Universal tax vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a rail vehicle (TR) for control in a train formation with a driver's cab having operating elements for the driver of the train formation. It has control means for remotely controlling a traction means-equipped rail vehicle of the train formation. Furthermore, vehicle-side components (RX) of a plurality of train protection systems are present. The rail vehicle (TR) is not designed for the transport of freight.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a rail vehicle for control in a train formation.

[0002] Trains consist of several coupled rail vehicles. The leading rail vehicle at the front of the train has a driver's cab for the driver of the train. The leading vehicle can be a locomotive, i.e. a rail vehicle with traction means on which the driver is permitted to sit, but no passengers or payload. A railcar is one which is equipped with traction means and has an integrated passenger and / or freight compartment, i.e. the rail vehicle is designed to transport payload. It is also possible to place a non-powered rail vehicle at the front of the train. The driver of the train sits in the driver's cab and from there controls a rail vehicle with traction means that is not at the front of the train.The latter can be a locomotive or another type of traction vehicle.

[0003] So-called train protection systems are used to ensure the safety of train journeys. Such systems require technical components on both the trackside and onboard, as well as functioning communication between the vehicle and the track. A variety of different systems exist. The leading vehicle of the train is required to have the onboard components of the respective trackside train protection system. This can lead to restrictions on the usability of rail vehicles.

[0004] The invention is based on the object of demonstrating an improved rail vehicle for control in a train formation.

[0005] This object is achieved by a rail vehicle having the features of claim 1.

[0006] The rail vehicle is used for control purposes within a train. For this purpose, it has a driver's cab with controls for the driver of the train, as well as control means for remotely controlling a rail vehicle of the train that has traction means. Furthermore, rail-side components of a number of train protection systems are provided. The rail vehicle is not designed to transport payloads.

[0007] The rail vehicle can perform the function of the leading vehicle in the train, i.e., the vehicle at the front of the train. For this purpose, the driver's cab is used, in which the driver of the train is located when the rail vehicle is positioned this way. He can perform the necessary actions to remotely control the rail vehicle with its traction means, using the rail vehicle's control means for this purpose. These control means can be the same as those of a conventional control car. However, unlike conventional control cars, the rail vehicle cannot carry passengers and / or freight. Its use is therefore limited to the function of the leading vehicle in the train and remote control of the traction.

[0008] The fact that the rail vehicle contains components for a variety of train protection systems has the advantage that the rail vehicle can be used on a variety of routes. A specific train protection system is used on each route. Because there are various train protection systems, it is possible that a rail vehicle must change the train protection system used during a journey. This often occurs when crossing a national border. The presence of components for a variety of train protection systems on the rail vehicle makes it possible to use the rail vehicle without interruption, even when the train protection system used on the route changes.

[0009] It is advantageous if the rail vehicle does not have the suspension required for the transport of passengers and / or freight. Such suspensions serve to ensure comfortable travel for passengers; they are sometimes prescribed by standards. They are mandatory for freight due to the significant difference between an empty and a fully loaded vehicle. Since this suspension, which is usually located on the running gear, can be dispensed with, more accommodation options are available for the rail-side components of train protection systems.

[0010] The rail-side components may include a plurality of receivers for signals from trackside components of train protection systems, with the receivers mounted on the running gear of the rail vehicle. These components are essential for the functioning of a train protection system, as they enable communication between the vehicle and the track. Therefore, their positioning relative to the track, on or near which the signal transmitters are located, is important.

[0011] For flexible use, the rail vehicle should be equipped with a standard UIC interface for coupling with other rail vehicles. Additional interfaces for power transmission may also be available.

[0012] The rail vehicle can have an energy storage device to support vehicle traction by the rail vehicle of the train set that has the traction means. This energy storage device can, if necessary in addition to another energy storage device located in the rail vehicle that has the traction means, provide the energy to drive the train set. This can, for example, enable longer journeys without overhead lines. The above-mentioned additional energy transfer interface can be used to transmit the energy from the energy storage device to the rail vehicle that has the traction means.

[0013] A train set can be structured as follows: at one end is the described rail vehicle for control, and at the other end is the rail vehicle with traction. Between these two, there are optionally one or more carriages for passengers and / or freight.

[0014] The invention is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment. In the following: Fig. 1: schematic of a rail vehicle with train protection system.

[0015] In railway operations, rail vehicles are coupled together to form trainsets. At the front of the train is usually a locomotive with traction equipment, to which the wagons carrying the payload are attached. These can be passenger coaches, baggage coaches, or freight wagons. For train operation, it is mandatory that it be equipped with a train protection system, also known as a train control system. This is a system that controls the movement of trains, particularly depending on the permitted speed. If travel is not permitted or a train is traveling too fast, it is automatically braked by the train control system.

[0016] There are various types of train control systems. A basic distinction can be made between point-based and line-based train control: while point-based train control involves monitoring rail-bound vehicles at individual points along a railway line, line-based train control involves information exchange between the track and the vehicle equipment throughout the entire journey.

[0017] Fig.Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the most important components of a train protection system. It shows the rail vehicle TR, which is the leading vehicle at the front of the train and runs on track GL. The rail vehicle TR has a running gear; in the figure, this running gear includes, for example, the two bogies DREH1 and DREH2, each with two wheelsets. Other traction vehicles and / or wagons in the train are not shown for the sake of clarity; however, they are not relevant for the explanation, as the train protection system is always located on the frontmost vehicle in the train.

[0018] A train protection system consists of trackside and on-board components. On the trackside, the TX component interacts with the on-board train protection system to transmit signals. This can be, for example, a balise acting as a transponder, an electrical contact such as a crocodile, a coupling coil or a line conductor as an antenna, or in the form of the rail. On the rail vehicle, usually mounted on the running gear, there is the RX receiving component for receiving the signal from the TX component. This can be a coupling coil / antenna or, if the TX component is designed as an electrical contact, a brush that transmits the voltage to the receiving device. Thus, in each of the various train protection systems currently in use, sensors for communication with the trackside equipment are located, among other things, on the running gear of the rail vehicle located at the front of the train.

[0019] Further components of the train protection system which are not relevant for understanding the invention and are therefore only briefly explained are - an MMI display unit for displaying information for the driver - the control units BG for inputs by the driver - the optional data recording device REC for recording the journey, for example by the actual speed, train number, driver's identification number, main air line pressure, operation of certain controls - the position pulse generator WI, which is usually mounted on the axle box and provides position and speed information for the train protection system - the radar device RA, an optional component for speed detection - the brake intervention BR, which can cause an emergency braking or emergency service braking in the event of detected errors by the driver - the onboard unit OU, the central unit of the on-board train protection system, to which the signals from the receiving component RX are forwarded and evaluated - the optional roof antenna ANT, for locating and transmitting information in certain versions of train control systems such as the ETCS (European Train Control System) - the optional connection to the train radio ZF, with which, for example, an emergency stop of a train can be ordered via train radio command.

[0020] In Europe, different countries use different train protection systems. Examples include ASFA (Spain) ATB (Netherlands) ATC (Sweden) AWS (UK) Crocodile: RS, DAAT, Memor, Memor II+ (France, Belgium, Luxembourg) EBICAB (Sweden, Norway, Portugal, Bulgaria) EVM (Hungary) GW ATP (Great Britain) Indusi, PZB (Germany, Austria, Romania, successor states of Yugoslavia, Israel) KVB (France, Great Britain) LS (Czech Republic) LZB (Germany, Austria, Spain, Switzerland) Mirel (Slovakia) RS4 Codici, RS9 Codici, SCMT (Italy) SHP (Poland) TBL (Belgium) TPWS (Great Britain) TVM (France, Great Britain, Belgium) ZUB 123 (Denmark) ETCS (European Train Control System).

[0021] Typically, a separate RX receiver component must be used for each train protection system, meaning that an RX receiver component is generally not compatible with the TX component of different train protection systems. This is because train protection systems are safety-critical and may only be used in conjunction with proven components. Technical limitations, such as different carrier frequencies or geometric arrangements in the infrastructure, have evolved over time and must be accepted as given due to the existing fleet. Only in a few isolated cases is there a shared use of sensors, e.g., LS and EVM.

[0022] When a train crosses a national border, the train protection system usually has to be changed. This can be achieved by replacing the vehicle at the front of the train, which houses the train protection system. This leads to an interruption of the journey and is therefore undesirable. The aim is therefore to implement several train protection systems in one rail vehicle. Especially in cross-border traffic, limitations arise due to the limited number of national train protection systems that can be present on a vehicle at the same time. The limiting factor here is the accommodation of the train protection components, in particular the several receiving components RX. This is because these have to be attached to or near the running gear, which is why there is only limited space available for them.It is currently possible to have up to 10 different train protection systems available on a locomotive and thus to attach a corresponding number of different RX receiving components.

[0023] However, the front rail vehicle of a train does not have to be a locomotive: Many stations are designed as terminal, terminus, or dead-end stations, where trains can enter and leave only by changing the direction of travel. In order to be able to use a train for both directions of travel without having to re-form the train, a second locomotive can be used in so-called sandwich operation, which is located at the opposite end of the train. Depending on the direction of travel, one or the other locomotive leads the train, and the driver switches from one to the other locomotive when changing direction. However, locomotives have high operating costs due to the drive they contain, which is why the use of two locomotives is disadvantageous for economic reasons. For this reason, control cars are used. This is a non-powered rail vehicle with a driver's cab from which a traction unit not at the front of the train can be controlled. Such control cars without traction equipment are therefore mainly usedUsed on push-pull trains so that the locomotive does not have to be moved at terminal stations. The driver sits in the locomotive if it is pulling the train, or in the control car if it is controlling the locomotive pushing the end of the train.

[0024] Currently used control cars have a passenger compartment; they are thus equivalent to a non-powered railcar. Therefore, they are fundamentally more limited by the higher comfort requirements for passenger cars than locomotives. Unlike locomotives, they must be provided with suspension, which allows for comfortable passenger transport in accordance with applicable standards (such as DIN EN 12299:2009-08-01).

[0025] In principle, all rail vehicles must be equipped in accordance with operational and legal requirements. In particular, every rail vehicle located at the front of the train must be equipped with a train protection system. Accordingly, a control car must also be equipped with a train protection system. The following conditions apply to the mounting of the RX receiver component on or near the running gear: On the one hand, there are limitations due to certain design features of passenger coaches, such as small wheelset spacing in the bogie and small vehicle overhangs at the ends of the coaches, which leads to limited installation space for the sensors. Secondly, the sensors may only experience limited spring movement during travel. This is because spring movement causes the distance between the RX receiving component and the TX trackside component to fluctuate. The permissible distances between the RX receiving component and the TX component are limited by system boundaries to ensure reliable signal transmission between these components. Here, again, the TX trackside equipment must be taken for granted. Accordingly, possible installation spaces are eliminated because the infrastructure-specified clearances in the chassis area are already severely limited and must be kept clear in every vehicle condition.

[0026] Finally, long spring travel not only increases compression but also increases effects such as pitching during acceleration or deceleration. This causes mounted components to move more strongly relative to the vehicle's permissible limits.

[0027] These problems do not arise with locomotives: on the one hand, the suspension required for passenger transport is not available, which leads to a larger number of possible installation positions for the sensors on the chassis, and on the other hand, with some locomotives it is also possible to attach sensors to the car body, since the spring travel is still within the permissible operating limits.

[0028] In the case of control cars, however, there is a conflict between the necessary suspension to meet travel comfort requirements and the limited spring travel due to the system limitations of the train protection systems. This means that the control cars currently in use can only be equipped with a few train protection systems. However, for a fully European system, approximately 10 train protection systems would be desirable. However, the current control cars cannot provide this due to the limitations described above. Therefore, it is proposed to use an interoperable universal control car that can be equipped with a variety of train protection systems.

[0029] This universal control car is a vehicle with a driver's cab and no drive, as is known from existing control cars. In contrast to these known rail vehicles, the universal control car is not designed for the transport of payloads; it therefore has no passenger area and no loading capacity for baggage and / or goods. In terms of its functionality, the universal control car thus represents a decoupling between the function of "leading vehicle of the train" and payload transport (as associated with conventional control cars) or drive control (as associated with locomotives). In its simplest version, the purpose of the universal control car is exclusively the remote control of the vehicle(s) in the train equipped with traction capability. The universal control car is equipped with a train protection / train control system that encompasses multiple systems.

[0030] Because the requirement for comfortable travel for passengers in the control car is eliminated, the suspension used for this purpose in the universal control car can be eliminated, thus providing more positions for the installation of RX receiver components. Likewise, large suspension travel must be permanently provided for freight transport due to the significant difference between an empty rail vehicle and a fully loaded rail vehicle. Eliminating the payload requirements for the universal control car, both for passengers and freight, creates optimal conditions for the integration of train protection sensors on or near the bogie.

[0031] The universal control car can be used universally in all train types in multiple countries of operation. It thus offers a high degree of flexibility. It has the advantage that trains can run in both directions in multiple countries with different national train control systems without reconfiguration. Unlike a locomotive, which allows similarly flexible use as the universal control car, the drive equipment is eliminated. This is environmentally advantageous because the resources required to provide traction are not needed. Acquisition and operating costs are also significantly reduced.

[0032] Further features that support the most flexible use of the universal control car are as follows: A standard UIC interface allows coupling with almost all other rail vehicles in use. This can be designed as a screw coupling with side buffers or as a digital automatic coupling; according to UIC 558, an 18-pin and 9-pin UIC socket is provided, with a train busbar line, main air line, and main air reservoir line. This interface allows for flexible use of the universal control car. Unlike modern multiple units, where the vehicles at the front of the train cannot be easily separated, the universal control car, thanks to the standard UIC interface, can be flexibly placed at the front of any train with the appropriate standard UIC interface.

[0033] The power supply of the universal control car can be provided via the train busbar with the usual UIC voltages.

[0034] The universal control car can be equipped with an energy storage device such as electric batteries, diesel generators, or fuel cells. This energy storage device can support or enable traction when the train is not traveling under an overhead line. The energy storage device can be the only energy storage device or one of several that can be used for traction. In particular, when energy storage devices with a low storage density, such as hydrogen storage devices, are used, which require a lot of space, the space required for this can be provided in the universal control car. In addition to or as an alternative to using the energy storage device for vehicle traction, the train busbar can also be supplied with energy from the stored energy. This is particularly advantageous on routes without overhead lines, but also relieves the load on the traction vehicle when traveling under the overhead line.

[0035] Various well-known operating modes can be used for remote control of the traction vehicle, such as ZMS, ZWS, ZDS, WTB-ÖBB, WTB-UIC, WTB-ČD, and MUX. The same applies to door control, for which the operating modes LAT, SAT, TAV, ÖBB, and TB0 can be used.

[0036] Furthermore, it is advantageous to design the controls in the driver's cab of the universal control car, such as the controller, exactly like those on the traction vehicle used. This has advantages in everyday work and in the operator's operational safety, as well as in the need for minimal adjustment and training for personnel, as well as in spare parts inventory and approval. It is also advantageous to use parts identical to those of existing traction vehicles, such as buffers, air conditioning, chassis parts, wheel sets, and windshields, which has a positive effect on spare parts inventory. Adopting design solutions such as the vehicle's external geometry identical to existing locomotives is also advantageous, as the approval test is transferable.

[0037] Compared to existing control cars, it can be seen that previous solutions always represent compromises between the functions of "payload" and "leading vehicle of the train." The proposed solution, in the form of the universal control car, separates these functions. This leads to significant technical advantages in the operation of push-pull trains and train formation, as well as in approval, maintenance, and repair.

[0038] The invention has been described above using an exemplary embodiment. It is understood that numerous changes and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited non-patent literature

[0000] DIN EN 12299:2009-08-01

[0024]

Claims

[1] Rail vehicle (TR) for control in a train formation, with a driver's cab with controls for the driver of the train, with control means for remotely controlling a rail vehicle of the train set having traction means, with rail vehicle components (RX) of a variety of train protection systems, whereby the rail vehicle (TR) is not designed to transport payload. [2] Rail vehicle (TR) according to claim 1, wherein the rail vehicle (TR) does not have a suspension required for the transport of passengers and / or goods. [3] Rail vehicle (TR) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rail-side components (RX) comprise a plurality of receivers (RX) for signals from trackside components (TX) of train protection systems, and the receivers are mounted on the running gear or near the running gear of the rail vehicle (TR). [4] Rail vehicle (TR) according to one of claims 1 to 3, with a standard UIC interface for coupling with other rail vehicles. [5] Rail vehicle (TR) according to one of claims 1 to 4, with an energy storage device for supporting the vehicle traction by the rail vehicle of the train set having the traction means. [6] Train formation, comprising at one end a rail vehicle (TR) according to one of claims 1 to 5, at the other end the rail vehicle with the traction means, and optionally one or more carriages for people and / or goods in between.

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