Drive device for a vehicle

Abstract

A drive device for a vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle, includes a set of drive units each having at least one electric traction motor and a power generation unit which is provided for generating power for the traction motor, and a set of motor contactor units each being assigned to a traction motor. In order to provide a type of drive device which has a high availability in the event of a failure, has few structural elements and can be produced economically, at least one motor contactor unit includes at least one switching device which is connected between the power generation unit for the associated traction motor and a feed point.

Claims

1. A drive device for a vehicle or a rail vehicle, the drive device comprising: a feed; a set of drive units each having at least one respective electric traction motor and a power generation unit for generating power for said respective traction motor; and a set of motor contactor units each being associated with a respective one of said traction motors, at least one of said motor contactor units having at least one switching element configured to disconnect said associated traction motor from said respective power generation unit and at least one of said motor contactor units having at least one switching device connected between said respective power generation unit for said associated traction motor and said feed.

2. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein said drive units are connected with one another in a parallel connection and said parallel connection is supplied by said feed.

3. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein said traction motors are synchronous motors.

4. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein said motor contactor unit has a control unit for synchronously activating said switching element and said switching device.

5. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein each of said motor contactor units has at least one respective switching device connected between said respective power generation unit for said associated traction motor and said feed.

6. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein: said feed supplies said set of drive units in common; and a feed contactor unit is configured to disconnect said set of drive units from said feed and has a central disconnection element connected between said set of drive units and said feed.

7. The drive device according to claim 6, which further comprises a pre-charging circuit associated with said feed contactor unit.

8. The drive device according to claim 1, which further comprises an inductor unit having inductor elements each being associated with a different one of said drive units and being connected between said respective power generation unit and said feed.

9. The drive device according to claim 8, wherein said inductor elements are each disposed between said feed and a respective one of said switching devices.

10. A rail vehicle, comprising a drive device according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DECSRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be explained below with reference to the drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1: shows a rail vehicle having drive devices in a schematic side view,

(3) FIG. 2: shows a drive device of the rail vehicle from FIG. 1 in a detailed view,

(4) FIG. 3: shows an embodiment variant of the drive device from FIG. 2, having a common feed contactor and a common pre-charging circuit, and

(5) FIG. 4: shows an embodiment variant of the drive device from FIG. 3, having an alternative embodiment of an inductor unit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) FIG. 1 shows a rail vehicle 10 which is embodied as a trainset, in a schematic side view. In an alternative embodiment, the rail vehicle can be embodied as a locomotive.

(7) The rail vehicle 10 is formed by two head units 12.1, 12.3 and at least one center unit 12.2 arranged between the latter. The head units 12.1 and 12.3 each have two motor bogies 14, with two drive axles 16.A, 16.B each. They are also each equipped with a drive device 18 which serves to drive the drive axles 16.A, 16.B of the motor bogies 14.

(8) The illustrated sequence of drive axles and idling axles is exemplary, wherein further axle sequences which appear appropriate to a person skilled in the art are conceivable.

(9) The drive device 18 of a head unit 12 is illustrated in more detail in a detailed view in FIG. 2. Said drive device 18 has a set of four drive units 20.a to 20.d which each comprise an electric traction motor 22, which is embodied, in particular, as a synchronous motor, and a power generation unit 24. The traction motors 22 can each be mechanically coupled to a different drive axle. In the embodiment under consideration, the traction motors 22 can each be mechanically coupled to a drive axle 16.A or 16.B of the respective motor bogies 14.

(10) The set of four drive units 20.a to 20.d draws electrical energy from a common feed 26, and are connected in parallel with one another. The feed 26 is electrically connected to a traction supply system 28, formed for example by an overhead line (FIG. 1), while the rail vehicle 10 is operating. Alternatively, the traction supply system 28 can be formed by a power rail in the region of the ground. Furthermore, it is also conceivable that, in an embodiment of the rail vehicle 10 with a diesel-electric drive, the feed 26 is electrically connected to a generator.

(11) The feed 26 is formed, in particular, by a DC voltage intermediate circuit which makes available a DC voltage U for the generation of electrical power by the power generation units 24. When an alternating voltage is made available by the traction supply system 28, the feed 26 is connected to the traction supply system 28 at least via a rectifier and voltage control device (not shown), such as in particular a transformer. The intermediate connection of a rectifier is also expedient when the feed 26 is connected to a generator onboard the rail vehicle 10. If a direct voltage is made available by the traction supply system 28, the intermediate connection of a rectifier can be dispensed with.

(12) The power generation units 24 each have switching elements (not illustrated in more detail) which generate, on the basis of the direct voltage U and according to a specific switching strategy, an electrical alternating current for feeding the assigned traction motor 22, wherein the properties of the current correspond to a desired electrical power. In order to control the power generation units 24, a drive control unit (not illustrated in more detail) of the drive device 18 is provided. In particular, the power generation units 24 are each embodied as pulse inverters.

(13) The drive device 18 also has a set of motor contactor units 30 which are each assigned to a different traction motor 22 and which serve, when necessary, for example when there is a defect in the rail vehicle 10 or in the case of a shunting movement of the rail vehicle 10, to disconnect the traction motor 22 from the assigned power generation unit 24. For this purpose, each motor contactor unit 28 has switching elements 32 which are each provided for a different phase of the alternating current, in particular three-phase current, which is generated by the power generation unit 24.

(14) The motor contactor units 30 also each have an additional switching means 34 which is connected between the assigned power generation unit 24 and the feed 26. The switching means 34 therefore serves, when necessary, to disconnect the power generation unit 24 from the feed 26. The switching elements 32 and the switching means 34 of a motor contactor unit 30 are activated by means of a control unit 35 of the motor contactor unit 30. In particular, the motor contactor units 30 are designed in such a way that a disconnection process with the switching elements 32 brings about a disconnection process, in particular a synchronous disconnection process, of the additional switching means 34.

(15) Disconnection of the respective power generation unit 24 from the feed 26 can be carried out by means of the additional switching means 34. The switching means 34 of the motor contactor units 30 accordingly together form a feed contactor unit 36 which is designed to disconnect the set of drive units 20.a to 20.d from the feed 26. The complete set can be disconnected by virtue of the fact that all the switching means 34 are activated. The switching means 34 can be considered to be a disconnection element 37 of the feed contactor unit 36.

(16) Each switching means 34 is assigned a pre-charging circuit 38 with a switching element 40 and a pre-charging resistor R.sub.v, wherein the pre-charging circuit 38 is connected between the feed 26 and the respective power generation unit 24, and in parallel with the switching means 34.

(17) The drive device 18 also comprises an inductor unit 42 with inductor elements 44 which are each assigned to a drive unit 20. The latter are each connected between the respective power generation unit 24 and the switching means 34 of an assigned motor contactor unit 30. The inductor elements 44 are formed, in particular, by a common iron core, which preferably corresponds to a transformer core. The inductor unit 42 is embodied, in particular, as a multi-winding inductor.

(18) FIG. 3 shows the drive device 18 according to an alternative embodiment. In order to avoid unnecessary repetitions, the following description is limited to the differences between this embodiment variant and the embodiment according to FIG. 2.

(19) The drive device 18 has a feed contactor unit 36 which serves to disconnect the set of drive units 20 from the feed 26. Compared to the above embodiment, the feed contactor unit 36 has a disconnection element 37 which is common to the set of drive units 20 and which is connected between this set or the parallel connection of drive units 20 and the feed 26. As a result, it is possible to dispense, in particular, with a pre-charging circuit 38 for each drive unit 20. Instead, the feed contactor unit 36 can be assigned one pre-charging circuit 38 for the entire set of drive units 20, which pre-charging circuit 38 is connected in parallel with the disconnection element 37. The pre-charging circuit 38 has a switching element 40 and an electrical resistor R.sub.v.

(20) FIG. 4 shows the drive device 18 according to an alternative embodiment to the embodiment form FIG. 3. In order to avoid unnecessary repetitions, the following description is limited to the differences between this embodiment variant and the embodiment according to FIG. 3.

(21) In this embodiment, an inductor unit 42 is provided whose inductor elements 44 are arranged upstream of the respective switching means 34 of the corresponding motor contactor unit 30 and therefore between the switching means 34 and the feed 26. In this context, the inductor unit 42 is embodied, in particular, as a multi-winding inductor with a common base point.