TRACK MAINTENANCE MACHINE

Abstract

A track maintenance machine includes a combustion engine mechanically connected by a drive shaft to an electric generator/motor unit. The electric generator/motor unit is connected by a mechanical drive unit to a hydraulic pump. A power accumulator is connected by an electrical supply line to the generator/motor unit and to drives which can be actuated electrically. It is thus possible to mainly electrically supply all of the drives.

Claims

1-2. (canceled)

3. A track maintenance machine, comprising: a machine frame; on-track undercarriages for moving said machine frame on a track; a plurality of electrically actuatable drives; an energy supply system connected to said plurality of electrically actuatable drives, said energy supply system including a combustion engine and a hydraulic drive system having at least one hydraulic pump; an electric generator/motor unit; a drive shaft mechanically connecting said combustion engine to said electric generator/motor unit; a mechanical drive unit connecting said generator/motor unit to said hydraulic pump; a power accumulator; and an electrical supply line connecting said power accumulator to said generator/motor unit and to said electrically actuatable drives.

4. The track maintenance machine according to claim 3, wherein said generator/motor unit connected to said power accumulator is associated with said on-track undercarriage as a motive drive.

Description

[0010] The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to an embodiment represented in the drawing.

[0011] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a track maintenance machine designed for tamping a track, and FIG. 2 shows a schematic top view of an on-track undercarriage, a drive unit and an energy supply system.

[0012] A track maintenance machine 1 is equipped with a machine frame 4, mobile by means of on-track undercarriages 2 on a track 3, and an energy supply system 6 connected to a number of different drives 5. Said energy supply system 6 is composed of a combustion engine 7, a hydraulic drive system 9 having hydraulic pumps 8, and two generator/motor units 10.

[0013] A tamping unit 13, equipped with numerous drives 5, and a track lifting unit 14 adjustable by hydraulic drives 5 are provided for correcting the position of the track. Various further electrical drives 5 for an air compressor 15 and an air conditioner 16 are indicated here only as examples.

[0014] The combustion engine 7 is mechanically connected to two electrical generator/motor units 10 by a drive shaft 17 and through a drive unit 19, designed here as the distribution gear 18.

[0015] Each generator/motor unit 10 is connected to the hydraulic pumps 8 via the drive unit 19.

[0016] A power accumulator 20 is connected by way of an electrical supply line 21 to the generator/motor units 10, to power converters 12 and to the drives 5 which can be actuated electrically. A generator/motor unit 10 connected to the power accumulator 20 is associated with the on-track undercarriage 2 as a motive drive.

[0017] In working operations, the combustion engine 7 drives both generator/motor units 10 via the distributor gear 18 with a nominal output of 150 KW each. The combustion engine 7 is equipped with a

[0018] freewheel (or coupling) 22, so that the track maintenance machine 1 can thus operate also without the combustion engine 7. When the combustion engine 7 is started up, the generator/motor units 10 act as generators which charge the power accumulator 20 with a charging rate of 300 kW and/or-in transfer-or working modedeliver the required power for the two generator/motor units 10 serving as motive drive. Additionally, continuation of the hydraulic system pressure when the combustion engine 7 is turned off is ensured in that one hydraulic pump 8 is driven by a generator/motor unit 10. When hydraulic drives 5 are actuated, energy supply to the same takes place by way of the hydraulic pumps 8.

[0019] In the case illustrated as an example, the lithium-ion-polymer accumulator has an output of 200 kW/h and, by way of the generator/motor units 10 driven by the combustion engine 7, can be charged to 80% of its storage capacity within about 25 minutes already. The system is designed in such a way that the various electrical drives 5 of auxiliary units also can be supplied with high voltage. Thus, a supply of the drives 5 is possible for an extended time without the need to start the combustion engine 7 for this purpose. In an advantageous manner, use of the combustion engine 7 in load operation can be limited to working operations. If the power accumulator 20 is fully charged, it can assume the supplying of energy partly even during working operations.

[0020] As an alternative to the shown example of a tamping machine, it is of course also possible to operate all other known track maintenance machines, such as a welding machine, for instance, by means of the energy supply system according to the invention.