Retrofittable air curtain for a rail vehicle
Patent Information
- Application Number
- EP2023717117
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-06-10
- Filing Date
- 2023-04-03
- Publication Date
- 2024-12-18
- Estimated Expiration
- 2043-04-03
AI Technical Summary
Rail vehicles face high energy consumption and performance peaks in their air conditioning systems due to temperature differences when doors are opened, especially at elevated outside temperatures, leading to increased energy usage and wear.
A retrofittable air curtain system with a separate electric blower unit and air guide elements that create a counter airflow to prevent conditioned air from escaping, reducing the need for complex modifications to the air conditioning system and maintaining its full capacity.
The air curtain system effectively reduces energy consumption by minimizing air exchange through doors, maintaining thermal insulation and avoiding sharp increases in air conditioning power usage, thereby enhancing the overall performance and reducing wear on the system.
Smart Images
Figure 1.1
Abstract
Description
[0001] Description
[0002] Retrofittable air curtain for a rail vehicle
[0003] The invention relates to a retrofittable air curtain for a rail vehicle. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating a retrofittable air curtain. Furthermore, the invention relates to a rail vehicle.
[0004] Rail vehicles are exposed to highly variable temperatures during operation. Due to the large window panes, a greenhouse effect occurs in the interior or passenger area of a rail vehicle. Without countermeasures, this greenhouse effect would lead to extremely high temperatures inside the vehicle, particularly in strong sunlight and high outside temperatures. To provide passengers with comfortable temperatures inside regardless of the season, air conditioning systems are commonly used. These systems cool the air in the interior when outside temperatures are high and heat it when outside temperatures are low.
[0005] Particularly on short-haul routes, there are often stops during which the doors in the passenger area of a rail vehicle are opened. If the temperature inside the vehicle differs from the outside temperature, this temperature difference creates a temperature gradient when the door is open, causing an airflow between the vehicle interior and the outside environment of the rail vehicle. At high outside temperatures, this airflow comprises a cold airflow out of the vehicle and a warm airflow into the vehicle, and at low outside temperatures, a corresponding warm airflow out of the vehicle and a cold airflow into the vehicle.In particular, the exchange of air at elevated outside temperatures traditionally leads to an increased energy requirement of the rail vehicle's air conditioning system in order to compensate for the loss of cooled air in the passenger area inside the rail vehicle. In stationary systems, for example department stores, air curtains are already used at the entrances to keep the conditioned air in the interior. Air from the ventilation or air conditioning system of such a department store is often used to operate such a system. However, in rail vehicles there is the problem that connecting an air curtain to the air conditioning system would require complex modifications and would therefore represent a particular obstacle to retrofitting existing rail vehicles.In addition, direct access to the air conditioning system would reduce its performance while the doors were opened if part of the air conditioning system's blower power were diverted to the air curtain.
[0006] The task is therefore to reduce the energy consumption for air conditioning in the interior of rail vehicles and also in existing rail vehicles compared to the energy consumption of conventional air conditioning systems in rail vehicles.
[0007] This object is achieved by a retrofittable air curtain for a rail vehicle according to patent claim 1, a method for operating an air curtain according to patent claim 11 and a rail vehicle according to patent claim 12.
[0008] The retrofittable air curtain according to the invention has an electric fan unit for sucking in air, which is separate from the air conditioning system of a rail vehicle. An air curtain, also known as a gate air curtain, door air curtain or air barrier system, is to be understood as a device which, at frequently opened doors, uses powerful fans to separate differently conditioned air masses from one another by means of a barrier of flowing air, thus preventing or at least significantly reducing their exchange. This barrier comprises a directed air flow which circulates between the outlet opening and the intake opening of the air curtain. Air is preferably sucked in from the interior of the rail vehicle, since the air is then pre-conditioned. I.e., the air has already been cooled by the air conditioning system and has a relatively low CCh content because the air conditioning system ensures sufficient air circulation between the outside environment and the interior. A blower unit is understood to be a unit for sucking in air, preferably from the area around the blower unit or from the area around an inlet of the blower unit, and for further transporting the sucked in air. Part of the retrofittable air curtain is also a blower outlet set up in the side area of an entrance and exit area close to a passenger door of the rail vehicle, with an air guiding unit for determining the direction of the air flowing out of the blower outlet. To determine the direction of the air flow, the air guiding unit comprises air guiding elements which, through their spatial arrangement, restrict or adjust the air flow to a desired direction.The side area is understood to be the area to the right and left of a recess formed by an opening in the passenger door. Figuratively speaking, this is the area in which the side part of the door frame is arranged and the side area of the corresponding entry and exit area of the rail vehicle runs. This side area is usually provided with paneling and forms the side part of the door frame, but usually extends further into the interior of the rail vehicle. The paneling already conventionally present in the entry and exit area can advantageously be used to accommodate the fan outlet, in particular one or more air outlets which are enclosed by the fan outlet.
[0009] The fan outlet preferably comprises air outlets on both sides of the entry and exit areas so that the partial air flows flowing laterally out of the air outlets combine to form a total flow which, since the two transverse components of the two partial flows ideally cancel each other out, flows perpendicular to the door opening, i.e., in exactly the opposite direction to the impeding air flow. Due to the lateral arrangement of the fan outlet, the air flow direction of the partial flows is preferably oriented horizontally and diagonally to the door and to the entry and exit direction. The resulting total air flow, in contrast, is directed parallel to the entry and exit direction or vertically to the door opening.
[0010] In addition, the retrofittable air curtain comprises a transmission line between the blower outlet and the electric blower unit. By using its own blower unit, the air curtain according to the invention can be installed independently of the air conditioning system of a rail vehicle. In particular, the technical peculiarities of the air conditioning system of the rail vehicle do not have to be taken into account during installation, as the air curtain is installed completely independently of the technical components of the air conditioning system. Advantageously, due to this independence of the air curtain, the capacity of the fan or blower of the air conditioning system is not reduced or impaired. This means that the full capacity of the air conditioning system is still available for cooling the interior of the rail vehicle. By using a separate blower unit and thus an additional separate volume flow, the overall output and / orAir conditioning performance is increased when both systems are in operation in the interior. Since the direction of the air flow out of the blower outlet can be adjusted and defined by the air guiding unit, it is possible to counteract any air flow that occurs when the passenger door is open between the outside environment of the rail vehicle and the interior or passenger compartment of the rail vehicle, thereby achieving a thermal insulation effect for the interior. The thermal insulation makes it possible to avoid a sharp increase in the power consumption of the rail vehicle's air conditioning system when the passenger door is opened. In particular, higher switching states of the air conditioning system are only achieved at higher outside temperatures than without the use of the retrofittable air curtain.This reduces the energy consumption of the rail vehicle's air conditioning system, and avoids wear-prone peak loads during air conditioning operation. Since the separate electric fan unit draws air from the interior, the CO2 content in the interior is reduced because the air conditioning system draws in air with a lower CO2 content from the outside environment of the rail vehicle.
[0011] In the method according to the invention for operating a retrofittable air curtain for a rail vehicle, an electric blower unit which is separate from an air conditioning system of the rail vehicle is started to draw in air from the interior. The air is also transferred via a transmission line between the electric blower unit and a blower outlet which is set up in the side area close to a passenger door or in the side area of an entry and exit area of the rail vehicle closed off by the passenger door and which has an air guiding unit for determining the air flow direction of the air flowing out of the blower outlet. Finally, the air is guided out of the blower outlet in the determined air flow direction. The method according to the invention shares the advantages of the air curtain according to the invention.
[0012] In the method according to the invention, the blower unit is preferably controlled as a function of a door opening signal and / or as a function of a temperature difference between the external environment of the rail vehicle and the interior. As explained in more detail later, energy for operating the air curtain can advantageously be saved by synchronizing the activity of the blower unit with the opening of the passenger door. Likewise, the activity of the blower unit can advantageously be limited to situations in which there is a significant difference between an external temperature of the external environment of the rail vehicle and an internal temperature of the passenger area of the rail vehicle. "Control" in this context means that the operation of the blower unit is started when the passenger door is opened and the operation of the blower unit is ended when the passenger door is closed.Preferably, however, the blower unit is only started when there is a sufficient temperature difference between the external environment and the interior or passenger area of the rail vehicle, so that operation of the blower unit is also worthwhile in terms of energy.
[0013] Furthermore, depending on the temperature difference between the external environment of the rail vehicle and the interior, the fan outlet can be controlled to adjust the air flow direction. As explained in more detail later, the fan outlet can comprise two differently positioned air outlets. Particularly preferably, the fan outlet comprises two air outlets arranged one above the other, very particularly preferably an air outlet near the floor and an air outlet near the ceiling. This means that one of the two air outlets arranged one above the other, the air outlet near the floor, is arranged closer to the floor of the interior of the rail vehicle and the air outlet near the ceiling is arranged closer to the ceiling of the interior of the rail vehicle. Preferably, both air outlets cover approximately half the interior height of the rail vehicle.
[0014] In such a scenario, the floor-level air outlet or the ceiling-level air outlet is preferably activated or deactivated depending on a temperature difference between the external environment of the rail vehicle and the interior of the rail vehicle. Advantageously, at high outside temperatures, cooled interior air can be blown via the floor-level air outlet toward the relatively heavy interior air flowing out at floor level, and at low outside temperatures, warm interior air can be blown via the ceiling-level air outlet toward the relatively light, warm interior air flowing out at ceiling level.
[0015] Furthermore, the air flow directions of the floor-level air outlet and the ceiling-level air outlet can be adjusted depending on the temperature difference between the outside environment of the rail vehicle and the interior of the rail vehicle. This advantageously means that when the outside temperature is high, warm outside air can be blown towards the incoming warm outside air via the ceiling-level air outlet, and cold inside air can be blown towards the outgoing cold inside air via the floor-level air outlet. When the outside temperature is low, warm inside air can be blown towards the outgoing warm inside air via the ceiling-level air outlet, and cold outside air can be blown towards the incoming cold outside air via the floor-level air outlet.Thus, the thermal insulation effect of the air curtain is further increased when the passenger door is open due to the double number of counter air flows directed in different directions.
[0016] The rail vehicle according to the invention has an air conditioning system for air conditioning an interior of the rail vehicle and a (retrofittable or retrofitted) air curtain according to the invention. The rail vehicle according to the invention shares the advantages of the air curtain according to the invention.
[0017] Some of the aforementioned technical functions of the air curtain according to the invention can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of software modules in a processor of a corresponding computer system, e.g., a control unit of a rail vehicle. A largely software-based implementation has the advantage that even previously used computer systems can be easily upgraded to operate in the manner according to the invention by means of a software update.In this respect, the object is also achieved by a corresponding computer program product with a computer program that can be loaded directly into a computer system, with program sections for carrying out the steps of the method according to the invention, at least the steps that can be carried out by a computer, in particular the steps for controlling the fan unit and for controlling the fan outlet, with the addition of additional hardware, such as a fan unit, a transmission line and a fan outlet. Such a computer program product can, in addition to the computer program, optionally comprise additional components, such as documentation, and / or additional components, including hardware components, such as hardware keys (dongles, etc.) for using the software.
[0018] A computer-readable medium, e.g., a memory stick, a hard disk, or another portable or permanently installed data storage device, on which the program sections of the computer program that can be read and executed by a computer system are stored, can be used for transport to the computer system or control unit and / or for storage on or in the computer system or control unit. For this purpose, the computer system can, for example, have one or more cooperating microprocessors or the like.
[0019] The dependent claims and the following description each contain particularly advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention. In particular, the claims of one claim category can also be developed analogously to the dependent claims of another claim category and their description parts. Furthermore, within the scope of the invention, the various features of different embodiments and claims can also be combined to form new embodiments.
[0020] The fan outlet of the retrofittable air curtain according to the invention is preferably arranged in the lower part of the side area of a passenger door area or entrance and exit area of the rail vehicle. Advantageously, with a fan outlet arranged close to the floor, cool interior air which flows close to the floor towards the exit at a high outside temperature can be held back. Conversely, with a low outside temperature and a change in the direction of the counter air flow, cold outside air which also flows into the interior primarily close to the floor can be held back before flowing into the interior. Preferably, the air guiding unit is designed to orient the air flow direction of the retrofittable air curtain according to the invention towards the interior. Advantageously, an outflow of cooled air at high outside temperatures and an outflow of warm air at low outside temperatures can be prevented.This double effect is achieved in particular when the air outlets of the fan outlet extend over the entire interior height or at least a significant part of it and both the flow of warm air in the upper part of the inlet and outlet area and the flow of cold air in the lower part of the inlet and outlet area can be inhibited.
[0021] The air guiding unit particularly preferably comprises a preferably flexibly adjustable air guiding grille. The adjustable air guiding grille is aligned such that the air flow flowing out of the fan outlet is directed in a predetermined direction. The air flow direction can advantageously be adapted to different outside temperatures. An air guiding grille has a grid-like or slat-like air-permeable structure with which a desired air flow direction can be set depending on the equipment of the grille or slats.
[0022] Preferably, the adjustable air guide grille is oriented such that the air flow is directed inward. As already mentioned, this orientation of the air guide grille can advantageously prevent cooled air from flowing out of the interior of a rail vehicle at high outside temperatures and warm air from flowing out at low outside temperatures.
[0023] Preferably, the retrofittable air curtain comprises a control unit which is designed to control at least one of the following functional units:
[0024] - the blower unit,
[0025] - the fan outlet. "Control" in the context of the fan unit means that its operation is started or stopped. In the context of the fan outlet, "control" means that the air outlet is controlled. For example, an airflow direction is set.
[0026] Advantageously, the individual functional units can be adapted in their behavior to changing environmental conditions by means of the control, so that the air curtain according to the invention can be used flexibly and effectively.
[0027] Particularly preferably, the control unit of the retrofittable air curtain according to the invention is configured to control the blower unit in response to a door opening signal. Advantageously, the blower is only operated when a passenger door is open. Thus, the air curtain can be operated in a particularly energy-efficient manner.
[0028] Most preferably, the control unit of the retrofittable air curtain according to the invention is configured to control the blower unit depending on a temperature difference between the external environment of the rail vehicle and the interior. Advantageously, the operation of the blower can be limited to scenarios in which energy can be saved by operating the air curtain due to a significant temperature difference between the interior and the external environment.
[0029] In a variant of the retrofittable air curtain according to the invention that is particularly suitable for different outside temperatures, the fan outlet has two air outlets arranged one above the other, an air outlet close to the floor and an air outlet close to the ceiling, and the control unit is designed to activate or deactivate the air outlet close to the floor or the air outlet close to the ceiling depending on a temperature difference between the external environment of the rail vehicle and the interior. This variant can be used particularly advantageously if the air outlet close to the floor or the air outlet close to the ceiling is activated or deactivated depending on a temperature difference between the external environment of the rail vehicle and the interior.Advantageously, when the outside temperature is high, cooled inside air can be blown towards the outgoing cooled inside air via the air outlet near the floor, and when the outside temperature is low, warm inside air can be blown towards the outgoing warm inside air via the air outlet near the ceiling.
[0030] In order to further improve the air curtain according to the invention, the control unit of the retrofittable air curtain according to the invention can be designed to adjust the air flow directions of the air outlet near the floor and the air outlet near the ceiling depending on a temperature difference between the external environment of the rail vehicle and the interior.
[0031] Advantageously, when the outside temperature is high, warm outside air can be blown through the air outlet near the ceiling to counter the incoming warm outside air, and cold inside air can be blown through the air outlet near the floor to counter the outgoing cold inside air. When the outside temperature is low, warm inside air can be blown through the air outlet near the ceiling to counter the outgoing warm inside air, and cold outside air can be blown through the air outlet near the floor to counter the incoming cold outside air. Thus, the thermal insulation effect of the air curtain is further increased when the passenger door is open.
[0032] To generate such counter-air flows with different temperatures, the separate electric fan unit of the retrofittable air curtain according to the invention has a first and a second separate fan. The first separate fan is designed to draw air from the interior of the rail vehicle, and the second separate fan is designed to draw air from the external environment of the rail vehicle.
[0033] In order to direct the differently tempered air flows to the desired positions or air outlets, the control unit of the retrofittable air curtain according to the invention is set up to connect the first separate fan to the air outlet near the floor and the second separate fan to the air outlet near the ceiling, depending on a temperature difference. This is advantageous at high outside temperatures when warm air is sucked in from the environment and cold air is sucked in from the passenger compartment, or conversely to connect the first separate fan to the air outlet near the ceiling and the second separate fan to the air outlet near the floor, which is advantageous at low outside temperatures when warm air is sucked in from the passenger compartment and cold air is sucked in from the environment. The counter air flows acting in both directions advantageously...Increasing the number of effective counter-air flows and using the outside air to generate a counter-flow against air flowing into the interior from outside further improves the energy-saving effectiveness of the retrofittable air curtain according to the invention.
[0034] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures using exemplary embodiments. They show:
[0035] FIG 1 is a cross-sectional view of an entrance and exit area of a rail vehicle to illustrate the air circulation when a passenger door is opened in this area,
[0036] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an entrance and exit area of a rail vehicle with the door open, with a retrofittable air curtain according to an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 3 shows a sectional view from above of a retrofittable air curtain according to an embodiment of the invention,
[0037] FIG 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for operating a retrofittable air curtain for a rail vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention,
[0038] FIG 5 shows a rail vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention,
[0039] FIG 6 an air curtain suitable for operation at high outside temperatures and low outside temperatures,
[0040] FIG 7 an air curtain with air outlets with flexibly adjustable and controllable air guide grilles.
[0041] FIG 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an entrance and exit area 1 of a rail vehicle to illustrate the air circulation when a passenger door 2 is opened (see FIG 2) (FIG 1 only shows the inner paneling 4 or the side area 4 of the passenger door 2 or of the entrance and exit area 1 covered by the passenger door 2 in the closed state). If the passenger area in the rail vehicle is cooled by an air conditioning system at higher outside temperatures, when the passenger door 2 is open, cooled air KL flows out of the passenger area and thus also out of the entrance and exit area 1 of the rail vehicle and warm air WL flows from the environment U of the rail vehicle into the entrance and exit area 1 and then into the passenger area of the rail vehicle.Since warm air WL is lighter than cooled air KL, at elevated outside temperatures, the warm air WL flows from the ambient air U into the passenger area in the upper part of the entrance and exit area 1, and the cooled air KL flows out of the passenger area in the lower part of the entrance and exit area 1. As a result of the air exchange, a net heat flow into the passenger area results, which is conventionally compensated by a temporary increase in the performance of the air conditioning system in the passenger area of the rail vehicle.
[0042] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the entrance and exit area 1 of a rail vehicle, already shown in FIG. 1, with the passenger door 2 open and a retrofittable air curtain 3 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The air curtain 3 comprises a fan outlet 6. This fan outlet 6 comprises two air outlets 6a running vertically on both sides in the interior paneling 4 in the door area. The air outlets 6a each comprise an air guiding unit 5. Each air guiding unit 5 each comprises an air guiding grille 5a. The air guiding grilles 5a comprise alignable surface elements between which the air can flow in the direction of the alignment of the surface elements. The air guide grilles 5a are now aligned so that the air GL flowing out of the air outlets 6a flows into a passenger area 7 or interior space adjoining the entrance and exit area 1.The air outlets 6a are located in the lower part of the entrance and exit area 1, so that the inwardly directed air flow of the air GL flowing out of the air outlets 6a is directed opposite to the air flow of the cooled air KL from the passenger area 7. The inwardly directed air flow of the air GL flowing out of the air outlets 6a in the lower part of the entrance and exit area 1 therefore forms a type of counter-air flow to the outgoing cold air flow of the cooled air KL. In this way, the cold air flow of the cooled air KL from the passenger area 7 is inhibited, so that the heat energy input into the rail vehicle is reduced compared to an arrangement without a counter-air flow. The counter-air flow must be sufficiently cooled so that the room air in the interior does not heat up. For this purpose, the air for the counter-air flow from the interior, i.e.from the passenger area 7 of the rail vehicle. Since the interior is air-conditioned, the air taken from there is also sufficiently cooled. FIG. 2 shows a section axis with dashed lines and two Roman numerals "III" at the ends. A horizontal section along the section axis results in the image in FIG. 3. A vertical section along the section axis results in the image in FIG. 1.
[0043] FIG. 3 shows a sectional view from above of a retrofittable air curtain 3 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The air curtain 3 has an electric blower unit 8, which is shown in FIG. 3 in the top right corner with a circular outline. The blower unit 8 sucks in cooled air KL from the passenger area 7 and conveys the cooled air KL through a transmission line 9 designed as a hose to the air outlets 6a of the air curtain 10 in the interior paneling 4, to the right and left of the entrance and exit areas. The air outlets 6a have the air guide grilles 5a already explained in connection with FIG. 2, which are oriented inwards at an angle α to the plane of the interior paneling 4.As already explained in connection with FIG 2, at elevated outside temperatures the counter air flow thus generated of the air GL flowing out of the air outlets 6a flows against the air flow of the cooled air KL flowing towards the passenger door from the passenger area in the direction of the exit and thus inhibits the transport of thermal energy into the interior of the rail vehicle. The blower unit 8 is switched on and off by a control signal S from a control unit 11 shown schematically on the right edge of the figure. The control signal S is sent when the control unit 11 sends out a control signal AS (see FIG 4) in the form of a door opening signal or door closing signal and at the same time a minimum value for a temperature difference, for example 10 Kelvin, is measured between the external environment U of the rail vehicle and the passenger area 7.The air curtain 3 is therefore only activated when a sufficient temperature difference occurs and the passenger door 2 (see FIG. 2) is also open. FIG. 4 shows a flowchart 400 illustrating a method for operating a retrofittable air curtain 3 (see FIG. 3) for a rail vehicle 12 (see FIG. 5).
[0044] In step 4.1, a passenger door 2 (see FIG. 2) of a rail vehicle 12 is controlled by a control signal AS in order to open the passenger door 2.
[0045] In step 4.II, it is determined whether the temperature difference ΔT between the external environment of the rail vehicle 12 and the passenger area 7 of the rail vehicle 12 exceeds a predetermined value ΔS. If the predetermined value ΔS is exceeded, which is indicated by "y" in FIG. 4, the process proceeds to step 4.III. If the predetermined value is not exceeded, which is indicated by "n" in FIG. 4, the process ends in step 4.IV.
[0046] In step 4.III, in response to the door opening, an electric fan unit 8, separate from the air conditioning system of the rail vehicle 12, is started to draw air from the interior or passenger area 7 of the rail vehicle 12. For this purpose, the electric fan unit 8 is controlled by a control signal S.
[0047] The electric blower unit 8 transports the sucked-in air in step 4.V through a transmission line between the electric blower unit 8 and a blower outlet 6 arranged in the side region of an inlet and outlet area 1 of the rail vehicle 12, which has an air guide unit 5, in particular with an air guide grille 5a, for determining the air flow direction of the air GL flowing out of the blower outlet 6.
[0048] In step 4.VI, the air GL flowing out to the fan outlet 6 is guided in a diagonal direction to the wall paneling or interior paneling 4 of the entrance and exit area 1 from the fan outlet 6 into the entrance and exit area 1 of the rail vehicle and is sent towards a flow of cooled air KL flowing out of the interior of the rail vehicle 12.
[0049] FIG 5 shows a rail vehicle 12 according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0050] The rail vehicle 12 shown in FIG 5 has a passenger area 7 (shown in dashed lines). The passenger area 7 includes an entrance and exit area 1 (likewise shown in dashed lines) which is accessible from the outside via a passenger door 2. Part of the rail vehicle 12 is also an air curtain 3 which has a similar structure to the air curtain 3 shown in FIG 3. The air curtain 3 includes a blower unit 8 which is arranged on the left side of the passenger area 7 and which, when outside temperatures are high, draws in cooled air KL from the passenger area 7. The cooled air KL is transported via the transmission lines 9 to air outlets 6a of the air curtain 3 which are located on both sides of the entrance and exit area 1.There, the cooled air KL forms a counter-air flow of air GL flowing out of the air outlets 6a, which, when the passenger door 2 is open, prevents or at least inhibits the cooled air KL from flowing out of the entrance and exit areas 1. The rail vehicle 12 also comprises an air conditioning system 13, which generates the cooled air KL present in the passenger area 7.
[0051] FIG 6 shows an air curtain 3' which is suitable for operation both in summer when the outside temperature is high and in winter when the outside temperature is particularly low. Unlike the air curtain 3 shown in FIG 3, the air curtain 3' shown in FIG 6 comprises two air outlets 6a, 6b arranged one above the other in the inner paneling 4 of the door area in the entrance and exit area 1. In summer or when the outside temperature is high, the lower air outlet 6a is used to reduce the outflow of cooled air from the passenger area 7, which air flows out mainly from the interior of the rail vehicle near the floor. The upper air outlet 6b, on the other hand, remains unused or switched off when the outside temperature is high in summer. In winter, i.e.At low outside temperatures, however, the upper air outlet 6b is used to prevent warm air from escaping from the passenger area 7, which flows out of the rail vehicle, particularly in the area near the ceiling. For this purpose, the lower air outlet 6a remains unused or switched off in winter at low outside temperatures.
[0052] FIG. 7 shows an air curtain 3"' which is similar to the air curtain 3' shown in FIG. 6 with regard to the arrangement of the air outlets 6a, 6b. Unlike the arrangement in FIG. 6, the position of the air guide grilles 5a and the temperature of the air sucked in by the blower unit 8 in the arrangement in FIG. 7 is set via the control unit 11 as a function of the temperature difference ΔT between the passenger area 7 and the external environment of the rail vehicle. For this purpose, the blower unit 8 has, in addition to an air inlet in the passenger area, also an air inlet to the external environment (not shown) and two separate fans 8a, 8b each for the inside air and the outside air.
[0053] When the outside temperature is high, particularly in summer, the air guide grilles 5a of the lower air outlet 6a or the air outlet close to the floor are adjusted so that the air flowing out of the lower air outlet 6a, in this case cooled air, flows inwards into the passenger area 7. For this purpose, the lower air outlet 6a is supplied with cooled air from the passenger area 7 by the blower unit 8 via a first blower 8a. The air guide grilles 5a of the upper air outlet 6b or the air outlet close to the ceiling are adjusted in the opposite direction so that warm outside air, in this case warm outside air, flows out of the upper air outlet 6b towards the outside area or the external environment U, thus preventing warm outside air from flowing in in summer or when the outside temperature is high. For this purpose, the blower unit 8 sucks in warm air from the external environment U of the rail vehicle via a second blower 8b.
[0054] At low outside temperatures, particularly in winter, the air guide grilles 5a of the lower air outlet 6a are adjusted so that the air flowing out of the lower air outlet 6a, in this case cold outside air, flows out towards the outside area or the external environment U in order to prevent cold outside air from flowing in. For this purpose, the blower unit 8 draws in cold air from the external environment U of the rail vehicle via the second blower 8b.
[0055] The air guide grilles 5a of the upper air outlet 6b are set in the opposite direction to the air guide grilles 5a of the lower air outlet 6a, so that from the upper air outlet 6b, in this case warm air from the passenger area 7 (see FIG. 3), flows out towards the interior, i.e. the passenger area 7, so that warm interior air is prevented from flowing out of the passenger area 7. For this purpose, the blower unit 8 sucks in warm air from the passenger area 7 of the rail vehicle via the first blower 8b.
[0056] The fan unit 8 and the air outlets 6a, 6b are controlled via the control unit 11 shown on the right in FIG 7.
[0057] Finally, it is pointed out once again that the methods and devices described above are merely preferred embodiments of the invention and that the invention can be varied by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. For the sake of completeness, it is also pointed out that the use of the indefinite articles "a" or "an" does not exclude the possibility that the features in question may be present in multiple copies. Likewise, the term "unit" does not exclude the possibility that it consists of several components, which may also be spatially distributed.
Claims
Patent claims 1. Retrofittable air curtain (3, 3", 3" ') for a rail vehicle (12) , comprising: - an electric blower unit (8) for drawing in air (KL, WL) separate from an air conditioning system (13) of the rail vehicle (12) , - a blower outlet (6) provided in the side area (4) of an entry and exit area (1) of the rail vehicle (12) with an air guidance unit (5) for determining an airflow direction of the air (GL) flowing out of the blower outlet (6) , - a transmission line (9) between the blower output (6) and the electric blower unit (8) .
2. Retrofittable air curtain according to claim 1, wherein the separate electric blower unit (8) is designed to draw in air (KL, WL) from the interior (7) of the rail vehicle (12).
3. Retrofittable air curtain according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the blower outlet (6) is arranged in the lower part of the side area (4) of the inlet and outlet area (1) of the rail vehicle (12).
4. Retrofittable air curtain according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the air guide unit (5) is designed to direct the airflow direction towards the interior (7) of the rail vehicle (12).
5. Retrofittable air curtain according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the air guidance unit (5) comprises a directional air guide grille (5a).
6. Retrofittable air curtain according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a control unit (11) for controlling at least one of the following functional units: - the electric blower unit (8) , - the blower outlet (6) .
7. Retrofittable air curtain according to claim 6, wherein the control unit (11) - for controlling the electric blower unit (8) depending on a door opening signal (AS) and / or - is equipped to control the electric blower unit (8) depending on a temperature difference (AT) between the external environment (U) of the rail vehicle (12) and the interior (7).
8. Retrofittable air curtain according to claim 6 or 7, wherein - the blower outlet (6) has two air outlets arranged one above the other (6a, 6b), a floor-level air outlet (6a) and a ceiling-level air outlet (6b), and - the control unit (11) is configured to activate or deactivate the floor air outlet (6a) or the ceiling air outlet (6a) depending on a temperature difference (AT) between the external environment (U) of the rail vehicle (12) and the interior (7).
9. Retrofittable air curtain according to claim 8, wherein the control unit (11) is configured to adjust the air curtain depending on a temperature difference (AT) between the external environment (U) of the rail vehicle (12) and the interior (7). To adjust the airflow directions of the air (GL) flowing out of the air outlet (6a) near the floor and the air (GL) flowing out of the air outlet (6b) near the ceiling.
10. Retrofittable air curtain according to claim 9, wherein - the separate electric blower unit (8) has a first and a second separate blower (8a, 8b), - the first separate blower (8a) is designed to draw in air (KL, WL) from the interior (7) of the rail vehicle (12), - that a second separate blower (8b) is designed to draw in air (WL, KL) from the external environment of the rail vehicle (12) and - the control unit (11) is configured to adjust the temperature depending on a temperature difference (AT) between the external environment (U) of the rail vehicle (12) and the interior (7) - to connect the first separate blower (8a) to the floor-level air outlet (6a) and the second separate blower (8b) to the ceiling-level air outlet (6b) or vice versa - to connect the first separate blower (8a) to the ceiling-mounted air outlet (6b) and the second separate blower (8b) to the floor-mounted air outlet (6a).
11. Method for operating a retrofittable air curtain (3, 3", 3" ') for a rail vehicle (12) , comprising the steps : - Starting an electric blower unit (8) separate from an air conditioning system (13) of the rail vehicle (12) to draw in air (KL, WL) from the interior (7) of the rail vehicle , - Transfer of the air (KL, WL) through a transmission line (9) between the electric blower unit (8) and a blower outlet (6) located in the side area (4) of an entrance and exit area (1) of the rail vehicle (12) with an air guide unit (5) for determining the airflow direction of the air (GL) flowing out of the blower outlet (6), - Directing the air (GL) out of the blower outlet (6) in the specified airflow direction .
12. Method according to claim 11, wherein - Activation of the electric blower unit (8) depending on a door opening signal (AS) and / or depending on a temperature difference (AT) between the external environment (U) of the rail vehicle (12) and the interior (7) and / or - depending on the temperature difference (AT) between the external environment (U) of the rail vehicle (12) and the interior (7), the blower output (6) is controlled to adjust the airflow direction.
13. Railway vehicle (12) , comprising - an air conditioning system (13) for air conditioning an interior space (7) of the rail vehicle (12) , - an air curtain (3, 3", 3" ') according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
14. Computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause it to perform the steps of the method according to claim 12.
15. Computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause it to perform the steps of the method according to claim 12.