GROUNDING CONTACT AND METHOD FOR OPERATING

Abstract

A method is provided for operating a rail vehicle having a ground contact on a wheel set. The ground contact includes a housing unit, a contact device, and a sensing device. The contact device has a contact piece which is disposed on a contact surface of an axle. An electrical sliding contact is formed between the contact surface and the contact piece. The ground contact also includes a measuring unit having a measuring device. At least one sensor of a sensing device of the measuring device is disposed on the contact device and/or adjacent to the contact device. A measured value of the contact device is registered by the sensing device, and the measured value is processed by the processing unit of the measuring device. A parameter describing an operating state of the wheel set and/or a guide rail is determined.

Claims

1. A method for operating of a rail vehicle, the rail vehicle having a ground contact on a wheel set having an axle and wheels, the ground contact having a housing unit, a contact device and a sensing device, the contact device having a contact piece which is disposed on a contact surface of an axle, an electrical sliding contact being formed between the contact surface and the contact piece, wherein the ground contact comprises a measuring unit having a measuring device, at least one sensor of a sensing device of the measuring device being adjacent to the contact device, the method including registering a measured value of the contact device by the sensing device; processing the measured value by a processing unit of the measuring device; and determining a parameter describing an operating state of (a) the wheel set, (b) a guide rail, or (c) the wheel set and the guide rail.

2. The method according to claim 1, including continuously or discontinuously registering and processing at least one of the following as the measured value: a speed, an acceleration, a frequency, a temperature, an air humidity, a force, a current, a voltage, a distance, a mass, and a location.

3. The method according to claim 1, including using as a sensor, at least one acceleration sensor disposed on the contact device or the contact piece.

4. The method according to claim 1, including registering and storing, by the processing unit, (a) the measured values of the at least one sensor, (b) the parameters, or (c) both at (i) regular time intervals, (ii) when a change occurs, or (iii) continuously.

5. The method according to claim 1, including at least one of: transmitting, by the measuring device, (a) the measured values, (b) the parameters or (c) both to an evaluation unit; storing (a) the measured values, (b) parameters, or (c) both in a database of the evaluation unit; and processing (a) the measured values, (b) the parameters, or (c) both by an evaluation device of the evaluation unit.

6. The method according to claim 5, including transmitting, by a transmitting unit of the measuring device, (a) the measured values, (b) the parameters of the measuring device, or (c) both to the evaluation unit via a data link the evaluation unit being disposed at a distance to the measuring unit or being integrated in the measuring unit.

7. The method according to claim 6, including forming the data link via an external data network.

8. The method according to claim 5, including forming a data link to (a) the evaluation unit, (b) the measuring unit, or (c) both by a user unit; and transmitting and outputting the (i) measured values, (ii) the parameters, or (iii) the measured values and the parameters to the user unit.

9. The method according to claim 5, including evaluating, by the processing unit or the evaluation unit, a time curve of (a) the measured values, (b) the parameters, or (c) the measured values and the parameters; and determining a state of wear of (i) the contact piece, (ii) the wheel set, (iii) the guide rail, or any combination thereof, taking into account a time-dependent component, a component depending on measured variables relevant for the wear, or both.

10. The method according to claim 5, including registering a vibration of the contact piece by the sensing device, the processing unit determining (a) an eigenfrequency, (b) a resonant frequency, or (c) an eigenfrequency and a resonant frequency of (i) the contact piece, (ii) the axle, (iii) the contact piece and the axle and determining a state of wear of the contact piece, the wheel set, the guide rail, or a combination thereof by the processing unit or the evaluation unit.

11. The method according to claim 5, including performing a pattern analysis of (a) the measured values, (b) the parameters stored over a time period or (c) the measured values and the parameters stored over a time period and deriving a key figure from the pattern analysis by the processing unit or the evaluation unit.

12. The method according to claim 5, including correlating (a) the measured values of the different sensors, (b) the parameters, or (c) the measured values of the different sensors and the parameters and deriving functional dependencies of (a) the measured values of the different sensors, (b) the and/o parameters, or (c) the measured values of the different sensors and the parameters by the processing unit or the evaluation unit.

13. The method according to claim 5, including determining a location of the ground contacts by a position sensor of the sensing device, the location being associated to the parameters, and determining a state of wear of the guide rail by the evaluation unit.

14. The method according to claim 5, including processing, by the evaluation unit, parameters of measuring units of a plurality of ground contacts.

15. A ground contact for an axle of a wheel set of a rail vehicle, the ground contact having a housing unit, a contact device and a sensing device, the contact device having a contact piece which is disposed on a contact surface of the axle, an electrical sliding contact being formed between the contact surface and the contact piece, wherein the ground contact includes a measuring unit having a measuring device, at least one sensor of a sensing device of the measuring device being disposed on the contact device and/or adjacent to the contact device, a measured value of the contact device being registerable by means of the sensing device, the measured value being processable by means of a processing unit of the measuring device and a parameter describing an operating state of the wheel set and/or a guide rail being determinable.

16. A monitoring system having at least one rail vehicle having at least one ground contact according to claim 15.

17. The monitoring system according to claim 16, wherein the monitoring system includes a plurality of measuring units and an evaluation unit for processing measured values and/or parameters of the measuring units of a plurality of ground contacts.

18. The monitoring system according to claim 16, wherein the monitoring system includes a plurality of rail vehicles, each having at least one ground contact.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0028] Hereinafter, the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of a ground contacts on a rail vehicle;

[0030] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of a ground contact on a rail vehicle;

[0031] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a measuring unit;

[0032] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a monitoring system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a ground contact 10 on an axle 11 of a rail vehicle 12, which is only illustrated in sections. Axle 11 has two wheels 13 which can each roll on one guide rail 14. A mounting device 16 for mounting axle 11 so as to be rotatable is disposed on an axial end 15 of axle 11. On mounting device 16, axle 11 is connected to a damping device 17 having a frame 18 of a wheel set 19 of rail vehicle 12. Ground contact 10 is flange-mounted on mounting device 16.

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of a ground contacts 20 on an axle (not further illustrated) of a rail vehicle. An axial end cap 21 of the axle is illustrated by means of a dashdotted line. Furthermore, a bearing block of the axle which is screwed into ground contact 20 is also not illustrated in order to simplify the illustration. Ground contact 20 comprises a housing unit 22 which is formed by a housing body 23 and a housing cover 24 alone. Furthermore, a contact device 26 of ground contact 20 is formed by a contact disk 27 and contact pieces 28 which are essentially made of graphite. Contact pieces 28 are accommodated in a contact piece support 29 and are each pressed against contact disk 27 for forming an electrical sliding contact using a spring device 30. Furthermore, contact pieces 28 are electrically connected to the contact piece support 29 by means of stranded wires 31, a connector 32 being connected to contact piece support 29 via a cable 33, which electrically connects ground contact 20 to a motor, as is commonly known.

[0035] A sensing device 61, which has an acceleration sensor (not further illustrated) is disposed within housing cover 24. The acceleration sensor or another suitable sensor can be disposed on housing unit 22 or contact device 26 or ground contact 20. The signals detected for the acceleration sensor are processed using a processing unit 62 of a measuring device 63 within housing cover 24 and are transmitted to an external network (not illustrated) via a transmitting unit 64. Furthermore, sensing device 61 comprises a temperature sensor 65 which is disposed on housing body 23 in this case.

[0036] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a measuring unit 34. Measuring unit 34 is formed by a measuring device 35 and further comprises an evaluation unit 36. Measuring device 35 comprises a sensing device 37 having a plurality of sensors 38 and a processing unit 39. Furthermore, a supply unit 40 is intended by means of which measuring device 35 is supplied with electrical energy. Supply unit 40 can be an energy storage, a generator or an external energy supply, for example via a rail vehicle or a discharged current. Evaluation unit 36 has a database 41 and an evaluation device 42 and receives data or measured values and/or parameters from processing unit 39. Processing unit 39 receives measured values from sensor 38 of sensing device 37 and processes them. The measured values relate to operating parameters or physical measured values of a contact device of a ground contact (not illustrated) in the manner of the ground contacts which are illustrated in an exemplary manner in FIGS. 1 and 2. Processing unit 39 processes the measured values in such a manner that a parameter is determined which describes an operating state of the respective current collector and/or a conductor rail. The respectively determined parameters are transmitted consecutively or successively from processing unit 39 to evaluation unit 36 and are stored there in database 41 or are processed using evaluation device 42.

[0037] FIG. 4 shows a monitoring system 47 having a measuring unit 48. Monitoring system 47 can have a plurality of measuring units 48. In contrast to the measuring unit of FIG. 3, measuring unit 48 has a measuring device 49 which comprises a transmitting unit 50. Transmitting unit 50 receives data or measured values and/or parameters from processing unit 39. Furthermore, a data link 52 by means of which measured values and/or parameters are transmitted using radio signals exists between transmitting unit 50 and an external data network 51. An evaluation unit 54 having a database 55 and an evaluation device 56 is connected to external data network 51 via another data link 53 and exchanges data or measured values and/or parameters with transmitting unit 50 via external data network 51. In principle, this data can be exchanged directly via a direct data link 52 while bypassing external data network 51. Furthermore, a user unit 58, which is connected to external data network 51 via another data link 59, is provided. Thus, user unit 59 can exchange data with evaluation unit 54, meaning that data of measuring unit 48 processed by evaluation unit 54 can be output or illustrated via user unit 58 and provided for further use. User unit 58 can be directly connected to evaluation unit 54 via a direct data link 60. Overall, it thus becomes possible to obtain measured values via sensors 38 which are mounted on ground contacts (not illustrated) and to directly transmit them to evaluation unit 54 for storage and evaluation via external data network 51, for example the internet. Thus, functional dependencies of the data can be used, evaluated and interpreted. The results of these evaluations can be provided to an end user via user unit 58.