Sensor arrangement for mounting on a running rail and method for detecting wheels rolling past on a running rail

Abstract

The invention relates to a sensor arrangement (3) for mounting on a running rail (2) of a railway installation (1), in particular for track detection systems of the railway installation (1), with at least one wheel sensor device (5) which is designed to detect wheels (4) of rail vehicles rolling past on the running rail (2), wherein the wheel sensor device (5) comprises at least one AC-fed wheel sensor coil (8) of an electrical wheel sensor oscillating circuit which is sensitive to an inductive interaction of the wheel sensor coil (8) in a mounting position on the running rail (2) with the wheels (4) of the rail vehicles rolling past. In order to increase the detection of failures, it is provided according to the invention that the sensor arrangement (3) comprises at least one position sensor device (6) which is substantially rigidly connected to the wheel sensor coil (8) for checking the mounting position of the wheel sensor coil (8) relative to the running rail (2). The invention also relates to a method for detecting wheels (4) of rail vehicles rolling past on a running rail (2) of a railway installation (1).

Description

Technical area

[0001] The invention relates to a sensor arrangement for mounting on a running rail of a railway system, in particular for track vacancy detection systems of the railway system, with at least one wheel sensor device which is designed to detect wheels of rail vehicles rolling past on the running rail, wherein the wheel sensor device comprises at least one AC-fed wheel sensor coil of an electrical wheel sensor oscillating circuit which is sensitive to an inductive interaction of the wheel sensor coil in a mounting position on the running rail with the rolling past wheels of the rail vehicles.

[0002] Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for detecting wheels of rail vehicles rolling past on a running rail of a railway system, in which the rolling wheels are detected by means of a wheel sensor device, wherein the wheel sensor device comprises at least one AC-fed wheel sensor coil of an electrical wheel sensor oscillating circuit sensitive to an inductive interaction of the wheel sensor coil in a mounting position on the running rail with the rolling wheels of the rail vehicles. Technical background

[0003] Sensor arrangements and methods of this type are well known in railway systems and are used, for example, in track vacancy detection systems that signal a specific section as free or occupied. Such sensor arrangements and methods are therefore highly relevant from a safety perspective, as malfunctions can have serious consequences. Furthermore, wheel sensor devices operating according to the inductive principle, also known as axle counters, are well known in track vacancy detection technology. These wheel sensor devices detect, for example, the rail flange of a wheel by its iron mass penetrating the effective range of the wheel sensor coil and exerting an influence. The wheel sensor coil, which is part of the wheel sensor resonant circuit, functions as an oscillator coil in which the iron mass causes a magnetic field deformation or energy absorption, which is reflected in a level change.The mounting position of the wheel sensor coil on the guide rail, and thus the distance to the passing wheel, is crucial for reliable wheel detection. If the mounting position set during commissioning of the wheel sensor device is changed, the wheels may no longer be reliably detected. Deviation from the mounting position can occur, for example, if a fastening device, such as mounting clamps or screw connections, becomes loose during operation. The fastening device secures the sensor assembly to the guide rail in its mounting position. Summary of the invention

[0004] It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a solution to the aforementioned problem.

[0005] For the sensor arrangement mentioned above, the object is achieved according to the invention in that the sensor arrangement comprises at least one position sensor device which is substantially rigidly connected to the wheel sensor coil for checking the mounting position of the wheel sensor coil relative to the running rail.

[0006] For the method mentioned above, the invention solves the problem by checking a mounting position of the wheel sensor coil relative to the running rail by means of at least one position sensor device that is essentially rigidly connected to the wheel sensor coil.

[0007] The solution according to the invention has the advantage that the mounting position is reliably checked, any departure from the mounting position is detected, and countermeasures can be taken. The position sensor device, which is essentially independent of the wheel sensor device in terms of signaling, is particularly reliable because it is designed exclusively for monitoring the mounting position. The position sensor device has a low sensitivity to interference, for example, to magnetically coupled interference at the operating frequency due to beats, such as rail currents, because the position sensor device can be arranged independently of the wheel sensor device when designing the sensor arrangement.Later in operation, at least the wheel sensor coil and the position sensor device are firmly connected to each other, for example, by a housing or a mounting plate, so that any change in the position of the wheel sensor coil relative to the track necessarily also causes the position of the position sensor device to change. This change is then detected by the position sensor device, and appropriate action can be taken. For example, this change can be reported to a signal box or control center, which can close the section of track containing the sensor array and initiate an inspection.

[0008] With known wheel sensors, some attempt is made to detect a departure from the mounting position by changing the resting level of the wheel sensor device. However, this dual function of the wheel sensor device has the disadvantage that the sensitivity of wheel detection can suffer and that commissioning is more complex. In contrast, the division of tasks in the inventive solution between the wheel sensor device and the position sensor device is correspondingly advantageous because commissioning is simple and the measurement sensitivity is high. Embodiments of the invention

[0009] The solution according to the invention can be further developed by advantageous embodiments which are described below.

[0010] Thus, the wheel sensor coil and at least parts of the position sensor device can be arranged within at least one common housing and essentially rigidly connected by means of the housing. This has the advantage that the sensor devices are very well protected from environmental influences within the housing, while simultaneously allowing their rigid connection to be established. Furthermore, the sensor devices can be delivered fully assembled in the common housing. During later commissioning of the sensor arrangement on site, the housing is then mounted on the track of the railway system and the sensor arrangement is installed.

[0011] Furthermore, the position sensor device can have at least one evaluation device designed to output an assembly signal representative of a correct assembly position. This has the advantage that the evaluation device takes over the evaluation of the position sensor device and only outputs the assembly signal for further processing. The assembly signal can, for example, be digital, so that it can be easily transmitted over long distances and is simple to evaluate.

[0012] In a further embodiment, the wheel sensor device and the position sensor device can also have a common evaluation device in order to make the sensor arrangement according to the invention simpler and more cost-effective overall. In this case, the two or more signals from the possibly multiple wheel and position sensor devices are evaluated by a single evaluation device.

[0013] In a further advantageous embodiment, the position sensor device can comprise at least one AC-powered position sensor coil of an electrical position sensor oscillating circuit sensitive to an inductive interaction between the position sensor coil and the rail. This has the advantage that such sensors operating according to the inductive principle are also particularly suitable for the position sensor device and are also available on the market at low cost.

[0014] In order to further increase the sensitivity of the position sensor device when checking the mounting position, the at least one position sensor coil can be arranged relative to the at least one wheel sensor coil such that in the mounting position the distance of the position sensor coil to the running rail is smaller than the distance of the wheel sensor coil to the running rail.

[0015] In order to avoid interference, the operating frequencies of the at least one position sensor coil and the at least one wheel sensor coil may be different from each other.

[0016] In a further advantageous embodiment, the position sensor device can comprise multiple position sensor coils. This has the advantage of providing greater reliability and failure detection. Furthermore, even the smallest position changes of the sensor arrangement relative to the guide rail can be detected.

[0017] Furthermore, the multiple position sensor coils can be designed so that their operating frequencies differ from each other. This reduces the susceptibility of the position sensor coils to interference and further increases the reliability of position monitoring.

[0018] Additionally or alternatively, the multiple position sensor coils can be arranged relative to one another such that their angles to the horizontal in the mounting position differ and / or their vertical positions differ relative to one another in the mounting position. More generally, the multiple position sensor coils can have different spatial orientations relative to one another. All of this further increases the sensitivity of the position sensor device in detecting the mounting position.

[0019] Furthermore, the at least one position sensor coil can be arranged relative to the at least one wheel sensor coil such that its magnetic field lines run substantially horizontally toward the rail in the mounted position. This has the advantage that the horizontal distance to the rail can be measured very accurately, and any change in this distance can be easily detected.

[0020] The invention further relates to a railway system with at least one running rail and at least one sensor arrangement mounted on the running rail. According to the invention, this sensor arrangement is designed according to one of the aforementioned embodiments. Exemplary embodiments of the drawing

[0021] In the following, the invention is explained with reference to the accompanying drawings and the exemplary embodiments of the invention contained therein.

[0022] They show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a first exemplary embodiment of a railway installation according to the invention in a plan view; Fig. 2 a schematic representation of a further alternative exemplary embodiment of a railway system according to the invention in a view in the longitudinal direction of the rail; Fig. 3 a schematic representation of a further alternative exemplary embodiment of a railway system according to the invention in a view in the longitudinal direction of the rail; Fig. 4 a schematic representation of a further alternative exemplary embodiment of a railway system according to the invention in a view in the longitudinal direction of the rail and Fig. 5 a schematic representation of a further alternative exemplary embodiment of a railway system according to the invention in a plan view. Detailed description of the implementation examples

[0023] First, the invention will be described with reference to the exemplary embodiment in Fig. 1 described.

[0024] Fig. 1 shows a part of a railway installation 1 with a running rail 2 and a sensor arrangement 3 attached to the running rail 2. The running rail 2 is part of a track (not shown in further detail) of the railway installation 1 on which rail vehicles move. Fig. 1 only shows a wheel 4 of such a rail vehicle, which is not further shown.

[0025] The sensor arrangement 3 is in a Fig. 1, the sensor assembly 3 is essentially firmly connected to the running rail 2, so that the position of the sensor assembly 3 relative to the running rail 2 does not change during operation of the railway system 1. The sensor assembly 3 is, for example, screwed to the running rail 2 or clamped to it. Fig. Not shown in Figure 1 are the fastening means required for this purpose, which connect the sensor assembly 3 to the guide rail 2. These fastening means can be, for example, rail clamps or screws.

[0026] The sensor arrangement 3 according to the invention comprises in the exemplary embodiment in Fig. 1 a wheel sensor device 5 and a position sensor device 6. Furthermore, the sensor arrangement 3 has a housing 7 in which the wheel sensor device 5 and the position sensor device 6 are arranged. In Fig. 1 the running rail 2 and the sensor arrangement 3 are shown in a plan view from above.

[0027] The wheel sensor device 5 comprises in the exemplary embodiment in Fig. 2 wheel sensor coils 8, which are arranged one behind the other in a rail longitudinal direction L. The wheel sensor coils 8 are each part of an electrical wheel sensor oscillating circuit (not shown in detail). Each wheel sensor oscillating circuit comprises, in addition to the wheel sensor coil 8, a wheel sensor capacitor (not shown) and an alternating current source with a predetermined operating frequency. In a known manner, each wheel sensor oscillating circuit generates a magnetic field during operation, which is influenced by the passing wheel 4. Through this influence, the passing of the wheel 4 can be detected. In order to also be able to detect the direction of travel of the passing wheel 4, the wheel sensor device 5 in the exemplary embodiment in Fig. 1 two wheel sensor coils 8 in separate wheel sensor oscillating circuits, which are influenced one after the other by the wheel 4 and thus the direction of travel can be recognized.

[0028] The wheel sensor coils 8 are aligned so that the magnetic field lines generated during operation are aligned favorably for wheel detection. This should be the case in every embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment in Fig. 1, the wheel sensor coils 8 are aligned, for example, such that most of the magnetic field lines run essentially perpendicularly in the direction of the wheel flange 12 of the wheel 4. In this embodiment, the wheel sensor device 5 operates according to the principle of a proximity switch. In other embodiments, such as the embodiment in Fig. 4, in which the transmitter and receiver are separated, the orientation of the wheel sensor coils 8 is correspondingly different.

[0029] In the embodiment in Fig. 1, the wheel sensor coils 8 are designed as toroidal coils, which in Fig. 1, but not shown in detail. This is only one possible design of the wheel sensor coil 8. Other designs, such as flat or rounded designs, are also known.

[0030] The position sensor device 6 comprises in the exemplary embodiment in Fig. 1 shows three position sensor coils 9, which are arranged between or next to the wheel sensor coils 8. The position sensor coils 9, like the wheel sensor coils 8, are each part of an electrical position sensor oscillating circuit (not shown), which also includes a position sensor capacitor and an alternating current source. Similar to the wheel sensor oscillating circuit, the position sensor oscillating circuits with the position sensor coils 9 each generate magnetic fields that are influenced by metal parts. The position sensor device 6 is intended, in the exemplary embodiment, to be Fig. 1 monitor the correct mounting position of the sensor arrangement 3 or any change in this mounting position. Therefore, the position sensor coils 9 are each arranged such that they are influenced by the guide rail 2 and not by the wheel 4. If the sensor arrangement 3 were to leave the mounting position, for example due to a loosened attachment to the guide rail 2, the inductive interaction of the guide rail with the two position sensor coils 9 would change and can thus be detected. The mounting position is permanently set during assembly and commissioning of the sensor arrangement 3. It is the optimal position for reliable wheel detection by the sensor arrangement 3. Therefore, leaving this mounting position is disadvantageous and is monitored by the sensor arrangement 3 according to the invention.

[0031] Both the wheel sensor device 5 and the position sensor device 6 each comprise at least one evaluation device 10, 11, which evaluates the electrical signals of the oscillating circuits and is arranged in the housing 7. The evaluation devices 10, 11 can alternatively be arranged further away outside the housing 7. The evaluation devices 10, 11 are connected, for example, to a signal box (not shown) of the railway system 1. The evaluation device 10 of the position sensor device 6 outputs a mounting signal representative of the correct position. The evaluation device 11 of the wheel sensor device, in contrast, outputs a wheel signal representative of a wheel 4 rolling past.

[0032] As already mentioned above, leaving the mounting position of the sensor arrangement 3 and thus of the wheel sensor coils 8 is problematic because a passing wheel 4 may no longer be detected by the wheel sensor coils 8. According to the invention, the mounting position is therefore monitored by the position sensor device 6.

[0033] To ensure reliable monitoring of the mounting position, the wheel sensor coils 8 and the position sensor coils 9 are firmly connected to each other via the housing 7, so that their relative position to each other remains unchanged. If the position of the wheel sensor coils 8 changes, the position of the position sensor coils 9 also inevitably changes, which is detected by the evaluation device 10. Therefore, the sensor arrangement 3 according to the invention has a particularly high failure detection capability and operates particularly reliably.

[0034] In the exemplary embodiment in Fig. 1, a distance A of the position sensor coils 9 to the guide rail 2 is smaller than a distance A' of the position sensor coils 9 to the guide rail 2. The position sensor coils 9 are not used for wheel detection here and can therefore be positioned independently of the passing wheel 4. The position sensor coils 9 are optimally arranged for monitoring the mounting position. On the other hand, the wheel sensor coils 8 are optimally positioned for wheel detection of the wheel 4. This clear division of tasks between the wheel sensor coil 8 and the position sensor coil 9 has the advantage that no common position has to be found for both tasks. Furthermore, the smaller distance A of the position sensor coils 9 to the guide rail 2 has the advantage that they can be smaller than the wheel sensor coils 8 and therefore require less space.

[0035] To avoid mutual interference, the operating frequencies of the wheel sensor coils 8 are different from those of the position sensor coils 9. Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment in Fig. 1 the three position sensor coils 9 are each designed with different operating frequencies, so that from a safety point of view an improvement in the mounting position detection is achieved.

[0036] If during operation of the railway installation 1 in the exemplary embodiment in Fig. 1 If the position sensor device 6 of the sensor assembly 3 indicates through the installation signal in the interlocking system that the sensor assembly 3 has left its installation position, appropriate measures are taken. For example, the interlocking system could close the section of track where the sensor assembly 3 is located and order an on-site inspection.

[0037] The exemplary embodiment is described below in Fig. 2. For the sake of brevity, only the differences to the embodiment in Fig. 1. The same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0038] In Fig. 2 shows the railway system 1 in the longitudinal direction L of the rail. The sensor arrangement 3 is in the exemplary embodiment in Fig. 1 in its mounting position in the vertical direction closer to the rail web 14 and below the wheel flange 12 of the wheel 4. In Fig. Figure 2 shows the precise orientation of the position sensor coil 9, which is designed as a toroidal coil, in more detail. Due to this orientation, the magnetic field lines (not shown) of the position sensor coil 9 run largely horizontally against the guide rail 2 during operation. As a result, a particularly large number of field lines are influenced by the metal mass of the guide rail 2, so that if the sensor arrangement 3 falls and thus leaves the mounting position, a particularly strong change in the measurement signal of the position sensor device 6 occurs. Thus, a departure from the mounting position can be detected particularly easily with this configuration. The orientation of the wheel sensor coil 8 and thus its field lines during operation are completely independent of the orientation of the position sensor coil 9. The orientation of the wheel sensor coil 8 is optimized for the detection of the wheel 4 and, in particular, for the detection of the wheel flange 12.

[0039] In the following, the further exemplary embodiment is described in Fig. 3. For the sake of brevity, only the differences to the embodiment in Fig. 1. The same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0040] In the exemplary embodiment in Fig. 3 are as in the embodiment in Fig. 1, three position sensor coils 9 are provided, which here, however, are arranged vertically one above the other in the mounting position. Furthermore, the position sensor coils 9 are each arranged at different angles to a horizontal. As a result, for example, the upper position sensor coil 9 is particularly influenced by the rail head 13. The middle position sensor coil 9 is furthermore, as in the embodiments in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, influenced by the rail web 14. Finally, the lower position sensor coil 9 is particularly influenced by the rail foot 15. In this way, in the embodiment in Fig. 3 additional accuracy can be achieved when detecting the mounting position and accordingly when changing it.

[0041] The exemplary embodiment is described below in Fig. 4. For the sake of brevity, only the differences to the embodiment in Fig. 1. The same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0042] In the exemplary embodiment in Fig. 4, the sensor arrangement 3 comprises two housings 7 on both sides of the running rail 2. The wheel sensor device 5 has in the exemplary embodiment in Fig. 4 separate transmitting and receiving devices, which are arranged in the two housings 7. Position sensor coils 9 are arranged in both the transmitter 16 and the receiver 17 to detect departure from the mounting positions.

[0043] The exemplary embodiment is described below in Fig. 5. For the sake of brevity, only the differences to the embodiment in Fig. 1. The same reference numerals refer to the same components.

[0044] Compared to the embodiment in Fig. 1 includes the embodiment in Fig.5, a separate evaluation device 10 is provided for each position sensor coil 9. This evaluation device 10 can each contain the frequency generation and the evaluation of the oscillating circuit, for example, including a resting level of the oscillation. Each evaluation device can output an assembly signal to increase safety through redundancy. The evaluation of the wheel detection via the wheel sensor coils 8 can again take place in a separate evaluation device 11, but alternatively also outside the housing 7.

[0045] In the exemplary embodiments described above in the figures, the position sensor devices 6 are each designed using changes in the alternating magnetic field, similar to the wheel sensor devices 5. Alternatively, however, other designs of the position sensor device 6 are also possible, which operate according to a different measuring principle.

[0046] Fundamentally, the invention has the advantage that position detection and wheel detection are implemented using separate hardware. This offers the possibility of aligning the position sensor device independently of the wheel sensor device, thus achieving more reliable verification of the mounting position and, from a safety perspective, greater failure detection. Since the components used are now available at low cost, the additional hardware expenditure is negligible.

Claims

[1] Sensor arrangement (3) for mounting on a running rail (2) of a railway installation (1), in particular for track detection systems of the railway installation (1), with at least one wheel sensor device (5) which is designed to detect wheels (4) of rail vehicles rolling past on the running rail (2), wherein the wheel sensor device (5) comprises at least one AC-fed wheel sensor coil (8) of an electrical wheel sensor oscillating circuit which is sensitive to an inductive interaction of the wheel sensor coil (8) in a mounting position on the running rail (2) with the rolling past wheels (4) of the rail vehicles, characterized by that the sensor arrangement (3) comprises at least one position sensor device (6) which is substantially rigidly connected to the wheel sensor coil (8) for checking the mounting position of the wheel sensor coil (8) relative to the running rail (2). [2] Sensor arrangement (3) according to claim 1, characterized bythat the wheel sensor coil (8) and at least parts of the position sensor device (6) are arranged within at least one common housing (7) and are substantially rigidly connected by means of the housing (7). [3] Sensor arrangement (3) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the position sensor device (6) has at least one evaluation device (10, 11) which is designed to output an assembly signal representative of a correct assembly position. [4] Sensor arrangement (3) according to one of the above claims, characterized by that the position sensor device (6) comprises at least one AC-fed position sensor coil (9) of an electrical position sensor oscillating circuit sensitive to an inductive interaction of the position sensor coil (9) with the running rail (2). [5] Sensor arrangement (3) according to claim 4, characterized bythat the at least one position sensor coil (9) is arranged relative to the at least one wheel sensor coil (8) such that in the mounting position the distance of the position sensor coil (9) to the running rail (2) is smaller than the distance of the wheel sensor coil (8) to the running rail (2). [6] Sensor arrangement (3) according to one of claims 4 to 5, characterized by that the operating frequencies of the at least one position sensor coil (9) and the at least one wheel sensor coil (8) are different from one another. [7] Sensor arrangement (3) according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized by that the position sensor device (6) comprises a plurality of position sensor coils (9). [8] Sensor arrangement (3) according to claim 7, characterized by that the plurality of position sensor coils (9) are designed such that their operating frequencies are different from one another. [9] Sensor arrangement (3) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized bythat the plurality of position sensor coils (9) are arranged relative to one another such that their angles to the horizontal are different and / or their vertical position in the mounting position are different from one another. [10] Sensor arrangement (3) according to one of claims 4 to 9, characterized by that the at least one position sensor coil (9) is arranged relative to the at least one wheel sensor coil (8) such that their magnetic field lines run substantially horizontally in the direction of the running rail (2) in the mounting position. [11] Railway installation (1) with at least one running rail (2) and at least one sensor arrangement (3) mounted on the running rail (2), characterized by that the sensor arrangement (3) is designed according to one of claims 1-10. [12] Method for detecting wheels (4) of rail vehicles rolling past on a running rail (2) of a railway installation (1), in which the passing wheels (4) are detected by means of a wheel sensor device (5), wherein the wheel sensor device (5) comprises at least one AC-fed wheel sensor coil (8) of an electrical wheel sensor oscillating circuit sensitive to an inductive interaction of the wheel sensor coil (8) in a mounting position on the running rail (2) with the passing wheels (4) of the rail vehicles, characterized by , that by means of at least one position sensor device (6) which is substantially rigidly connected to the wheel sensor coil, a mounting position of the wheel sensor coil (8) relative to the running rail (2) is checked.

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