BRAKE TEST STAND

Abstract

A brake test stand includes at least one driving motor that is coupled, via at least one torque transmitting device to a load generator and at least one brake to be tested, wherein the driving motor provides the energy to be converted by the brake to be tested and the load generator accepts the energy provided by the driving motor at least prior to the brake test.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A brake test stand, comprising at least one drive motor; coupled via at least one torque transmission device to a load generator and at least one brake to be tested; where the at least drive motor is configured to provide energy to be converted by the at least one brake to be tested or, respectively, a torque to be provided by the brake, and wherein the load generator receives the energy provided by the at least one drive motor or, respectively, the torque provided by the at least one drive motor at least prior to the testing of the at least one brake.

12. The brake test stand according to claim 11, further comprising: a controller comprising at least one input for the signal of at least one torque sensor and comprising outputs in each case for driving the load generator, the drive motor and/or the at least one brake to be tested and/or a rotational speed sensor, which is connected to the controller, is mounted at the brake to be tested or at the torque transmission device, which transmits the torque between drive motor and brake to be tested, and/or the controller has a driving simulation memory and the controller regulates, based on the driving data from the vehicle simulation memory, the load torque or the power consumption of the load generator and the rotational speed of the at least one drive motor and/or the driving simulation memory has a data interface for importing and exporting data.

13. The brake test stand according to claim 12, wherein the at least one drive motor includes at least one direct current electric motor, at least one alternating current electric motor, at least an internal combustion engine, at least one hydraulic motor or at least one pneumatic motor and/or the at least one drive motor is formed from a plurality of partial drive motors, wherein the torques of these partial drive motors act in sum on the brake to be tested.

14. The brake test stand according to claim 13, wherein the load generator includes at least one eddy current brake or at least one electric generator and/or the load generator is formed of a plurality of partial load generators, wherein the load torques of these partial load generators acting in sum on the at least one drive motor.

15. The brake test stand according to claim 14, further comprising: a climatic chamber in which the brake to be tested is housed during the test and/or the climatic chamber has a spray head spraying the brake to be tested.

16. The brake test stand according to claim 11, wherein the at least one drive motor includes at least one direct current electric motor, at least one alternating current electric motor, at least an internal combustion engine, at least one hydraulic motor or at least one pneumatic motor and/or the at least one drive motor is formed from a plurality of partial drive motors, wherein the torques of these partial drive motors act in sum on the brake to be tested.

17. The brake test stand according to claim 11, wherein the load generator includes at least one eddy current brake or at least one electric generator and/or the load generator is formed of a plurality of partial load generators, wherein the load torques of these partial load generators acting in sum on the at least one drive motor.

18. The brake test stand according to claim 11, further comprising: a climatic chamber in which the brake to be tested is housed during the test and/or the climatic chamber has a spray head spraying the brake to be tested.

19. A method for testing at least one brake wherein an energy required for testing at least one brake or a torque required for testing the at least one brake is provided by a drive motor, wherein at least prior to the testing of the brake a load generator is switched on and the energy needed or the torque required is built up or provided by a torque balance between the driving torque of a drive motor and a load torque of a load generator.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the load torque of the load generator is increased by the controller prior to the time-dependent testing of the brake in accordance with a ramp and/or the energy supplied by the drive motor is converted in the brake during the test, wherein the load torque generated by the load generator is reduced during the testing of the brake or switched off.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the rotational speed of the drive motor and the load torque of the load generator is controlled by the controller during testing of the at least one brake in accordance with the conversion of the energy at the at least one brake and/or the rotational speed of the drive motor is controlled by the controller up to the testing of the brake in order to be constant at all effective torques of the drive motor, the load generator and the brake are kept in equilibrium.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein during the test of the brake data on the braking performance allowing an evaluation of the brake to be tested is processed by the controller and is recorded by the driving simulation memory and/or in the driving simulation memory at least one route profile information is stored and the control determines from this route profile information a temporal progress of torque and rotational speed which in the test phase, after start of the test, should be acting on the brake, and these parameters are transmitted to the drive motor.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the rotational speed of the drive motor and the load torque of the load generator is controlled by the controller during testing of the at least one brake in accordance with the conversion of the energy at the at least one brake and/or the rotational speed of the drive motor is controlled by the controller up to the testing of the brake in order to be constant at all effective torques of the drive motor, the load generator and the brake are kept in equilibrium.

24. The method according to claim 19, wherein during the test of the brake data on the braking performance allowing an evaluation of the brake to be tested is processed by the controller and is recorded by the driving simulation memory and/or in the driving simulation memory at least one route profile information is stored and the control determines from this route profile information a temporal progress of torque and rotational speed which in the test phase, after start of the test, should be acting on the brake, and these parameters are transmitted to the drive motor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In particular, an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown schematically in the drawing. In the drawings:

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a brake test stand according to the invention; and

[0028] FIG. 2 is a graph showing the torque with respect to a time axis in accordance with a method of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] In the figures identical or corresponding elements are each identified by the same reference numerals and will therefore, if inadequate, not be described again. The disclosures contained throughout the description can be applied accordingly to the same parts with the same reference numbers or same component names. Also, the positions chosen for purposes of the description, such as top, bottom, side, etc., relate to the drawing specifically being described and illustrated and are to be appropriately transferred to the new position in case of change in position. Furthermore, individual features or combinations of features from the various embodiments shown and described can represent in themselves independent or inventive solutions or solutions according to the invention.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a brake test stand according to the invention. The specimen 4 is connected via a torque transmitting device 2 to the drive motor 1. In the representation the torque transmission device 2 is formed by a shaft. Of course, the torque can also be transferred by means of other gears such as gear drives, belt drives or chain drives. The load generator 3 is shown on the other side of the drive motor 1 which is also coupled via a torque transmission device 2 to the drive motor. As already explained for the operative connection of the drive motor and the specimen, the torque transmission device between load generator and drive motor may also be designed in various ways.

[0031] The controller 5 has connecting lines to the sensors 6, 7, 19 which constitute inputs into the controller. The torque sensor 6, which is disposed between drive motor 1 and load generator 3 and which measures the generated load torque of the load generator 3, is connected via link 15 to the controller 5. The connecting line 17 connects the torque sensor 7 and the rotational speed sensor 19, which are located between the drive motor 1 and the specimen 4 and which measure the braking torque of the brake 4 or the rotational speed of the brake 4 to the controller 5. In addition, the controller has several outputs: the connecting line 14 allows a control of the load generator 3, the drive motor 1 is driven by line 16 and the brake to be tested is connected via the control line 11 with the controller 5.

[0032] Furthermore, the controller 5 has a data connection to the driving simulation memory 10. This driving simulation memory 10 records the input data from the sensors 6, 7, 19 and the manipulated variables of the controller to the components load generator 3, drive motor 3 and brake 4 during testing of the brake 4. This recording of the data is done in combination with a time stamp. The data stored in such a way can be used later for the reproducible assessment of the brake tested. The driving simulation memory 10 has a data interface 18 for importing and exporting data. In addition to exporting test data and measured values, it is of course possible to import data. Thus, route profiles can be loaded into the driving simulation memory 10 which are based on a real test drive, for example, on a racetrack. These route profiles can, for example, include value pairs of required kinetic energy and the time points or periods of time, respectively, in which braking is applied. Thus, the simulation of a test drive can be done very realistically on the brake test stand. The data interface 18 enables a very rapid transition of the test between various driving distances and driving situations that are to be simulated.

[0033] In FIG. 1 the optional climatic chamber 8 can be seen on the right side which is, however, not mandatorily required for a brake test stand according to the invention. In the illustrated case the brake 4 to be tested is inside this climatic chamber 8. Thus, it is possible to provide the desired climatic conditions for the simulation during the test. It is possible to individually adjust temperature and humidity in the climatic chamber and to carry out changes during the test as well. The climatic chamber 8 is connected via the data connection 13 to the controller. In this way the climatic chamber, as well as the other components of the test stand, can be automatically controlled centrally by the controller 5. It is also possible, of course, to import or export climate data via the data interface 18 and the driving simulation memory 10 in combination with other test data and to employ climate data in conjunction with route profiles.

[0034] In FIG. 1 a spray head 9 is mounted in the climatic chamber 8. It is possible to spray the brake 4 during the test with water, for example, in order to simulate a wet roadway. However, the spray head 9 is not restricted to liquids. It is also possible to guide powders or gases to the brake and deposit them in order to simulate, for example, dusty or damaged environmental conditions. The spray head 9 is connected via the data line 12 to the controller 5 so that all functions of the automatic control and of the integration into route profiles in the simulation is also available for the spray head 9.

[0035] FIG. 2 shows a diagram in which the size of the torque (M) is represented over a time axis (t). The diagram illustrates the timing of a test procedure for brakes according to the invention. The torque is plotted upwards and is given as a percentage relative to the maximum torque of the facility. The horizontally extending time axis is labelled with the relative time intervals, wherein the time periods of the different process steps may of course also have different ratios to one another at different simulations and tests. At the start of the representation at time step 1, the test is idle. The drive motor rotates the brake to be tested at the rotational speed determined by the simulation program. The drive motor operates only against the very low moment of resistance of the opened brake and, therefore, needs only a very low torque to maintain the rotational speed. Critical to the understanding of FIG. 2 is the start of braking which is represented by a vertical dash-dot line 21. Thus, the braking starts here at time step 13. In order to have a sufficient driving torque of the drive motor available at the start of the braking, the load generator I is switched on according to the invention prior to the start of braking of the load generator. This is done already in the representation in FIG. 2 at time step 10. The load torque of the load generator is subsequently increased continuously which is represented by the ramp 20 on the chart. The timing of switching on the generator load, as well as the slope of the ramp 20 in order to increase the load torque with time, are chosen so that at the start of braking 21 the desired load torque is available. Shortly before the start of the braking 21 the kinetic energy in the system of the test stand corresponds to that kinetic energy of the driving situation to be simulated.

[0036] The two physical quantities kinetic energy and torque or load torque, respectively, are linked together via the rotational speed. The quantities wheel speed and kinetic energy of the situation to be simulated on the test stand are known. When testing on the test stand the rotational speed of the specimen is set first according to the specification. The load torque of the load generator is then increased until the start of braking 21 until the desired kinetic energy is also present in the system. This kinetic energy is a result of the product of rotational speed and load torque or the equally large driving torque. Thus, the two quantities or definitions of kinetic energy and torque are coupled physically and descriptions or statements are to be used in the same sense.

[0037] In FIG. 2 the time range of the actual brake operation is shown using the arrow 23. The dashed line 22 shows a possible progress of the braking torque during the test. This temporal progress of the braking torque is shown here depending on the simulated driving situation and, therefore, by way of example only. Depending on the driving situation to be simulated, the braking can either be terminated and thus all acting torques be reduced to almost zero, which then corresponds again to a state of the system as for time step 1, or another braking may occur immediately after the first braking having possibly another rotational speed or kinetic energy. The required kinetic energy is again introduced into the system prior to the next braking with the help of the load generator. Thus, the method according to the invention is adaptable to a wide variety of simulation projects.

[0038] The claims filed now together with the application and filed later are without prejudice for obtaining a broader protection.

[0039] If it should turn out on closer testing, in particular also of the relevant prior art, that one or another feature of the object of the invention may be convenient but not decisively important, a formulation is now already striven for which, particularly in the main claim, no longer has such a feature. Also, such a sub-combination is covered by the disclosure of this application.

[0040] It is further to be noted that the designs and variants of the invention described in the various embodiments and shown in the figures can be combined as desired. Here single or several features can be arbitrarily interchanged. These combinations of features are also implicitly disclosed.

[0041] The reasons given in the dependent claims relate to the further development of the subject of the main claim by the features of the respective dependent claim. However, these should not be construed as being a waiver of the right to independent, objective protection for the features of the related dependent claims.

[0042] Features which were only disclosed in the description or even single characteristics from claims which comprise a plurality of features may be taken at any time as being essential to the invention to distinguish from the state of the art into the independent claim/claims even if such features have been mentioned in connection with other features or are achieving particularly convenient results in connection with other features.