning system includes a first air guidance system to introduce fresh air into the at least one driver's cab and a second air guidance system to transmit at least one part of the fresh air introduced into the at least one driver's cab into the engine compartment.

Claims

1. A rail vehicle including an engine compartment and at least one driver's cab, wherein the rail vehicle comprises an air conditioning system configured to generate an overpressure in the engine compartment and to control a climate of the at least one driver's cab, wherein the air conditioning system comprises a first air guidance system configured to introduce fresh air into the at least one driver's cab and a second air guidance system configured to transmit at least part of the fresh air which has been introduced into the at least one driver's cab from the at least one driver's cab into the engine compartment by drawing the at least part of the fresh air from the at least one driver's cab into the second air guidance system and expelling the at least part of the fresh air into the engine compartment via an air duct extending from the second air guidance system into the engine compartment; wherein all of the air introduced into the second air guidance system comes directly from the driver's cab; wherein the second air guidance system defines an opening into the at least one driver's cab for drawing air from the at least one driver's cab back to the first air guidance system; wherein the overpressure generated by the air conditioning system in the engine compartment by transmitting at least part of the fresh air into the engine compartment increases the air pressure in the engine compartment to a pressure greater than an air pressure of the environment outside the engine compartment; and wherein the overpressure generated in the engine compartment reduces an amount of impurities and/or moisture entering the engine compartment.

2. The rail vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioning system comprises a cooling system configured to cool the fresh air upon introduction of the fresh air into the at least one driver's cab.

3. The rail vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioning system comprises an engine compartment filtering system that filters the at least part of the fresh air that is transmitted into the engine compartment.

4. The rail vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioning system comprises at least one engine compartment supply device configured to transmit the at least part of the fresh air into the engine compartment.

5. The rail vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the engine compartment is configured to be essentially sealed such that increased air pressure, with respect to the environment, is formed in the engine compartment when transmitting the at least part of the fresh air into the engine compartment.

6. The rail vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioning system comprises a driver's cab filtering system upon introduction of the fresh air into the at least one driver's cab.

7. The rail vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioning system comprises at least one closing device that prevents the at least part of the fresh air transmitted into the engine compartment from flowing back into the at least one driver's cab.

8. The rail vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioning system is configured to circulate a first part of the fresh air introduced into the at least one driver's cab and to transmit a second part of the fresh air into the engine compartment.

9. The rail vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the air conditioning system is configured to cool the first part of the circulated fresh air.

10. The rail vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the air conditioning system is configured to filter the first part of the circulated fresh air.

11. The rail vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the air conditioning system comprises at least one evaporator, wherein the at least one evaporator serves to cool the fresh air.

12. A method for generating an overpressure in an engine compartment and for controlling a climate of at least one driver's cab of a rail vehicle, the method comprising: introduction of fresh air into the at least one driver's cab via a first air guidance system; and transmission of at least one part of the fresh air which has been introduced into the at least one driver's cab from the at least one driver's cab into the engine compartment by drawing the at least one part of the fresh air from the at least one driver's cab into a second air guidance system and expelling the at least one part of the fresh air into the engine compartment via an air duct extending from the second air guidance system into the engine compartment; wherein all of the air introduced into the second air guidance system comes directly from the driver's cab; wherein the second air guidance system defines an opening into the at least one driver's cab for drawing air from the at least one driver's cab back to the first air guidance system; wherein the transmission of the at least one part of the fresh air which has been introduced into the at least one driver's cab from the at least one driver's cab into the engine compartment increases the air pressure in the engine compartment to a pressure greater than an air pressure of the environment outside the engine compartment; and wherein the overpressure generated in the engine compartment reduces an amount of impurities and/or moisture entering the engine compartment.

13. The rail vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the second air guidance system comprises at least one of the following: a filtering system, a fan, a check valve, or any combination thereof.

14. The rail vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the air duct extends directly from the second air guidance system into the engine compartment.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the air duct extends directly from the second air guidance system into the engine compartment.

16. The rail vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the air guidance system comprises at least one of the following: a filtering system, a fan, a check valve, or any combination thereof.

17. A rail vehicle comprising: an engine compartment; at least one driver's cab; an air conditioning system comprising: a first air guidance system configured to introduce fresh air into the at least one driver's cab; a second air guidance system configured to generate an overpressure in the engine compartment by drawing at least part of the fresh air from the at least one driver's cab into the second air guidance system and to expel the at least part of the fresh air into the engine compartment via an air duct extending from the second air guidance system into the engine compartment, such that an air pressure in the engine compartment is greater than an air pressure of the environment outside the engine compartment; wherein the second air guidance system defines an opening into the at least one driver's cab for drawing air from the at least one driver's cab back to the first air guidance system; wherein all of the air drawn into the second air guidance system comes directly from the at least one driver's cab; and wherein the overpressure generated in the engine compartment reduces an amount of impurities and/or moisture entering the engine compartment.

18. The rail vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the air conditioning system comprises a cooling system configured to cool the fresh air upon introduction of the fresh air into the at least one driver's cab.

19. The rail vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the air conditioning system comprises an engine compartment filtering system that filters the at least part of the fresh air that is drawn into the second air guidance system.

20. The rail vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the air conditioning system comprises at least one engine compartment supply device configured to transmit the at least part of the fresh air into the engine compartment.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The present invention will be explained in more detail using the descriptive FIGURE below. In particular,

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal section view of one part of a rail vehicle according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS

(3) Identical reference numbers refer to elements in the FIGURE having the same function.

(4) FIG. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal section view of the front part of a rail vehicle according to the invention, for example, an electric locomotive. The driver's cab 1 is shown on the right side of the drawing. The engine compartment 2 of the vehicle is located on the left adjacent to and separated from the driver's cab 1 by a partition 10. The partition 10 may also incorporate a door separating the two compartments, this door preferably closing so as to be gas-tight (not shown). For the purpose of more clearly showing the invention, the electrical devices located in the engine compartment 2, for example, electronic facilities with electronic and/or microelectronic devices for controlling vehicle operation, have been omitted from the drawing.

(5) An air conditioning unit 3 is installed in the area of the driver's cab 1 on the roof of the rail vehicle. The air conditioning unit 3 could also be located beneath the floor of the vehicle or, as an alternativeand one that is preferredwithin the driver's cab 1.

(6) The air conditioning unit 3 comprises a driver's cab air handling device 8 that, in this case, contains two driver's cab fans 9 and one evaporator 4. In addition, a driver's cab filter device (not shown) is located in the driver's cab air handling device 8 and, seen in the direction of flow of the fresh air being drawn in, after the driver's cab fans 9 and before the evaporator 4. The additional components belonging to the evaporator 4 of a refrigeration machine, the compressor, condenser and expansion valve, can also be accommodated in the air conditioning unit 3 or at some other location in the rail vehicle.

(7) Furthermore, an engine compartment air handling device 11, which combines an engine compartment fan 6 and an engine compartment filter device (circulation filter) 5, is located in the air conditioning unit 3.

(8) Air guidance systems 13 (only shown schematically) for already cooled air flowing out of the driver's cab 1 are located between the driver's cab air handling device 8 and the engine compartment air handling device 11 in the air conditioning unit 3, these guidance systems 13 supplying a first part of the air into the driver's cab air handling device 8 and a second part of the air into the engine compartment air handling device 11.

(9) An air duct 12 serves to transmit the cooled air into the engine compartment 2. Furthermore, a check valve 7 is installed in the partition 10 separating the driver's cab 1 from the engine compartment 2, or in the air duct 12.

(10) Fresh air coming from the outside enters the driver's cab air handling device 8 in a specified minimum quantity by way of the roof of the rail vehicle (first air guidance system, shown by arrow 21). The air is drawn in by way of the driver's cab fan 9 and is then cooled by the evaporator 4. Furthermore, the air is also routed through a driver's cab filter device (not shown) located in the driver's cab air handling device 8 to clean the air. After the air is cleaned and then cooled in evaporator 4 to a specified temperature, the air exits downward out of the driver's cab air handling device 8 and enters the driver's cab 1 (shown by arrows 22).

(11) The cooled air introduced into the driver's cab 1 is drawn in again by the air conditioning unit 3 and is split in the second air guidance system 13. A first part of the air is again drawn into the driver's cab air handling device 8 by the driver's cab fan 9 and cooled there again (represented by arrow 23). This results in a cooling circulation of the air in the driver's cab 1. The cooled air exiting the evaporator 4 downward into the driver's cab 1 thus contains portions of fresh air and portions of circulated air (shown by arrows 22). A second portion of the air, roughly corresponding to the amount of fresh air being supplied continuously, is drawn into the engine compartment air handling device 11 by the engine compartment fan 6 where the air drawn in is first routed through the engine compartment filtering system 5 (represented by arrow 24). The cleaned air then reaches the, to a large degree sealed, engine compartment 2 by way of the air duct 12 and the check valve 7 (shown by arrow 25). Air is continuously introduced into the engine compartment 2 by means of the engine compartment fan 6. This results in an air pressure, increased with respect to the environment, in the engine compartment 2. The air can escape from the engine compartment 2 into the environment at most due to leaks in the housing of engine compartment 2. For this reason, a small air flow into the engine compartment 2 suffices to generate the overpressure. Since this air was already introduced as fresh air into the driver's cab 1, substantially smaller amounts of impurities and moisture are transmitted into the engine compartment 2 than with direct entry of fresh air into the engine compartment 2. Should the engine compartment fan 6 fail, the overpressure in the engine compartment 2 would dissipate quickly by way of the air duct 12. The check valve 7 that closes the opening between the driver's cab 1 and the engine compartment 2 is provided to avoid this. The air entering the engine compartment 2 is particularly clean due to the multiple filtering actions.