Railway condition monitoring device, railway vehicle bogie, railway vehicle, railway brake control device

Abstract

The present invention provides a railway state monitoring device, a railway vehicle bogie, a railway vehicle, and a railway brake control device. One of the purposes is to provide a railway state monitoring device that can improve versatility. The railway state monitoring device (20) comprises: an acquisition unit (30) mounted on the bogie of a railway vehicle (100) and acquiring state information related to one or more of vibration, speed, acceleration, sound, reflected light, image, temperature, humidity, and wheel diameter; a determination unit (44) mounted on the bogie and determining the state of the track (8) on which the bogie is traveling or the state of the bogie (10) based on the state information acquired by the acquisition unit (30) and providing the determination result of the determination unit; a transmission unit (48) mounted on the bogie and transmitting the determination result to the outside of the bogie; and a power supply unit (70) mounted on the bogie and supplying power to the acquisition unit (30) and the transmission unit (48).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a railway state monitoring device, a railway vehicle bogie, a railway vehicle, and a railway brake control device. Background Art

[0002] Detection devices for detecting flat wear and other conditions on wheels are known (e.g., Patent Document 1). The detection device described in Patent Document 1 includes: a wheel detector and an impact vibration detection element, which are arranged at a predetermined distance along the length of the track; and a processing unit that processes the output signals of the axle detector and the impact vibration detection element. The processing unit determines the presence of flat wear or delamination based on the magnitude of the vibration signal from the impact vibration detection element and the duration of the impact vibration. Furthermore, the processing unit processes the output signals of the wheel detector to identify wheels or bogies experiencing flat wear or delamination.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-000311 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] The present inventors have come to the following understanding regarding components for detecting the status of railway tracks, wheels, etc. If the railway tracks, wheels, etc. wear and cause failures, it is possible that this will affect travel. In order to reduce these failures, it is conceivable to shorten the maintenance interval so that maintenance such as replacement can be performed before failure occurs. In this case, the maintenance man-hours and replacement materials cost too much, which is disadvantageous in terms of cost. On the other hand, if the maintenance interval is extended, the possibility of failure will increase if wear occurs earlier than expected. Therefore, it is desirable to detect the status of the tracks, wheels, etc. and use the detection results as a reference to determine the maintenance period.

[0008] It is desirable that components for detecting the status of rails, wheels, and the like have high versatility. The detection device described in Patent Document 1 uses output signals from wheel detectors and impact vibration detection elements installed on the rails at a predetermined distance related to the distance between vehicles. Therefore, detection can only be performed on the rails where these components are installed, and therefore cannot be considered highly versatile.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and one of its objects is to provide a railway condition monitoring device that can improve versatility.

[0010] Solutions for solving problems

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a certain form of a railway status monitoring device of the present invention comprises: an acquisition unit, which is installed on the bogie of a railway vehicle, and acquires status information related to one or more states of vibration, speed, acceleration, sound, reflected light, image, temperature, humidity and wheel diameter; a judgment unit, which is installed on the bogie, and judges the state of the track on which the bogie is traveling or the state of the bogie based on the status information obtained by the acquisition unit, and provides the judgment result of the judgment unit; a sending unit, which is installed on the bogie, and sends the judgment result to the outside of the bogie; and a power supply unit, which is installed on the bogie, and supplies power to the acquisition unit and the sending unit.

[0012] In addition, as aspects of the present invention, any combination of the above, and aspects in which the constituent elements and expressions of the present invention are mutually replaced among methods, apparatuses, programs, temporary or non-temporary storage media recording the programs, systems, etc. are also valid.

[0013] Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a railway condition monitoring device that can improve versatility. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram schematically showing a front view of a railway vehicle.

[0016] Figure 2 It roughly indicates Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a side view of a railway vehicle.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a block diagram schematically showing the state monitoring device according to the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a diagram schematically showing an example of a data group of a learning model of the state monitoring device according to the first embodiment.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a diagram schematically showing a learning model of the state monitoring device according to the first embodiment.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a block diagram schematically showing a state monitoring device according to the second embodiment.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a diagram schematically showing an example of a data group of a learning model of the state monitoring device according to the second embodiment.

[0022] Figure 8 This is a diagram schematically showing a learning model of the state monitoring device according to the second embodiment.

[0023] Figure 9 This is a block diagram schematically showing a brake control device according to a third embodiment.

[0024] Figure 10 This is a flowchart showing the operation of the brake control device according to the third embodiment.

[0025] Figure 11 This is a diagram schematically showing an example of a data group of a learning model of the brake control device according to the third embodiment.

[0026] Figure 12 This is a diagram schematically showing a learning model of the brake control device according to the third embodiment.

[0027] Figure 13 This is a block diagram schematically showing a state monitoring device according to a fourth embodiment.

[0028] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram schematically showing the shaking of the bogie according to the fourth embodiment.

[0029] Figure 15 This is a diagram schematically showing an example of axle-specific position-specific tilt information according to the fourth embodiment.

[0030] Figure 16 This is a block diagram schematically showing a state monitoring device according to a fifth embodiment.

[0031] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a bogie according to the fifth embodiment passes on a track surface.

[0032] Figure 18 It is a diagram showing vibration information of the bogie of the fifth embodiment and other bogies.

[0033] Figure 19 This is a flowchart showing the operation of the state monitoring device according to the fifth embodiment.

[0034] Figure 20 This is a block diagram schematically showing a state monitoring device according to the sixth embodiment.

[0035] Figure 21 This is a flowchart showing the operation of the brake control device according to the sixth embodiment.

[0036] Figure 22 This is a diagram schematically showing the ratio of the braking force of the contact brake according to the sixth embodiment.

[0037] Figure 23 It is a diagram schematically showing the operation of the contact brake according to the sixth embodiment.

[0038] Figure 24It is a diagram schematically showing the operation of the contact brake according to the sixth embodiment.

[0039] Figure 25 This is a block diagram schematically showing a brake control device according to a seventh embodiment.

[0040] Figure 26 This is a flowchart showing the operation of the brake control device according to the seventh embodiment.

[0041] Figure 27 It is a diagram schematically showing the operation of the brake control device according to the seventh embodiment.

[0042] Figure 28 This is a block diagram schematically showing a state monitoring device according to the eighth embodiment.

[0043] Figure 29 This is a schematic diagram of a bogie according to the eighth embodiment, as seen from the front.

[0044] Figure 30 It is a schematic side view of a bogie according to the eighth embodiment.

[0045] Figure 31 This is a block diagram schematically showing a state monitoring device according to the ninth embodiment.

[0046] Figure 32 This is a schematic diagram of a bogie according to the ninth embodiment, as seen from the front.

[0047] Figure 33 It is a schematic side view of a bogie according to the ninth embodiment.

[0048] Figure 34 It is a schematic side view of a bogie according to the ninth embodiment.

[0049] Description of Reference Numerals

[0050] 2. Vehicle body; 8. Track; 10. Bogie; 12. Bogie frame; 14. Lower spring portion; 16. Wheel; 16b. Tread; 18. Brake; 18b. Brake shoe; 18c. Braking member; 18d. Contact brake; 18e. Regenerative brake; 20. Status monitoring device; 30. Acquisition unit; 30b. Vibration sensor; 30c. Speed ​​sensor; 30d. Acceleration sensor; 30e. Sound sensor; 30f. Light sensor; 30g. Image sensor; 30h. Temperature sensor; 30j. Humidity sensor; 30k, 30p, 30s, Distance sensor; 30m, Tilt sensor; 44. Determination unit; 46. Storage unit; 48. Transmission unit; 60. Braking control unit; 70. Power supply unit; 80. Braking control device; 100. Vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the embodiments and variations, identical or equivalent components and members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, the dimensions of the components in the drawings are appropriately exaggerated or reduced. Furthermore, in the drawings, some components that are not essential for describing the embodiments are omitted.

[0052] Furthermore, terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second are used to describe various components. These terms are used only to distinguish one component from other components, and the components are not limited by these terms.

[0053] [First embodiment]

[0054] Reference Figures 1 to 5 Next, a railway state monitoring device 20 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “state monitoring device 20”) and a railway brake control device 80 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “brake control device 80”) according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram showing a front view of the railway vehicle 100 . Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram showing a side view of the railway vehicle 100 . Figure 3 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 of this embodiment. The state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 of this embodiment are mounted on a railway vehicle 100. In particular, the state monitoring device 20 is mounted on the bogie 10 of the railway vehicle 100.

[0055] include Figure 3 The functional modules shown in the various figures of this disclosure can be implemented in hardware by electronic components such as a computer CPU, mechanical parts, etc., and in software by computer programs, etc., and herein, functional modules that can be implemented by the cooperation of these components are depicted. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that these functional modules can be implemented in various forms using a combination of hardware and software.

[0056] Hereinafter, the front-to-back direction of the vehicle 100 will be referred to as the front-to-back direction, and the width direction of the vehicle 100 will be referred to as the width direction. The vehicle 100 includes a vehicle body 2, a bogie 10, a brake 18, a state monitoring device 20, and a brake control device 80. The state monitoring device 20 includes an acquisition unit 30, an information processing unit 40, a power supply unit 70, and a position information acquisition unit 82. Furthermore, the brake control device 80 includes an acquisition unit 30, an information processing unit 40, and a brake control unit 60. The information processing unit 40 includes a determination unit 44, a storage unit 46, a transmission unit 48, a transmission control unit 42, and a model generation unit 45. The brake 18 is composed of a contact brake 18d and a regenerative brake 18e.

[0057] The vehicle body 2 is supported on a plurality of bogies 10 via air springs 12s and is connected to each bogie 10 via a traction device 12p. The vehicle body 2 includes a driver's cab 2d. The vehicle 100 includes a motor (not shown) as a prime mover, which drives the wheels 16 mounted on the bogies 10 to travel on the track 8. The vehicle 100 of this embodiment includes two bogies 10 spaced apart from each other in the front and rear.

[0058] The bogie 10 includes a bogie frame 12, an axle spring 12j, and a spring lower portion 14. The bogie frame 12 supports the vehicle body 2 from above. The spring lower portion 14 is supported by the bogie frame 12 via the axle spring 12j. The axle spring 12j is a pair of coil springs spaced apart in the width direction. The axle spring 12j may be a different type of spring than the coil spring.

[0059] The sprung lower portion 14 includes an axlebox 14b, a bearing 14c, a wheel 16, an axle 16s, and a contact brake 18d. Two axleboxes 14b are provided, corresponding to the two coil springs of the axle spring 12j. The axlebox 14b is a box-shaped member supported from above by the axle spring 12j on the bogie frame 12. The bearing 14c is housed in the axlebox 14b, rotatably supporting the axle 16s. The number of coil springs is not limited to two and may be more than two.

[0060] Two wheels 16 are spaced apart in the width direction, with an axle 16s positioned at the center. Each wheel 16 has a cylindrical or conical tread 16b and a flange 16c that rolls on the rail 8. The axle 16s passes through the center of the wheel 16, and the portion protruding outward in the width direction of the wheel 16 is supported by bearings 14c within the axle box 14b. The contact brake 18d includes an actuator 18a and a brake shoe 18b. Air pressure for the brake drive activates the actuator 18a, pressing the brake shoe 18b against the tread 16b, thereby generating braking force on the wheel 16.

[0061] (Brake control device)

[0062] The vehicle 100 of this embodiment is equipped with a regenerative brake 18e in addition to a contact brake 18d. The brake control device 80 changes the method of applying the brake 18 based on control information from the state monitoring device 20 and other control units. In particular, upon receiving a brake control signal Bc transmitted in response to the determination result E1, the brake control unit 60 changes the timing of operating the contact brake 18d and the regenerative brake 18e. The brake control unit 60 is located in the cab 2d of the vehicle 100.

[0063] (Status Monitoring Device)

[0064] The state monitoring device 20 is described. As described above, the state monitoring device 20 includes the acquisition unit 30, the information processing unit 40, the power supply unit 70, and the position information acquisition unit 82. The information processing unit 40 includes the determination unit 44, the storage unit 46, the transmission unit 48, the transmission control unit 42, and the model generation unit 45.

[0065] The information processing unit 40 is mounted on the bogie 10. In this example, the information processing unit 40 is fixed to the bogie frame 12. In this case, the influence of the vibration of the wheel 16 can be reduced. The acquisition unit 30 acquires state information J1 related to one or more of vibration, speed, acceleration, sound, reflected light, image, temperature, humidity, and wheel diameter. As will be discussed later, the determination unit 44 determines whether the state information J1 satisfies pre-set conditions based on the state information J1 acquired by the acquisition unit 30. The position information acquisition unit 82 acquires position information Jp related to the vehicle 100.

[0066] (Power Supply Department)

[0067] The power supply unit 70 is described below. The power supply unit 70 supplies power to the state monitoring device 20 and the acquisition unit 30. In other words, power is supplied from the power supply unit 70 to the acquisition unit 30 and the information processing unit 40. The power supply unit 70 can also supply power to the position information acquisition unit 82. The power supply unit 70 includes a generator 70g, a battery 70b, and a power control unit 70m. The generator 70g supplies generated power. As an example, the generator 70g can be configured to include a device (including a power generation element) that can convert physical energy such as the vibration energy of the bogie 10 and the rotational energy of the wheel 16 into electricity.

[0068] The generator 70g of this embodiment is configured to supply power based on electromagnetic principles, using eddy currents generated by the rotation of the wheels 16. The provision of the generator 70g eliminates wiring for power supply to the vehicle body 2, reducing the space, components, and labor required for wiring. Furthermore, information can be acquired and transmitted externally using only the device attached to the bogie 10. Furthermore, the power supply unit 70 can also supply vehicle body power transmitted from the vehicle body 2 via wiring to the status monitoring device 20. In this case, the power supply unit 70 may or may not be used simultaneously with the generator 70g.

[0069] (Battery)

[0070] Due to factors such as space limitations and weight limitations, the power generated by the generator 70g is sometimes limited. In addition, the power consumption of the status monitoring device 20 fluctuates greatly over time. If the power generated by the generator 70g is smaller than the peak power consumption of the status monitoring device 20, there is a possibility that the status monitoring device 20 will malfunction due to insufficient power. Therefore, the power supply unit 70 of this embodiment has a battery 70b that is charged using the power generated by the generator 70g or the power of the vehicle body. In this case, even if the power generated by the generator 70g is weak, it is possible to supply a large amount of power for a certain period of time by charging the battery 70b. Therefore, even if the power generated by the generator 70g is smaller than the peak power consumption of the status monitoring device 20, malfunction can be suppressed.

[0071] (Power Control Unit)

[0072] The information processing unit 40 consumes a significant amount of power when the transmitter 48, discussed later, transmits predetermined information. If the remaining charge level of the battery 70b is low, the transmitter 48 may erroneously transmit due to insufficient power during transmission. Therefore, the power supply unit 70 of this embodiment includes a power control unit 70m that monitors the remaining charge level of the battery 70b, the power generated by the generator 70g, and other information. The power control unit 70m determines whether a power shortage has occurred during transmission by the transmitter 48 based on information related to the bogie 10's power and the bogie 10's position information Jp. The power control unit 70m provides the information processing unit 40 with the result of this determination as power information Je. Examples of information related to the bogie 10's power include the power generated by the generator 70g, the remaining charge level of the battery 70b, and the transmission schedule of the transmitter 48. The determination result of the power control unit 70m may also include information such as whether a power shortage has occurred during transmission and when sufficient power is available. The power information Je may also include information such as the remaining charge level of the battery 70b and the power generated by the generator 70g.

[0073] (Location Information Acquisition Unit)

[0074] The position information acquisition unit 82 will be described. As described above, the position information acquisition unit 82 acquires position information Jp related to the position of the vehicle 100. Position information Jp can be acquired using a location information measurement system utilizing artificial satellites, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), from a sign indicating the kilometer distance from the starting point of the railway, by integrating the vehicle's speed, or a combination of these methods. The position information acquisition unit 82 of this embodiment acquires position information Jp using the GPS. The position information acquisition unit 82 transmits the acquired position information Jp to the information processing unit 40. The position information Jp is stored in the storage unit 46.

[0075] (Acquisition Department)

[0076] The acquisition unit 30 is described. In the acquisition unit 30, vibration information related to vibration is acquired by a vibration sensor 30b based on a well-known principle. The vibration sensor 30b can be installed in the bogie frame 12 or the lower spring portion 14. The vibration sensor 30b of this embodiment is installed in the axle box 14b to acquire the vibration of the bogie 10. The object for obtaining vibration information is not limited. In this embodiment, the wheel 16, the axle 16s or the axle box 14b is used as the object. Based on the vibration information, the surface conditions of the object, such as wear, deformation (including peeling, the same applies hereinafter), and surface roughness, can be grasped.

[0077] For ease of comparison, vibration information is desirably acquired when the vehicle speed is within a predetermined state. Examples of such vehicle speed states include an acceleration zone where the vehicle is in a predetermined acceleration state, a constant speed driving zone (including coasting) where the vehicle maintains a predetermined speed, and a deceleration zone where the vehicle is in a predetermined deceleration state. This applies not only to vibration information but also to status information J1 related to speed, acceleration, sound, reflected light, images, temperature, humidity, and wheel diameter.

[0078] In the acquisition unit 30, speed information related to the speed is acquired by a speed sensor 30c based on a known principle. The speed sensor 30c can be installed in the bogie frame 12 or the unsprung portion 14. In this embodiment, the speed sensor 30c is installed in the axle box 14b and acquires information related to the front-rear speed of the bogie 10. Based on the history of speed information, the accumulated state of pressure applied to the bogie 10 and its components (hereinafter referred to as "pressure state") can be understood.

[0079] In the acquisition unit 30, acceleration information related to acceleration is acquired by an acceleration sensor 30d based on a known principle. The acceleration sensor 30d can be installed in the bogie frame 12 or the unsprung portion 14. In this embodiment, the acceleration sensor 30d is installed in the axle box 14b and acquires information related to the acceleration in the longitudinal direction of the bogie 10. The pressure state can be understood based on the history of the acceleration information.

[0080] In the acquisition unit 30, sound information related to sound is acquired by a sound sensor 30e based on a known principle. The sound sensor 30e can be installed in the bogie frame 12 or the unsprung portion 14. In this embodiment, the sound sensor 30e is installed in the axle box 14b to acquire information related to sound from the bogie 10. The object from which the sound information is acquired is not limited; in this embodiment, the object is the space surrounding the rail 8 or the wheel 16. The sound information can be used to determine the surface conditions of the object, such as wear, deformation, and surface roughness. The sound sensor 30e can also be a microphone.

[0081] In the acquisition unit 30, reflected light information related to reflected light is acquired by a photosensor 30f based on a known principle. The photosensor 30f can be installed on the bogie frame 12 or the lower spring portion 14. In this embodiment, the photosensor 30f is installed on the bogie frame 12 to acquire information related to reflected light from the bogie 10. The photosensor 30f can also irradiate an object with external light, such as sunlight or external lighting, and detect the reflected light from the external light. In this embodiment, the photosensor 30f irradiates an object with light such as laser light from a light irradiation unit 32 installed on the bogie 10 to acquire reflected light and detects the reflected light from the laser light. The object from which the reflected light is acquired is not limited; in this embodiment, the upper surface of the rail 8 or the tread 16b of the wheel 16 is used as the object. Based on the reflected light information, the surface condition of the object, such as wear and deformation, can be understood.

[0082] In the acquisition unit 30, image information related to the image is acquired by an image sensor 30g based on a known principle. The image sensor 30g can be installed in the bogie frame 12 or the lower spring portion 14. In this embodiment, the image sensor 30g is installed in the bogie frame 12 to acquire information related to the image of the bogie 10. The image sensor 30g can also illuminate an object with external light, such as sunlight or external lighting, and detect an image of the object generated by the external light. The image sensor 30g in this embodiment illuminates an object with light from a light irradiation unit 32 installed in the bogie 10 for image acquisition and detects an image of the object. The object for which the image is acquired is not limited; in this embodiment, the upper surface of the rail 8 or the tread 16b of the wheel 16 is used as the object. The surface condition of the object, such as wear and deformation, can be understood based on the image information.

[0083] In the acquisition unit 30, temperature information related to temperature is acquired by a temperature sensor 30h based on a known principle. The temperature sensor 30h can be installed in the bogie frame 12 or the lower spring portion 14. In this embodiment, the temperature sensor 30h is installed in the axle box 14b and acquires information related to the temperature of the bogie 10. The target for acquiring temperature information is not limited; in this embodiment, the temperature of the rail 8 or wheel 16 or the temperature of the ambient gas is used as the target. The pressure state of the target can be determined based on the temperature information. The thermal expansion state of the target can be determined based on the temperature information. The accumulated pressure state of the target can be determined based on the temperature information history.

[0084] In the acquisition unit 30, humidity information related to humidity is acquired by a humidity sensor 30j based on a known principle. The humidity sensor 30j can be installed on the bogie frame 12 or the unsprung portion 14. In this embodiment, the humidity sensor 30j is installed on the bogie frame 12 and acquires information related to the humidity of the bogie 10. The target for acquiring humidity information is not limited; in this embodiment, the target is the atmospheric humidity of the rail 8 or the wheel 16. Based on the humidity information, the friction coefficient of the target can be determined. The rust status of the target can also be determined based on the history of humidity information.

[0085] In the acquisition unit 30, wheel diameter information related to the radius of the wheel 16 is acquired by a distance sensor 30k based on a known principle. The distance sensor 30k can be installed on the bogie frame 12 or the unsprung portion 14. The distance sensor 30k in this embodiment is installed on the bogie frame 12 and acquires the distance from the bogie frame 12 to the tread 16b of the wheel 16 as wheel diameter information based on reflected light from infrared rays, laser beams, or the like. Since the braking force varies depending on the wheel diameter, the state of the braking force can be determined based on the wheel diameter information. Based on the determined braking force, the pressing force of the brake shoe 18b and the timing of the contact brake 18d can be adjusted to achieve a more appropriate braking force.

[0086] There is no restriction on the timing of information acquisition by each sensor 30b, 30c, 30d, 30e, 30f, 30g, 30h, 30j, and 30k. The sensors 30b, 30c, 30d, 30e, 30f, 30g, 30h, 30j, and 30k of this embodiment can also acquire information when the vehicle 100 is not in operation and no passengers or luggage are on board. In this case, the influence of passengers and luggage on the acquired information can be reduced.

[0087] The acquisition unit 30 may also constantly acquire the status information J1. In this example, the acquisition unit 30 acquires the status information J1 at a predetermined time, in a predetermined state, or when the bogie 10 is at a predetermined position. In this case, by acquiring information at a predetermined time or position, it can be easily compared with past information, thereby reducing power consumption. The status information J1 includes errors caused by the influence of differences in travel path conditions. Examples of such travel path conditions include tunnels, curves, bridges, and ramps. To reduce the influence of differences in travel path conditions, the acquisition unit 30 can acquire the status information J1 at a predetermined position based on the position information Jp.

[0088] (Storage Department)

[0089] The storage unit 46 temporarily stores the state information J1 acquired by the acquisition unit 30. The storage unit 46 can store the state information J1 in association with the time it was acquired. In this case, the state of the track 8 and bogie 10 can be determined based on the history of the state information J1. The storage unit 46 stores the learning model M1, which will be discussed later. The storage unit 46 stores the determination results of the determination unit 44 regarding the state of the track 8 and bogie 10. The storage unit 46 stores the position information Jp transmitted from the position information acquisition unit 82. The storage unit 46 temporarily stores this information. By storing information in the storage unit 46 in this manner, data can be aggregated and transmitted in a state suitable for transmission.

[0090] (Judgment Department)

[0091] The determination unit 44 determines the state of the track 8 and bogie 10 based on the state information J1. The inventors' research has revealed that there is a certain correlation between the state information J1 and the state of the track 8 and bogie 10. By using this correlation, the state of the track 8 and bogie 10 can be determined based on the state information J1. The determination unit 44 may also use a pre-set reference value (hereinafter referred to as a "threshold value") to determine the state of the track 8 and bogie 10. For example, the determination unit 44 may determine that the state is normal when the state information J1 is below the threshold value, and determine that the state is abnormal when the state information J1 exceeds the threshold value. The determination unit 44 may also determine the state of the track 8 and bogie 10 using previously acquired reference state information J1. For example, the determination unit 44 may add a predetermined margin to the reference state information J1 to set the threshold value, and determine that the state is normal when the state information J1 is below the threshold value, and determine that the state is abnormal when the state information J1 exceeds the threshold value.

[0092] The determination unit 44 may also determine the state of the track 8 and bogie 10 using the learning model M1 stored in the storage unit 46. Hereinafter, the determination results of the determination unit 44 are collectively referred to as determination results E1. The determination unit 44 may also use multiple thresholds, and the state information J1 may be classified into multiple categories from normal to abnormal using multiple thresholds. In this case, the determination result E1 may also be the classified category.

[0093] The determination unit 44 may determine the state of the rail 8 and bogie 10 at random times, but in this example, the state of the rail 8 and bogie 10 is determined at a predetermined time, a predetermined state, or when the bogie 10 is at a predetermined position. The determination unit 44 can determine the state of the rail 8 and bogie 10 at a predetermined position based on the position information Jp. In this case, the influence of differences in travel path conditions can be suppressed.

[0094] (Learning Model)

[0095] The learning model M1 will be explained. The determination unit 44 in this example uses the learning model M1 to determine the state Ck of the track 8 and bogie 10. The learning model M1 is an AI model generated through machine learning based on pre-acquired reference state information and actual measurement data of the track state or bogie state corresponding to the reference state information. Using the learning model M1 facilitates faster data processing and achieves higher determination accuracy. Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a data set Ds1 of a learning model M1. Figure 5 is a diagram schematically showing the learning model M1. Figure 5 As shown, the learning model M1 provides output data corresponding to the input data based on the input data.

[0096] The learning model M1 can be generated using known machine learning methods such as support vector machines, neural networks (including deep learning), and random forests. The learning model M1 is stored in the storage unit 46. The learning model M1 can also be generated based on actual measurement data collected in the past for other bogies of the same type. In this embodiment, the learning model M1 is generated by the model generation unit 45 provided to the bogie 10 using actual measurement data collected for the bogie 10 itself as the target for determination as the data set Ds1.

[0097] (Model Generation Department)

[0098] The model generation unit 45 will be described. The model generation unit 45 generates a learning model M1 in advance through machine learning based on the state Ck of the track 8 and the bogie 10 and the state information J1 corresponding to the state Ck. In this example, the model generation unit 45 uses the previously acquired states Ck (Ck(0), Ck(1)...) and state information J1 (J1(0), J1(1)...) as a data set Ds1, and uses this data set Ds1 as training data (Japanese: teacher data) to generate the model M1 through machine learning (supervised learning).

[0099] In this description, the state information J1 and the state Ck are each unary data, but they may be multi-dimensional data. In addition, the state information J1 and the state Ck may be numerical data digitized in a predetermined unit.

[0100] The conditions for collecting the measured data of the data set Ds1 are not limited. In this example, the measured data of the data set Ds1 are collected at a predetermined position based on the position information Jp. In this case, the influence of differences in the conditions of the travel route can be suppressed.

[0101] The determination unit 44 inputs the newly acquired state information J1 as input data into the learning model M1, and obtains the state Ck of the track 8 and bogie 10 from the learning model M1 as output data. The determination unit 44 outputs the state Ck of the track 8 and bogie 10 obtained from the learning model M1 as a determination result E1.

[0102] The learning model M1 can be used without being updated in the initial setting state, but is updated in this example. The model generation unit 45 updates the learning model M1 through machine learning based on the newly acquired new state information and the actual measurement data of the state of the track or the state of the bogie corresponding to the new state information. In this case, even if the relationship between the state information J1 and the state Ck of the track 8 and the bogie 10 changes due to factors such as the season and the number of years of use, the judgment accuracy can be maintained. The model generation unit 45 can also update the learning model M1 at random times, but in this example, the learning model M1 is updated at a predetermined time when the state is in a predetermined state. For example, the model generation unit 45 can update the learning model M1 according to a schedule set according to the season.

[0103] (Sending Department)

[0104] The transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E1 to the outside of the bogie 10 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "external" in this specification). The determination result E1 transmitted from the transmission unit 48 can be received in the cab 2d or by the computer 84c of the ground control post 84 outside the vehicle 100 or by a cloud system. The determination result E1 can also be displayed on the vehicle monitor 2e in the cab 2d. When the determination result E1 satisfies a predetermined condition, the transmission unit 48 transmits a brake control signal Bc to the brake control unit 60. For example, the brake control unit 60 changes the operating timing of the contact brake 18d and the regenerative brake 18e based on the brake control signal Bc.

[0105] Transmitter 48 can transmit information using a wired or wireless connection, a bus line, a network line, a dedicated line, or a general-purpose line. Transmitter 48 can also transmit information using a standardized communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). In this embodiment, transmitter 48 transmits information wirelessly.

[0106] (Transmission Control Unit)

[0107] The transmission timing of the transmission unit 48 is not limited. In the present embodiment, the transmission timing of the transmission unit 48 is controlled by the transmission control unit 42. As an example, the transmission control unit 42 controls the transmission unit 48 to transmit the determination result E1 in a situation described later. The transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E1 under the control of the transmission control unit 42. In this case, the amount of transmitted data can be reduced compared to a case where the data is transmitted at any time.

[0108] Transmitter 48 transmits determination result E1 when determination result E1 from determination unit 44 satisfies a pre-set condition, and does not transmit it when the condition is not satisfied. For example, transmitter 48 may not transmit when determination result E1 indicates normal, but may transmit when determination result E1 indicates abnormal. Furthermore, transmitter 48 may transmit when determination result E1 has changed from a previous determination result.

[0109] The transmitter 48 transmits the determination result E1 when the determination result E1 of the determination unit 44 exceeds a predetermined level of information volume, and does not transmit it when the information volume is less than the predetermined level. In this case, the total amount of transmitted data can be suppressed.

[0110] Transmitter 48 transmits determination result E1 when the power generated by generator 70g exceeds a preset level, and does not transmit when it is below that level. Furthermore, transmitter 48 transmits determination result E1 when the remaining power level of battery 70b exceeds a preset level, and does not transmit when it is below that level. This prevents erroneous transmissions caused by insufficient power during transmission. Specifically, transmission control unit 42 may control transmitter 48 based on power information Je from power control unit 70m.

[0111] The transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E1 when the bogie 10 is located at a predetermined transmission position based on the position information Jp. Furthermore, the transmission unit 48 does not transmit the determination result E1 when the bogie 10 is located at a separately predetermined non-transmission position based on the position information Jp. Examples of non-transmission positions include locations that hinder transmission, such as tunnels, behind mountains, and in the shade of buildings.

[0112] The transmitter 48 transmits the determination result E1 when the communication status with the communication partner is higher than a preset level (good), and does not transmit when it is lower than that level (poor). For example, the transmitter 48 does not transmit when the communication status is poor due to conditions such as tunnels, behind mountains, or in the shade of buildings, but transmits when the communication status is good. For example, the communication status can be determined based on the rate of communication errors in mutual communication with the ground command post 84.

[0113] The transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E1 at a transmission time corresponding to a pre-set transmission schedule. Examples of such transmission times include early mornings and late evenings when external vibration and noise are less frequent. In this case, the effects of external vibration and noise can be reduced. Furthermore, by transmitting at a predetermined time, the effects of temperature fluctuations in the rail 8 can be reduced. Furthermore, the transmission unit 48 does not transmit the determination result E1 during pre-set non-transmission times.

[0114] The transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E1 when a transmission request is received from the cab 2d or the ground command post 84. For example, if the ground command post 84 receives a determination result indicating an abnormality from a preceding vehicle, it can request the following vehicle to transmit the determination result E1 to the location where the preceding vehicle determined the abnormality. For example, the ground command post 84 can transmit a transmission request signal (hereinafter referred to as a "transmission request signal") to the following vehicle to request the transmission of the determination result E1.

[0115] (Ground Command Post)

[0116] An example of the ground command post 84 will be described. The ground command post 84 includes a computer 84c capable of communicating with the information processing unit 40. For example, the computer 84c receives the determination result E1 and status information J1 from the information processing unit 40 and sends a transmission request signal to the information processing unit 40 requesting the transmission of the determination result E1 and status information J1. The computer 84c includes a re-determination unit 84j, a learning model 84m, and a model generation unit 84g.

[0117] The re-determination unit 84j re-determines the state of the track 8 and bogie 10 based on the state information J1 transmitted from the transmission unit 48. This re-determination allows confirmation that the determination made by the information processing unit 40 is correct. The configuration of the re-determination unit 84j is not limited; in this example, the re-determination unit 84j re-determines the state of the track 8 and bogie 10 based on the state information J1 using the learning model 84m.

[0118] Learning model 84m can be the same as learning model M1, but in this example, it is different from learning model M1. Compared to information processing unit 40, computer 84c can process large amounts of data at high speed. Therefore, model generation unit 84g can generate learning model 84m by pre-processing machine learning based on the states of track 8 and bogie 10 and corresponding state information collected from many vehicles. Learning model 84m can also be larger in scale than learning model M1. Learning model 84m can be used without updating in its initial settings, but in this example, it is updated. Model generation unit 84g updates learning model 84m at a predetermined period.

[0119] According to this embodiment, a power supply unit 70 is provided, which is mounted on the bogie 10 and supplies power to the acquisition unit 30 and the transmission unit 48. This allows for external transmission of predetermined information without receiving power from the vehicle body 2. Furthermore, this embodiment includes a storage unit 46, allowing for data to be transmitted in a centralized manner and for transmission to be selected at times when communication conditions are optimal. Furthermore, this embodiment includes a position information acquisition unit 82, allowing for transmission to be selected at locations with optimal communication conditions. Furthermore, this embodiment transmits determination result E1 when it meets pre-set conditions, thereby reducing the total amount of communication traffic. Furthermore, this embodiment transmits determination result E1 based on the remaining charge level of the battery 70b, allowing for transmission to be selected when the remaining charge level is high.

[0120] Furthermore, this embodiment transmits the determination result E1 based on the communication status, enabling transmission when the communication status is good. Furthermore, this embodiment utilizes the learning model M1 for determination, resulting in high determination accuracy. Furthermore, this embodiment includes a model generation unit 45, enabling the generation of a learning model M1 tailored to each bogie. Furthermore, this embodiment updates the learning model M1, thereby minimizing the reduction in determination accuracy caused by seasonal fluctuations and changes over time. Furthermore, since the transmission unit 48 is fixed to the bogie frame 12, this embodiment is less susceptible to the vibration of the wheels 16.

[0121] Next, the second to ninth embodiments of the present invention will be described. In the drawings and descriptions of the second to ninth embodiments, the same reference numerals are used for the components and members that are the same as or equivalent to those in the first embodiment. The descriptions that are repeated in the first embodiment will be appropriately omitted, and the description will focus on the configuration that is different from the first embodiment. Therefore, the description of the first embodiment is applicable to the components and members in the second to ninth embodiments that are the same as or equivalent to those in the first embodiment. In addition, in the application of this description, as long as no contradiction arises, the reference numerals J1, E1, and M1 in the description of the first embodiment will be renamed as reference numerals J2 to J9, E2 to E9, and M2 to M9 in the second to ninth embodiments.

[0122] [Second embodiment]

[0123] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figures 6 to 8 Next, a railway state monitoring device 20 and a railway brake control device 80 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 of this embodiment are mounted on a railway vehicle 100 . Figure 6 This is a block diagram schematically showing the state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 according to the present embodiment.

[0124] like Figure 6 As shown, the state monitoring device 20 includes an acquisition unit 30, an information processing unit 40, a power supply unit 70, and a position information acquisition unit 82. Furthermore, the brake control device 80 includes the acquisition unit 30, the information processing unit 40, and the brake control unit 60. The information processing unit 40 includes a determination unit 44, a storage unit 46, a transmission unit 48, and a transmission control unit 42. The acquisition unit 30 includes a vibration sensor 30b and a speed sensor 30c. Unless otherwise specified, the description of the first embodiment applies to the configuration and operation of each of the aforementioned elements.

[0125] The state monitoring device 20 of this embodiment determines the flattening state of the tread 16b of the wheel 16 and the wear state of the flange 16c based on vibration information Jv related to vibrations in the bogie 10 and speed information Js of the vehicle 100, and provides the determination results. The vibration information Jv and speed information Js are collectively referred to as state information J2. The flattening state of the wheel 16 and the wear state of the flange 16c are collectively referred to as wear state Sw. Wear state Sw includes abnormal wear such as tread peeling and thermal cracking of the tread 16b of the wheel 16. Specifically, the state monitoring device 20 confirms whether the speed of the vehicle 100 is a predetermined speed (hereinafter referred to as the "determination speed") based on the speed information Js. If the speed of the vehicle 100 is the determination speed, the wear state Sw is determined based on the vibration information Jv. The flattening of the wheel 16 is a form of uneven wear of the tread 16b of the wheel 16 caused by friction with the rail 8.

[0126] The storage unit 46 temporarily stores the vibration information Jv acquired by the acquisition unit 30. The storage unit 46 can store the vibration information Jv in association with the time it was acquired. Furthermore, the storage unit 46 can classify the vibration information Jv into multiple levels based on its level and store the classified levels in association with the time it was acquired. Furthermore, the storage unit 46 can store the location where the vibration information Jv was acquired, in association with the location information Jp. The transmission unit 48 can externally transmit the contents stored in the storage unit 46.

[0127] The acquisition unit 30 is mounted on the bogie 10 and acquires vibration information Jv related to vibrations in the bogie 10 and speed information Js of the vehicle 100. The vibration information Jv is acquired by a vibration sensor 30b, and the speed information Js is acquired by a speed sensor 30c. The vibration sensor 30b may also be mounted on the bogie frame or axle box. The speed sensor 30c may be any sensor capable of detecting the speed of the vehicle 100; for example, it may be an encoder that outputs a number of pulses corresponding to the number of axle rotations. By counting the encoder pulses, the speed of the vehicle 100 can be calculated. Alternatively, the speed sensor 30c may be a Doppler sensor that utilizes laser reflection.

[0128] The determination unit 44 will be described. The determination unit 44 determines the wear state Sw of the wheel 16 of the bogie 10 based on the vibration information Jv and the speed information Js acquired by the acquisition unit 30, and provides a determination result E2 of the determination unit 44.

[0129] Research by the present inventors has revealed that increased wear on the flat surface of the wheel 16 or the flange 16c leads to increased vibration in the bogie 10. Furthermore, they have discovered that, when the vehicle speed is within a predetermined range, there is a correlation between the vibration information Jv of the bogie 10 and the wear state of the flat surface of the wheel 16 or the wear state of the flange 16c. Therefore, the wear state of the flat surface of the wheel 16 or the flange 16c can be determined based on the vibration information Jv.

[0130] The determination unit 44 may also determine the wear state of the flat surface of the wheel 16 or the flange 16c using a pre-set threshold value or a threshold value set by adding a predetermined margin to reference vibration information acquired in the past (e.g., at the time of shipment, at the last maintenance, on the current day, the day before, or within a certain period of time) to determine the wear state of the flat surface of the wheel 16 or the flange 16c. In this case, errors caused by individual differences between vehicles and bogies can be reduced, thereby improving determination accuracy.

[0131] For example, if the acquired vibration information Jv is below a threshold, the determination unit 44 can determine that the wear of the flat surface or flange 16c is within an acceptable range. If the vibration information Jv exceeds the threshold, the determination unit 44 can determine that the wear of the flat surface or flange 16c exceeds the acceptable range. The preset threshold, previously acquired vibration information, and the occurrence status of the flat surface or the wear status of the flange 16c are stored in the storage unit 46.

[0132] Furthermore, by comparing the vibration information Jv with reference vibration information acquired in the past, temporal changes in the vibration information can be calculated, and future wear of the flat surface of the wheel 16 or the flange 16c can be predicted based on the temporal changes.

[0133] A first example of the determination operation will be described. This example determines the wear state using a preset threshold value.

[0134] (1) First, when vibration information Jv obtained while the vehicle 100 is traveling exceeds a predetermined threshold, the information processing unit 40 stores the vibration information Jv together with the elapsed time in the storage unit 46. This threshold may be multiple. Furthermore, the traveling state of the vehicle 100 may be a powered traveling state, a coasting state, or a braking state.

[0135] (2) The determination unit 44 measures a period (hereinafter referred to as “vibration period”) at which the vibration information Jv exceeds a threshold value based on the stored result in the storage unit 46 .

[0136] (3) When the vibration period is inversely proportional to the speed of the vehicle 100 , the determination unit 44 determines that a flat surface is occurring on the tread 16 b of the wheel 16 , or abnormal wear such as tread peeling or thermal cracking is occurring.

[0137] When the determination unit 44 determines that the wheel 16 is being worn as described above, it classifies the vibration information Jv into a plurality of levels according to the level of the vibration information Jv and provides the classified levels as the determination result E2 . The determination result E2 is stored in the storage unit 46 .

[0138] The second example of the determination action is described. This example uses a learning model M2 generated by machine learning to determine the wear state Sw. The learning model M2 is generated by machine learning for the bogie 10 based on the reference vibration information Jv obtained in advance at a predetermined vehicle speed and the measured data of the plane generation state of the wheel 16 or the wear state of the flange 16c corresponding to the reference vibration information Jv. In this case, the learning model M2 is used, so the determination accuracy is high. The learning model M2 can be generated based on the measured data of the bogie 10 itself, which is the determination object, or based on the measured data of a bogie different from the bogie 10, which is the determination object. The learning model M2 is stored in the storage unit 46.

[0139] An example of the data set Ds2 of the learning model M2 is shown in Figure 7 The diagram of the learning model M2 is shown in Figure 8 In. Figure 8 As shown, the learning model M2 provides output data corresponding to the input data based on the input data. The learning model M2 is generated by performing machine learning in advance based on the wear state Sw of the wheel 16 and the vibration information Jv corresponding to the wear state Sw. In this example, the previously measured wear state Sw (Sw(0), Sw(1)...) and vibration information Jv (Jv(0), Jv(1)...) are used as a data set Ds2, and this data set Ds2 is used as training data to generate the learning model M2 through machine learning (supervised learning).

[0140] In this description, the vibration information Jv and the wear status Sw are each represented as unary data. However, the vibration information Jv and the wear status Sw may each be represented as multi-dimensional data. Furthermore, the vibration information Jv and the wear status Sw may be numerical data digitized in predetermined units.

[0141] The conditions for collecting the measured data of the data set Ds2 are not limited. In this example, the measured data of the data set Ds2 is collected at a predetermined position based on the position information Jp. In this case, the influence of differences in the conditions of the travel route can be suppressed.

[0142] A third example of the determination operation will be described. In this third example, the determination unit 44 determines the flattening state of the wheel 16 or the wear state of the flange 16c based on multiple pieces of vibration information Jv acquired from multiple, mutually separated locations on the bogie 10. In this case, since the multiple pieces of vibration information Jv can be compared, in-phase components can be removed, improving determination accuracy.

[0143] Specifically, another vibration sensor for acquiring vibration information is provided on another wheel separated in the front-to-back direction of the same vehicle 100, and the wear state of the wheel 16 to be determined is determined with reference to the vibration information of the other wheel. For example, when the time difference between the peak moment of the vibration information Jv of wheel 16 and the peak moment of the vibration information of another wheel is approximately the same as the time obtained by dividing the separation distance of the two wheels by the vehicle speed, it is recognized that the peak value depends on abnormal vibration caused by the state of the track due to track joints, track wear, track damage, etc., and can be removed from the determination result E2. In this case, erroneous determinations caused by abnormal vibrations caused by the state of the track are reduced. The number of other wheels is not limited to one, and can also be two or more wheels separated in the front-to-back direction. In addition, the peak value of the vibration information Jv in the present disclosure is not limited to the maximum value, and includes areas where the vibration information Jv exceeds the threshold and is large.

[0144] The fourth example of the determination action is described. In the fourth example, the rotational position of the wheel 16 at the moment when the peak of the vibration information Jv is generated (hereinafter referred to as the "peak position") is detected, and the wear position is determined based on the peak position. As long as the peak positions in multiple rotations are random, it can be determined that the vibration is caused by the state of the track, and as long as the peak positions are roughly constant, it can be determined that the vibration is caused by the wear of the wheel 16. In the case where the peak positions are roughly constant, it can be determined that abnormal wear such as flatness, tread peeling, and thermal cracking is occurring on the wheel 16 at the peak position. The rotational position of the wheel 16 can be obtained by counting the pulses of the encoder of the speed sensor 30c.

[0145] In this embodiment, vibration information Jv is acquired by a vibration sensor 30b attached to the bogie frame 12 of the bogie 10 or to the lower sprung portion 14 supported by the bogie frame 12 via axle springs 12j. In this case, the vibration sensor 30b can be positioned near the wheel 16, enabling highly accurate vibration acquisition. In this example, the vibration sensor 30b is mounted on the axle box 14b and detects vibrations of the wheel 16 via the axle box 14b. The vibration sensor 30b may be mounted on either the axle 16s or the bogie frame 12.

[0146] In this embodiment, the determination unit 44 is provided outside the bogie frame 12 or the bogie 10. In this case, the determination unit 44 can be placed in a location with less vibration, thereby alleviating the effects of vibration. In this example, the determination unit 44 is provided on the bogie frame 12. The determination unit 44 may also be provided outside the cab 2d of the vehicle body 2 or the vehicle 100.

[0147] The determination unit 44 may determine the wear state Sw at random times, but in this example, the wear state Sw is determined at a predetermined time, in a predetermined state, or when the bogie 10 is at a predetermined position. In this case, the influence of differences in travel path conditions can be suppressed.

[0148] The transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E2 of the determination unit 44 to the outside of the bogie 10. In this case, the determination result E2 can be used externally. In this example, the transmission unit 48 is provided on the bogie frame 12. The transmission unit 48 may also be provided on the vehicle body 2.

[0149] In this example, the transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E2 to the cab 2d of the vehicle body 2, causing the vehicle monitor 2e in the cab 2d to display the determination result E2. The transmission unit 48 may also transmit the determination result E2 to the computer 84c of the ground control post 84 outside the vehicle 100 or to a cloud system. The cab 2d and the vehicle monitor 2e illustrate the devices that receive the determination result E2 from the determination unit 44. When the determination result E2 satisfies a predetermined condition, the transmission unit 48 transmits a brake control signal Bc to the brake control unit 60 of the brake control device 80.

[0150] The brake control device 80 changes the method of applying the brake 18 based on the brake control signal Bc. In particular, upon receiving the brake control signal Bc, the brake control unit 60 changes the timing of the contact brake 18d and the regenerative brake 18e. The brake control unit 60 is located in the cab 2d of the vehicle 100.

[0151] The transmission control unit 42 controls the timing for transmitting the determination result E2. The transmission unit 48 can transmit the determination result E2 to the outside of the bogie 10 under the control of the transmission control unit 42 in the following cases.

[0152] (1) The transmitting unit 48 transmits the determination result E2 when the determination result E2 of the determining unit 44 satisfies a preset condition, and does not transmit the determination result E2 when the condition is not satisfied.

[0153] (2) The transmitting unit 48 transmits the determination result E2 when it has changed from the previous determination result, and does not transmit it when it has not changed.

[0154] (3) The transmitting unit 48 transmits the determination result E2 when the information amount of the determination result E2 of the determination unit 44 is larger than a preset level, and does not transmit it when the information amount is smaller than the level.

[0155] (4) The transmitting unit 48 transmits the determination result E2 when the bogie 10 is located at a predetermined transmission position based on the position information Jp, and does not transmit the determination result E2 when the bogie 10 is located at a predetermined non-transmission position.

[0156] (5) The transmitting unit 48 transmits the determination result E2 when the communication status with the communication partner is higher than a preset level, and does not transmit it when it is lower than the level.

[0157] The transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E2 when there is a transmission request from the cab 2d or the ground command post 84. For example, the ground command post 84 can transmit a transmission request signal to the information processing unit 40 to request the transmission of the determination result E2.

[0158] The bogie 10 of the present embodiment is equipped with a vibration sensor 30b and a determination unit 44. In this case, the bogie 10 can acquire vibration information Jv and determine the wear state of the wheel 16.

[0159] [Third embodiment]

[0160] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figures 9 to 12 Next, a railway state monitoring device 20 and a railway brake control device 80 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 of this embodiment are mounted on a railway vehicle 100 . Figure 9 This is a block diagram schematically showing the state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 according to the present embodiment.

[0161] Braking noise sometimes occurs when the contact brake 18d is in operation. Braking noise is abnormal noise caused by the vibration from the friction surface caused by the contact between the brake shoe 18b and the brake member 18c during braking, which is amplified by the brake shoe 18b or the brake member 18c. It is sometimes called braking noise. Braking noise is caused by wear and tear of the friction surface of the brake shoe 18b and the brake member 18c. If braking noise is generated, if it is left unattended, the brake shoe 18b and the brake member 18c may be damaged. It is desirable to replace them in advance. If braking noise is generated, the braking noise can be suppressed by changing the material of the friction member of the brake shoe 18b, the curvature of the friction member, or the pressing force of the brake shoe 18b.

[0162] Research by the present inventors has revealed the following insight: a certain correlation exists between the sound information acquired by the sound sensor 30e (hereinafter referred to as "sound information Jn") or the vibration information acquired by the vibration sensor 30b (hereinafter referred to as "vibration information Jv") and the brake noise generation state (hereinafter referred to as "generation state Sn"). Therefore, the brake noise generation state Sn can be determined based on the sound information Jn or the vibration information Jv.

[0163] The main components of the state monitoring device 20 and brake control device 80 of this embodiment will be described. The state monitoring device 20 includes an acquisition unit 30, an information processing unit 40, and a power supply unit 70. Furthermore, the brake control device 80 includes the acquisition unit 30, the information processing unit 40, the brake control unit 60, and a position information acquisition unit 82. The information processing unit 40 includes a determination unit 44, a storage unit 46, a transmission unit 48, and a transmission control unit 42. The brake 18 is composed of a contact brake 18d and a regenerative brake 18e. The acquisition unit 30 includes at least one of a vibration sensor 30b and a sound sensor 30e. The acquisition unit 30 acquires sound information Jn related to sound or vibration information Jv related to vibration in the bogie 10 of the vehicle 100 when the brake shoe 18b is pressed against the tread 16b of the wheel 16, which serves as the braking member 18c, generating a braking force. The sound information Jn and the vibration information Jv are collectively referred to as state information J3. Unless otherwise specified, the description of the first embodiment applies to the configuration and operation of each of the above elements.

[0164] Based on the sound information Jn or vibration information Jv acquired by the acquisition unit 30, the determination unit 44 determines the brake noise generation state Sn of the brake shoe 18b or brake member 18c and provides a determination result E3 from the determination unit 44. The determination result E3 is the result of classifying the brake noise generation state Sn into multiple levels according to the level of the brake noise generation state Sn. For example, the determination result E3 may be classified into two levels, indicating whether the brake noise is actually being generated, or may be classified into three or more levels in a more detailed manner. If the brake noise is relatively small and can be ignored in practical terms, it is not considered brake noise. If the determination unit 44 determines that brake noise is being generated, the brake control unit 60 varies the braking force to reduce the brake noise. In this example, the brake control unit 60 varies the braking force based on the brake control signal Bc transmitted from the information processing unit 40.

[0165] The state monitoring device 20 will be described. In the bogie 10, when the brake shoe 18b is pressed against the brake member 18c, generating a braking force, the state monitoring device 20 detects brake noise from the brake shoe 18b or brake member 18c based on sound information Jn or vibration information Jv in the bogie 10. The determination unit 44 of the information processing unit 40 determines the state of brake noise generation based on the sound information Jn or vibration information Jv and provides a determination result E3 from the determination unit 44.

[0166] Reference Figure 10 Next, the operation of the brake control device 80 will be described. Figure 10 This is a flowchart showing the operation S110 of the brake control device 80. When the brake command is turned on by the driver's operation, the operation S110 starts (step S111).

[0167] When the brake command is turned on, the determination unit 44 determines whether the regenerative brake 18e is in operation (step S112). The acquisition unit 30 acquires the sound information Jn or the vibration information Jv when the contact brake 18d is in operation and the regenerative brake 18e is not in operation.

[0168] When the regenerative brake 18e is in operation (Y in step S112), the determination unit 44 returns the process to the beginning of step S112 and repeats step S112 until the regenerative brake 18e is inoperative.

[0169] When the regenerative brake 18e is not working (non-working) (N in step S112), the acquisition unit 30 acquires the sound information Jn or the vibration information Jv (step S113). If the acquisition period is too short, the judgment accuracy is reduced. Therefore, the acquisition unit 30 acquires the sound information Jn or the vibration information Jv continuously or intermittently within a pre-set period. The storage unit 46 temporarily stores at least one of the sound information Jn and the vibration information Jv acquired by the acquisition unit 30. In addition, the storage unit 46 can store at least one of the sound information Jn and the vibration information Jv in association with the acquisition time of the sound information Jn and the vibration information Jv. The storage unit 46 can store at least one of the sound information Jn and the vibration information Jv in association with the position information Jp of the position where the sound information Jn and the vibration information Jv are acquired.

[0170] Once the sound information Jn or vibration information Jv has been acquired, the determination unit 44 determines the state of brake noise being generated by the brake shoe 18b or the brake member 18c based on the sound information Jn or vibration information Jv acquired by the acquisition unit 30. In this example, the determination unit 44 determines whether brake noise is being generated (step S114). In this step, the determination unit 44 provides a determination result E3 classified into two levels: whether brake noise is being generated or not.

[0171] If brake noise is being generated (Y in step S114 ), the determination unit 44 supplies a determination result E3 indicating that brake noise is being generated to the transmission unit 48 . The transmission unit 48 , supplied with the determination result E3 , supplies the brake control signal Bc to the brake control unit 60 .

[0172] Upon receiving the brake control signal Bc, the brake control unit 60 adjusts the braking force to reduce brake noise (step S115). In this step, the braking force adjustment method is not limited, as long as it reduces brake noise. For example, the brake control unit 60 can reduce the braking force, increase the braking force, or adjust the braking force in a pre-set pattern. The braking force can be increased or decreased by varying the force with which the brake shoe 18b presses against the brake member 18c. In this step, the amount of change in the braking force is set within a range where a change in the braking distance is not a practical problem.

[0173] If the braking force is adjusted, the process returns to the beginning of step S113 and repeats steps S113 to S115 until the generation of the braking noise stops. The braking force may also be adjusted and gradually increased during this repetition.

[0174] If brake noise is not occurring (N in step S114), the determination unit 44 provides a determination result E3 indicating that brake noise is not occurring, and action S110 ends. This action S110 is merely an example; the order of the steps may be reversed, or some steps may be added, deleted, or modified. Action S110 allows for detection of brake noise, suppression of brake noise, and external notification of the occurrence of brake noise.

[0175] The vibration sensor 30b is mounted at a position capable of detecting vibrations of the brake shoe 18b. The sound sensor 30e is mounted at a position capable of detecting sounds near the brake shoe 18b. For example, the vibration sensor 30b and the sound sensor 30e are mounted on the bogie frame 12 of the bogie 10 or on a portion supported by the bogie frame 12 via a spring. In this example, the sound sensor 30e or the vibration sensor 30b is mounted on the axle box 14b to detect sounds and vibrations of the wheel 16 via the axle box 14b. The sound sensor 30e or the vibration sensor 30b can be mounted on either the axle 16s or the bogie frame 12. The vibration sensor 30b can detect the frequency and amplitude of the vibrations of the brake shoe 18b. The sound sensor 30e can detect the frequency and amplitude of the sound of the contact brake 18d.

[0176] The determination unit 44 of this embodiment is provided outside the bogie frame 12 or the bogie 10. In this example, the determination unit 44 is provided on the bogie frame 12. The determination unit 44 may be provided outside the cab 2d of the vehicle body 2 or the vehicle 100.

[0177] The speed sensor for obtaining vehicle speed may be, for example, an encoder that outputs a number of pulses corresponding to the number of axle rotations. By counting the encoder pulses, the speed of vehicle 100 can be calculated. Alternatively, the speed sensor may be a Doppler sensor that utilizes laser reflection. The braking force can be obtained from the brake command device of contact brake 18d. Alternatively, the braking force can be obtained based on the pressure in the brake cylinder of contact brake 18d.

[0178] The following describes a first example of the determination method used by determination unit 44. In this first example, determination unit 44 determines that brake noise is occurring when sound information Jn or vibration information Jv meets pre-set determination conditions. For example, this determination can be made based on the degree of consistency between the spectrum of sound information Jn or vibration information Jv and a previously analyzed spectrum unique to brake noise. The determination can be made at a constant vehicle speed or by shifting the spectrum according to vehicle speed. Determination conditions such as the brake noise spectrum can be set through experimentation or simulation. These determination conditions are stored in storage unit 46.

[0179] Reference Figure 11 、 Figure 12 Next, a second example using the learning model M3 in the determination unit 44 will be described. In this second example, the determination unit 44 determines the brake noise generation state Sn using the learning model M3. This learning model M3 is generated by pre-processing machine learning based on reference sound information Jn or reference vibration information Jv and actual measurement data on the brake noise generation state. The reference sound information Jn or reference vibration information Jv is actual measurement data previously acquired for the sound information Jn or vibration information Jv.

[0180] Figure 11 FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a data set Ds3 of a learning model M3. Figure 12 This figure schematically illustrates a learning model M3. In this example, previously measured brake noise generation states Sn (Sn(0), Sn(1)...), sound information Jn (Jn(0), Jn(1)...), and vibration information Jv (Jv(0), Jv(1)...) are used as data set Ds3. This data set Ds3 is used as training data to generate a learning model M3 through machine learning (supervised learning).

[0181] In addition, in this description, the example of the sound information Jn, vibration information Jv and generation status Sn is shown as unary data, but they can also be multi-dimensional data. In addition, the sound information Jn, vibration information Jv and generation status Sn can also be numerical data after being digitized in a predetermined unit.

[0182] The learning model M3 may be generated based on the actual measurement data of the bogie 10 itself, which is the subject of determination, or may be generated based on the actual measurement data of a bogie different from the bogie 10 which is the subject of determination. The learning model M3 is stored in the storage unit 46 .

[0183] The conditions for collecting the measured data of the data set Ds3 are not limited. In this example, the measured data of the data set Ds3 are collected at a predetermined position based on the position information Jp described later. In this case, the influence of differences in the conditions of the driving route can be suppressed.

[0184] The following insight is provided: the brake noise generation state Sn is affected by factors such as the material, shape, and pressing force of the brake shoe 18b. Therefore, the learning model M3 can also be generated by referring to measured data for at least one of the following: the material, shape, and pressing force of the brake shoe 18b, the speed of the vehicle 100, the vibration frequency of the brake shoe 18b, and the braking force. In this case, by referring to these data, the determination accuracy can be improved.

[0185] Furthermore, as the brake shoe 18b wears with use, its shape and natural vibration frequency change, thereby changing the frequency spectrum of the brake noise. Therefore, the determination conditions or learning model M3 of the determination unit 44 may be updated at regular intervals based on the wear of the brake shoe 18b. The update period can be set based on conditions such as the weight of the vehicle 100, the driving speed, and the distance between stations. Furthermore, the initial settings of the determination conditions or learning model M3 of the determination unit 44 can be set based on the shape of the brake shoe 18b at the time of manufacture. In this embodiment, the determination conditions or learning model M3 of the determination unit 44 are updated when the brake shoe 18b wears to a predetermined level. The updated determination conditions or learning model M3 are stored in the storage unit 46.

[0186] The configuration of this embodiment will be further described. Storage unit 46 can store at least one of sound information Jn and vibration information Jv, in association with the location where the information was acquired, based on position information Jp. Furthermore, storage unit 46 can store previously acquired sound information and previously acquired brake noise generation status Sn, or previously acquired vibration information and previously acquired brake noise generation status Sn, in association with each other. Transmission unit 48 can transmit the contents of storage unit 46 externally.

[0187] The determination unit 44 can calculate the temporal change of the brake sound by comparing the sound information Jn or vibration information Jv with the reference sound information or vibration information acquired in the past. The determination unit 44 can predict the generation time of the brake noise in the future based on the temporal change.

[0188] This embodiment includes a transmission unit 48 for transmitting the determination result E3 of the determination unit 44 to the outside of the bogie 10. In this case, the determination result E3 can be used externally. In this example, the transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E3 to the cab 2d of the vehicle body 2 and causes the vehicle monitor 2e in the cab 2d to display the determination result E3. The transmission unit 48 can also transmit the determination result E3 to an external computer 84c at the ground control post 84 or to a cloud system.

[0189] The features of the brake control device 80 of the present embodiment will be described. When the determination unit 44 determines that brake noise is being generated, the brake control device 80 changes the braking force to reduce the brake noise, thereby being able to suppress the brake noise. In addition, by using the determination conditions for determination, the determination accuracy is high. In addition, by using the learning model M3 for determination, a more advanced determination can be made. In addition, by generating the learning model M3 with reference to the measured data of any one of the material of the brake shoe 18b, the shape of the brake shoe 18b, the pressing force of the brake shoe 18b, the speed of the vehicle 100, the vibration frequency of the brake shoe 18b, and the braking force, the determination accuracy is improved. In addition, by obtaining the sound information Jn or the vibration information Jv when the regenerative brake 18e is not working, it is less susceptible to the influence of the regenerative brake 18e on the sound and vibration.

[0190] Furthermore, by updating the learning model M3 when the brake shoe 18b wears to a predetermined degree, it is possible to suppress a decrease in determination accuracy due to wear of the brake shoe 18b. Furthermore, by attaching the acquisition unit 30 to the bogie frame 12 of the bogie 10 or to a portion supported by the bogie frame 12 via a spring, the sensor can be positioned near the wheel 16, enabling high-precision acquisition of sound and vibration. Furthermore, by locating the determination unit 44 outside the bogie frame 12 or bogie 10, it can be located in a location with low vibration, thereby reducing the effects of vibration.

[0191] A modified example of the brake control device 80 of this embodiment will be described. The regenerative brake 18e may be temporarily activated when adjusting the braking force to reduce the braking noise. In this case, an increase in the braking distance can be suppressed.

[0192] [Fourth embodiment]

[0193] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figures 13 to 15 Next, a railway state monitoring device 20 and a railway brake control device 80 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 of this embodiment are mounted on a railway vehicle 100 . Figure 13 This is a block diagram schematically showing the state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 according to the present embodiment.

[0194] If the shaking of the bogie 10 increases, the ride comfort decreases. As the main causes of the shaking of the bogie 10, abnormalities in the wheel state (hereinafter referred to as "wheel abnormality" in the description of this embodiment) and abnormalities in the track state (hereinafter referred to as "track abnormality" in the description of this embodiment) can be listed. Wheel abnormality refers to a situation where the state related to the wear state of the wheel (hereinafter referred to as "wheel state" in the description of this embodiment) is worse than a pre-set reference. When the difference in wheel diameter of the wheels 16 fixed to both sides of the axle 16s in the width direction (hereinafter referred to as "wheel diameter difference" in the description of this embodiment) is large, the wheel abnormality in the description of this embodiment is mainly caused by uneven wear and unequal wear of the wheels 16 on both sides in the width direction. Therefore, the wheel diameter difference is measured, and as long as the wheel diameter difference becomes larger, it can be evaluated as a wheel abnormality.

[0195] Track anomaly refers to a condition related to unequal conditions on both sides of the track in the width direction (hereinafter referred to as "track condition" in this embodiment) that deviates from a pre-set benchmark. Track anomaly in this embodiment refers to unequal deformation of the track surface in the width direction (hereinafter referred to as "track imbalance"), primarily caused by unequal wear and uneven undulation of the track surface in the width direction. Therefore, when measuring track imbalance, any increase in track imbalance can be considered a track anomaly.

[0196] For example, the wheel diameter of each wheel of vehicle 100, when parked at a depot, can be measured, and the wheel diameter difference can be calculated from the measurement results. Furthermore, track imbalance can be evaluated based on track images and measurement results of the vibration of the traveling vehicle. However, measuring wheel diameter differences and track imbalance requires the use of special measuring equipment and specialized measurement work, which is cost-prohibitive.

[0197] This embodiment uses measurement data obtained during normal travel of the vehicle 100 to determine the wheel diameter difference between the wheels 16 on both sides in the width direction, and evaluates the wheel condition based on the result. In particular, this embodiment uses tilt information from a tilt sensor mounted on the bogie 10 to determine the wheel diameter difference and evaluate the wheel condition. Furthermore, this embodiment determines track imbalance based on this measurement data and evaluates the track condition.

[0198] Research by the present inventors has revealed that there is a certain correlation between the axle tilt information relative to the horizontal plane (hereinafter referred to as "tilt information Jm" in the description of this embodiment) obtained by the tilt sensor and the wheel state of the wheel 16. Therefore, based on this correlation, the wheel state can be evaluated using the tilt information Jm. Furthermore, the present inventors have revealed that there is a certain correlation between the tilt information Jm and the track state of the track 8. Therefore, based on this correlation, the track state can be evaluated using the tilt information Jm.

[0199] The main components of the state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 of this embodiment are described. The state monitoring device 20 includes an acquisition unit 30, an information processing unit 40, a power supply unit 70, and a position information acquisition unit 82. In addition, the brake control device 80 includes an acquisition unit 30, an information processing unit 40, and a brake control unit 60. The information processing unit 40 includes a determination unit 44, a storage unit 46, a transmission unit 48, and a transmission control unit 42. Unless otherwise specified, the description of the first embodiment applies to the configuration and operation of each of the above elements. The acquisition unit 30 includes: a tilt sensor 30m, which acquires tilt information Jm of the axle 16s relative to the horizontal plane; and a vibration sensor 30b, which acquires vibration information Jv of the bogie 10. The acquisition unit 30 provides the tilt information Jm and the vibration information Jv to the information processing unit 40 as acquired information J4.

[0200] In this embodiment, the information processing unit 40 obtains stroke information Jq from the yaw damper stroke sensor 34. Furthermore, the information processing unit 40 obtains additional axle tilt information Jr related to another axle from the additional axle tilt sensor 36. Additional axle tilt information Jr may be tilt information for one additional axle or for multiple additional axles. The additional axle tilt sensor 36 will be discussed later.

[0201] Reference Figure 14 Next, the swinging of the bogie 10 will be described. Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating the swinging motion of the truck 10. This diagram primarily shows the lower sprung portion 14, which is supported by the truck frame 12 via the axle spring 12j. The diagram defines an X-axis extending in the horizontal longitudinal direction, a Y-axis extending in the horizontal width direction perpendicular to the X-axis, and a Z-axis extending in the vertical direction perpendicular to the X- and Y-axes. Swinging motion centered about the X-axis is called yaw, swinging motion centered about the Y-axis is called pitch, and swinging motion centered about the Z-axis is called yaw.

[0202] The anti-sway device stroke sensor 34 is described below. The anti-sway device stroke sensor 34 obtains stroke information Jq related to the stroke of the anti-sway device. The anti-sway device, with one end attached to the end of the vehicle body 2 and the other end attached to the side of the bogie 10, suppresses the yaw of the bogie 10 relative to the vehicle body 2. The stroke information Jq increases with greater yaw, and decreases with smaller yaw. In other words, the magnitude of the yaw can be determined based on the stroke information Jq.

[0203] The tilt sensor 30m will be described. While the tilt sensor 30m is not limited, the tilt sensor 30m in this embodiment is an angle sensor that detects the angle of the axle 16s relative to the horizontal plane based on a known principle. The tilt sensor 30m uses a distance sensor to detect vertical distances at multiple locations along the width of the axle 16s and calculates the tilt of the axle 16s based on the difference in these vertical distances. In the following description, the tilt sensor 30m is shown as a sensor that measures the tilt angle in the yaw direction.

[0204] like Figure 14 As shown, the tilt sensor 30m of this embodiment is mounted on the lower spring portion 14 of the axle 16s, for example, the axle box 14b. Separately, the axle tilt sensor 36 is mounted on the axle box 14b(2) of another axle 16s(2). The tilt sensor 30m and the separate axle tilt sensor 36 may also be mounted on the bogie frame 12. The vibration sensor 30b is mounted on the bogie frame 12.

[0205] If the period for acquiring the tilt information Jm and vibration information Jv is too short, determination accuracy will decrease. Therefore, the acquisition unit 30 acquires the tilt information Jm and vibration information Jv continuously or intermittently within a pre-set period. The storage unit 46 of the information processing unit 40 temporarily stores the tilt information Jm and vibration information Jv acquired by the acquisition unit 30. The storage unit 46 can store the tilt information Jm and vibration information Jv in association with the time at which the tilt information Jm and vibration information Jv were acquired. The storage unit 46 can also store the tilt information Jm and vibration information Jv in association with the position information Jp at the location at which the tilt information Jm and vibration information Jv were acquired.

[0206] The determination unit 44 determines the wheel condition of the wheel 16 or the track condition of the track 8 based on the tilt information Jm acquired by the acquisition unit 30, and provides a determination result E4 from the determination unit 44. The determination result E4 is the result of classifying the wheel condition or the track condition of the wheel 16 into multiple levels according to the level of the wheel condition or the track condition. For example, the determination result E4 may be the result of classifying the wheel condition or the track condition of the wheel 16 into two levels, or may be the result of a more detailed classification into three or more levels. The determination result E4 of this embodiment indicates whether there is a wheel abnormality in the wheel 16 or whether there is a track abnormality in the track 8.

[0207] The transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E4 of the determination unit 44 to the outside of the bogie 10. In this case, the determination result E4 can be used externally. In this example, the transmission unit 48 is provided on the bogie frame 12. The transmission unit 48 may also be provided on the vehicle body 2. In this example, the transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E4 to the cab 2d of the vehicle body 2. The determination result E4 may also be displayed on the vehicle monitor 2e in the cab 2d. The transmission unit 48 may also transmit the determination result E4 to the computer 84c of the ground command post 84 outside the vehicle 100 or to a cloud system.

[0208] If determination result E4 from determination unit 44 indicates a wheel or track abnormality, transmission unit 48 transmits a brake control signal Bc to brake control unit 60 to adjust the braking force. Brake control unit 60 adjusts the braking force based on brake control signal Bc transmitted from transmission unit 48. Through this operation, acquisition unit 30, information processing unit 40, and brake control unit 60 function as brake control device 80.

[0209] (Example 1)

[0210] The following describes a first example of the determination method of the determination unit 44 in the state monitoring device 20 of the present embodiment constructed in this manner. In the first example, when the tilt information Jm exceeds a preset threshold value, the wheel diameter difference is too large, and the determination unit 44 determines that there is a wheel abnormality. In addition, the tilt information Jm includes tilts caused by track imbalance and track superelevation (hereinafter referred to as "track elements" in the description of this embodiment). Therefore, it is desirable to take track elements into consideration in its determination. In addition, track superelevation refers to the height difference of the track on both sides in the width direction that is designed to improve the stability of the vehicle on a curve, etc.

[0211] An example of reducing the influence of track elements will be described. For example, the tilt information Jm acquired at multiple locations can be averaged and used. Alternatively, the tilt information Jm can be acquired at locations with smaller track elements. These methods can reduce the judgment errors caused by track elements.

[0212] Alternatively, it is possible to obtain tilt information Jm at a location where the orbital element is known and then subtract the known orbital element from this tilt information Jm. For example, by pre-collecting orbital elements corresponding to locations to create a database, and then inputting the position information Jp into this database, the known orbital element can be obtained. This method can reduce errors in determination caused by orbital elements.

[0213] (Example 2)

[0214] Reference Figure 15Next, a second example of the determination method of the determination unit 44 will be described. Figure 15 This diagram schematically illustrates an example of tilt information for different axles at different locations, and an example of superelevation design values ​​for track at different locations. In this diagram, standard deviations S1, S2, ... Sn represent the standard deviations of axle data in a vertical column (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "column") at the same location, while standard deviations Z1, Z2, ... Z20 represent the standard deviations of axle data in a horizontal row (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "row") for the same axle.

[0215] In the second example, the determination unit 44 uses tilt information related to multiple axles obtained at multiple locations (hereinafter referred to as "multiple axle tilt information Mt" in the description of this embodiment) to determine the wheel state of the wheel 16 and the track state of the track 8, and provides a determination result E4. The determination result E4 includes the presence or absence of wheel abnormalities and the presence or absence of track abnormalities. The multiple axle tilt information Mt includes the tilt information Jm for axle number 1, which will be discussed later, and the additional axle tilt information Jr for axles numbers 2-20, which will be discussed later. Hereinafter, when the tilt information Jm, additional axle tilt information Jr, and multiple axle tilt information Mt are collectively referred to, they are simply expressed as tilt information.

[0216] Figure 15 Data representing multiple axle tilt information Mt at n locations is acquired for a train consisting of five cars and 20 axles 16s (each car has two bogies, and each bogie has two axles). The multiple axle tilt information Mt acquired for each axle 16s at location number 1 is represented by the data in the vertical column of location number 1, and the tilt information acquired for each axle 16s at location number n is represented by the data in the vertical column of location number n.

[0217] In this Figure 15 In the diagram, A1, A2, ..., A20 are wheel components of each axle 16s caused by the tilt of the wheel element, and B1, B2, ..., Bn are track components caused by the tilt of the track element at each point. Figure 15 As shown, the plurality of axle tilt information Mt is obtained as the sum of the wheel components and the track components. Therefore, the wheel components A1, A2, ..., A20 and the track components B1, B2, ..., Bn cannot be obtained individually.

[0218] Based on this, the inventors devised a method for estimating wheel components A1, A2, ..., A20 using inclinations D1, D2, ..., Dn derived from the design superelevation values ​​of the track at one or more of the n measured locations. For example, in areas with minimal track wear and deformation and small track imbalance, track components B1, B2, ..., Bn and inclinations D1, D2, ..., Dn are approximately equal. Therefore, data calculated by subtracting inclinations D1, D2, ..., Dn from multiple axle inclination information Mt can be used as wheel components A1, A2, ..., A20. Furthermore, inclinations derived from target superelevation values ​​can be used instead of design superelevation values.

[0219] In the second example, if the calculated wheel components A1, A2, ..., A20 exceed a preset threshold, the wheel diameter difference is excessive, and the determination unit 44 determines that there is a wheel abnormality. If it is below the threshold, it determines that there is no wheel abnormality. In this case, the determination result E4 indicates the presence or absence of a wheel abnormality.

[0220] Furthermore, statistical processing is performed on the data of each axle in a single longitudinal row at the same location. If the deviation (= data minus average) of the data for each axle from the average value for the single longitudinal row is large, it can be evaluated that the wheel diameter difference of that axle is larger than the wheel diameter differences of the other axles. For example, if the deviation, normalized by dividing the result by the standard deviation S1, S2, etc., Sn, exceeds a predetermined threshold, the wheel diameter difference is considered excessive and a wheel abnormality is determined. If the deviation is below the threshold, it is determined that there is no wheel abnormality.

[0221] Furthermore, statistical processing is performed on axle data for a single horizontal row of the same axle. If the deviation (= data minus average) of the data at each location from the average value for the single horizontal row is large, the track imbalance at that location can be evaluated as greater than that at other locations. For example, if the deviation, normalized by dividing the deviation by the standard deviation Z1, Z2, ..., Z20, exceeds a predetermined threshold, the track imbalance is considered excessive and a track anomaly is determined. If the deviation is below the threshold, it is determined not to be a track anomaly.

[0222] Alternatively, it can be for Figure 15 The wheel diameter difference or track imbalance is evaluated based on the comparison between previously acquired and stored data and newly acquired data. If the wheel of axle number 2 wears and the wheel diameter difference increases, the effect is reflected in all rows of data containing wheel component A2. If track imbalance increases at location number 2, the effect is reflected in all columns of data containing track component B2.

[0223] For example, the change in new data relative to past data is compared in each row. If the change in a specific row is significantly larger than that in other rows, the wheel diameter difference of the axle corresponding to the specific row is too large, and it can be determined that there is a wheel abnormality.

[0224] Furthermore, the amount of change in new data relative to past data is compared for each column. If the amount of change in a specific column is significantly greater than that in other columns, it can be determined that there is a track abnormality.

[0225] The determination method of the determination unit 44 described above can be modified in various ways. While the above description illustrates an example of determination based on data from multiple axle tilt information Mt for a single train, wheel or track abnormality determination can also be performed based on data from multiple axle tilt information at the same location for multiple trains. In this case, the amount of data in each column increases, improving determination accuracy.

[0226] While the above description illustrates an example of determination based on tilt data acquired at an arbitrary location (track position), determination can also be based on tilt data acquired at a specific track location such as a station, depot, or base. In this case, the influence of track elements is reduced, improving determination accuracy.

[0227] In the above description, an example in which the determination unit 44 makes a determination using only the tilt information is shown, but the determination unit 44 may also make a determination based on the tilt information and the vibration information Jv. For example, it may be possible to predetermine the characteristics of the vibration information Jv in the case where the wheel diameter difference is large, and make a determination using the characteristics. For example, it may be possible to determine that there is a wheel abnormality when the characteristics of the vibration information Jv in the case where the wheel diameter difference is large appear regardless of a specific acquisition location (track position). In addition, it may be possible to determine that there is a track abnormality at a specific acquisition location (track position) when the characteristics of the vibration information Jv appear only at that location. In addition, as characteristics of the vibration information Jv, the spectrum of vibration, the amplitude variation pattern of vibration, etc. may be listed.

[0228] Alternatively, the determination unit 44 may determine a track abnormality based on the tilt information and the stroke information Jq. As described above, the stroke information Jq is obtained from the anti-sway device stroke sensor 34. For example, if the change in stroke information Jq from the same acquisition location (track position) exceeds a preset threshold value, the track imbalance is excessive and a track abnormality is determined.

[0229] In the above description, an example of determining the wheel state and the track state by statistical analysis is shown, but it is not limited to this. The determination unit 44 may also use a learning model M4 generated in advance by machine learning to determine the wheel state and the track state. The learning model M4 can be generated by machine learning (supervised learning) using the measured data of the reference tilt information and reference vibration information obtained in advance, and the occurrence conditions of wheel abnormalities or track abnormalities as training data. In this case, the training data may also include any one of the vibration level of the reference vibration information, the spectrum of the vibration, and the variation pattern of the amplitude of the vibration. The learning model M4 may also be stored in the storage unit 46.

[0230] While the above description illustrates an example of acquiring tilt information data while driving, it is also possible to acquire tilt information while parked at a station, for example. Tilt information can also be acquired when the vehicle speed detected by the speed sensor reaches zero. Tilt information can be acquired at any time or at pre-set times, such as at the start or end of a workday.

[0231] Wear and deformation progress as the bogie 10 travels, increasing wheel diameter differences and track imbalance. Excessive wheel diameter differences can cause travel problems, so it is desirable to perform maintenance on the wheels 16 and track 8 before any problems occur. Therefore, the transmitter 48 reports the determination result E4 to the outside.

[0232] While the above description illustrates an example in which tilt information is provided in the yaw direction (tilt in the width direction), the tilt information may also include tilt in the pitch direction (tilt in the fore-aft direction). The yaw direction tilt can be used to evaluate the difference in the degree of uneven wear between the wheels 16 on either side in the width direction. The pitch direction tilt can also be used to evaluate the difference in the degree of uneven wear between the front and rear wheels 16 of the truck 10.

[0233] While the above description illustrates tilt information relative to a horizontal plane, tilt information may also be relative tilt relative to the road surface. For example, tilt information can be obtained by using two distance sensors spaced apart in the fore-aft or width direction based on the difference in vertical distance measurement results (vertical distance) between two points on the road surface or an object on the road surface.

[0234] In the above description, an example is shown in which the tilt information is obtained by an angle sensor. Alternatively, a camera may be pre-installed at a predetermined position such as in front of a vehicle depot to obtain the tilt information based on image data observed from the direction of the axle 16s of the bogie 10 or wheel 16.

[0235] The features of the state monitoring device 20 of this embodiment will be described. The state monitoring device 20 determines the wheel state or track state based on the tilt information, and thus can grasp the wheel state or track state with less man-hours, which is cost-effective.

[0236] In this embodiment, the determination is made by referencing the tilt information of other axles. Therefore, it is possible to determine that a wheel is abnormal even when there are significant differences between multiple axles. In this embodiment, the determination is made by referencing the tilt information of different locations. Therefore, it is possible to determine that a wheel is abnormal even when there are significant differences between multiple locations. In this embodiment, the determination is made by referencing past tilt information acquired. Therefore, it is possible to determine that a wheel is abnormal even when there are significant changes over time.

[0237] In this embodiment, the tilt information of other vehicles ahead or following the vehicle is referenced for determination, so a wheel abnormality can be determined when there is a significant difference between multiple vehicles. In this embodiment, the tilt information of a reference point for comparison is referenced for determination, so a wheel abnormality can be determined when there is a significant difference relative to the reference point.

[0238] In the present embodiment, since the determination is made with reference to the vibration information acquired by the vibration sensor, it is possible to determine that there is a wheel abnormality when the characteristic of the vibration information in the case of a large wheel diameter difference is apparent.

[0239] [Fifth embodiment]

[0240] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figures 16 to 19 Next, a railway state monitoring device 20 and a railway brake control device 80 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 of this embodiment are mounted on a railway vehicle 100 . Figure 16 This is a block diagram schematically showing the state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 according to the present embodiment.

[0241] As railway vehicles travel, the track surface becomes increasingly uneven due to wear, scratches, and deformation, leading to track degradation. If the condition related to the track surface unevenness (hereinafter referred to as "track condition" in the description of this embodiment) deteriorates from a pre-set benchmark (hereinafter referred to as "track abnormality" in the description of this embodiment), the bogie 10 experiences increased sway, reducing ride comfort. Furthermore, if track abnormalities are left unchecked, track degradation can progress further, potentially hindering vehicle travel. Therefore, it is important to detect track abnormalities in advance and perform maintenance.

[0242] In order to detect track anomalies, one idea is to run a dedicated diagnostic device on the track to measure the deterioration of the track. However, in this case, a special dedicated device is used and a special measurement operation is performed, which consumes a lot of work time and cost.

[0243] Therefore, the present embodiment uses the measurement data of the vibration of the bogie measured during the normal driving of the vehicle 100 to detect track abnormalities. For example, it is conceivable to determine the presence or absence of track abnormalities based on the vibration of a magnitude exceeding a pre-set threshold (hereinafter referred to as "abnormal vibration" in the description of this embodiment). However, in addition to the case of track abnormalities, abnormal vibrations are also caused by temporary factors such as the clamping of foreign objects such as small stones, and there is a possibility of misjudgment. Therefore, in the present embodiment, vibration information of different periods obtained at different times is used and abnormal vibrations caused by temporary factors are excluded for judgment. In this case, the working hours are reduced, the cost is reduced, and the accuracy of determining the presence or absence of track abnormalities can be improved. Here, different periods can be different times of the same day or different days. In addition, vibration information of different periods can also be obtained in the same bogie, other bogies, other vehicles or other trains.

[0244] Research by the present inventors has revealed that there is a certain correlation between vibration information related to bogie vibrations acquired by a vibration sensor (hereinafter referred to as "vibration information Jv" in the description of this embodiment) and the track condition of track 8. Therefore, based on this correlation, the track condition can be evaluated using vibration information Jv.

[0245] The main components of the state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 of this embodiment are described. The state monitoring device 20 includes an acquisition unit 30, an information processing unit 40, a power supply unit 70, and a position information acquisition unit 82. In addition, the brake control device 80 includes an acquisition unit 30, an information processing unit 40, and a brake control unit 60. The information processing unit 40 includes a determination unit 44, a storage unit 46, a transmission unit 48, and a transmission control unit 42. Unless otherwise specified, the description of the first embodiment applies to the configuration and operation of each of the above elements. The acquisition unit 30 includes a vibration sensor 30b that acquires vibration information Jv related to the vibration of the bogie 10. The acquisition unit 30 provides the vibration information Jv and the image information Jg discussed later as acquisition information J5 to the information processing unit 40.

[0246] In this embodiment, the information processing unit 40 obtains additional bogie vibration information Jvb related to the vibration of the additional bogie 11 from the additional bogie vibration sensor 35 that obtains vibration information of the additional bogie 11. Furthermore, the information processing unit 40 obtains position information Jp from the position information acquisition unit 82. The additional bogie 11 may be another bogie of the vehicle 100 to which the bogie 10 belongs, or a bogie of another vehicle in the train to which the vehicle 100 belongs. The additional bogie vibration sensor 35 may have the same configuration as the vibration sensor 30b and may be mounted on the additional bogie 11 using the same mounting structure as the vibration sensor 30b. In the description of this embodiment, the additional bogie 11 is assumed to be the bogie of another vehicle 101 of the vehicle 100 in a subsequent train formation. Therefore, the bogie 10 passes the same point on the track 8 at a time earlier than the additional bogie 11. The vibration sensor 30b and the additional bogie vibration sensor 35 in this embodiment are mounted on the axle box 14b.

[0247] The acquisition unit 30 acquires the vibration information Jv and the other bogie vibration information Jvb and provides them to the information processing unit 40. The storage unit 46 temporarily stores the vibration information Jv and the other bogie vibration information Jvb acquired by the acquisition unit 30. The storage unit 46 can store the vibration information Jv and the other bogie vibration information Jvb in association with the time at which they were acquired. The storage unit 46 can also store the vibration information Jv and the other bogie vibration information Jvb in association with the position information Jp of the location on the track at which the vibration information Jv and the other bogie vibration information Jvb were acquired.

[0248] The determination unit 44 determines the track condition of the track 8 based on the vibration information Jv and the bogie vibration information Jvb, and provides a determination result E5 from the determination unit 44. The determination result E5 is a result of classifying the track condition into multiple levels according to the level of the track condition. For example, the determination result E5 may be a result of classifying the track condition into two levels, or a result of a more detailed classification into three or more levels. The determination result E5 of this embodiment indicates whether there is any track abnormality in the track 8.

[0249] The transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E5 of the determination unit 44 to the outside of the bogie 10. In this case, the determination result E5 can be used externally. In this example, the transmission unit 48 is provided on the bogie frame 12. The transmission unit 48 may also be provided on the vehicle body 2. In this example, the transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E5 to the cab 2d of the vehicle body 2. The determination result E5 may also be displayed on the vehicle monitor 2e in the cab 2d. The transmission unit 48 may also transmit the determination result E5 to the computer 84c of the ground command post 84 outside the vehicle 100 or to a cloud system. In other words, the transmission unit 48 can report the determination result E5 to the outside of the bogie 10.

[0250] If determination result E5 from determination unit 44 indicates a track abnormality, transmission unit 48 transmits a brake control signal Bc to brake control unit 60 to adjust the braking force. Brake control unit 60 adjusts the braking force based on brake control signal Bc transmitted from transmission unit 48. Through this operation, acquisition unit 30, information processing unit 40, and brake control unit 60 function as brake control device 80.

[0251] (Example 1)

[0252] A first example of the determination method performed by the determination unit 44 in the thus configured state monitoring device 20 of this embodiment will be described. In this first example, when vibration information Jv exceeds a preset threshold, abnormal vibration is observed and a track abnormality is determined. Furthermore, in this first example, abnormal vibration caused by temporary factors such as foreign matter can lead to erroneous determinations. Therefore, re-measurement at the same location and visual reconfirmation are desirable.

[0253] (Example 2)

[0254] Reference Figure 17 、 Figure 18 、 Figure 19 The second example of the determination method of the determination unit 44 is described. This method makes a determination with reference to vibration information of different periods obtained at different periods in order to avoid erroneous determinations caused by temporary factors. Specifically, when the determination unit 44 evaluates that the track state is abnormal based on vibration information at the same location, and evaluates that the track state is abnormal based on vibration information at different periods, it is determined that there is a track abnormality at the location. Figure 17 In the example, vibration information at different times is obtained by measuring in another subsequent bogie 11.

[0255] Figure 17 Schematic diagram schematically showing the state in which the bogie 10 and the other bogie 11 are subjected to vibration at the points P and Q due to the uneven portion 8p of the track surface and the foreign matter 8q on the track surface. Figure 17 As shown in (A), bogie 10 is the front bogie of a preceding vehicle 100, and bogie 11 is the front bogie of another vehicle 101 following. The vehicle 100 and the other vehicle 101 are coupled to form a train 3 of one formation.

[0256] The uneven portion 8p is caused by deterioration of the rail 8 and does not disappear even when the bogie 10 passes. The foreign matter 8q is a temporary object that disappears when the bogie 10 passes.

[0257] When the train 3 is traveling in the direction of travel, first, Figure 17As shown in (B), the bogie 10 rolls over the concave and convex portion 8p at the location P and detects abnormal vibration. Figure 17 As shown in (C), the bogie 11 rolls over the concave and convex portion 8p at the location P and detects abnormal vibration. Figure 17 As shown in (D), the bogie 10 runs over the foreign object 8q at the location Q and detects abnormal vibration. At this time, the foreign object 8q is bounced off by the wheel and disappears. Figure 17 As shown in (E), no abnormal vibration is detected when the bogie 11 passes through the point Q.

[0258] Figure 18 1 is a diagram showing the vibration information Jv of the bogie 10 and the other bogie vibration information Jvb of the other bogie 11. Figure 18 The horizontal axis represents the position on the track (hereinafter referred to as "location" in this embodiment), and the vertical axis represents the vibration level. Figure 18 As shown in (A), the vibration information Jv observes abnormal vibration at locations P and Q. Figure 18 As shown in (B), the bogie vibration information Jvb shows abnormal vibration at point P, but no abnormal vibration is observed at point Q.

[0259] At point P where abnormal vibration is observed consistently in the bogie 10 and the other bogie 11, it can be determined that a track abnormality exists. At point Q where abnormal vibration is observed inconsistently in the bogie 10 and the other bogie 11, it can be determined that there is no track abnormality.

[0260] Reference Figure 19 Next, an example of the operation of the state monitoring device 20 of the second example will be described. Figure 19 Flowchart showing the operation S120 of the state monitoring device 20. This operation is performed during the travel of the train 3. When the operation S120 is started, abnormal vibration of the preceding bogie 10 is detected (step S121). Figure 17 In the example, the state monitoring device 20 detects abnormal vibration of the bogie 10 at the point P and the point Q.

[0261] Next, the abnormal vibration of another subsequent bogie 11 is detected (step S122). Figure 17 In the example, the condition monitoring device 20 detects abnormal vibration of another bogie 11 at location P.

[0262] Next, the state monitoring device 20 determines whether or not the abnormal vibration of the bogie 10 and the abnormal vibration of the bogie 11 coincide with each other in location (step S123).

[0263] When the detection location of the abnormal vibration of the bogie 10 coincides with the detection location of the abnormal vibration of the other bogie 11 (Y in step S123), the state monitoring device 20 reports to the outside that a track abnormality is occurring (step S124). Figure 17 In the example, the bogie 10 and the other bogie 11 consistently detect abnormal vibrations at the location P, and therefore, the state monitoring device 20 sends to the outside a determination result E5 that a track abnormality is occurring at the location P.

[0264] If the location where abnormal vibration of the bogie 10 is detected does not match the location where abnormal vibration of the other bogie 11 is detected (N in step S123), the condition monitoring device 20 terminates action S120. Furthermore, the condition monitoring device 20 terminates action S120 after executing step S124. This action S120 is merely an example; the order of the steps may be reversed, or some steps may be added, deleted, or modified.

[0265] The determination method of the determination unit 44 can be modified in various ways. In the above description, an example of determination based on vibration information data of multiple bogies of a single train is shown. For example, track abnormality can also be determined based on vibration information data at the same point of multiple trains.

[0266] While the above description illustrates an example of determination using the magnitude (vibration level) of vibration information Jv, determination can also be made using characteristics of vibration information Jv. For example, characteristics of vibration information Jv indicating the presence of a track anomaly may be pre-stored, and the presence of a track anomaly may be determined at the location where the measured vibration information Jv data appears. Examples of characteristics of vibration information Jv include the frequency spectrum of vibration information Jv (hereinafter referred to as "frequency spectrum" in the description of this embodiment) and the amplitude variation pattern.

[0267] For example, a spectrum is obtained by Fourier transforming the data's time-domain waveform and converting it into the frequency domain. For example, by using the track state during past track anomalies and the spectra of past measured data as training data, a learning model can be generated through machine learning. By inputting the spectra of new measured data into this learning model, the track state can be understood.

[0268] In the above description, an example of determining the track state based on the vibration information Jv and using a threshold value is shown, but it is not limited to this. The determination unit 44 may also use a learning model M5 generated in advance by machine learning to determine the track state. The learning model M5 can be generated by machine learning (supervised learning) using the measured data of the reference vibration information obtained in advance and the occurrence conditions of track anomalies as training data. In this case, the training data may also include any one of the vibration level of the reference vibration information, the spectrum of the vibration, and the variation pattern of the amplitude of the vibration. The learning model M5 may also be stored in the storage unit 46.

[0269] In the above description, an example of determining the track state based on the vibration information Jv of the vibration sensor 30b is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the bogie frame 12 of the bogie 10 may be provided with an image sensor 30g that obtains an image of the track surface and outputs image information Jg, and the determination unit 44 may determine the track state based on the image information Jg obtained by the image sensor 30g. For example, when the image information Jg of the track surface shows an image that is different from the images before and after the image of the area captured, it may be determined that an image abnormality is observed and a track abnormality is determined. In this case, erroneous determinations due to temporary factors are also conceivable, and therefore, it is desirable to re-measure at the same location and visually re-confirm.

[0270] To avoid misjudgments due to temporary factors, judgments may be made by referring to image information acquired at different times. For example, a separate image sensor from image sensor 30g may be installed at a separate location along the train's travel direction. If the location where an image abnormality is detected based on image information from image sensor 30g matches the location where an image abnormality is detected based on image information from the other image sensor, a track abnormality is determined.

[0271] For example, when the determination unit 44 determines that there is an abnormality in the track state based on image information at the same location and that there is an abnormality in the track state based on image information at a different time, the determination unit 44 determines that there is a track abnormality at the location.

[0272] Furthermore, if the amount of natural light incident on the front or rear bogie is high, this may cause false detection. In this case, the image sensor 30g may be positioned on an intermediate bogie, avoiding the front or rear bogies. Alternatively, to mitigate the impact of the amount of natural light incident, multiple image sensors 30g may be provided, with the image information acquired by the image sensor 30g with the lower amount of natural light incident being used for determination. Furthermore, to obtain better image information, a light irradiation unit 32 may be provided to illuminate the track 8.

[0273] The features of the state monitoring device 20 of this embodiment will be described. The state monitoring device 20 determines the track state based on vibration or image information acquired during travel. This allows for accurate understanding of the track state with minimal man-hours, resulting in cost savings. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the track state is determined by referring to different information acquired at different times for the same point on the track 8. This prevents erroneous determinations due to temporary factors.

[0274] In this embodiment, when the track condition based on one piece of information matches that based on another piece of information at the same location, a track abnormality is determined to exist at that location, thereby reducing false positives. In this embodiment, the determination results of the determination unit are reported to the outside of the bogie, allowing for early maintenance using the results. In this embodiment, information acquired by sensors installed on the bogie is used, enabling the use of directly acquired information.

[0275] In this embodiment, additional information is acquired using sensors installed on other bogies of other vehicles in the same train, allowing the system to be completed within the train. In this embodiment, the acquisition unit 30 is mounted on the bogie frame 12 or the unsprung portion 14, and the determination unit 44 is mounted on the bogie frame 12. This reduces the wiring distance between the acquisition unit 30 and the determination unit 44.

[0276] [Sixth embodiment]

[0277] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figures 20 to 24 Next, a railway state monitoring device 20 and a railway brake control device 80 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 of this embodiment are mounted on a railway vehicle 100 . Figure 20 This is a block diagram schematically showing the state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 according to the present embodiment.

[0278] The brake 18 of vehicle 100 distributes the required braking force between the regenerative brake 18e and the contact brake 18d, allowing the vehicle 100 to stop within a predetermined braking distance. The contact brake 18d presses the brake shoe 18b against the tread 16b of the wheel 16, generating friction between them. This friction is used to decelerate and stop the vehicle 100. However, if the tread 16b is smoother than a predetermined reference (hereinafter referred to as an "oversmooth state" in this embodiment), sufficient friction is not achieved, and the braking distance becomes longer. If the braking distance increases, overtravel may occur, hindering vehicle travel. Therefore, it is important to detect and address the oversmooth state.

[0279] The oversmooth state occurs, for example, when the surface roughness of the tread 16b is excessively small, or when the surface of the tread 16b is mirror-finished despite having a certain surface roughness or above. Therefore, the oversmooth state in this embodiment includes both a mirror-finished state and a state in which the surface roughness is excessively small even though the surface is not mirror-finished.

[0280] Research by the present inventors has revealed the following insight: tread information regarding the surface properties of tread 16b (hereinafter referred to as "tread information J6" in the present embodiment) obtained by optical sensor 30f, which detects reflected light from tread 16b, correlates with the smoothness of tread 16b. Therefore, based on this correlation, the smoothness of tread 16b can be evaluated using tread information J6. Furthermore, if the smoothness of tread 16b indicated by tread information J6 exceeds a predetermined reference, it can be determined to be excessively smooth. Optical sensor 30f irradiates laser light onto tread 16b from a light irradiation unit 32 provided on bogie 10, thereby obtaining reflected light from the laser.

[0281] Furthermore, the present inventors have discovered that by strongly pressing the brake shoe 18b against the tread 16b determined to be in an overly smooth state, the tread 16b is roughened, thereby restoring the tread to a non-overly smooth state (hereinafter referred to as a "non-overly smooth state" in the description of this embodiment). Therefore, when an overly smooth state is determined, control is performed to increase the pressing force of the brake shoe 18b, thereby roughening the tread 16b and restoring friction.

[0282] The main structures of the state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 of this embodiment are described. Figure 20 As shown, the state monitoring device 20 includes an acquisition unit 30, an information processing unit 40, a brake control unit 60, a power supply unit 70, a position information acquisition unit 82, a speed sensor 30c, and a light irradiation unit 32. Furthermore, the brake control device 80 includes the acquisition unit 30, the information processing unit 40, and the brake control unit 60. The information processing unit 40 includes a determination unit 44, a storage unit 46, a transmission unit 48, and a transmission control unit 42. Unless otherwise specified, the description of the first embodiment applies to the configuration and operation of each of the aforementioned elements.

[0283] In the present embodiment, the information processing unit 40 acquires speed information Jc from the speed sensor 30 c and acquires position information Jp from the position information acquisition unit 82 .

[0284] The acquisition unit 30 includes a photosensor 30f in the bogie 10 that acquires tread information J6 related to the surface properties of the tread 16b. The acquisition unit 30 provides the tread information J6 to the information processing unit 40. The storage unit 46 temporarily stores the tread information J6 acquired by the acquisition unit 30. The storage unit 46 can store the tread information J6 in association with the speed information Jc at the time the tread information J6 was acquired. The storage unit 46 can store the tread information J6 in association with the time the tread information J6 was acquired. The storage unit 46 can store the tread information J6 in association with the position information Jp of the location on the track where the tread information J6 was acquired.

[0285] The determination unit 44 determines the smoothness of the tread 16b based on the tread information J6 acquired by the acquisition unit 30 and provides a determination result E6 from the determination unit 44. The determination result E6 is the result of classifying the smoothness into multiple levels according to the level of smoothness. For example, the determination result E6 may be the result of classifying the smoothness into two levels, or may be the result of a more detailed classification into three or more levels. The determination result E6 of this embodiment indicates whether the tread 16b is excessively smooth.

[0286] The transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E6 of the determination unit 44 to the outside of the bogie 10. In this case, the determination result E6 can be used externally. In this example, the transmission unit 48 is provided on the bogie frame 12. The transmission unit 48 may also be provided on the vehicle body 2. In this example, the transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E6 to the cab 2d of the vehicle body 2. The determination result E6 may also be displayed on the vehicle monitor 2e in the cab 2d. The transmission unit 48 may also transmit the determination result E6 to the computer 84c of the ground command post 84 outside the vehicle 100 or to a cloud system. In other words, the transmission unit 48 can report the determination result E6 to the outside of the bogie 10.

[0287] If determination result E6 from determination unit 44 indicates an oversmoothing state, transmission unit 48 transmits a braking control signal Bc to brake control unit 60 to adjust the braking force. Braking control unit 60 adjusts the braking force based on braking control signal Bc transmitted from transmission unit 48. Through this operation, acquisition unit 30, information processing unit 40, and brake control unit 60 constitute brake control device 80. The operation of brake control device 80 will be described below.

[0288] The acquisition unit 30 is mounted on the bogie 10. In this case, the positional relationship between the acquisition unit 30 and the wheel 16 is kept constant, enabling high-precision acquisition of the tread information J6. The determination unit 44 and the brake control unit 60 are provided on the bogie 10 or the vehicle body 2. In this case, they can be located in a location with low vibration, thereby mitigating the effects of vibration.

[0289] The operation of the state monitoring device 20 will be described. If the smoothness of the tread 16b indicated by the tread information J6 acquired by the acquisition unit 30 is smoother than a predetermined reference, the determination unit 44 determines that the tread 16b is in an overly smooth state. Alternatively, if the smoothness is no longer smoother than the reference, the tread 16b is determined to be not in an overly smooth state (not in an overly smooth state). The determination unit 44 provides a determination result E6.

[0290] Reference Figure 21 、 Figure 22 、 Figure 23 、 Figure 24 Next, an example of the operation of the brake control device 80 will be described. Figure 21 This is a flowchart showing operation S130 of the brake control device 80 . Figure 22 This diagram shows an example of the ratio of the braking force of the contact brake 18d to the braking force of the brake 18. Graph A in this diagram shows the ratio (e.g., 30%) of the braking force of the contact brake 18d when the desired braking force of the brake 18 is set to 100% during normal operation (not during brake control). Graph B shows the ratio (e.g., 40%) of the braking force of the contact brake 18d during roughing operation (during brake control). Figure 23 、 Figure 24 It is a diagram schematically showing the operation of the contact brake 18d.

[0291] This operation is performed while the vehicle 100 is traveling and the brake 18 is operating. Once operation S130 is initiated, it is determined whether the regenerative brake 18e is operating (step S131). If the regenerative brake 18e is not operating (N in step S131), the brake control unit 60 terminates operation S130. In other words, if 100% of the braking force of the brake 18 is equal to the braking force of the contact brake 18d, no braking control is performed. This is because excessive braking force from the contact brake 18d may cause the vehicle to slip.

[0292] When the regenerative brake 18e is activated (Y in step S131), the determination unit 44 determines whether the tread 16b is in an excessively smooth state (step S133). In this step, the determination unit 44 provides the brake control unit 60 with the determination result E6 through the above-described operation.

[0293] If the tread 16b is in an excessively smooth state (Y in step S133), the brake control unit 60 increases the braking force of the contact brake 18d and improves the braking force ratio of the contact brake 18d (step S134). Figure 22As shown in FIG B, the braking force of the contact brake 18d is increased to increase its ratio to 40%. At this time, the braking force of the regenerative brake 18e can also be weakened to make the braking force of the brake 18 constant.

[0294] When the tread 16b is in an overly smooth state (Y in step S133), the state monitoring device 20 may report to the outside that the overly smooth state is occurring.

[0295] like Figure 23 、 Figure 24 As shown, if the braking force of the contact brake 18d is increased in step S134, the brake shoe 18b is strongly pressed against the tread surface 16b, and the tread surface 16b in the overly smooth state can be roughened to a non-overly smooth state.

[0296] When step S134 is executed, the process returns to the beginning of step S131, and the loop of steps S131 to S134 is repeated. While this loop is repeated including the execution of step S134, the determination of the tread 16b is continued.

[0297] If the oversmooth condition is eliminated and the entire tread surface 16b is in a non-oversmooth state (N in step S133), the brake control unit 60 reduces the braking force of the contact brake 18d to restore it to the braking force during normal operation, and ends step S130. At this point, the braking force ratio of the contact brake 18d is reduced to the ratio during normal operation. This step S130 is merely an example; the order of the steps may be reversed, or some steps may be added, deleted, or modified.

[0298] The operation of the brake control device 80 described above is subject to various modifications. While the above description illustrates an example in which the determination unit 44 uses the tread information J6 for determination, it is also possible to use characteristics of the tread information J6 for determination. For example, characteristics of the tread information J6 indicating an overly smooth state may be pre-stored, and when these characteristics are present in the data of the actually measured tread information J6, the state may be determined to be overly smooth. Furthermore, characteristics of the tread information J6 include, for example, the variation pattern of the tread information J6.

[0299] While the above description illustrates an example in which the smoothness of the tread 16b is determined based on the tread information J6 using a reference, the present invention is not limited thereto. The determination unit 44 may also determine the smoothness of the tread 16b using a learning model M6 previously generated through machine learning. The learning model M6 can be generated through machine learning (supervised learning) using past patterns of fluctuations in the tread information J6 when oversmoothing conditions occurred as training data. The learning model M6 may also be stored in the storage unit 46.

[0300] While the above description illustrates an example in which the state monitoring device 20 uses the detection results of the optical sensor 30f as the tread information J6 to determine the smoothness of the tread 16b, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the state monitoring device 20 may also use the image results of the image sensor 30g that captures the tread 16b as the tread information J6 to determine the smoothness of the tread 16b. For example, the state monitoring device 20 may also use the surface roughness of the tread 16b obtained by a contact or non-contact surface roughness meter as the tread information J6 to determine the smoothness of the tread 16b.

[0301] While the above description illustrates an example in which the braking force of the contact brake 18d is increased when the tread 16b is excessively smooth, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the brake control unit 60 may also advance the timing of starting to activate the contact brake 18d when the tread 16b is excessively smooth. By advancing the timing of activating the contact brake 18d, the brake shoe 18b remains in contact with the tread 16b for a longer period of time, thereby promoting roughening of the tread 16b.

[0302] The friction force tends to decrease as the peripheral speed of the wheel 16 increases. Therefore, the brake control unit 60 may refer to the speed of the vehicle 100 (speed information Jc) to change the ratio of the braking force of the contact brake 18d or the operating timing of the contact brake 18d and the regenerative brake 18e.

[0303] The features of the state monitoring device 20 of this embodiment will be described. In the state monitoring device 20, the smoothness of the tread 16b is determined based on the tread information J6 related to the surface properties of the tread 16b. Therefore, the smoothness of the tread 16b can be determined with less man-hours, which is cost-effective.

[0304] The features of the brake control device 80 of this embodiment will be described. In the brake control device 80, the smoothness of the tread 16b is determined based on tread information J6 regarding the surface properties of the tread 16b. Based on this determination, the braking force or operating timing of the contact brake 18d is varied, thereby roughening the tread 16b and restoring the braking force.

[0305] In this embodiment, if the smooth state is determined to be smoother than a predetermined reference, the braking force of the contact brake 18d is increased, thereby roughening the tread 16b and restoring the braking force. In this embodiment, after increasing the braking force of the contact brake 18d, if the smooth state is no longer smoother than the reference, the braking force of the contact brake 18d is reduced, thereby restoring the balance between the braking force of the contact brake 18d and the regenerative brake 18e to a stable state.

[0306] In this embodiment, the detection results of the optical sensor 30f or the image capture results of the image sensor 30g are provided as the tread information J6, which is inexpensive and advantageous for miniaturization. In this embodiment, the braking force or the operating time of the contact brake 18d is varied with reference to the vehicle speed, thereby enabling more appropriate control according to the vehicle speed.

[0307] [Seventh embodiment]

[0308] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figures 25 to 27 Next, a railway state monitoring device 20 and a railway brake control device 80 according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described. The state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 of this embodiment are mounted on a railway vehicle 100 . Figure 25 This is a block diagram schematically showing the state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 according to the present embodiment.

[0309] Excessive rail wear (hereinafter referred to as "overwear" in this embodiment) can degrade ride comfort. Therefore, it is important to identify the location of rail wear and perform maintenance. While dedicated rail inspection vehicles are a viable option for inspecting rail wear, such vehicles are expensive and require significant labor. Therefore, monitoring the wear status to prevent excessive rail wear is crucial.

[0310] Therefore, the state monitoring device 20 of this embodiment includes an acquisition unit 30 that acquires information related to the wear of the rail 8 on which the railway vehicle 100 travels (hereinafter referred to as "railway information J7" in this specification); and a transmission unit 48 that transmits the railway information J7 acquired by the acquisition unit 30. In this case, the wear state of the rail 8 can be monitored based on the railway information J7.

[0311] Furthermore, research by the present inventors has revealed that rail wear tends to progress at the braking start position (hereinafter referred to as the "braking start position" in this embodiment) where the rail contacts the brake 18d. If the braking start positions are concentrated in the same location, wear tends to progress at that location. Consequently, if wear progresses earlier at a specific location than at other locations, the frequency of rail replacement increases. Therefore, to reduce the frequency of rail replacement by distributing the wear locations, it is desirable to disperse the braking start positions front to back.

[0312] Therefore, the brake control device 80 of this embodiment uses the information acquisition unit 30x to obtain track information Jx related to the wear of the track 8 from the track information providing device 90, and uses the position information acquisition unit 82 to obtain the position information Jp of the vehicle 100 (the vehicle itself). Based on the track information Jx and the position information Jp, the braking start position of the contact brake 18d is determined. In this case, the braking start position is dispersed, the progression of wear is delayed, and the frequency of track replacement is reduced.

[0313] The track information Jx includes information on wear exceeding a certain level (hereinafter referred to as "specific wear" in this embodiment) and the location of the specific wear (hereinafter referred to as "specific location" in this embodiment) in the track 8. Specific wear includes excessive wear and wear that is not excessive but has progressed to a certain level or above.

[0314] The brake control device 80 distributes the braking start position of the contact brake 18d in the front-to-rear direction of a specific location based on the track information J7 and the position information Jp of the vehicle 100 itself, thereby distributing wear on the track 8. Furthermore, the braking start position of the contact brake 18d can be set to avoid the specific location. By distributing the wear locations, the frequency of track 8 replacement is reduced.

[0315] The track information providing device 90 is not limited as long as it can provide track information Jx, and for example, the following track information providing devices can be cited.

[0316] (1) The vehicle ahead, which can capture the ahead position of the track 8 and provide track information Jx

[0317] (2) Unmanned aircraft and other flying objects, which can capture the front position of the track 8 and provide track information Jx

[0318] (3) Ground equipment, which is installed at various locations on the track 8 and can provide track information Jx based on the detection results of strain sensors that obtain strain information related to the strain of the track 8

[0319] (4) Ground equipment, which is installed at various locations on the track 8 and can provide track information Jx based on the shooting results of fixed-point cameras that obtain image information related to the wear of the track 8

[0320] (5) Ground equipment, which includes a database storing the track information Jx provided in (1) to (4) above, and can provide the track information Jx

[0321] In the description of this embodiment, the track information providing device 90 is described as an example of a preceding vehicle that can provide track information Jx. The track information providing device 90 (previous vehicle) includes an image sensor 90g, a position information acquisition unit 90p, a wear determination unit 90j, and an information transmission unit 90x.

[0322] Image sensor 90g captures the forward position of rail 8 and acquires image information. Specifically, image sensor 90g is mounted on the bogie of the preceding vehicle and acquires image information related to the wear state of rail 8 from the reflected light from light irradiated on rail 8. This image information can be either still or moving images. The configuration of image sensor 90g is identical to that of image sensor 30g in the first embodiment.

[0323] The position information acquisition unit 90p acquires position information related to the position of the track information providing device 90 (the preceding vehicle). The configuration of the position information acquisition unit 90p is the same as that of the position information acquisition unit 82 in the first embodiment.

[0324] The wear determination unit 90j determines the presence of specific wear based on image information acquired by the image sensor 90g. The wear determination unit 90j identifies a specific position based on the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 90p. The information transmission unit 90x transmits the determination result of the wear determination unit 90j regarding the presence of specific wear and the specific position to the outside as track information Jx.

[0325] In particular, when specific wear is present, the information transmitting unit 90x transmits track information Jx at the location (specific location) where the specific wear is detected. The information transmitting unit 90x transmits track information Jx in response to a request from another vehicle, such as a following vehicle, the ground command post 84, or other external sources. Alternatively, the information transmitting unit 90x may autonomously transmit track information Jx even without an external request.

[0326] The track information providing device 90 (front vehicle) can be modified in various ways. For example, the track information providing device 90 may include a contact or non-contact surface roughness meter instead of the image sensor 90g, and the surface roughness of the track 8 obtained by the surface roughness meter may be used as the track information.

[0327] The main structures of the state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 of this embodiment are described. Figure 25As shown, the state monitoring device 20 includes an acquisition unit 30, an information processing unit 40, a power supply unit 70, a position information acquisition unit 82, and a light irradiation unit 32. Furthermore, the brake control device 80 includes an information acquisition unit 30x, an information processing unit 40, and a brake control unit 60. The information processing unit 40 includes a determination unit 44, a storage unit 46, a transmission unit 48, and a transmission control unit 42. Unless otherwise specified, the description of the first embodiment applies to the configuration and operation of each of the aforementioned elements.

[0328] The information acquisition unit 30x receives track information Jx transmitted from the track information providing device 90 and provides it to the information processing unit 40. The information acquisition unit 30x can also request the track information providing device 90 to transmit the track information Jx. The position information acquisition unit 82 provides position information Jp to the information processing unit 40. The acquisition unit 30 is provided on the bogie 10 and includes an image sensor 30g for acquiring track information J7 related to wear of the rail 8. The acquisition unit 30 provides the track information J7 to the information processing unit 40.

[0329] The storage unit 46 temporarily stores the track information J7 acquired by the acquisition unit 30. The storage unit 46 can store the track information J7 in association with the time at which the track information J7 was acquired. The storage unit 46 can also store the track information J7 in association with the position information Jp on the track where the track information J7 was acquired. The storage unit 46 temporarily stores the track information Jx in association with the specific wear information and the specific position.

[0330] The determination unit 44 determines whether specific wear exists on the track 8 along the route of the vehicle 100 based on the track information Jx transmitted from the track information providing device 90 (the preceding vehicle). Specifically, the determination unit 44 determines whether a specific location in the track information Jx exists along the route of the vehicle 100 and provides a determination result E7 from the determination unit 44. Therefore, the determination result E7 in this embodiment indicates whether specific wear exists along the route.

[0331] The transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E7 of the determination unit 44 to the outside of the bogie 10. In this case, the determination result E7 can be used externally. In this example, the transmission unit 48 is provided on the bogie frame 12. The transmission unit 48 may also be provided on the vehicle body 2. In this example, the transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E7 to the cab 2d of the vehicle body 2. The determination result E7 may also be displayed on the vehicle monitor 2e in the cab 2d. The transmission unit 48 may also transmit the determination result E7 to the computer 84c of the ground command post 84 outside the vehicle 100 or to a cloud system. In other words, the transmission unit 48 can report the determination result E7 to the outside of the bogie 10.

[0332] If determination result E7 from determination unit 44 indicates the presence of specific wear, transmission unit 48 transmits a brake control signal Bc to brake control unit 60 to control the braking start position. Brake control unit 60 controls the braking start position based on brake control signal Bc transmitted from transmission unit 48. The operation of brake control device 80 will be described below.

[0333] The determination unit 44 and the brake control unit 60 are provided in the bogie 10 or the vehicle body 2. In this case, they can be arranged in a place with less vibration, so the influence of the vibration can be alleviated.

[0334] The operation of the state monitoring device 20 will be described. The determination unit 44 determines the presence of specific wear based on the track information J7 acquired by the image sensor 30g of the acquisition unit 30. The determination unit 44 identifies the specific position based on the position information Jp from the position information acquisition unit 82. If the determination unit 44 determines that specific wear is present, the transmission unit 48 transmits the specific wear information and the specific position to the outside. In other words, the state monitoring device 20 functions as the track information providing device 90 (the preceding vehicle) for the following vehicle, and the description of the track information providing device 90 also applies.

[0335] Also refer to Figure 26 、 Figure 27 Next, an example of the operation of the brake control device 80 will be described. Figure 26 This is a flowchart showing operation S140 of the brake control device 80 . Figure 27 This diagram schematically illustrates action S140 of the brake control device 80. This action controls the braking start position. Unless otherwise specified, "braking" in the description of action S140 refers to braking by the contact brake 18d. Furthermore, the track information providing device 90 represents another preceding vehicle 101. This action is performed while vehicle 100 is traveling.

[0336] Figure 27 (A) indicates a situation where a specific wear 8d exists on the track 8, and another vehicle 101 that precedes the track 8 and a vehicle 100 that follows the other vehicle 101 are traveling in the traveling direction. Figure 27 As shown in (A), when the vehicle 101 detects the specific wear 8d, it transmits the track information Jx at the position (specific position) where the specific wear 8d is detected. The vehicle 100 receives the track information Jx.

[0337] In normal driving without receiving track information Jx, Figure 27 As shown in the first mode, the vehicle 100 starts braking at a preset set position T. During automatic driving, the set position T is always the same, and there is a possibility that specific wear will occur at this position. The set position T is stored in the storage unit 46.

[0338] Once Act S140 is initiated, the determination unit 44 determines whether specific wear 8d exists on the rail 8 along the path (Step S141). In this step, the determination unit 44 determines whether specific wear 8d exists based on the track information Jx transmitted from the track information providing device 90 (the preceding vehicle 101). If specific wear 8d does not exist (N in Step S141), the brake control unit 60 terminates Act S140.

[0339] If specific wear 8d is present (Y in step S141), the brake control unit 60 determines whether the specific position where specific wear 8d is present is the set position T of the vehicle 100 (step S142). If the specific position is not the set position T (N in step S142), the brake control unit 60 ends operation S140.

[0340] If the specific position is set position T (Y in step S142), and braking is initiated at a position forward of the specific position (a slower position), the brake control unit 60 determines whether the vehicle 100 can be parked within the permitted parking range without excessive braking (step S143). For example, if the braking distance by normal braking is shorter than the distance to the permitted parking range, it can be determined that the vehicle 100 can be parked.

[0341] If the vehicle 100 can park within the permissible parking range (Y in step S143), Figure 27 As shown in the second mode of FIG, the brake control unit 60 starts braking after the vehicle 100 passes the specific position (step S144). After executing step S144, the brake control unit 60 ends operation S140.

[0342] If the vehicle 100 cannot park within the permitted parking range (N in step S143), Figure 27 As shown in the third mode, the brake control unit 60 starts braking at a position before the specific position (earlier position) (step S145).

[0343] When braking is started, the brake control unit 60 determines whether the vehicle 100 has reached the specific position (step S146). If the vehicle 100 has not reached the specific position (N in step S146), the brake control unit 60 returns the process to the beginning of step S145 to maintain the braking state.

[0344] When the vehicle 100 reaches the specific position (Y in step S146), the brake control unit 60 stops braking (step S147). The braking stop in this case includes a braking stop in a narrow sense and a substantial braking stop in which a slight braking force is generated.

[0345] If braking is stopped, the brake control unit 60 determines whether the vehicle 100 has passed the specific position (step S148). If the vehicle 100 has not passed the specific position (N in step S148), the brake control unit 60 returns the process to the beginning of step S147 to maintain the brake stop state.

[0346] If the vehicle 100 passes the specific position (Y in step S148), the brake control unit 60 resumes braking (step S149). After executing step S149, the brake control unit 60 ends step S140. This step S140 is merely an example; the order of the steps may be reversed, or some steps may be added, deleted, or modified. Thus, according to step S140, the braking start positions can be dispersed around the specific position. This delays the progression of wear and reduces the frequency of track replacement.

[0347] The operation of the brake control device 80 can be modified in various ways. For example, the determination in step S143 can be made using a learning model M7 previously generated through machine learning. The learning model M7 can be generated through machine learning (supervised learning) using past measured data on vehicle speed, braking start position, and braking distance as training data. The learning model M7 can also be stored in the storage unit 46.

[0348] The operation of the brake control device 80 is particularly effective for vehicles that drive automatically, but it can also be applied to vehicles that are not driven automatically by a driver. In this case, a reporting unit (not shown) can also be provided to report the braking start position to the driver. The driver can activate the contact brake 18d at the time of the reporting unit's notification.

[0349] The features of the state monitoring device 20 of this embodiment will be described. In the state monitoring device 20, the acquisition unit 30 includes an image sensor mounted on the bogie 10 of the vehicle 100. Mounting the image sensor 30g on the bogie 10 can suppress the adhesion of foreign matter from outside the bogie 10. The state monitoring device 20 may also include a strain sensor that acquires strain information related to the strain of the rail 8. In this case, the braking start position is dispersed based on the strain of the rail 8, achieving uniform wear.

[0350] [Eighth embodiment]

[0351] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figures 28 to 30 Next, a railway state monitoring device 20 and a railway brake control device 80 according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 of this embodiment are mounted on a railway vehicle 100 . Figure 28This is a block diagram schematically showing the state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 according to the present embodiment.

[0352] In railway vehicles, acceleration and deceleration characteristics vary due to vehicle weight. Therefore, a brake control device (brake gauge) is used to control regenerative braking and contact braking based on vehicle weight. Therefore, accurately understanding vehicle weight is crucial. For example, one approach is to use air springs 12s positioned between the bogie 10 and the vehicle body 2 to calculate vehicle weight based on their displacement and spring constant. However, this method, due to factors such as the deadband of the height adjustment valve and the oscillation of the detection linkage, results in a nonlinear spring constant, leading to large errors.

[0353] Based on these findings, the present inventors have devised a technique for calculating the vehicle weight based on the displacement and spring constant of the axle spring 12 j , focusing on the axle spring 12 j disposed between the bogie frame 12 and the unsprung portion 14 .

[0354] Therefore, the state monitoring device 20 of this embodiment includes an acquisition unit 30 that acquires information regarding the distance between the bogie 10 of a railway vehicle 100 on the track 8 and the track 8 (hereinafter referred to as "distance information J8" in this specification); and a determination unit 44 that determines the weight of the vehicle 100 based on the distance information J8 acquired by the acquisition unit 30. In this case, the vehicle weight on the track 8 can be monitored based on the distance information J8. This technology can improve the accuracy of vehicle weight estimation compared to the case of using air springs 12s. Furthermore, this technology is also applicable to vehicles without air springs.

[0355] For example, the vehicle weight (= change in the number of passengers) can be calculated based on the change in displacement of the axle spring 12j, using the actual measured value when the number of passengers is zero. Specifically, the axle spring 12j flexes and expands and contracts vertically in response to changes in the vehicle weight. Therefore, the vehicle weight can be calculated by measuring the vertical distance from the bogie frame 12 to the rail 8.

[0356] Figure 29 It is a diagram schematically showing the bogie 10 viewed from the front. Figure 30 1 is a diagram schematically showing the bogie 10 viewed from the side. Figure 29As shown, the acquisition unit 30 is mounted on the bogie frame 12 of the bogie 10 and includes a plurality of distance sensors 30ka and 30kb. These sensors 30ka and 30kb measure the distance to the rails 8 on both sides in the width direction. The use of these multiple distance sensors 30ka and 30kb can reduce errors caused by the weight balance of the vehicle body 2 being biased toward one side in the width direction. The distance sensors 30ka and 30kb in this embodiment are mounted on the lower surfaces of the side members 12e and 12f on both sides in the width direction, respectively.

[0357] The distance sensor 30ka measures the distance Hka from the lower surface of the side beam 12e to the upper surface (tread) of the rail 8. The distance sensor 30kb measures the distance Hkb from the lower surface of the other side beam 12f to the upper surface (tread) of the rail 8. Distance sensors 30ka and 30kb are laser displacement sensors that detect the separation distance based on the reflected light of the irradiated laser. Distance sensors 30ka and 30kb may alternatively be known sensors such as ultrasonic sensors and optical sensors. The measurement results of distances Hka and Hkb are provided as distance information J8.

[0358] like Figure 30 As shown, a plurality of distance sensors 30ka and 30kb measure the distance to the track at the center position between the front wheel and the rear wheel of the bogie 10. In this embodiment, the center position is not limited to a strict center position, and includes a situation where the center position can be determined visually. By measuring the distance at the center position, it is possible to reduce the error caused by the weight balance of the vehicle body 2 being biased to the front or rear. In addition, in this case, the distance is measured at a position separated from the wheels, so that the influence caused by the state of the contact surface between the wheel 16 and the track 7 can be reduced. In addition, the distance sensors 30ka and 30kb can also be arranged at a position offset front and rear relative to the center position.

[0359] exist Figure 30 In the example, the center of the side beams 12e and 12f is located below the end portions in the front-rear direction. The distance sensors 30ka and 30kb may be provided below the front and rear end portions of the side beams 12e and 12f or at the portion closest to the rail 8.

[0360] like Figure 28 As shown, this embodiment includes a transmitting unit 48 for transmitting the determination result E8 of the determining unit 44 to the outside of the bogie 10. The transmitting unit 48 functions as a reporting unit for reporting the determination result E8 to the outside.

[0361] In addition, if Figure 28As shown, this embodiment includes a brake control device 80 that changes the method of applying the brakes 18 based on a vehicle weight determination result E8. The brake control device 80 includes an acquisition unit 30 that acquires distance information J8 regarding the distance between the bogie 10 of a railway vehicle 100 and the track 8; a determination unit 44 that determines the weight of the vehicle 100 based on the distance information J8 acquired by the acquisition unit 30; and a brake control unit 60 that changes the braking force or activation timing of the brakes 18 of the vehicle 100 based on the determination result E8 of the determination unit 44. In this case, the method of applying the brakes 18 can be changed based on the distance information J8. The brake control operation will be discussed below.

[0362] The main structures of the state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 of this embodiment are described. Figure 28 As shown, the state monitoring device 20 includes an acquisition unit 30, an information processing unit 40, a power supply unit 70, and a position information acquisition unit 82. Furthermore, the brake control device 80 includes the acquisition unit 30, the information processing unit 40, the determination unit 44, and the brake control unit 60. The information processing unit 40 includes a storage unit 46, a transmission unit 48, and a transmission control unit 42. Unless otherwise specified, the description of the first embodiment applies to the configuration and operation of each of the aforementioned elements.

[0363] The position information acquisition unit 82 provides the position information Jp to the information processing unit 40. The acquisition unit 30 is provided in the bogie frame 12 of the bogie 10, and provides the information processing unit 40 with distance information J8 including the distances Hka and Hkb.

[0364] The storage unit 46 temporarily stores the distance information J8 acquired by the acquisition unit 30. The storage unit 46 can store the distance information J8 in association with the time at which the distance information J8 was acquired. The storage unit 46 can also store the distance information J8 in association with the position information Jp on the track at which the distance information J8 was acquired. The storage unit 46 can store past data acquired for the distance information J8, initial data from manufacturing or maintenance, and design data.

[0365] Determination unit 44 determines the vehicle weight based on distance information J8 acquired by acquisition unit 30 and provides determination result E8 from determination unit 44. Specifically, determination unit 44 uses a pre-set threshold value to determine the vehicle weight calculated based on distance information J8. Determination result E8 is the result of classifying the calculated vehicle weight into multiple levels based on the level of the calculated vehicle weight. For example, determination result E8 may be the result of classifying distance information J8 into two levels, or it may be the result of a more detailed classification into three or more levels. Determination result E8 in this embodiment indicates whether the vehicle weight is greater than the threshold value.

[0366] Alternatively, vehicle weight classification may be omitted and parameters related to powertrain control and braking control may be automatically modified based on vehicle weight. For example, vehicle weight may be input to a brake operating device that controls the vehicle to exert a certain deceleration in response to a braking command. The brake operating device controls regenerative braking and contact braking based on vehicle weight.

[0367] The transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E8 of the determination unit 44 to the outside of the bogie 10. In this case, the determination result E8 can be used externally. In this example, the transmission unit 48 is provided on the bogie frame 12. The transmission unit 48 may also be provided on the vehicle body 2. In this example, the transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E8 to the cab 2d of the vehicle body 2. The transmission unit 48 may also transmit the determination result E8 to the computer 84c of the ground command post 84 outside the vehicle 100 or to a cloud system. In other words, the transmission unit 48 can report the determination result E8 to the outside of the bogie 10.

[0368] If determination result E8 from determination unit 44 indicates that the vehicle weight is greater than the threshold, transmission unit 48 transmits a brake control signal Bc to brake control unit 60. Brake control unit 60 controls the vehicle based on brake control signal Bc transmitted from transmission unit 48 to increase the braking force of contact brake 18d or to advance the braking start time of contact brake 18d. The operation of brake control device 80 will be described below.

[0369] The determination unit 44 and the brake control unit 60 are provided in the bogie 10 or the vehicle body 2. In this case, they can be arranged in a place with less vibration, so the influence of the vibration can be alleviated.

[0370] An example of the operation of the state monitoring device 20 will be described. The state monitoring device 20 uses any of the previous data, initial data, and design data obtained when the number of passengers is zero as a reference value for distance information J8 and calculates the vehicle weight using the difference between the distance information J8 and the newly acquired distance information J8. The state monitoring device 20 determines whether the calculated vehicle weight exceeds a threshold value and transmits the determination result E8 to the outside of the bogie 10. This operation of the state monitoring device 20 may also be performed at regular intervals.

[0371] To reduce errors, it is desirable to operate the state monitoring device 20 at a predetermined specific position. The specific position may be a reference position or a position where the track is horizontal, for example. The state monitoring device 20 may also operate based on the position information Jp.

[0372] The state monitoring device 20 may be operated while the vehicle 100 is stopped or traveling. To improve measurement accuracy by avoiding the influence of localized wear of the wheel 16, a value (e.g., an average value) obtained by statistically processing data acquired while the wheel 16 rotates at least one revolution may be used as the distance information J8. In this case, the influence of localized wear of the wheel 16 can be suppressed.

[0373] An example of the operation of the brake control device 80 will be described. The brake control device 80 inputs the calculated vehicle weight to the brake operating device and calculates the required braking force based on the vehicle weight. Furthermore, the brake control device 80 transmits the calculated vehicle weight externally and uses the vehicle weight as a control parameter to perform powertrain control and braking control of the vehicle. This operation of the brake control device 80 may also be performed at regular intervals.

[0374] The relationship between the displacement of the axle spring 12j and the vehicle weight is nonlinear, making it difficult to calculate the vehicle weight based on the detection results of the distance sensors 30ka and 30kb. For example, the vehicle weight can also be calculated using a learning model M8 generated in advance through machine learning. The learning model M8 can be generated through machine learning (supervised learning) using the detection results of the distance sensors 30ka and 30kb and past measured vehicle weight data as training data. The learning model M8 can also be stored in the storage unit 46.

[0375] [Ninth embodiment]

[0376] Reference Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figures 31 to 34 Next, a railway state monitoring device 20 and a railway brake control device 80 according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 of this embodiment are mounted on a railway vehicle 100 . Figure 31 This is a block diagram schematically showing the state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 according to the present embodiment.

[0377] When the wheels 16 of the railway vehicle 100 travel on the rails 8, the treads 16b of the wheels 16 wear (including damage) due to factors such as friction with the rails 8, friction with the brake shoes 18b, and sliding caused by rain. This wear sometimes progresses unevenly, and if the wear progresses excessively, it may degrade ride comfort and adversely affect the vehicle 100. Therefore, it is desirable to understand the amount of wear on the wheels 16 and perform wheel truing or other maintenance on the wheels 16 before the wear progresses excessively.

[0378] The diameter of the tread 16b of the wheel 16 (hereinafter referred to as "wheel diameter" in this embodiment) is set as an important parameter in power running control and braking control of the vehicle 100. Therefore, it is desirable to understand the wheel diameter and change the parameter according to the amount of change in the wheel diameter before the wheel diameter changes excessively.

[0379] To measure the wear and wheel diameter change (hereinafter collectively referred to as "wheel shape change") of the wheel 16, one approach is to perform special measurements in a garage using dedicated equipment such as a wheel diameter measuring device. However, this method requires complex calculations to improve measurement accuracy and uses large-scale dedicated equipment, which is cost-prohibitive.

[0380] Based on these findings, the present inventors have devised a technique for calculating the wheel shape change amount from the change amount of the newly measured distance between the bogie 10 and the rail 8 relative to the reference distance between the bogie 10 and the rail 8 .

[0381] Therefore, the state monitoring device 20 of this embodiment includes: an acquisition unit 30 that acquires information regarding the distance between the bogie 10 of the railway vehicle 100 on the track 8 and the track 8 (hereinafter referred to as "distance information J9" in this specification); and a determination unit 44 that determines the amount of shape change of the wheel 16 of the bogie 10 based on the distance information J9 acquired by the acquisition unit 30 and preset reference distance information Js. In this case, the amount of wheel shape change on the track 8 can be monitored based on the distance information J9.

[0382] For example, the reference distance information Js may be the distance between the bogie 10 and the track 8 measured or set when the track 8 is level and the vehicle is empty with zero passengers. The reference distance information Js may also be any of previously measured data, initial data during manufacturing or maintenance, and design data set during design. The reference distance information Js in this embodiment is set based on initial data during manufacturing or maintenance.

[0383] Figure 32 It is a diagram schematically showing the bogie 10 viewed from the front. Figure 33 This is a diagram schematically showing the bogie 10 viewed from one side. Figure 34 Schematically shows the bogie 10 viewed from another side. Figure 32As shown, the acquisition unit 30 is mounted on the bogie frame 12 of the bogie 10 and includes a first distance sensor 30p and a second distance sensor 30s. The first distance sensor 30p and the second distance sensor 30s are spaced apart from each other on opposite sides in the width direction, and each measures the distance to the rail 8. By using the first distance sensor 30p and the second distance sensor 30s spaced apart on opposite sides in the width direction, it is possible to reduce errors caused by the weight balance of the vehicle body 2 being biased toward one side in the width direction. In this embodiment, the first distance sensor 30p and the second distance sensor 30s are mounted on the lower surfaces of the side members 12e and 12f, respectively, on opposite sides in the width direction.

[0384] The first distance sensor 30p includes a plurality of (two) sensor units 30pa and 30pb spaced apart in the front and rear directions between the front and rear wheels 16f and 16r of the bogie 10. The sensor units 30pa and 30pb measure distances Hpa and Hpb from the bottom surface of one side beam 12e to the top surface (tread) of the rail 8. The second distance sensor 30s includes a plurality of (two) sensor units 30sa and 30sb spaced apart in the front and rear directions between the front and rear wheels 16f and 16r of the bogie 10. The sensor units 30sa and 30sb measure distances Hsa and Hsb from the bottom surface of the other side beam 12f to the top surface (tread) of the rail 8.

[0385] Sensor units 30pa, 30pb, 30sa, and 30sb are laser displacement sensors that detect separation distances based on reflected light from irradiated laser beams. Sensor units 30pa, 30pb, 30sa, and 30sb may also employ known sensors such as ultrasonic sensors and optical sensors in lieu of laser displacement sensors. The measurement results of distances Hpa, Hpb, Hsa, and Hsb are provided as distance information J9.

[0386] like Figure 33 、 34 As shown, sensor units 30pa and 30sa are positioned closer to the front wheel 16f than the center position of the bogie 10, and sensor units 30pb and 30sb are positioned closer to the rear wheel 16r than the center position of the bogie 10. By arranging sensor units corresponding to each of the four wheels 16 in this manner, it is possible to measure the wheel shape change amount of each of the four wheels 16. Furthermore, by arranging the sensor units closer to the wheels 16, it is possible to reduce errors in measuring the wheel shape change amount.

[0387] In addition, Figure 33 、 Figure 34In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the middle portions of the side members 12e and 12f are located below the end portions in the front-to-rear direction. The sensor units 30pa, 30pb, 30sa, and 30sb may be provided at portions of the side members 12e and 12f located below the end portions or at portions closest to the rail 8.

[0388] like Figure 31 As shown, the present embodiment includes a transmitting unit 48 for transmitting the determination result E9 of the determining unit 44 to the outside of the bogie 10. The transmitting unit 48 functions as a reporting unit for reporting the determination result E9 to the outside.

[0389] In addition, if Figure 31 As shown, this embodiment includes a brake control device 80 that changes the method of applying the brakes 18 based on a wheel shape change determination result E9. The brake control device 80 includes an acquisition unit 30 that acquires distance information J9 regarding the distance between the bogie 10 of a railway vehicle 100 on the track 8 and the track 8; a determination unit 44 that determines the shape change of the wheels 16 of the bogie 10 based on the distance information J9 acquired by the acquisition unit 30 and pre-set reference distance information Js; and a brake control unit 60 that changes the braking force or operation timing of the brakes 18 of the vehicle 100 based on the determination result of the determination unit 44. In this case, the method of applying the brakes 18 can be changed based on the distance information J9. The brake control operation will be discussed below.

[0390] The main structures of the state monitoring device 20 and the brake control device 80 of this embodiment are described. Figure 31 As shown, the state monitoring device 20 includes an acquisition unit 30, an information processing unit 40, a power supply unit 70, and a position information acquisition unit 82. Furthermore, the brake control device 80 includes the acquisition unit 30, the information processing unit 40, and the brake control unit 60. The information processing unit 40 includes a determination unit 44, a storage unit 46, a transmission unit 48, and a transmission control unit 42. Unless otherwise specified, the description of the first embodiment applies to the configuration and operation of each of the aforementioned elements.

[0391] The position information acquisition unit 82 provides the position information Jp to the information processing unit 40. The acquisition unit 30 is provided in the bogie frame 12 of the bogie 10, and provides the information processing unit 40 with distance information J9 including the distances Hpa, Hpb, Hsa, and Hsb.

[0392] The storage unit 46 temporarily stores the distance information J9 acquired by the acquisition unit 30. The storage unit 46 can store the distance information J9 in association with the time at which the distance information J9 was acquired. The storage unit 46 can also store the distance information J9 in association with the position information Jp on the track at which the distance information J9 was acquired. The storage unit 46 can store historical data acquired in the past, initial data during manufacturing or maintenance, and design data as reference distance information Js.

[0393] The determination unit 44 determines the wheel shape change based on the distance information J9 and the reference distance information Js acquired by the acquisition unit 30, and provides a determination result E9 from the determination unit 44. The determination result E9 may be the wheel shape change calculated as the difference between the distance information J9 and the reference distance information Js. Alternatively, the determination result E9 may be the result of classifying the calculated wheel shape change into multiple levels using a pre-set threshold. For example, the determination result E9 may be the result of classifying the distance information J9 into two levels, or it may be the result of a more detailed classification into three or more levels.

[0394] The determination result E9 of this embodiment categorizes the wear amount within the wheel shape change into three levels: "low wear," "intermediate wear," and "high wear." For example, if the determination result E9 indicates "low wear," it can be predicted that maintenance is not yet due. For example, if the determination result E9 indicates "intermediate wear," it can be predicted that maintenance, such as wheel truing, will be due in six months. For example, if the determination result E9 indicates "high wear," it can be predicted that maintenance, such as wheel truing, will be due in three months.

[0395] Determination result E9 in this embodiment categorizes the wheel diameter change within the wheel shape change into three levels: "small change," "intermediate change," and "large change." For example, if determination result E9 indicates "intermediate change" or "large change" in wheel diameter, parameters related to wheel diameter for power running control and braking control of vehicle 100 may be modified based on the change.

[0396] Alternatively, the wheel diameter change within the wheel shape change may not be categorized, but rather parameters related to wheel diameter for powertrain control and braking control may be automatically modified based on the wheel diameter change. For example, the wheel diameter change may be input to a brake operating device that controls the vehicle to exert a constant deceleration in response to a braking command. The brake operating device controls regenerative braking and contact braking based on the wheel diameter change.

[0397] The transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E9 of the determination unit 44 to the outside of the bogie 10. In this case, the determination result E9 can be used externally. In this example, the transmission unit 48 is provided on the bogie frame 12. The transmission unit 48 may also be provided on the vehicle body 2. In this example, the transmission unit 48 transmits the determination result E9 to the cab 2d of the vehicle body 2. The transmission unit 48 may also transmit the determination result E9 to the computer 84c of the ground command post 84 outside the vehicle 100 or to a cloud system. In other words, the transmission unit 48 can report the determination result E9 to the outside of the bogie 10.

[0398] If the determination result E9 of the determination unit 44 indicates that the wheel diameter has "changed to an intermediate level" or "changed to a large extent," the transmission unit 48 transmits a brake control signal Bc to the brake control unit 60. Based on the brake control signal Bc transmitted from the transmission unit 48, the brake control unit 60 controls the contact brake 18d to increase the braking force or to advance the braking start timing of the contact brake 18d.

[0399] The determination unit 44 and the brake control unit 60 are provided in the bogie 10 or the vehicle body 2. In this case, they can be arranged in a place with less vibration, so the influence of the vibration can be alleviated.

[0400] An example of the operation of the condition monitoring device 20 will be described. The condition monitoring device 20 operates as follows: it acquires distance information J9 at predetermined intervals and determines the amount of shape change based on the acquired distance information J9 and the reference distance information Js. The predetermined interval can also be a day, a week, a month, or the like. In this embodiment, this operation is performed daily at the start and end of work.

[0401] To reduce errors, it is desirable to operate the status monitoring device 20 at a pre-set, specific location. This specific location can also be a reference location in a garage (including a pit or a retention line), preferably a location where the track is level. The status monitoring device 20 can also operate based on the position information Jp. As long as the track is level and the vehicle is empty, the status monitoring device 20 can also be operated outside of the garage.

[0402] The state monitoring device 20 may be operated while the vehicle 100 is stopped or traveling. To improve measurement accuracy by avoiding the influence of local wear of the wheel 16, a value (e.g., an average value) obtained by statistically processing data acquired while the wheel 16 rotates at least one revolution may be used as the distance information J9. In this case, the influence of local wear of the wheel 16 can be suppressed.

[0403] An example of the operation of the brake control device 80 will be described. Alternatively, the brake control device 80 may input the calculated wheel shape change into the brake operating device and calculate the required braking force based on the wheel shape change. Alternatively, the calculated wheel shape change may be transmitted externally and used as a control parameter to perform powertrain control and braking control of the vehicle. Alternatively, this operation of the brake control device 80 may be performed at regular intervals.

[0404] The relationship between the detection results of the first and second distance sensors 30p and 30s and the wheel shape change (wear or wheel diameter change) is nonlinear, making it difficult to calculate the wheel shape change based on the detection results of the first and second distance sensors 30p and 30s. For example, the wheel shape change can be calculated using a learning model M9 generated in advance through machine learning. The learning model M9 can be generated through machine learning (supervised learning) using the detection results of the first and second distance sensors 30p and 30s and past measured data on wheel shape change as training data. The learning model M9 can also be stored in the storage unit 46.

[0405] The above describes in detail examples of embodiments of the present invention. The above embodiments are merely specific examples of the implementation of the present invention. The contents of the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Many design changes such as changes, additions, and deletions of constituent elements can be made without departing from the scope of the idea of ​​the invention specified in the claims. In the above embodiments, the contents that can be subjected to such design changes are described by marking expressions such as "embodiment" and "in the embodiment", but this does not mean that the contents without such expressions do not allow design changes.

[0406] [Modification]

[0407] The following describes a modified example. In the drawings and description of the modified example, the same or equivalent components and members as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Explanations that overlap with the first embodiment are omitted as appropriate, and the description focuses on the components that differ from those in the first embodiment.

[0408] While the first embodiment describes an example in which wheel diameter information is obtained based on the distance from the bogie frame 12 to the tread 16b of the wheel 16, the present invention is not limited to this. Wheel diameter information can also be obtained based on the distance from the bogie frame 12 to the track 8. By measuring the distance from the bogie frame 12 to the track 8, changes in the weight of the vehicle 100 (= changes in the number of passengers) can be detected. The weight of the vehicle 100 can be determined based on the difference between the measured value and the value obtained when the number of passengers is zero.

[0409] The axle spring 12j flexes and expands and contracts vertically in response to changes in the weight of the vehicle 100. Therefore, by measuring the vertical distance from the bogie frame 12 to the rail 8, the weight of the vehicle 100 can be ascertained. The vertical distance from the bogie frame 12 to the rail 8 can be measured using an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, or the like. When the weight of the vehicle 100 remains constant, the deflection of the axle spring 12j remains constant, and the distance from the bogie frame 12 to the rail 8 changes in response to changes in the wheel diameter. Therefore, by measuring the distance from the bogie frame 12 to the rail 8 while the weight of the vehicle 100 remains constant, the wheel diameter can be calculated.

[0410] It is desirable to measure the distance from the bogie frame 12 to the rail 8 at the center of the bogie frame 12 in the width direction and the center in the front-rear direction. In this case, the influence of the axle 16s can be reduced. Furthermore, under the condition that the weight of the vehicle 100 is constant, by comparing the distance from the bogie frame 12 to the rail 8 at two different points in time and calculating the difference with respect to the reference wheel diameter, the current wheel diameter can be determined. By comparing the wheel diameters of multiple wheels 16, it is possible to trim the multiple wheels 16 according to the minimum wheel diameter to make the wheel diameters uniform.

[0411] The above-mentioned embodiments show examples in which a tread brake is provided. However, a disc brake may be provided instead of the tread brake within a range not inconsistent with the description of the embodiments.

[0412] The above-mentioned modifications achieve the same functions and effects as those of the respective embodiments.

[0413] Any combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications is also useful as an embodiment of the present invention. New embodiments created by the combination also have the effects of the combined embodiments and modifications.

Claims

1. A brake control device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires tread information related to a surface property of a tread in a bogie of a railway vehicle having a contact brake and a regenerative brake, the contact brake generating a braking force by pressing a brake shoe against the tread, and stops the railway vehicle within a predetermined braking distance by distributing the braking force required for braking the railway vehicle to the regenerative brake and the contact brake; a determination unit that determines a smoothness state of the tread based on the tread information acquired by the acquisition unit; as well as A brake control unit changes the braking force or the operating timing of the contact brake based on the smooth state determined by the determination unit.

2. The brake control device according to claim 1, wherein: The brake control unit increases the braking force of the contact brake when the smooth state determined by the determination unit is smoother than a predetermined reference.

3. The brake control device according to claim 2, wherein: The brake control unit reduces the braking force of the contact brake when the smooth state becomes less smooth than the reference due to the brake control unit increasing the braking force of the contact brake.

4. The brake control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The acquisition unit provides, as the tread information, a detection result of a photosensor that detects reflected light from the tread or a photographing result of an image sensor that photographs the tread.

5. The brake control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The brake control unit changes the braking force or the operating timing of the contact brake with reference to the speed of the vehicle.

6. A railway vehicle comprising: A bogie, which is capable of traveling on railway tracks; a contact brake and a regenerative brake, wherein the contact brake presses a brake shoe against a tread to generate a braking force, and the railway vehicle is stopped within a predetermined braking distance by distributing the braking force required for braking the railway vehicle to the regenerative brake and the contact brake; an acquisition unit mounted on the bogie and configured to acquire tread information related to a surface property of the tread; a determination unit that determines a smoothness state of the tread based on the tread information acquired by the acquisition unit; as well as A brake control unit changes the braking force or the operating timing of the contact brake based on the smooth state determined by the determination unit.

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