Railway vehicle coupler electric connector cable broken wire detection system and method
By integrating a wire breakage sensing module, a displacement sensing module, and a miniature encoder into the detection probe, and using displacement signals to compensate for eddy current disturbance signals, the problem of interference from insulation and shielding layers in traditional eddy current detection is solved, and high-precision detection of wire breakage in coupler electrical connector cables is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202511525006.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-10-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-17
AI Technical Summary
Traditional eddy current testing technology is affected by the thickness of the insulation layer and the interference of the copper shielding mesh in the testing of coupler electrical connector cables, making it difficult to accurately distinguish between eddy current disturbance signals and wire breakage signals, resulting in inaccurate test results.
The detection probe integrates a broken wire sensing module, a displacement sensing module, and a miniature encoder. The displacement signal sensed by the displacement sensing module is used to compensate for the eddy current disturbance signal, and the signal processor is used to determine the presence of broken wire, eliminate shielding layer interference, and improve detection accuracy.
It achieves high-precision detection of internal wire breaks in the cable of the coupler electrical connector, breaking through the lift-off effect limitation of traditional eddy current probes and improving the accuracy and reliability of the detection.
Smart Images
Figure CN121541101A_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of electromagnetic nondestructive testing, and particularly relates to a rail vehicle coupler electric connector cable broken wire detection system and method. BACKGROUND
[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present application and do not necessarily constitute the prior art.
[0003] The coupler electric connector is a core component for realizing electrical connection between train marshalling units (such as between rail vehicles and trailers, between carriages). The coupler electric connector cable is internally made of conductive copper wire, and the eddy current detection technology can be considered for detecting the internal broken wire. However, the surface insulation layer of the coupler electric connector cable is as thick as 7 mm, and the traditional eddy current detection technology is seriously affected by the lift-off effect (i.e. the phenomenon that the electromagnetic field near the conductor induces the electric eddy current in the conductor, which is manifested as the change of the electric eddy current intensity with the distance between the electromagnetic field and the conductor, mainly applied in the field of eddy current nondestructive testing and flaw detection), and the thickness of the insulation layer is far beyond the distance limit of the traditional eddy current detection; in addition, the outer layer of the small cable inside the coupler electric connector cable is sleeved with a copper shielding net, and the eddy current disturbance signal generated by the shielding net is similar to the disturbance signal generated by the broken wire, and it is difficult to distinguish the two signals in terms of characteristics under the condition of large lift-off effect, which seriously interferes with the judgment of the broken wire detection result. SUMMARY
[0004] In order to solve the technical problems existing in the background art, the present application provides a rail vehicle coupler electric connector cable broken wire detection system and method, which can improve the accuracy of the rail vehicle coupler electric connector cable broken wire detection result.
[0005] In order to achieve the above purpose, the present application adopts the following technical solutions: The first aspect of the present application provides a rail vehicle coupler electric connector cable broken wire detection system.
[0006] A rail vehicle coupler electric connector cable broken wire detection system, comprising: a detection probe and a signal processor; The detection probe is integrated with a broken wire sensing module, a displacement sensing module and a micro encoder; The broken wire sensing module is used for sensing the eddy current disturbance signal generated by the internal cable of the rail vehicle coupler electric connector; The displacement sensing module is used for sensing the displacement signal between the internal cable of the rail vehicle coupler electric connector and the detection probe; The micro encoder is used for detecting the time delay when the broken wire sensing module and the displacement sensing module scan the same part of the cable; The signal processor is configured to: synchronously receive signals from the wire breakage sensing module, the displacement sensing module, and the micro encoder; use the displacement signal sensed by the displacement sensing module and the wire breakage compensation sensing module when detecting the same part of the cable to compensate for the eddy current disturbance signal sensed by the wire breakage sensing module; and determine whether there is a wire breakage based on the comparison result between the amplitude of the compensated eddy current disturbance signal and a preset threshold.
[0007] As one implementation method, assume that the broken wire sensing module senses the eddy current disturbance signal as follows: The displacement signal sensed by the displacement sensing module is When the wire breakage sensing module passes through a certain position, the time when the miniature encoder emits a pulse is recorded as follows: The time when the displacement sensing module passes through the same position and the micro encoder emits a pulse is recorded as . The compensated eddy current disturbance signal is: ;in, This is the ratio of the amplitude of the signal change when the wire breakage sensor module scans a certain point of the cable to the amplitude change of the displacement signal from the displacement sensor module.
[0008] In one implementation, the signal processor is configured to: when a wire breakage defect is determined, compare the magnitude of the compensated eddy current disturbance signal with a preset damage level threshold to determine the degree of damage.
[0009] In one embodiment, the broken wire sensing module consists of a planar excitation coil, a vertical receiving coil, and a ferrite core, with the planar excitation coil and the vertical receiving coil respectively wound around the two ends of the ferrite core.
[0010] In one implementation, the displacement sensing module consists of a displacement detection coil and a can-shaped ferrite core. The displacement detection coil is wound around the can-shaped ferrite core, and the distance between the internal cable and the detection probe is determined by the change in the internal impedance of the coil during detection.
[0011] In one implementation, the signal processor is also connected to an alarm module configured to issue alarm information for the location of the wire breakage defect.
[0012] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for detecting broken wires in the cable of a coupler electrical connector for a rail vehicle.
[0013] A method for detecting broken wires in the cable of a railway vehicle coupler electrical connector includes: Simultaneously receive signals from the wire breakage sensing module, displacement sensing module, and miniature encoder; The displacement signal sensed by the displacement sensing module and the wire breakage sensing module when detecting the same part of the cable is used to compensate for the eddy current disturbance signal sensed by the wire breakage sensing module. The presence of broken wires is determined by comparing the amplitude of the compensated eddy current disturbance signal with a preset threshold.
[0014] As one implementation method, the compensated eddy current disturbance signal is: ;in, The ratio of the signal amplitude change when the wire breakage sensor module sweeps across a certain point of the cable to the change in the displacement signal amplitude of the displacement sensor module; the eddy current disturbance signal sensed by the wire breakage sensor module is... The displacement signal sensed by the displacement sensing module is When the wire breakage sensing module passes through a certain position, the time when the miniature encoder emits a pulse is recorded as follows: The time when the displacement sensing module passes through the same position and the micro encoder emits a pulse is recorded as . .
[0015] As one implementation method, when a broken wire defect is determined, the magnitude of the compensated eddy current disturbance signal is compared with a preset damage threshold to determine the degree of damage.
[0016] As one implementation method, an alarm message is issued when a wire breakage defect is detected.
[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: The present invention proposes a detection probe in a cable breakage detection system for railway vehicle coupler electrical connectors that integrates a breakage sensing module, a displacement sensing module, and a miniature encoder. The displacement sensing module detects the displacement signal of the cable at the same location as the breakage sensing module, thereby compensating for the eddy current disturbance signal sensed by the breakage sensing module. The presence of a breakage is determined by comparing the amplitude of the compensated eddy current disturbance signal with a preset threshold. This not only overcomes the limitation of traditional eddy current probes, which are only applicable to small lift-off effects (less than 2 mm), but also eliminates the technical challenge of cable shielding interference by adding a displacement sensing module and a miniature encoder, achieving high-precision detection of internal breakage in the coupler electrical connector cable.
[0018] Advantages of additional aspects of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description
[0019] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.
[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of cable breakage detection for the electrical connector of a rail vehicle coupler according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the detection probe according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is an internal cross-sectional view of the cable of the coupler electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cable scanning device for the coupler electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a graph of the broken wire signal detected by the detection probe when both the broken wire sensing module and the displacement sensing module of this embodiment of the invention are subjected to 200 kHz AC excitation. Detailed Implementation
[0021] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.
[0022] It should be noted that the following detailed description is illustrative and intended to provide further explanation of the invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.
[0023] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of exemplary embodiments according to the invention. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.
[0024] As the core equipment of modern rail transit, the safety, reliability, and stability of railcar trains are of paramount importance. They bear the heavy responsibility of transmitting various critical electrical signals and energy, including train control signals, network communication data, traction / braking commands, auxiliary power supply, passenger information system signals, and key sensor data. However, during high-speed operation, complex relative movements occur between the car bodies, subjecting the cables to significant alternating stress and wear. Under long-term, repeated stress, multiple filaments may break, leading to functional impairment, reduced efficiency in electrical signal and energy transmission, and seriously affecting train operation safety.
[0025] according to Figure 1 This invention provides a cable breakage detection system for electrical connectors of rail vehicle couplers, comprising: a detection probe and a signal processor; like Figure 2As shown, the detection probe integrates a broken wire sensing module, a displacement sensing module, and a miniature encoder. The broken wire sensing module is used to sense the eddy current disturbance signal generated by the internal cable of the coupler electrical connector of the rail vehicle. The displacement sensing module is used to sense the displacement signal between the internal cable of the coupler electrical connector of the rail vehicle and the detection probe. The miniature encoder is used to detect the time delay when the broken wire sensing module and the displacement sensing module scan the same part of the cable. The signal processor is configured to synchronously receive signals from the wire breakage sensing module, displacement sensing module, and miniature encoder. It uses the displacement signal sensed by the displacement sensing module and the wire breakage compensation sensing module when detecting the same part of the cable to compensate for the eddy current disturbance signal sensed by the wire breakage sensing module. The presence of a wire breakage is determined by comparing the amplitude of the compensated eddy current disturbance signal with a preset threshold. This allows for the differentiation between shielded wire interference and wire breakage defects.
[0026] In one or more embodiments, the broken wire sensing module consists of a planar excitation coil, a vertical receiving coil, and a ferrite core, with the planar excitation coil and the vertical receiving coil wound around the two ends of the ferrite core, respectively.
[0027] It should be noted that in other embodiments, the broken wire sensing module may also be implemented using other existing structures, which will not be described in detail here.
[0028] In one or more embodiments, the displacement sensing module consists of a displacement detection coil and a can-shaped ferrite core. The displacement detection coil is wound around the can-shaped ferrite core, and the distance between the internal cable and the detection probe is determined by the change in the internal impedance of the coil during detection.
[0029] It should be noted that in other embodiments, the displacement sensing module may also be implemented using other existing structures, which will not be described in detail here.
[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, inside the detection probe, behind the broken wire sensing module and the displacement sensing module is a miniature encoder. During scanning, the miniature encoder is rotated by a roller.
[0031] like Figure 3 (a) and (b) in the middle and Figure 4 The figures shown are a cross-sectional view of the coupler electrical connector cable, a side view of the coupler electrical connector cable, and a schematic diagram of the coupler electrical connector cable scanning device. The outermost layer of the cable consists of 30 small strands spirally wound together, of which 8 strands are covered with a copper mesh shielding layer, which severely interferes with the accuracy of broken wire detection. In addition, the entire cable is wrapped with a 7 mm thick rubber insulation layer.
[0032] The time delay when the wire breakage sensing module and the displacement sensing module scan the same part during the scanning process is determined by calculating the pulse difference emitted by the micro encoder. In addition, the pulse signal generated by the micro encoder during the scanning process is further used to calculate the real-time scanning speed of the probe, so as to avoid the difference in signal amplitude when scanning the same defect due to different scanning speeds, which could lead to misjudgment of the degree of wire breakage.
[0033] Assuming the broken wire sensing module senses the eddy current disturbance signal as follows: The displacement signal sensed by the displacement sensing module is When the wire breakage sensing module passes through a certain position, the time when the miniature encoder emits a pulse is recorded as follows: The time when the displacement sensing module passes through the same position and the micro encoder emits a pulse is recorded as . The compensated eddy current disturbance signal is: ;in, This is the ratio of the signal change amplitude of the wire breakage sensor module when it scans a certain point on the cable to the change in the displacement signal amplitude of the displacement sensor module. The units for the signal change amplitude of the wire breakage sensor module and the displacement change of the displacement sensor module are the same.
[0034] Assuming the cable is lifted 7 mm, the signal change amplitude when the wire breakage sensor module scans a certain point on the cable is _____. The change in the amplitude of the displacement signal from the displacement sensing module is ,but .
[0035] In one or more embodiments, the signal processor is configured to: upon determining that a wire breakage defect exists, compare the magnitude of the compensated eddy current disturbance signal with a preset damage level threshold to determine the degree of damage.
[0036] For example, the degree of damage can be divided into three levels according to the actual situation: micro-damage, moderate damage, and severe damage. The amplitude range of the compensated eddy current disturbance signal corresponding to micro-damage is [U a U b The amplitude range of the compensated eddy current disturbance signal corresponding to the damage is [U]. c U d The amplitude range of the compensated eddy current disturbance signal corresponding to severe damage is [U]. e U f ].
[0037] U here a U b U c U d U e U fThe specific value can be set according to the actual situation, and will not be detailed here.
[0038] Figure 5 The image shows the wire breakage signal detected by the probe when both the wire breakage sensing module and the displacement sensing module are subjected to a 200 kHz AC excitation. The displacement sensing module did not detect any displacement change, but the wire breakage sensing module detected a large signal amplitude. Through calculation, the signal amplitude after compensation from the probe was finally obtained. Therefore, it was determined that a wire breakage existed at that location, which was verified after dissection, proving the detection accuracy of the present invention.
[0039] In one or more embodiments, the signal processor is also connected to an alarm module configured to issue alarm information at the location of the wire breakage defect.
[0040] Based on the above-mentioned rail vehicle coupler electrical connector cable breakage detection system, the method for detecting broken wires in the rail vehicle coupler electrical connector cable includes: Step 1: Synchronously receive signals from the wire breakage sensing module, displacement sensing module, and miniature encoder; Step 2: Use the displacement sensing module and the compensation wire breakage sensing module to detect the displacement signal of the cable at the same location to compensate for the eddy current disturbance signal sensed by the wire breakage sensing module. The compensated eddy current disturbance signal is as follows: ;in, The ratio of the signal amplitude change when the wire breakage sensor module sweeps across a certain point of the cable to the change in the displacement signal amplitude of the displacement sensor module; the eddy current disturbance signal sensed by the wire breakage sensor module is... The displacement signal sensed by the displacement sensing module is When the wire breakage sensing module passes through a certain position, the time when the miniature encoder emits a pulse is recorded as follows: The time when the displacement sensing module passes through the same position and the micro encoder emits a pulse is recorded as . .
[0041] Step 3: Determine whether there is a broken wire by comparing the amplitude of the compensated eddy current disturbance signal with the preset threshold.
[0042] Once a wire breakage defect is identified, the magnitude of the compensated eddy current disturbance signal is compared with a preset damage threshold to determine the degree of damage.
[0043] An alarm message is issued when a broken wire defect is detected.
[0044] This embodiment utilizes the displacement signal of the cable at the same location as the wire breakage sensing module, sensed by the displacement sensing module, to compensate for the eddy current disturbance signal sensed by the wire breakage sensing module. The presence of a wire breakage is determined by comparing the amplitude of the compensated eddy current disturbance signal with a preset threshold. This not only overcomes the limitation of traditional eddy current probes being only applicable to small lift (less than 2 mm) working conditions, but also eliminates the technical challenge of cable shielding interference by adding a displacement sensing module and a miniature encoder, achieving high-precision detection of internal wire breakage in the coupler electrical connector cable.
[0045] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A cable breakage detection system for a railway vehicle coupler electrical connector, characterized in that, include: Detection probe and signal processor; The detection probe integrates a broken wire sensing module, a displacement sensing module, and a miniature encoder. The broken wire sensing module is used to sense the eddy current disturbance signal generated by the internal cable of the coupler electrical connector of the rail vehicle. The displacement sensing module is used to sense and detect the displacement signal between the internal cable of the coupler electrical connector of the rail vehicle and the detection probe. The miniature encoder is used to detect the time delay when the wire breakage sensing module and the displacement sensing module scan the same part of the cable. The signal processor is configured to: synchronously receive signals from the wire breakage sensing module, the displacement sensing module, and the micro encoder; use the displacement signal sensed by the displacement sensing module and the wire breakage compensation sensing module when detecting the same part of the cable to compensate for the eddy current disturbance signal sensed by the wire breakage sensing module; and determine whether there is a wire breakage based on the comparison result between the amplitude of the compensated eddy current disturbance signal and a preset threshold.
2. The cable breakage detection system for railway vehicle coupler electrical connectors as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Assuming the broken wire sensing module senses the eddy current disturbance signal as follows: The displacement signal sensed by the displacement sensing module is When the wire breakage sensing module passes through a certain position, the time when the miniature encoder emits a pulse is recorded as follows: The time when the displacement sensing module passes through the same position and the micro encoder emits a pulse is recorded as . The compensated eddy current disturbance signal is: ;in, This is the ratio of the amplitude of the signal change when the wire breakage sensor module scans a certain point of the cable to the amplitude change of the displacement signal from the displacement sensor module.
3. The cable breakage detection system for railway vehicle coupler electrical connectors as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The signal processor is configured to: when a wire breakage defect is determined, compare the magnitude of the compensated eddy current disturbance signal with a preset damage level threshold to determine the degree of damage.
4. The cable breakage detection system for railway vehicle coupler electrical connectors as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The broken wire sensing module consists of a planar excitation coil, a vertical receiving coil, and a ferrite core, with the planar excitation coil and the vertical receiving coil wound around the two ends of the ferrite core, respectively.
5. The cable breakage detection system for railway vehicle coupler electrical connectors as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The displacement sensing module consists of a displacement detection coil and a can-shaped ferrite core. The displacement detection coil is wound around the can-shaped ferrite core. During detection, the distance between the internal cable and the detection probe is determined by the change in the internal impedance of the coil.
6. The cable breakage detection system for railway vehicle coupler electrical connectors as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The signal processor is also connected to an alarm module, which is configured to issue alarm information for the location of wire breakage defects.
7. A detection method using the cable breakage detection system for railway vehicle coupler electrical connectors as described in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, include: Simultaneously receive signals from the wire breakage sensing module, displacement sensing module, and miniature encoder; The displacement signal sensed by the displacement sensing module and the wire breakage sensing module when detecting the same part of the cable is used to compensate for the eddy current disturbance signal sensed by the wire breakage sensing module. The presence of broken wires is determined by comparing the amplitude of the compensated eddy current disturbance signal with a preset threshold.
8. The detection method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The compensated eddy current disturbance signal is: ;in, The ratio of the signal amplitude change when the wire breakage sensor module sweeps across a certain point of the cable to the change in the displacement signal amplitude of the displacement sensor module; the eddy current disturbance signal sensed by the wire breakage sensor module is... The displacement signal sensed by the displacement sensing module is When the wire breakage sensing module passes through a certain position, the time when the miniature encoder emits a pulse is recorded as follows: The time when the displacement sensing module passes through the same position and the micro encoder emits a pulse is recorded as . .
9. The detection method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, Once a wire breakage defect is identified, the magnitude of the compensated eddy current disturbance signal is compared with a preset damage threshold to determine the degree of damage.
10. The detection method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, An alarm message is issued when a broken wire defect is detected.