Abstract
Compressed air supplied into a housing is expanded for reducing air humidity in the housing in response to the expansion of the compressed air. As a result, it is possible in a simple manner for a component to be operated in a dry environment. The component can be dried and condensation on the component can be prevented.
Claims
1.-15. (canceled)
16. A method, comprising expanding compressed air in a housing for reducing air humidity in the housing in response to an expansion of the compressed air.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the compressed air is not dried.
18. The method of claim 16, further comprising supplying the compressed air to the housing from outside.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein the housing is a component of a vehicle, with the compressed air that has been produced for operation of the vehicle being used for effecting the expansion in the housing.
20. The method of claim 16, wherein the compressed air generates in the housing an air pressure which is greater than an air pressure outside the housing.
21. The method of claim 16, wherein the compressed air with reduced air humidity is capable of preventing condensation, caused by temperature fluctuations in an environment, on at least one component inside the housing by absorbing humidity.
22. The method of claim 19, wherein the component is a power semiconductor.
23. The method of claim 16, further comprising establishing a predeterminable maintenance interval by adapting the air humidity inside the housing.
24. A drying device, comprising: a housing; a component arranged in the housing; a first device for producing compressed air, said device being connected to the housing; and a second device for expanding the compressed air; said second device interacting with the first device such that compressed air produced by the first device is expanded in the housing, so that air humidity in the housing is reduced in response to an expansion of the compressed air to thereby prevent condensation on the component.
25. The drying device of claim 24, wherein the compressed air is supplied to the housing from outside.
26. The drying device of claim 24, constructed as a component of a vehicle, said drying device further comprising a pipe system connected to a braking system of the vehicle, said pipe system supplying the compressed air to the braking system.
27. The drying device of claim 24, wherein the housing is a power converter or a part of a power converter.
28. A vehicle, comprising a drying device including a housing, a component arranged in the housing, a first device for producing compressed air, said device being connected to the housing, and a second device for expanding the compressed air; said second device interacting with the first device such that compressed air produced by the first device is expanded in the housing, so that air humidity in the housing is reduced in response to an expansion of the compressed air to thereby prevent condensation on the component.
29. The vehicle of claim 28, wherein the housing is a power converter or a part of a power converter.
30. The vehicle of claim 28, wherein the compressed air is supplied to the housing from outside.
31. The vehicle of claim 28, wherein the drying device includes a pipe system connected to a braking system of the vehicle, said pipe system supplying the compressed air to the braking system.
Description
[0018] The invention is described and explained in more detail hereinafter with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, in which:
[0019] FIG. 1 shows a rail vehicle with a drying device,
[0020] FIG. 2 shows a drying device..
[0021] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 3 which is a rail vehicle 31. Said rail vehicle has a braking system 4 and a drying device 5 for reducing the air humidity. The drying device 5 comprises a housing 2 with one or more components 1 to be dried, in particular power semiconductors 11 and a device 9 for the expansion of compressed air. Moreover, in this exemplary embodiment the drying device 5 has a device 6 for producing compressed air 10 as well as a means 7 for drying compressed air 10. The braking system 4 comprises a device 6 for producing compressed air 10. The compressed air 10 is located in the interior of the pipe system 21. Moreover, the braking system 4 comprises means 7 for drying compressed air 10. In this exemplary embodiment of the rail vehicle, the device 6 for producing compressed air 10 and the means 7 for drying compressed air 10 are used together by the drying device 5 and the braking system 4, so that these parts do not have to be duplicated. For the purpose of braking, compressed air is distributed to the individual wheel sets. At this point a differentiation is not made here between different parts of the brake, such as for example the main air line and the main air tank line. By means of the device 6 for producing compressed air 10, air is suctioned from the environment and compressed to form compressed air 10. This is dried by means of a means 7 for drying compressed air 10. “Drying” is understood as the reduction in the humidity contained in the compressed air 10. This drying serves to create compressed air 10 in the pipe system 21 which is as low as possible in terms of humidity. As a result, corrosion on the pipe system 21 and parts connected thereto may be prevented or at least substantially reduced. At the same time, the drying of the compressed air 10 serves to maintain corresponding requirements relative to the humidity of the compressed air 10 for use in rail vehicles 11. For reasons of clarity, not all parts of the braking system 4 are shown in this exemplary embodiment. In this case, for example, compressed air tanks, valves and brake cylinders are absent. Also, for distributing the compressed air in the braking system, a precise differentiation, such as for example between the main air line and the main air tank line, has been dispensed with. The compressed air 10 is supplied to the individual brakes of the individual axles/wheels to be braked by the pipe system 21. By suitable control and regulating devices, the braking of the rail vehicle 11 may take place by means of compressed air 10. The arrangement 5 for reducing the air humidity in this case uses the compressed air 10 produced by the braking system 4, since the device 9 for the expansion of compressed air 10 is also supplied from the pipe system 21 for compressed air 10. To this end, compressed air is supplied to the housing 2 via the pipe system 21. Alternatively or additionally, the device 9 for the expansion of compressed air 10 may also directly draw in compressed air via a separate line from the device 6 for producing compressed air 10 or the means 7 for drying compressed air 10. A device 9 for the expansion of compressed air 10 is arranged in the housing 2. The already dried compressed air is expanded by means of this device 9 for reducing the air humidity. As a result, the humidity of the air in the housing 2 reduces further and the air is able to absorb humidity present on the component 1 and/or prevent the condensation of humidity on the component 1 in a simple manner. Humidity present on the component 1, in particular on one or more power semiconductors 11, may as a result be eliminated in a particularly simple manner or at least may be substantially reduced. As shown in this exemplary embodiment, the device 9 for the expansion of compressed air 10 in the housing 2 uses parts which are already present for producing and drying compressed air 10 of the braking system 4. As a result, for carrying out the reduction in the air humidity, the drying device 5 is able to be produced in a particularly cost-effective manner. This cost advantage also has a positive effect on the production costs of the rail vehicle 31.
[0022] FIG. 2 shows a drying device 5 for reducing the air humidity. In order to avoid repetition, reference is made to FIG. 1 and the reference numerals inserted therein. The housing 2, the device 6 for producing compressed air 10 and the means 7 for drying compressed air 10 are shown. In this exemplary embodiment, the device 6 for producing compressed air 10 and the means 7 for drying compressed air 10 are arranged outside the housing 2. It is also possible to arrange at least one of these parts in the interior of the housing 2. In the embodiment shown, after drying by the means 7 for drying the compressed air 10 the compressed air 10 is guided through an interface 20 for supplying compressed air 10 into the inside of the housing 2. In the inside of the housing 2 the compressed air 10 is further conducted via a corresponding pipe system to the device 9 for the expansion of compressed air 10. The device has suitable means in order to expand the compressed air 10. In this case, the expansion may be carried out in a continuous, controlled or regulated manner. To this end, one or more parts, such as for example a nozzle or a valve 22, may be present in the device 9. For example, depending on the air humidity present in the interior of the housing 2 the expansion of the compressed air 10 may be controlled or regulated thereby in order to achieve the desired humidity of the air in the housing 2. The desired air humidity may in this case be predetermined for the system.
[0023] Although the invention has been further illustrated and described in detail by the preferred exemplary embodiments, the invention is not limited solely to the disclosed example and other variants may be derived therefrom by the person skilled in the art, without departing from the protected scope of the invention.
