Methods and procedures for detecting anomalies in railway vehicles

Abstract

An anomaly detection method for a railway vehicle (1) includes a preparation process, a vibration process, a detection process, and a judgment process. In the preparation process, the railway vehicle (1) is prepared. The railway vehicle (1) includes a bogie (2), a car body (3), an actuator (11), and an acceleration sensor (12). The actuator (11) is positioned between the bogie (2) and the car body (3). In the vibration process, the actuator (11) vibrates the car body (3) at a predetermined vibration frequency. In the detection process, the acceleration of the vibrated car body (3) is detected by the acceleration sensor (12). In the judgment process, when the frequency of the detected acceleration of the car body (3) differs from the vibration frequency, it is determined that a component of the railway vehicle (1) has malfunctioned.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an anomaly detection method and an anomaly detection program for railway vehicles. Prior Technology

[0002] Railway vehicles consist of a bogie and a car body supported by the bogie. In recent years, with the increasing speed of railway vehicles, there is a need to suppress car body vibration and improve passenger comfort. Railway vehicles are sometimes equipped with anti-vibration control devices to suppress car body vibration.

[0003] Anti-sway control devices primarily control the swaying of the train body in the vertical direction (height of the railway vehicle) or the horizontal direction (width of the railway vehicle). Anti-sway control devices may include actuators. Actuators are mounted on the trolley and the train body. The actuators suppress the swaying of the train body by applying thrust to it.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a vibration control device (sway prevention control device) for railway vehicles. The sway prevention control device of Patent Document 1 includes a controller that controls the operation of actuators to suppress vehicle body vibration. The controller has a self-diagnostic mode. In the self-diagnostic mode, while the railway vehicle is stopped, the actuators amplify the vibration of the vehicle body, and the detected displacement or acceleration of the vehicle body is compared with predetermined reference values ​​to diagnose the integrity of various components such as the actuators or acceleration sensors. [Previous Technical Documents] [Patent Literature]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-35068 Summary of the Invention

[0006] [The problem the invention aims to solve] In the anti-shake control device of Patent Document 1, a reference value for the displacement or acceleration of the vehicle body is required to diagnose the integrity of the actuator or acceleration sensor. However, in order to set the reference value, it is necessary to accumulate data on the displacement or acceleration when vibration is applied to the vehicle body, and investigate which range of displacement or acceleration values ​​can be considered healthy. Therefore, it is difficult to perform integrity diagnosis of the actuator or acceleration sensor before accumulating the data.

[0007] In railway vehicles, there are also structures that use sensors installed on parts to detect abnormalities. However, not all parts are equipped with sensors. For example, sensors are not installed in the mounting parts and surrounding parts of the actuator for the anti-shake control device. Therefore, even if a part malfunctions, it is difficult to detect the abnormality early, and the abnormal state may sometimes persist.

[0008] When a component malfunctions, it may sometimes produce unusual noises. For example, in a sway prevention control device, there is a possibility that an abnormal operation of the actuator or its surrounding parts could cause an impact sound when the actuator is activated. When unusual noises occur while a railway vehicle is in operation, it is necessary to temporarily stop the vehicle, which may lead to delays or even a complete stoppage. If the abnormality of a component can be detected early, for example, the malfunctioning component can be replaced before the noise occurs.

[0009] The objective of this invention is to provide an anomaly detection method that can detect anomalies in railway vehicle parts at an early stage. [Methods for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention provides a method for detecting anomalies in railway vehicles, comprising a preparation process, a vibration process, a detection process, and a judgment process. In the preparation process, a railway vehicle is prepared. The railway vehicle includes a trolley, a car body, an actuator, and an acceleration sensor. The actuator is positioned between the trolley and the car body. In the vibration process, the car body is vibrated at a predetermined vibration frequency using the actuator. In the detection process, the acceleration of the vibrated car body is detected using the acceleration sensor. In the judgment process, when the frequency of the detected acceleration of the car body differs from the vibration frequency, it is determined that an anomaly has occurred in a component of the railway vehicle. [Invention Effects]

[0011] According to the anomaly detection method of the present invention, anomalies in railway vehicle parts can be detected at an early stage. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing railway vehicles. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the controller. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the processing performed by the controller in the anomaly detection method of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the acceleration data of the railway vehicle body when the parts are in normal condition. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the acceleration data of the railway vehicle body when a component malfunctions. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the processing performed by the controller in the anomaly detection method of the second embodiment. Implementation

[0013] The anomaly detection method for railway vehicles in its implementation includes a preparation process, a vibration process, a detection process, and a judgment process. In the preparation process, the railway vehicle is prepared. The railway vehicle includes a bogie, a car body, an actuator, and an acceleration sensor. The actuator is positioned between the bogie and the car body. In the vibration process, the car body is vibrated at a predetermined vibration frequency using the actuator. In the detection process, the acceleration of the vibrated car body is detected using the acceleration sensor. In the judgment process, when the frequency of the detected acceleration of the car body differs from the vibration frequency, it is determined that a component of the railway vehicle has malfunctioned (first component).

[0014] In the first anomaly detection method, during the vibration process, an actuator is used to vibrate the car body at a predetermined vibration frequency. During the detection process, an accelerometer is used to detect the acceleration of the vibrated car body. During the judgment process, the frequency of the detected car body acceleration is compared with the vibration frequency. Then, when the frequency of the car body acceleration differs from the vibration frequency, it is determined that an anomaly has occurred in a part of the railway vehicle. In this anomaly detection method, since the vibration frequency caused by the actuator is used to determine whether an anomaly has occurred, there is no need to set a reference value. Therefore, even in new railway vehicles where sufficient data has not yet been accumulated to set a reference value, anomalies in the parts of that railway vehicle can be detected.

[0015] In the first anomaly detection method, the presence or absence of anomalies in railway vehicle components can be determined by using a predetermined vibration frequency and the frequency of acceleration of the vehicle body vibrating at that frequency. Therefore, anomalies in components that affect the vibration of the vehicle body during actuator operation can be detected. For example, anomalies in components for which information cannot be directly obtained through sensors can also be detected. Thus, anomalies in railway vehicle components can be detected at an early stage.

[0016] In the first configuration of the anomaly detection method, during the judgment process, when the frequency of the vehicle body's acceleration is twice the vibration frequency, it can also be determined that the actuator has malfunctioned (second configuration).

[0017] When the frequency of the vehicle's acceleration is twice the vibration frequency, the likelihood of an impact is high when the actuator extends and retracts to its full extent. Therefore, in the second configuration of the anomaly detection method, during the judgment process, when the frequency of the vehicle's acceleration is twice the vibration frequency, it is determined that the actuator has malfunctioned. This allows for priority identification of the actuator and enables efficient replacement of the actuator itself or its constituent parts.

[0018] In the second anomaly detection method, during the judgment process, if the frequency of the vehicle body's acceleration is set as F, the vibration frequency is set as f, and the allowable error is set as α2 and β2 (where α2 and β2 are 0 or more and 0.6f or less respectively), when the frequency F satisfies 2.0f-α2≦F≦2.0f+β2, it can be determined that the frequency F is twice the vibration frequency f (third configuration).

[0019] The implemented program is an anomaly detection program for railway vehicles. A railway vehicle includes a bogie, a car body, actuators, and an acceleration sensor. The actuators are positioned between the bogie and the car body. The anomaly detection program enables the computer to perform vibration, detection, and judgment functions. The vibration function uses the actuators to vibrate the car body at a predetermined frequency. The detection function uses the acceleration sensor to detect the acceleration of the vibrated car body. The judgment function determines that an anomaly has occurred in a component of the railway vehicle (fourth component) when the detected acceleration frequency of the car body differs from the vibration frequency.

[0020] In the fourth component of the anomaly detection program, the determination function is that when the frequency of the vehicle body's acceleration is twice the vibration frequency, it can be determined that the actuator has malfunctioned (fifth component).

[0021] In the fifth component of the anomaly detection program, the determination function is that if the frequency of the vehicle body's acceleration is set to F, the vibration frequency is set to f, and the allowable error is set to α2 and β2 (where α2 and β2 are 0 or more and 0.6f or less respectively), when the frequency F satisfies 2.0f-α2≦F≦2.0f+β2, it can be determined that the frequency F is twice the vibration frequency f (sixth component).

[0022] The implementation form of the memory media includes any of the fourth to sixth components of the anomaly detection program. The memory media is a non-temporary memory media that can be read by a computer.

[0023] The embodiments disclosed herein will be described below with reference to the figures. In each figure, the same or equivalent components are labeled with the same symbols, and the same descriptions are not repeated.

[0024] <First Implementation Form> [Composition of Railway Vehicles] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the railway vehicle 1. Figure 1 is a view taken along the direction of travel of the railway vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the direction of travel of the railway vehicle 1 is sometimes simply referred to as the forward-backward direction. Also, the width direction and height direction of the railway vehicle 1 are sometimes simply referred to as the left-right direction and the up-down direction, respectively.

[0025] Referring to Figure 1, the railway vehicle 1 includes a trolley 2 and a car body 3. The trolley 2 is disposed on the front and rear sides of the car body 3. Each trolley 2 has an axle 4 on its front and rear sides. Each axle 4 has a pair of wheels 4a on the left and right sides and an axle 4b extending in the left and right direction. The car body 3 is supported on each trolley 2 by air springs 5. The air springs 5 ​​are disposed on the left and right sides of each trolley 2. A damper (not shown) can be disposed between the trolley 2 and the car body 3 to attenuate the vibration of the car body 3 by means of the left and right stroke.

[0026] The railway vehicle 1 further includes a sway prevention control device 10. The sway prevention control device 10 is responsible for preventing the railway vehicle 1 from swaying vertically or horizontally while in motion, and for improving passenger comfort. In this embodiment, the sway prevention control device 10 is provided to prevent swaying in the horizontal direction. The sway prevention control device 10 includes, for example, an actuator 11, an acceleration sensor 12, and a controller 13.

[0027] Actuator 11 is disposed between trolley 2 and car body 3, and is connected to trolley 2 and car body 3. Actuator 11 is, for example, an electric actuator. Actuator 11 includes, for example, mounting parts 111 and 112, a motor 113, a ball screw nut 114, and a connecting rod 115. Actuator 11 is mounted on trolley 2 by mounting part 111 and on car body 3 by mounting part 112. Motor 113 includes a main shaft 1131. Actuator 11 is driven by rotation of the main shaft 1131 of motor 113. Ball screw nut 114 engages with the main shaft 1131 of motor 113. Ball screw nut 114 is fixed to connecting rod 115. Ball screw nut 114 and connecting rod 115 move forward and backward relative to motor 113 in the left and right direction in response to rotation of main shaft 1131. Thus, actuator 11 extends and retracts in the left and right direction.

[0028] Accelerometer 12 detects the acceleration of lateral vibrations occurring in the vehicle body 3. Accelerometer 12 is mounted on the vehicle body 3. In the example of Figure 1, the acceleration sensor 12 is mounted in the vehicle body 3 near the trolley 2.

[0029] Controller 13 is connected to actuator 11 and acceleration sensor 12. Controller 13 controls the operation of actuator 11. Specifically, while the railway vehicle 1 is in motion, the acceleration detected by acceleration sensor 12 is input to controller 13. Controller 13 uses the input acceleration to perform predetermined calculations and transmits instructions to actuator 11 based on the calculation results. Actuator 11 operates in response to the instructions from controller 13.

[0030] The controller 13 is, for example, a computer. Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the controller 13. Referring to Figure 2, the controller 13 includes, for example, an HDD 131, a CPU 132, a memory 133, an input device 134, and an output device 135. The HDD 131 stores various programs and data. The HDD 131 can also store an anomaly detection program for detecting anomalies in the railway vehicle 1. The CPU 132 can load the anomaly detection program from the HDD 131 into the memory 133 and execute it. The memory 133 becomes a working area that temporarily holds the programs executed by the CPU 132, the data used by the CPU 132, and the calculation results caused by the CPU 132. The input device 134 is a device for operators to perform input operations. The output device 135 is a device for outputting the processing results of the CPU 132, etc.

[0031] [Methods for detecting anomalies in railway vehicles] The anomaly detection method of the railway vehicle 1 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 1 and 2. In the anomaly detection method of this embodiment, damage to parts between the trolley 2 and the car body 3 is detected. The parts between the trolley 2 and the car body 3 include, for example, actuators 11, dampers, and air springs 5.

[0032] This embodiment of the anomaly detection method typically uses a stationary railway vehicle 1 as the target. For example, during the periodic inspection of the railway vehicle 1, the anomaly detection method is implemented as a self-diagnosis of the railway vehicle 1. The anomaly detection method includes preparation, vibration, detection, and judgment processes.

[0033] In the preparation process, railway vehicle 1 is prepared. In the vibration process, the car body 3 of railway vehicle 1 is vibrated at a predetermined vibration frequency using actuator 11. That is, a vibration test of railway vehicle 1 is conducted. In the inspection process, the acceleration of the vibrated car body 3 is detected using acceleration sensor 12. In the judgment process, when the frequency of the detected acceleration of car body 3 is different from the vibration frequency, it is determined that a component of railway vehicle 1 has malfunctioned.

[0034] In this embodiment of the anomaly detection method, the vibration treatment, detection, and judgment processes can also be executed by a computer. In this example, the anomaly detection method is executed by a computer, i.e., controller 13.

[0035] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the processes executed by the controller 13. The processes executed by the controller 13 will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Each process described below is executed by the controller 13. The CPU 132 of the controller 13 executes an anomaly detection program to implement the vibration amplification function, detection function, and judgment function. The vibration amplification function uses the actuator 11 to vibrate the car body 3 at a predetermined vibration frequency. The detection function uses the accelerometer 12 to detect the acceleration of the vibrated car body 3. The judgment function determines that a component of the railway vehicle 1 has malfunctioned when the detected acceleration frequency of the car body 3 differs from the vibration frequency.

[0036] (Vibration enhancement function) The controller 13 vibrates the vehicle body 3 at a predetermined vibration frequency via the actuator 11 (step S1). More specifically, the controller 13 outputs a command to the actuator 11 to vibrate the vehicle body 3 at a predetermined vibration frequency. The vibration frequency can be pre-memorized in the controller 13, but it can also be used as the vibration frequency by inputting the frequency to the controller 13 by the operator. The voltage waveform of the command output from the controller 13 to the actuator 11 is, for example, a sine wave of a certain frequency. However, the voltage waveform of the command to the actuator 11 is not limited to a sine wave; for example, it can also be a triangular wave of a certain frequency. In response to the command from the controller 13, the actuator 11 extends and retracts in the left-right direction of the vehicle body 3 at a specified frequency, causing the vehicle body 3 to vibrate.

[0037] (Detection function) The controller 13 detects the acceleration of the vibrating car body 3 using the accelerometer 12 (step S2). Specifically, the controller 13 may, for example, use the accelerometer 12 of the anti-shake control device 10 to detect the acceleration of the car body 3 vibrating via the actuator 11. Alternatively, an accelerometer other than the accelerometer 12 may be installed in the railway vehicle 1, and the acceleration of the car body 3 may be detected using that accelerometer. The detected acceleration data of the car body 3 is sent to the controller 13. The controller 13 performs frequency analysis on the acceleration data of the car body 3. In this way, the controller 13 obtains the frequency of the acceleration of the car body 3.

[0038] (Judgment Function) The controller 13 determines that a component of the railway vehicle 1 has malfunctioned when the frequency of the detected acceleration of the car body 3 differs from the vibration frequency (step S3). Specifically, the controller 13 first compares the frequency of the acceleration of the car body 3 detected in step S2 with the vibration frequency used in step S1 to determine whether the frequency of the acceleration of the car body 3 and the vibration frequency are different (step S31). The controller 13 determines whether the frequency of the acceleration of the car body 3 and the vibration frequency are significantly different. For example, when the frequency of the acceleration of the car body 3 is set to F and the vibration frequency is set to f, if the frequency F does not satisfy f-α1≦F≦f+β1, then the controller 13 determines that the frequency F and the vibration frequency f are different. Conversely, when the frequency F satisfies f-α1≦F≦f+β1, the controller 13 determines that the frequency F and the vibration frequency f are the same. Here, α1 and β1 are tolerances. For example, α1 and β1 are set to satisfy 0 to 0.3f. α1 and β1 are preferably below 0.2f, and more preferably below 0.1f. α1 can be equal to or different from β1.

[0039] Figures 4 and 5 show an example of the acceleration waveform of the car body 3 and the waveform of the command to actuator 11. Figure 4 shows the acceleration data of the car body 3 when the parts of the railway vehicle 1 are normal. Figure 5 shows the acceleration data of the car body 3 when the parts of the railway vehicle 1 malfunction.

[0040] When no abnormalities occur in the parts of the railway vehicle 1, the car body 3 vibrates at a frequency equivalent to the applied vibration frequency f of the actuator 11. That is, as shown in Figure 4, the frequency F of the acceleration of the car body 3 is substantially the same as the applied vibration frequency f. On the other hand, when abnormalities occur in the parts of the railway vehicle 1, as shown in Figure 5, the car body 3 sometimes vibrates at a frequency F different from the applied vibration frequency f. For example, when the actuator 11 or its adjacent parts are damaged, an impact may occur in response to the action of the actuator 11, and the waveform of the acceleration of the car body 3 will change.

[0041] Thus, when a component of railway vehicle 1 malfunctions, the waveform of the acceleration of the car body 3 detected by the accelerometer 12 will show a different tendency than when the component of railway vehicle 1 is functioning normally. Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, the controller 13 determines the presence or absence of a malfunction in the component of railway vehicle 1 by comparing the frequency F of the acceleration of the car body 3 detected by the accelerometer 12 with the vibration frequency f. Specifically, when the frequency F and the vibration frequency f are the same (step S31 is NO), the controller 13 determines that the component of railway vehicle 1 is not malfunctioning (step S32). On the other hand, when the frequency F and the vibration frequency f are different (step S31 is YES), the controller 13 determines that the component of railway vehicle 1 has malfunctioned (step S33). In this case, the controller 13 can also output the information that the component of railway vehicle 1 has malfunctioned to the output device 135 (screen display). This allows the operator to know that the component of railway vehicle 1 has malfunctioned.

[0042] [Effect] In this embodiment of the anomaly detection method, during the vibration process, an actuator 11 is used to vibrate the car body 3 at a predetermined vibration frequency f. During the detection process, an accelerometer 12 detects the acceleration of the vibrated car body 3. During the judgment process, the frequency F of the acceleration of the car body 3 detected by the accelerometer 12 is compared with the vibration frequency f. Then, when the frequency F differs from the vibration frequency f, it is determined that an anomaly has occurred in a part of the railway vehicle 1. In this anomaly detection method, since the vibration frequency caused by the actuator 11 is used to determine whether an anomaly has occurred, there is no need to set a reference value. Therefore, even in a new railway vehicle 1 that has not yet accumulated sufficient data to set a reference value, anomalies in the parts of that railway vehicle 1 can be detected.

[0043] In this embodiment of the anomaly detection method, the presence or absence of anomalies in the components of the railway vehicle 1 can be determined by using a predetermined vibration frequency f and the frequency F of the acceleration of the car body 3 vibrating at the vibration frequency f. Therefore, anomalies in components that affect the vibration of the car body 3 when the actuator 11 operates can be detected. For example, anomalies in components for which information cannot be directly obtained through sensors can also be detected. Therefore, anomalies in the components of the railway vehicle 1 can be detected at an early stage.

[0044] <Second Implementation Form> Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the processing performed by controller 13 (Figure 2) in the anomaly detection method of this embodiment. Hereinafter, the processing performed by controller 13 will be described with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 6. In this embodiment, controller 13 performs processing different from that described in the first embodiment. Specifically, when controller 13 determines in the determination process that the frequency F of the acceleration of vehicle body 3 is different from the vibration frequency f (step S31 is YES), processing not performed in the first embodiment is performed.

[0045] In this embodiment, the determination function is to determine that the actuator 11 has malfunctioned when the frequency F of the acceleration of the vehicle body 3 is twice the vibration frequency f. Specifically, when the controller 13 determines that the frequency F of the acceleration of the vehicle body 3 is different from the vibration frequency f (step S31 is YES), the controller 13 determines whether the frequency F of the acceleration of the vehicle body 3 is twice the vibration frequency f (step S34). The controller 13 determines whether the frequency F of the acceleration of the vehicle body 3 is substantially twice the vibration frequency f. For example, when the frequency F satisfies 2.0f-α2≦F≦2.0f+β2, the controller 13 determines that the frequency F is twice the vibration frequency f. Conversely, when the frequency F does not satisfy 2.0f-α2≦F≦2.0f+β2, the controller 13 determines that the frequency F is not twice the vibration frequency f. Here, α2 and β2 are tolerances. α2 and β2 are, for example, set to satisfy 0 or more and 0.6f or less. α2 and β2 are preferably below 0.4f, and more preferably below 0.2f. α2 can be equal to or different from β2.

[0046] When the frequency F is twice the vibration frequency f (step S34 is YES), the controller 13 determines that the actuator 11 has malfunctioned (step S35). In this case, the controller 13 can output the status of the actuator 11 malfunction to the output device 135. Conversely, when the frequency F is not twice the vibration frequency f, it is difficult to identify the malfunctioning part. Therefore, when the frequency F is not twice the vibration frequency f (step S34 is NO), the controller 13 determines that a part of the railway vehicle 1 has malfunctioned, but does not identify the malfunctioning part (step S36). In this case, the controller 13 can also output the status of not being able to identify the malfunctioning part to the output device 135.

[0047] For example, when the mounting parts 111 and 112 of the actuator 11 are damaged, an impact occurs when the actuator 11 extends to its full extent and retracts to its full extent, increasing the likelihood that the frequency F of the vehicle body 3's acceleration becomes twice the vibration frequency f. As the damage to the mounting parts 111 and 112 worsens, a gap forms between the portion of the actuator 11 connected to the mounting parts 111 and 112 and the mounting parts 111 and 112, causing the actuator 11 to loosen. When the actuator 11 becomes loose, an impact sound may sometimes occur when the actuator 11 operates. Therefore, in the anomaly detection method of this embodiment, during the judgment process, when the frequency F is twice the vibration frequency f, it is determined that the actuator 11 has malfunctioned. In this anomaly detection method, even assuming no abnormal noise occurs when the actuator 11 operates, if the frequency F of the vehicle body 3's acceleration is twice the vibration frequency f, it is considered that the probability of some kind of impact is high, and the actuator 11 is determined to have malfunctioned. Therefore, anomalies of the actuator 11 can be detected early. Furthermore, since the actuator 11 is determined to be abnormal when the acceleration frequency F of the vehicle body 3 is twice the vibration frequency f, the actuator 11 can be identified first, especially the mounting parts 111 and 112, and the replacement of the actuator 11 itself or its constituent parts can be carried out efficiently.

[0048] In each embodiment, when the controller 13 performs frequency analysis on the acceleration data of the car body 3 detected in step S2, it can also perform envelope analysis on the data. Through envelope analysis, the characteristic frequency of the abnormality caused by the component of the railway vehicle 1 is output. In this case, the controller 13 obtains the characteristic frequency obtained through envelope analysis as the frequency F of the acceleration of the car body 3.

[0049] The above describes the embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from its spirit.

[0050] In the above-described embodiment, the anomaly detection method is performed by executing an anomaly detection program through controller 13 (computer). However, the anomaly detection method can also be implemented by means other than program processing. For example, the vibration testing, detection, and judgment processes in the anomaly detection method can also be performed by an operator. The operator can visually confirm the waveform of the acceleration of the vehicle body 3 obtained in the vibration test and compare its acceleration frequency F with the vibration frequency f.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the anomaly detection program is executed by the controller 13. However, the anomaly detection program can also be executed by a computer other than the controller 13. For example, the anomaly detection program can also be executed by a computer outside the railway vehicle 1. The anomaly detection program executed by the computer's processor can be stored in a non-temporary memory medium that can be read by the computer. Memory media include, for example, magnetic memory media such as hard disks, optical memory media such as CD-Rs, semiconductor memory, etc.

[0052] In the above embodiments, the actuator 11 is configured to vibrate the vehicle body 3 in the left-right direction. However, the direction of vibration of the vehicle body 3 is not limited to this. The actuator 11 may also be configured to vibrate the vehicle body 3 in the up-down direction.

[0053] 1: Railway vehicles 2: trolley 3: Vehicle body 11: Actuator 12: Accelerometer 13: Controller (Computer)

Claims

1. A method for detecting anomalies in a railway vehicle, comprising: a preparation process, preparing a railway vehicle including a trolley, a car body, an actuator disposed between the trolley and the car body, and an acceleration sensor; a vibration process, vibrating the car body at a predetermined vibration frequency using the actuator; a detection process, detecting the acceleration of the car body before vibration using the acceleration sensor; and a determination process, determining that a component of the railway vehicle has malfunctioned when the detected acceleration frequency of the car body is different from the vibration frequency.

2. The anomaly detection method as described in request item 1, wherein, In the aforementioned determination process, when the frequency of the acceleration of the aforementioned vehicle body is twice the aforementioned vibration frequency, it is determined that the aforementioned actuator has malfunctioned.

3. The anomaly detection method as described in request item 2, wherein, In the aforementioned determination process, if the frequency of the aforementioned vehicle body acceleration is set as F, the aforementioned vibration frequency is set as f, and the allowable error is set as α2 and β2 (where α2 and β2 are 0 or more and 0.6f or less respectively), when the aforementioned frequency F satisfies 2.0f-α2≦F≦2.0f+β2, the aforementioned frequency F is determined to be twice the aforementioned vibration frequency f.

4. An anomaly detection program for railway vehicles, comprising a trolley, a car body, an actuator disposed between the trolley and the car body, and an acceleration sensor, and enabling a computer to perform: a vibration function, wherein the actuator vibrates the car body at a predetermined vibration frequency; a detection function, wherein the acceleration of the car body before vibration is performed is detected by the acceleration sensor; and a determination function, wherein when the frequency of the detected acceleration of the car body is different from the vibration frequency, a component of the railway vehicle is determined to have malfunctioned.

5. The anomaly detection program as described in request item 4, wherein, The aforementioned determination function determines that the aforementioned actuator has malfunctioned when the acceleration frequency of the aforementioned vehicle body is twice the aforementioned vibration frequency.

6. The anomaly detection program as described in request item 5, wherein, The aforementioned determination function is to determine that if the frequency of the acceleration of the aforementioned vehicle body is set as F, the aforementioned vibration frequency is set as f, and the allowable error is set as α2 and β2 (where α2 and β2 are 0 or more and 0.6f or less respectively), when the aforementioned frequency F satisfies 2.0f-α2≦F≦2.0f+β2, the aforementioned frequency F is determined to be twice the aforementioned vibration frequency f.

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