Device and method for dispensing a friction-coefficient-optimizing mixture

Abstract

A device and method for dispensing a friction-coefficient-optimizing mixture of at least one lubricant and at least one grit into the gap between a rail wheel of a rail vehicle and a rail. The device includes a reservoir for the lubricant, a reservoir for the grit, a metering unit for metering the lubricant, a metering unit for metering the grit, a delivery apparatus for delivering the lubricant, a delivery apparatus for delivering the grit, and a common dispensing nozzle. The apparatus for delivering the lubricant and the apparatus for delivering the grit are separate from each other and end in the common dispensing nozzle, the friction-coefficient-optimizing mixture therefore not being formed until the dispensing, and an additional compressed air line is provided, which ends in the common dispensing nozzle.

Claims

1. A device for dispensing a mixture of at least one lubricant and at least one grit into a gap between a rail wheel of a rail vehicle and a rail, the device comprising: at least one lubricant reservoir for the at least one lubricant; at least one grit reservoir for the at least one grit; at least one lubricant metering unit for metering the at least one lubricant; at least one grit metering unit for metering the at least one grit; at least one lubricant delivery line for delivering the at least one lubricant; at least one grit delivery line for delivering the at least one grit; a nozzle-terminating compressed air line for delivering compressed air; and a common dispensing nozzle that receives the at least one lubricant delivery line, the at least one grit delivery line, and the nozzle-terminating compressed air line for dispensing the at least one lubricant and the at least one grit into the gap between the rail wheel and the rail using the compressed air, wherein the at least one lubricant delivery line and the at least one grit delivery line are separate from each other and end in the common dispensing nozzle so that the mixture is not formed from the at least one lubricant and the at least one grit until the mixture is dispensed into the gap between the rail wheel and the rail, and the mixture is prevented from demixing.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one lubricant metering unit, the at least one grit metering unit, or the at least one lubricant metering unit and the at least one grit metering unit are formed by at least one cell wheel.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one lubricant metering unit, the at least one grit metering unit, or the at least one lubricant metering unit and the at least one grit metering unit are formed by at least one piston.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one lubricant delivery line, the at least one grit delivery line, or the at least one lubricant delivery line and the at least one grit delivery line are formed by a compressed air source and a compressed air line.

5. The device according to claim 1, further comprising: a control unit connected to the at least one lubricant metering unit, the at least one grit metering unit, the at least one lubricant delivery line, and the at least one grit delivery line.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit is connected to a global positioning system (GPS) receiver configured to determine a location of the rail vehicle, the control unit configured to control one or both of the at least one lubricant metering unit or the at least one grit metering unit for position-dependent metering of the lubricant, the grit, or both the lubricant and the grit.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one lubricant includes a biodegradable liquid.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one lubricant includes a biodegradable solid.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one grit includes sand.

10. A method for dispensing a mixture of at least one lubricant and at least one grit into a gap between a rail wheel of a rail vehicle and a rail, the method comprising: delivering the at least one lubricant out of at least one lubricant reservoir via at least one lubricant metering unit and a lubricant delivery line that ends in a common dispensing nozzle; delivering the at least one grit out of at least one grit reservoir via at least one grit metering unit and at least one grit delivery line that ends in the common dispensing nozzle; and dispensing the at least one lubricant and the at least one grit from the lubricant delivery line and the at least one grit delivery line that end in the common dispensing nozzle into the gap between the rail wheel and the rail such that demixing of the at least one lubricant and the at least one grit is prevented, wherein the at least one lubricant and the at least one grit are metered and delivered to the common dispensing nozzle separately from each other.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one lubricant, the at least one grit, or the at least one lubricant and the at least one grit are metered using at least one cell wheel.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one lubricant, the at least one grit, or the at least one lubricant and the at least one grit are metered using at least one piston.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one lubricant, the at least one grit, or the at least one lubricant and the at least one grit are delivered pneumatically by compressed air to the common dispensing nozzle.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the at least one lubricant and the at least one grit are metered separately from each other via a control unit.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein metering and delivery of the at least one lubricant and the at least one grit are controlled based on one or more of a speed of the rail vehicle, sensed environmental parameters, or on a sensed friction coefficient between the rail wheel and the rail.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein a biodegradable liquid is used as the at least one lubricant.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein a biodegradable solid is used as the at least one lubricant.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein sand is used as the at least one grit.

19. A mixture dispensing device, comprising: a common nozzle configured to direct a lubricant and a grit into a gap between a wheel of a vehicle and a rail; a lubricant line that ends in the common nozzle; a grit line that ends in the common nozzle; a lubricant metering device configured to meter and direct the lubricant from a lubricant reservoir to the common nozzle via the lubricant line separate from the grit; and a grit metering device configured to meter and direct the grit from a grit reservoir to the common nozzle via the grit line separate from the lubricant, wherein the lubricant line and the grit line end in the common nozzle to prevent demixing of a mixture of the lubricant and the grit that is dispensed from the common nozzle.

20. The mixture dispensing device of claim 19, further comprising: a control unit configured to control operation of one or both the lubricant metering device or the grit metering device based on a location of the vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention is explained in more detail using the attached drawing. In the figures:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a device for dispensing a friction-coefficient-optimizing mixture of at least one lubricant and at least one grit into the gap of a rail vehicle and the rail; and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of a preferred embodiment of a common dispensing nozzle in a cut-away diagram.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) FIG. 1 shows a device 1 for dispensing a friction-coefficient-optimizing mixture 2 of at least one lubricant 3 and at least one grit 4 into the gap 5 between the rail wheel 6 of a rail vehicle 7 and the rail 8. A reservoir 9 is provided for each lubricant 3 and a reservoir 10 is provided for each grit 4. If multiple lubricants 3 and multiple grits 4 are used, a corresponding number of reservoirs 9 and 10 are provided. The lubricant 3 can be metered in the desired amount into a downstream delivery apparatus 13 via a metering unit 11. The metering unit 12 can be formed for example by a pump (not shown), a cell wheel 16 or a piston 17.

(5) A metering unit 12 for metering the grit 4 is also arranged under each reservoir 10 for the grit 4, can also be formed by a cell wheel 16 or a piston 17 and meters a desired amount of the grit 4 into the delivery apparatus 14. The delivery apparatus 13, 14 for conveying the at least one lubricant 3 and the at least one grit 4 end in a common dispensing nozzle 15, which is arranged at a suitable point in front of the rail wheel 6 of the rail vehicle 7. The metered amount of lubricant 3 and grit 4 which form the friction-coefficient-optimizing mixture 2 can thereby be introduced optimally into the gap 5 between the rail wheel 6 of the rail vehicle 7 and the rail 8. A compressed air source 18 and a compressed air line 19 can be used in each case to deliver the at least one lubricant 3 and the at least one grit 4.

(6) An improvement in the dispensing of the friction-coefficient-optimizing mixture 2 is achieved by means of an additional and autonomous compressed air line 25 which is branched off from the compressed air source 18 and ends in the common dispensing nozzle 15.

(7) Preferably, a control unit 20 is provided, which is connected to each metering unit 11, 12 and each delivery apparatus 13, 14. Optimal metering and mixing of the components of the friction-coefficient-optimizing mixture 2 can thereby be achieved, if necessary taking into account influencing factors and environmental parameters. To this end, the control unit 20 can be connected to a sensor 21 for sensing the speed v of the rail vehicle 7 and to sensors 22 for sensing environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity or wind speed. Finally, the control unit 20 can also be connected to sensors 23 for sensing the condition between the rail wheel 6 and the rail 8. Such sensors 23 can be formed for example by optical apparatus. The values sensed with these sensors 23 can be used to determine the friction coefficient between the rail wheel 6 and the rail 8 with the aid of suitable algorithms. Furthermore, a GPS receiver 24 can be connected to the control apparatus 20 in order to be able to sense the current geographical position of the rail vehicle 7 and also to be able to carry out closed-loop control of the dispensing of the friction-coefficient-optimizing mixture 2 on the basis of the position of the rail vehicle 7.

(8) The at least one lubricant 3 is preferably formed by a biodegradable liquid and/or a preferably biodegradable solid. The at least one grit 4 is preferably formed by sand, e.g. quartz sand.

(9) The device 1 according to the invention for dispensing a friction-coefficient-optimizing mixture 2 of at least one lubricant 3 and at least one grit 4 into the gap 5 between the rail wheel 6 of a rail vehicle 7 and the rail 8 is characterized by the optimal use of the components of lubricant and grit for an optimal effect, i.e. an optimal friction ratio between the wheel 6 and the rail 8. The separate delivery of the at least one lubricant 3 and the at least one grit 4 to the dispensing nozzle 15 and the preferred use of compressed air for the delivery means that mixing does not occur until directly before the friction-coefficient-optimizing mixture 2 is dispensed into the gap 5 between the rail wheel 6 and the rail 8, as a result of which demixing of the components can be prevented.

(10) FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of a preferred embodiment of a common dispensing nozzle 15 in a cut-away diagram. The lines of the delivery apparatus 13 for delivering the lubricant 3, lines of the delivery apparatus 14 for delivering the grit 4, and the additional compressed air line 25 end in the dispensing nozzle 15. The compressed air ends in an annular gap 26 which is preferably arranged in a ring around the openings for the lubricant 3 and the grit 4. The friction-coefficient-optimizing mixture 2 is thereby protected by the compressed air jet surrounding it, as a result of which the friction-coefficient-optimizing mixture 2 can be dispensed into the gap between the rail wheel 6 and the rail 8 in a more efficiently targeted manner. Instead of a circularly surrounding opening of the additional compressed air line 25, an opening for the compressed air can also be arranged above the opening for the lubricant 3 and below the opening for the grit 4.