Brake control device and brake control method

Abstract

Provided is a brake control device (4) that controls the use of, as brakes for a railway vehicle (100), a regenerative brake and a tread brake (6) that generates a braking force by pressing a brake shoe (12) against a wheel (13), the brake control device (4) comprising: an acquisition unit (41) that acquires position information of the railway vehicle (100); and a control unit (42) which, on the basis of position information (7A), skidding information indicating a skidding position at which the wheel (13) has the potential to skid on a railway track on which the railway vehicle (100) travels, and brake information indicating a braking position at which the railway vehicle (100) applies the brakes, changes a brake usage condition in which the regenerative brake is more preferentially used than the tread brake (6), and in a case in which a brake command (1A) is acquired when the brake usage condition is changed, causes the tread brake (6) to be used at a prescribed ratio with respect to the braking force required by the brake command (1A) to thereby roughen the tread surface of the wheel (13) with the brake shoe (12).

Description

Brake control device and brake control method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a brake control device and a brake control method mounted on a railway vehicle.

[0002] Conventionally, railway vehicles control deceleration by generating multiple braking forces using multiple means. Specifically, railway vehicles decelerate using a braking force that combines regenerative braking force from a drive unit and friction braking force such as an air brake. Railway vehicles are required to decelerate without delay when a brake command is issued. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which, when an air brake device mounted on a railway vehicle receives a zero thrust command, it applies an initial pressure to the brake pads, which is an air pressure that does not generate actual torque, causing the brake pads to slightly contact the wheel tread. By keeping the brake pads slightly in contact with the wheel tread, the air brake device described in Patent Document 1 can press the brake pads against the wheel tread without delay to generate braking force.

[0003] JP 2009-247170 A

[0004] However, the air brake system described in Patent Document 1 has brake pads that are slightly in contact with the wheel tread while the railcar is traveling, causing the wheel tread to become mirror-finished by the brake pads. As a result, when the air brake system is applied at high speed, adhesion between the brake pads and the mirror-finished wheel tread cannot be ensured, which can cause the railcar to skid on the rails. In particular, if the condition of the track on which the railcar is traveling changes and skidding becomes more likely to occur, this can lead to an increase in the braking distance.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a brake control device that can prevent the wheels of a railway vehicle from becoming mirror-finished and prevent the braking distance from increasing in situations where the condition of the track on which the railway vehicle runs changes and makes skidding more likely to occur.

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the present disclosure provides a brake control device for a railway vehicle that controls the use of tread brakes, which generate braking force by pressing brake shoes against wheels, and regenerative brakes. The brake control device is characterized by comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires position information of the railway vehicle; and a control unit that changes brake use conditions to prioritize the use of regenerative brakes over tread brakes based on the position information, slide information that indicates slide positions where wheels may slide on a track on which the railway vehicle runs, and brake information that indicates brake positions at which the railway vehicle applies the brakes; and, when a brake command is acquired when the brake use conditions have been changed, uses the tread brakes at a specified ratio with respect to the braking force required by the brake command to roughen the wheel treads with the brake shoes.

[0007] The brake control device disclosed herein has the effect of suppressing the mirror finish of the wheels of a railway vehicle and suppressing the extension of braking distance in situations where the condition of the track on which the railway vehicle runs changes, making skidding more likely to occur.

[0008] FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a brake control system equipped with a brake control device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 shows an example of a slide position indicated by slide information and a brake position indicated by brake information stored in a memory unit of the brake control device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3 shows an example of the control content of the brake control device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 4 shows a flowchart illustrating the operation of the brake control device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 5 shows an example of a case where the processing circuit provided by the brake control system according to embodiment 1 is configured with a processor and memory. FIG. 6 shows an example of a case where the processing circuit provided by the brake control system according to embodiment 1 is configured with dedicated hardware. FIG. 7 shows an example of a case where the processing circuit provided by the brake control device according to embodiment 2 is configured with dedicated hardware. FIG. 8 shows an example of a case where the brake control device according to embodiment 2 uses regenerative braking and tread braking relative to the required braking force. FIG. 9 shows an example of a case where the brake control device according to embodiment 2 uses regenerative braking and tread braking relative to the required braking force.

[0009] A brake control device and a brake control method according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, an air brake that uses air pressure as a pressure medium to activate a tread brake will be described as an example. However, in this disclosure, the operating mechanism is not limited to this as long as it is a tread brake that presses a brake shoe against a wheel tread. The operating mechanism that presses a brake shoe against a wheel tread may also be a tread brake that does not use a pressure medium and is powered by, for example, a motor or an electric actuator.

[0010] Embodiment 1. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a brake control system 30 including a brake control device 4 according to Embodiment 1. The brake control system 30 is mounted on a railway vehicle 100 and is capable of using a regenerative brake controlled by a regenerative brake control unit 5 and a tread brake 6 as brakes for the railway vehicle 100. The brake control system 30 includes a brake command unit 1, a load adaptive device 2, a speed sensor 3, a brake control unit 4, a regenerative brake control unit 5, a tread brake 6, a vehicle information management device 7, and wheels 13. Note that the railway vehicle 100 is actually equipped with a plurality of speed sensors 3, brake control units 4, tread brakes 6, and wheels 13. Furthermore, when a train is made up of a plurality of railway vehicles 100, some components such as the brake command unit 1 may be mounted only on specific railway vehicles 100, such as the leading and trailing cars of the train.

[0011] The brake command unit 1 is installed in a cab (not shown) of the railway vehicle 100, receives operations from the driver, etc., generates a brake command 1A according to the received operation content, and outputs it to the brake control device 4.

[0012] The load compensation device 2 uses an air spring pressure sensor (not shown) or the like to generate a load compensation signal 2A indicating the pressure applied to the railway vehicle 100 by passengers or the like, and outputs the signal to the brake control device 4 .

[0013] The speed sensor 3 is a sensor that generates a speed signal 3A indicating the speed of the railway vehicle 100 based on the rotational speed of the wheels 13 and outputs the signal to the brake control device 4. Although not shown in Fig. 1, the speed sensors 3 are installed on the front and rear bogies of the railway vehicle 100, and are capable of detecting the speed of the railway vehicle 100 from each wheel 13.

[0014] The regenerative brake control unit 5 calculates an actual regenerative braking force corresponding to the actual torque based on the regenerative pattern signal 4A acquired from the brake control unit 4, and controls the regenerative braking by a drive unit (not shown) or the like. The regenerative brake control unit 5 generates a regenerative feedback signal 5A indicating the actual regenerative braking force, which is the actual regenerative braking force, and outputs the signal to the brake control unit 4.

[0015] The tread brake 6 generates a braking force by pressing the brake shoe 12 against the wheel 13 based on the pressure control signal 4B obtained from the brake control device 4. In addition to the brake shoe 12, the tread brake 6 also includes components such as an electro-pneumatic converter valve, a main air tank, a relay valve, a pressure sensor, and a brake cylinder, but since these components are general in configuration, detailed explanation of each component will be omitted. The tread brake 6 generates and outputs to the brake control device 4 tread feedback signals 6A such as AC (Air Control) pressure, which is the air signal command pressure of the electro-pneumatic converter valve, and BC (Brake Cylinder) pressure, which is the brake cylinder pressure of the relay valve.

[0016] The vehicle information management device 7 manages powering and braking for each train formation and manages various on-board equipment in the railway vehicle 100. The vehicle information management device 7 is, for example, a Train Information Management System (TIMS). The vehicle information management device 7 outputs position information 7A of the railway vehicle 100 obtained through normal management to the brake control device 4.

[0017] The brake control device 4 controls the use of the tread brakes 6, which generate braking force by pressing brake shoes 12 against wheels 13, and the regenerative brakes via the regenerative brake control unit 5, as brakes for the railway vehicle 100. The brake control device 4 generates braking force by regenerative braking using a drive device (not shown) or the like in the railway vehicle 100 via the regenerative brake control unit 5. The brake control device 4 also controls the tread brakes 6 in the railway vehicle 100, causing the tread brakes 6 to press the brake shoes 12 against the wheels 13 to generate braking force. The control of the regenerative brakes in the brake control device 4 via the regenerative brake control unit 5 includes, for example, control to apply the regenerative brakes and control to release the regenerative brakes. The control of the tread brakes 6 in the brake control device 4 includes, for example, control to apply the tread brakes 6 and control to release the tread brakes 6. The control of the regenerative brakes and the tread brakes 6 is control to decelerate the railway vehicle 100, or so-called brake application control. The control to release the regenerative brakes and the tread brakes 6 is a control that enables the speed of the railway vehicle 100 to increase, that is, a so-called brake release control.

[0018] A detailed description will be given of the configuration and operation of the brake control device 4. As shown in FIG.

[0019] The acquisition unit 41 acquires a brake command 1A from the brake command unit 1, acquires a load adaptive signal 2A from the load adaptive device 2, acquires a speed signal 3A from the speed sensor 3, and acquires position information 7A from the vehicle information management device 7. The acquisition unit 41 also acquires a regenerative feedback signal 5A from the regenerative brake control unit 5 and acquires a tread feedback signal 6A from the tread brake 6. The acquisition unit 41 outputs these acquired commands, signals, information, etc. to the control unit 42. Note that the acquisition unit 41 may obtain the position information 7A of the railway vehicle 100 by accumulating the traveling distance of the railway vehicle 100 from a specified point that can be calculated using the speed signal 3A acquired from the speed sensor 3, rather than acquiring it from the vehicle information management device 7.

[0020] Storage unit 43 stores slide information indicating slide positions on the track on which railway vehicle 100 is traveling where wheels 13 may slide, and stores braking information indicating braking positions at which railway vehicle 100 applies the brakes. In the slide information, the slide position is, for example, the position at which the section of railway vehicle 100 travels changes from underground to above ground. In the braking information, the braking position is, for example, information indicating the position of a station at which railway vehicle 100 will stop. Storage unit 43 may store the slide information and braking information in advance before railway vehicle 100 begins operation, by an operation by a maintenance person of the railway operator that operates railway vehicle 100, or may acquire and store the information from an external device such as vehicle information management device 7.

[0021] Here, an example of a slide position indicated by the slide information and a brake position indicated by the brake information will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a slide position indicated by the slide information and a brake position indicated by the brake information stored in the storage unit 43 of the brake control device 4 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 2, the slide position indicated by the slide information is a position where the running section of the railway vehicle 100 changes from underground to aboveground. Furthermore, the brake position indicated by the brake information is information indicating the position of a station where the railway vehicle 100 will stop. Since the railway vehicle 100 is not affected by weather, specifically rain, etc., on the running section where it runs underground, the possibility of the railway vehicle 100 sliding due to the tracks being wet by rain or the like is low. On the other hand, the railway vehicle 100 is affected by weather, specifically rain, etc., on the running section where it runs aboveground. Therefore, compared to when it runs underground, the railway vehicle 100 is affected by weather, specifically rain, etc., and therefore the possibility of the railway vehicle 100 sliding due to changes in the condition of the tracks on which the railway vehicle 100 runs and the tracks being wet by rain or the like increases. In particular, in the railway vehicle 100, if the brake control device 4 controls the proximity of the brake shoes 12 to the wheels 13 so that the brake shoes 12 are in slight contact with the treads of the wheels 13 during normal running of the railway vehicle 100, the treads of the wheels 13 will become mirror-finished, making it even more likely for the railway vehicle 100 to skid. The proximity control of the brake shoes 12 to the wheels 13 is, for example, control that applies initial pressure when using an air brake as described in the background art.

[0022] Therefore, based on the position information 7A of the railway vehicle 100, the slide information, and the brake information, the brake control device 4 performs anti-mirror control on the wheels 13 to eliminate the mirror finish on the treads of the wheels 13 before the railway vehicle 100 moves from a section where slide is difficult to occur to a section where slide is easy. This allows the brake control device 4 to make the treads of the wheels 13 have an appropriate roughness before the railway vehicle 100 travels through a section where slide is easy. In the example of FIG. 2 , if the last station at which the railway vehicle 100 stops before leaving the underground running section and entering the aboveground running section is defined as station 51, and the station immediately before the last station 51 is defined as station 52, the brake control device 4 performs anti-mirror control in the range from when the railway vehicle 100 passes station 52 to when the railway vehicle 100 passes station 51. Note that while FIG. 2 shows an example in which the railway vehicle 100 stops at station 51 after departing station 52 and before entering the aboveground running section, the section in which the brake control device 4 performs anti-mirror control is not limited to the section between stations. The brake control device 4 only needs to roughen the treads of the wheels 13 when the railway vehicle 100 enters a section where skidding is likely to occur, that is, the brake control device 4 only needs to roughen the treads of the wheels 13 in the range from when the railway vehicle 100 departs from the station 52 to when it enters a running section on the ground. Therefore, the brake control device 4 can perform anti-mirror control even when the station 51 does not exist.

[0023] Although the case has been described in which the slide position indicated by the slide information is a position where the traveling section of the railway vehicle 100 changes from underground to above ground, the present invention is not limited to this. The slide position may be a position where the traveling section of the railway vehicle 100 changes from inside a tunnel to outside the tunnel, a position where there is a body of water within a specified range from the track on which the railway vehicle 100 travels, or a position where fallen leaves may accumulate on the track on which the railway vehicle 100 travels. A position where there is a body of water within a specified range from the track on which the railway vehicle 100 travels is, for example, a position where there is an ocean, a lake, a river, or the like near the track. Furthermore, a position where fallen leaves may accumulate on the track on which the railway vehicle 100 travels is, for example, a position where there is a forest or the like near the track. The slide position indicated by the slide information may be a combination of information on these positions.

[0024] The control unit 42 performs the mirror finish countermeasure control in the section where the mirror finish countermeasure control shown in Fig. 2 is performed. Specifically, based on the position information 7A, slide information, and brake information, the control unit 42 sets the brake position before the slide position and closest to the slide position as the first brake position, and the brake position before the first brake position and closest to the first brake position as the second brake position, and then changes the brake use conditions for the regenerative brakes and tread brakes 6 in the range from when the railway vehicle 100 passes the second brake position to when it passes the first brake position, where the brake use conditions are such that the regenerative brakes are used preferentially over the tread brakes 6. The brake use conditions are conditions under which, under normal circumstances when the brake use conditions have not been changed, the required braking force is controlled so that it is mainly borne by the regenerative brakes, i.e., the regenerative brakes are used preferentially over the tread brakes 6.

[0025] When the control unit 42 receives a brake command 1A from the brake command unit 1 while the brake use conditions have changed, it uses the tread brakes 6 at a specified rate relative to the braking force required by the brake command 1A, causing the brake shoes 12 to roughen the treads of the wheels 13. The specified rate is a rate of the tread brakes 6 relative to the required braking force that, when the tread brakes 6 are used at the specified rate relative to the required braking force, can roughen the treads of the wheels 13 with the brake shoes 12 of the tread brakes 6, i.e., can ensure the braking force of the tread brakes 6 that presses the brake shoes 12 against the wheels 13 to an extent that can eliminate the mirror finish of the wheels 13. The control unit 42 uses the tread brakes 6 at the specified rate relative to the braking force required by the brake command 1A, causing the brake shoes 12 to roughen the treads of the wheels 13 and eliminate the mirror finish.

[0026] 2 , the brake position is information indicating the positions of stations where the railway vehicle 100 will stop. The first brake position is the position of station 51, which is a station before the runway position and is the first station where the railway vehicle 100 will last stop. The second brake position is the position of station 52, which is the station one station before station 51, and is the second station where the railway vehicle 100 will stop. In this case, the control unit 42 changes the brake application conditions from the time the railway vehicle 100 departs from station 52, which is the second station, to the time the railway vehicle 100 stops at station 51, and until the time the railway vehicle 100 departs from station 51, which is the first station, and releases the change in the brake application conditions after the railway vehicle 100 departs station 51, which is the first station.

[0027] When and to what extent the regenerative brakes are used and when and to what extent the tread brakes 6 are used in the railway vehicle 100 will be explained using Figure 3. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the control content of the brake control device 4 according to the first embodiment. In Figure 3, whether or not the brake use conditions have been changed is indicated by the ON / OFF state of a brake use condition change flag. When the brake use condition change flag is ON, it is determined that the brake use conditions have been changed, and when the brake use condition change flag is OFF, it is determined that the brake use conditions have not been changed. In Figure 3, the traveling direction of the railway vehicle 100 is from left to right in the figure.

[0028] In the brake control device 4, when the control unit 42 receives the brake command 1A from the brake command unit 1, it calculates the required braking force using the load response signal 2A, the speed signal 3A, etc. In FIG. 3, the required braking force is expressed as a total braking force, where total braking force = regenerative braking force + tread braking force. When the railway vehicle 100 stops at station 52 or station 50, the brake use conditions have not changed and the control unit 42 controls the required braking force so that it is mainly borne by the regenerative braking. Note that the tread braking force produced by the proximity control between the brake shoe 12 of the tread brake 6 and the wheel 13 shown in FIG. 3 is a braking force that cannot roughen the tread of the wheel 13 by the brake shoe 12 of the tread brake 6, i.e., cannot eliminate the mirror finish of the wheel 13.

[0029] On the other hand, the control unit 42 changes the brake application conditions when the railway vehicle 100 departs from station 52. The timing at which the control unit 42 changes the brake application conditions is after the railway vehicle 100 departs from station 52, which is the station before underground station 51, the last stop before the railway vehicle 100 leaves the underground running section and enters the running section above ground. When the control unit 42 acquires brake command 1A while the brake application conditions have been changed, the control unit 42 does not use regenerative braking for the braking force required to implement the mirror surface countermeasures, and controls the tread brakes 6 to bear all of the required braking force. Note that the control unit 42 does not apply unnecessary braking to the railway vehicle 100 to implement the mirror surface countermeasures.

[0030] Control unit 42 performs control to apply the brakes to railway vehicle 100 when the railway vehicle stops at station 51, but because the brake application conditions have been changed before the brakes are applied, there is no need to suddenly change the braking method at the timing of braking, and stable brake control can be performed. Note that, as shown in Figure 3, the period during which the brake application conditions are changed also applies when railway vehicle 100 is traveling from station 52 to station 51, so even if railway vehicle 100 unexpectedly applies the brakes while traveling from station 52 to station 51, for example, control unit 42 will not use the regenerative brakes to provide the necessary braking force as when stopping at station 51, but will instead control the tread brakes 6 to cover the required braking force.

[0031] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the brake control device 4 according to the first embodiment. In the brake control device 4, the control unit 42 determines whether or not the brake command 1A has been acquired from the brake command unit 1 via the acquisition unit 41 (step S101). If the control unit 42 has not acquired the brake command 1A from the brake command unit 1 (step S101: No), the control unit 42 waits until the brake command 1A is acquired from the brake command unit 1 via the acquisition unit 41. If the control unit 42 has acquired the brake command 1A from the brake command unit 1 via the acquisition unit 41 (step S101: Yes), the control unit 42 calculates the required braking force (step S102).

[0032] If the brake use condition change flag is OFF, i.e., if the brake use conditions have not been changed (step S103: Yes), the control unit 42 uses the minimum necessary braking force for the tread brakes 6, such as by controlling the proximity of the brake shoes 12 to the wheels 13, taking into account the responsiveness of the regenerative brakes, calculates the ratio of the regenerative brakes and the tread brakes 6 so that the remainder of the required braking force is borne by the regenerative brakes, and controls the regenerative brakes and the tread brakes 6, mainly using the regenerative brakes, according to the calculated ratio (step S104). If the control unit 42 does not change the brake use conditions (step S105: No), the control unit 42 returns to step S101. If the control unit 42 changes the brake use conditions (step S105: Yes), the control unit 42 sets the brake use condition change flag ON to change the brake use conditions (step S106), and returns to step S101.

[0033] If the brake use condition change flag is ON, i.e., if the brake use conditions have been changed (step S103: No), the control unit 42 controls the tread brakes 6 so that the necessary braking force is borne by the tread brakes 6 without using the regenerative brakes (step S107). If the control unit 42 does not cancel the change in the brake use conditions (step S108: No), the control unit 42 returns to step S101. If the control unit 42 cancels the change in the brake use conditions (step S108: Yes), the control unit 42 turns the brake use condition change flag OFF to cancel the change in the brake use conditions (step S109), and returns to step S101. Note that, like the control at station 51 shown in FIG. 3 , the control unit 42 basically sets step S108: Yes after step S107 and performs the operation of step S109. However, in consideration of the case where the brake is applied for a short time in step S107, and the tread surface of the wheel 13 cannot be roughened and the mirror finish of the wheel 13 cannot be eliminated, the control unit 42 can also set step S108 to No, and operate in such a way that the brake use condition change flag is not turned OFF and the change in the brake use conditions is not canceled.

[0034] Next, the hardware configuration of the brake control system 30 will be described. In the brake control system 30, the components other than the brake control device 4 are realized by devices that are generally installed in railway vehicles. The brake control device 4 is realized by a processing circuit. The processing circuit may be a processor and memory that executes a program stored in a memory, or may be dedicated hardware.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example in which the processing circuit 90 included in the brake control system 30 according to the first embodiment is configured with a processor 91 and a memory 92. When the processing circuit 90 is configured with the processor 91 and the memory 92, each function of the processing circuit 90 of the brake control system 30 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software or firmware is written as a program and stored in the memory 92. In the processing circuit 90, each function is realized by the processor 91 reading and executing the program stored in the memory 92. In other words, the processing circuit 90 includes the memory 92 for storing the program that results in the processing of the brake control system 30 being executed. It can also be said that these programs cause a computer to execute the procedures and methods of the brake control system 30.

[0036] The above program can also be said to be a program that causes the brake control device 4 to execute the following steps: an acquisition step in which an acquisition unit 41 in the brake control device 4, which controls the use of the tread brakes 6, which generate braking force by pressing brake shoes 12 against the wheels 13, and the regenerative brakes as brakes for the railway vehicle 100, acquires position information 7A of the railway vehicle 100; and a control step in which a control unit 42 changes the brake use conditions to give priority to the use of the regenerative brakes over the tread brakes 6 based on the position information 7A, slide information indicating slide positions where the wheels 13 may slide on the track on which the railway vehicle 100 is traveling, and brake information indicating the brake positions at which the railway vehicle 100 applies the brakes, and if a brake command 1A is acquired when the brake use conditions have been changed, uses the tread brakes 6 at a specified ratio with respect to the braking force required by the brake command 1A, causing the brake shoes 12 to roughen the tread of the wheels 13.

[0037] Here, the processor 91 may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a processing device, an arithmetic device, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc. The memory 92 may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), or an EEPROM (Electrically EPROM), a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a minidisk, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc).

[0038] Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example in which the processing circuit 93 included in the brake control system 30 according to the first embodiment is configured with dedicated hardware. When the processing circuit 93 is configured with dedicated hardware, the processing circuit 93 shown in Figure 6 corresponds to, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof. Each function of the brake control system 30 may be realized by the processing circuit 93 individually, or all functions may be realized collectively by the processing circuit 93.

[0039] It should be noted that some of the functions of the brake control system 30 may be implemented by dedicated hardware and some by software or firmware. In this way, the processing circuit can implement each of the above-described functions by dedicated hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof.

[0040] As described above, according to this embodiment, in the brake control system 30, the control unit 42 of the brake control device 4 changes the brake use conditions to prioritize the use of the regenerative brakes over the tread brakes 6 based on the position information 7A of the railway vehicle 100, the slide information indicating slide positions on the track on which the railway vehicle 100 is traveling where the wheels 13 may slide, and the brake information indicating the braking positions at which the railway vehicle 100 applies the brakes, and when a brake command 1A is acquired while the brake use conditions have been changed, the control unit 42 uses the tread brakes 6 at a specified rate, in this case 100%, of the braking force required by the brake command 1A to roughen the treads of the wheels 13 with the brake shoes 12. In this way, the brake control device 4 can prevent the wheels 13 of the railway vehicle 100 from becoming mirror-finished, and can prevent an increase in the braking distance in situations where the condition of the track on which the railway vehicle 100 is traveling changes and skids are more likely to occur.

[0041] Embodiment 2 In the first embodiment, when the brake use conditions are changed, the brake control device 4 does not use the regenerative brakes, and the necessary braking force is borne only by the tread brakes 6. However, when the brake use conditions are changed, the brake control device 4 can use the regenerative brakes even when the brake use conditions are changed, as long as it can press the brake shoes 12 against the wheels 13 to roughen the wheels 13, i.e., eliminate the mirror finish of the wheels 13, when actually applying the brakes. In the second embodiment, the operation of the brake control device 4 when the brake use conditions are changed will be described.

[0042] In the second embodiment, the configuration of the railway vehicle 100 is similar to the configuration of the railway vehicle 100 in the first embodiment shown in FIG.

[0043] FIG. 7 is a first diagram showing an example of the ratio of the regenerative brake and the tread brake 6 used by the brake control device 4 according to the second embodiment to the required braking force. FIG. 7 is a simplified version of FIG. 3 , and assumes a state in which the brake use conditions have been changed. In the brake control device 4, when the brake use conditions have been changed, the control unit 42 does not use the regenerative brake for the required braking force for a specified initial certain time, as in the first embodiment, and uses the tread brake 6 at 100%. However, after the certain time has elapsed, the control unit 42 may use the tread brake 6 only to control the proximity of the brake shoe 12 to the wheel 13, as in the case when the brake use conditions have not been changed, and the required braking force may be borne by the regenerative brake. If the brake shoe 12 can roughen the wheel tread 13 during the certain time shown in FIG. 7 , the control unit 42 can achieve its purpose of eliminating the mirror finish of the wheel 13, and therefore it is also possible to use the regenerative brake after the certain time has elapsed.

[0044] FIG. 8 is a second diagram showing an example of the proportions of the regenerative brake and tread brake 6 used by the brake control device 4 according to the second embodiment relative to the required braking force. FIG. 8 is a simplified version of FIG. 3, and assumes a state in which the brake use conditions have been changed. In the brake control device 4, when the brake use conditions have been changed, the control unit 42 uses the tread brake 6 at a specified proportion relative to the required braking force, and uses the regenerative brake with a regenerative braking force that is the total braking force minus the tread brake force. If the brake shoe 12 can roughen the tread of the wheel 13 by using the tread brake 6 at the proportion shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 42 can achieve the purpose of eliminating the mirror finish of the wheel 13, and therefore it is not necessary for the tread brake force to bear 100% of the required braking force.

[0045] FIG. 9 is a third diagram showing an example of the proportion of the regenerative brake and tread brake 6 used by the brake control device 4 according to the second embodiment with respect to the required braking force. FIG. 9 is a simplified version of FIG. 3 , and assumes a state in which the brake use conditions have been changed. In the brake control device 4, when the brake use conditions have been changed, the control unit 42 may use the tread brake 6 and regenerative brake for the required braking force for a specified initial fixed time as in the example of FIG. 8 , and after the specified time has elapsed, use the tread brake 6 and regenerative brake in the same manner as after the specified time has elapsed as in the case of FIG. 7 . If the brake shoe 12 can roughen the wheel tread 13 even if the tread brake force does not provide 100% of the required braking force during the specified initial fixed time, the control unit 42 can achieve the purpose of eliminating the mirror finish of the wheel 13, so it is possible to perform control as shown in FIG. 9 .

[0046] In this way, as shown in Figures 7 and 9, when the brake use conditions are changed, the control unit 42 can change the proportion of the tread brake 6 used relative to the braking force required by the brake command 1A while the tread brake 6 is being used.

[0047] The operation of the brake control device 4 in the second embodiment differs from that in the first embodiment shown in Fig. 4 in the content of step S107. Specifically, the content of step S107 corresponds to the content of Fig. 7, 8 or 9 described above. However, since the flow of operation itself is the same, a description using the flowchart will be omitted.

[0048] As described above, according to this embodiment, in the brake control system 30, the control unit 42 of the brake control device 4 changes the brake use conditions to prioritize the use of the regenerative brakes over the tread brakes 6 based on the position information 7A of the railway vehicle 100, the slide information indicating slide positions on the track on which the railway vehicle 100 is traveling where the wheels 13 may slide, and the brake information indicating the braking positions at which the railway vehicle 100 applies the brakes, and when a brake command 1A is acquired while the brake use conditions have been changed, the control unit 42 uses the tread brakes 6 at a specified rate relative to the braking force required by the brake command 1A to roughen the treads of the wheels 13 with the brake shoes 12. In this way, the brake control device 4 can prevent the wheels 13 of the railway vehicle 100 from becoming mirror-finished and prevent an increase in the braking distance in situations where the condition of the track on which the railway vehicle 100 is traveling changes and slides are more likely to occur.

[0049] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies, or different embodiments may be combined with each other. It is also possible to omit or modify parts of the configurations as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention.

[0050] 1 Brake command unit, 1A Brake command, 2 Load adaptive device, 2A Load adaptive signal, 3 Speed ​​sensor, 3A Speed ​​signal, 4 Brake control device, 4A Regenerative pattern signal, 4B Pressure control signal, 5 Regenerative brake control unit, 5A Regenerative feedback signal, 6 Tread brake, 6A Tread feedback signal, 7 Vehicle information management device, 7A Position information, 12 Brake shoe, 13 Wheel, 30 Brake control system, 41 Acquisition unit, 42 Control unit, 43 Memory unit, 50-52 Station, 90, 93 Processing circuit, 91 Processor, 92 Memory, 100 Railway vehicle.

Claims

1. A brake control device that controls the use of a tread brake that generates braking force by pressing a brake shoe against a wheel as a brake for a railway vehicle, and a regenerative brake, an acquisition unit that acquires location information of the railway vehicle; a control unit that changes brake use conditions to prioritize the use of the regenerative brake over the tread brake based on the position information, slide information indicating slide positions where the wheel may slide on the track on which the railway vehicle runs, and brake information indicating brake positions at which the railway vehicle applies the brakes, and when a brake command is obtained while the brake use conditions have been changed, uses the tread brake at a specified ratio with respect to the braking force required by the brake command, and roughens the wheel tread with the brake shoe; A brake control device comprising:

2. the control unit, based on the position information, the slide information, and the brake information, sets the brake position that is closest to and before the slide position as a first brake position, sets the brake position that is closest to and before the first brake position as a second brake position, and changes the brake application conditions within a range from when the railway vehicle passes the second brake position to when it passes the first brake position.

2. The brake control device according to claim 1.

3. The sliding position is a position where the running section of the railway vehicle changes from underground to above ground, or a position where the running section of the railway vehicle changes from inside a tunnel to outside the tunnel, or a position where there is a water source within a specified range from the track, or a position where fallen leaves may accumulate on the track.

3. The brake control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. When the brake use conditions are changed, the control unit changes the ratio of the tread brake used to the braking force required by the brake command while the tread brake is being used.

3. The brake control device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A brake control method for a brake control device that controls the use of a tread brake that generates braking force by pressing a brake shoe against a wheel as a brake for a railway vehicle, and a regenerative brake, an acquisition step in which an acquisition unit acquires position information of the railway vehicle; a control step in which a control unit changes brake use conditions to use the regenerative brakes preferentially over the tread brakes based on the position information, slide information indicating slide positions where the wheels may slide on the track on which the railway vehicle runs, and brake information indicating brake positions at which the railway vehicle applies the brakes, and when a brake command is obtained while the brake use conditions have been changed, uses the tread brakes at a specified rate relative to the braking force required by the brake command, and roughens the wheel treads with the brake shoes; A brake control method comprising:

6. In the control step, the control unit sets the brake position that is closest to and before the slide position as a first brake position, sets the brake position that is closest to and before the first brake position as a second brake position, and changes the brake application conditions within a range from when the railway vehicle passes the second brake position to when it passes the first brake position, based on the position information, the slide information, and the brake information.

6. The brake control method according to claim 5.

7. The sliding position is a position where the running section of the railway vehicle changes from underground to above ground, or a position where the running section of the railway vehicle changes from inside a tunnel to outside the tunnel, or a position where there is a water source within a specified range from the track, or a position where fallen leaves may accumulate on the track.

7. The brake control method according to claim 5 or 6.

8. In the control step, when the brake use conditions are changed, the control unit changes a ratio of the tread brake to be used relative to the braking force required by the brake command while the tread brake is being used.

7. The brake control method according to claim 5 or 6.