RAILWAY WORK TRAIN COMPRISING WORK VEHICLES AND AN ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION NETWORK

Abstract

A railway work train comprises several work vehicles and an electrical distribution network, which includes a multi-source collector DC power bus (5) positioned in one of the vehicles and supplies, via a primary inverter (6), an AC distribution bus (7) supplying at least two of the work vehicles.

Description

Title of the invention: RAILWAY WORKS TRAIN COMPRISING WORK VEHICLES AND AN ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION NETWORK Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates, in general, to the field of electrical distribution on board trains. The invention relates more specifically to an electrical architecture distributing energy on board several vehicles of a railway works train.

[0002] In this document, the term "rail vehicle" will be understood to mean any vehicle comprising at least one chassis and one or more wheel sets on which at least part of the chassis rests, the wheel sets being intended to run on a railway track. The wheel sets may, where appropriate, be part of bogies that are movable relative to the chassis of the vehicle. The vehicle may be self-supporting in the sense that it can run while resting solely on its wheel set(s), or of the railway semi-trailer type, a portion of which rests on a neighboring vehicle of the same convoy, or of the Jacob bogie vehicle type, one end of which rests on a bogie that does not strictly speaking belong to the vehicle, but to a neighboring vehicle of the same articulated convoy. The railway vehicle may, where appropriate, be equipped with load-bearing wheel sets and / or drive wheel sets.Examples of railway vehicles include: a locomotive, a wagon, a railway car, or any work vehicle forming part of a railway work train.

[0003] By railway works train is meant here, and throughout the following text, any convoy of several railway vehicles coupled to each other, these vehicles being able to include in particular locomotives, railway vehicles with or without traction motors, work machines and / or wagons, and being able to intervene on a construction, renovation or renewal site of a railway track, for example for tamping, leveling, lining or de-lining, screening work, and more generally work of laying, removing, replacing or maintaining sleepers, ballast and / or rails of a railway track.In particular, the railway vehicles of a railway works train which carry railway works tools (for example, tools for tamping, levelling, lining, de-greasing, screening, stabilisation, and more generally for laying, removing, replacing or maintaining ballast and / or rails on a railway track) will be referred to as “railway works vehicles”. State of the prior art

[0004] In document US2011083578, a railway works train is described comprising at least one supply vehicle, at least one railway works vehicle equipped with at least one device for driving railway work tools, and a direct current electrical distribution bus connecting at least the supply vehicle to the works vehicle for the electrical power supply. Such a direct current bus must imperatively be subject to special precautions for the safety of personnel working on the train, in particular at the junctions between railway vehicles of the railway works train. Furthermore, non-standard current converters must, where appropriate, be interposed between the direct current bus and each of the powered devices.

[0005] In document EP2729341 B1, a railway transport train is described comprising an alternating current bus which distributes the electrical power coming from a medium-voltage alternating current catenary line to the traction motors of the machine. No conversion stage is interposed between the current collector and the bus, which therefore distributes a high-voltage alternating current. Such an alternating current bus must imperatively be subject to special precautions for the safety of passengers as well as technical maintenance personnel working on the machine. Furthermore, non-standard current transformers, as well as rectifiers and inverters must be interposed between the alternating current bus and each of the powered devices. Statement of the invention

[0006] The invention aims to propose an electrical architecture which is simpler to secure and to deploy in a railway works train, which requires electrical power distributed over several vehicles.

[0007] To do this, according to a first aspect of the invention, a railway works train is proposed comprising at least one supply vehicle, at least one railway works vehicle equipped with one or more railway work tool drive devices, and an electrical distribution bus connecting at least the supply vehicle to the railway works vehicle for the direct or indirect electrical supply of the railway work tool drive device(s) carried by the railway works vehicle, characterized in that the distribution bus is alternating current, powered by a primary inverter powered by a direct current power supply bus, the primary inverter and the direct current power supply bus being located in the supply vehicle.

[0008] Thus, the distribution of the power electric current is ensured by the alternating current distribution bus. The direct current power bus does not need cover the entire work train, which increases the safety of operators and workers working around the work train during its interventions.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the direct current power bus is supplied with direct current by one or more direct current sources located in or on the supply vehicle. Preferably, the direct current source(s) include: a direct current collector capable of collecting current from a direct current line arranged along a railway track on which the work train runs, and / or a rectifier supplied by an alternating current collector capable of collecting current from an alternating current line arranged along the railway track on which the work train runs, and / or a battery and / or a generator driven by a thermal engine. The ability of the direct current power bus to collect several direct current sources gives it greater versatility depending on its environment and / or the intervention to be carried out.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the railway works train comprises a device of at least one switching device capable of cutting off the power supply to the distribution bus during a transport circulation phase. It is indeed desirable that during the circulation phases on the railway, outside the works site, the equipment supplied by the distribution bus is switched off, because this equipment is not necessarily approved for rail circulation.

[0011] Preferably, the switching device is capable of switching from a first position connecting the primary inverter to the alternating current distribution bus to a second position connecting the primary inverter to a traction motor of the supply vehicle. The primary inverter is then used both during the work phases to supply the alternating current distribution bus, and during the traffic phases to supply certain traction motors.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the alternating current distribution bus is a three-phase bus. This makes it possible to limit losses during the transmission of electricity and therefore voltage drops.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the three-phase alternating current distribution bus has an effective voltage between phases equal to or greater than 190 V, preferably equal to or greater than 380 V, and less than 1000 V, preferably less than 600 V, for example 400 V. This deliberately places oneself in an electrical voltage range commonly used for industrial electrical distribution, which makes it possible, downstream of the alternating current distribution bus, to implement standardized industrial electrical equipment. Some equipment may, if necessary, be powered directly by the alternating current distribution bus. Other equipment may be powered indirectly via current converters, minimizing transformers.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the alternating current distribution bus is configured to distribute an apparent electrical power greater than or equal to 500kVA, and preferably less than or equal to 600kVA. This characteristic allows the alternating current distribution bus to supply railway work devices requiring a high supply power.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the railway works vehicle comprises a local rectifier powered by the alternating current distribution bus and powering a local direct current power bus powering one or more of the railway works tool drive devices.

[0016] The local direct current bus in turn allows, over a short portion, the current to be distributed to each of the devices requiring power. By local direct current bus, we mean here a direct current bus which is limited to all or part of a work vehicle of the railway work train.

[0017] There are as many local DC buses as necessary, and preferably at most one per work vehicle. The voltage level of a local DC bus depends on the rectifier chosen locally, and is therefore independent of the other local DC buses.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the alternating current distribution bus directly supplies at least one of the railway work tool drive devices.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the drive devices include electric motors, and / or compressors, and / or hydraulic pumps.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the railway work tools include tamping tools, and / or track lifting tools, and / or leveling tools, and / or leveling-shifting clamps, and / or stripping tools, and / or screening tools, and / or stabilization tools, and / or tools for laying, removing, replacing or maintaining sleepers, ballast and / or rails of a railway.

[0021] According to one embodiment, a sinusoidal filter is interposed between the power inverter and the alternating current distribution bus.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the direct current power supply bus supplies an auxiliary alternating current distribution bus with an apparent electrical power at least 5 times lower than the apparent electrical power of the alternating current distribution bus.

[0023] This auxiliary AC distribution bus has all the advantages similar to the AC distribution bus, while having a lower apparent electrical power, greater than 70kVA and less than 140kVA, allowing it to supply less energy-intensive devices such as ventilation or air conditioning. If necessary, it also indirectly supplies an AC distribution bus of even lower power, greater than 3kVA and less than 10kVA, preferably single-phase, with a hotel function allowing the distribution of current to a phone charger, laptop, coffee machine or other.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the supply vehicle comprises transport traction motors powered by the direct current supply bus independently of the alternating current distribution bus. The supply vehicle is then a traction vehicle, which can advantageously be arranged at one end of the railway works train. This traction vehicle may in particular be intended to provide the traction force of the railway works train alone outside of the work phases, and in particular during phases of circulation on the railway track to move to or from the work site.

[0025] Preferably, the transport traction motors have a nominal power greater than or equal to 150 kW per unit. The transport traction motors are intended to transport the work train to the site where it is to intervene, and therefore to allow a travel speed greater than 25 km / hour, preferably greater than 50 km / hour, to be reached. They are preferably located on the vehicle of the work train which is equipped with the direct current power supply bus.

[0026] According to one embodiment, one or more of the vehicles are equipped with working traction motors powered directly or indirectly by the distribution bus. Preferably, the working traction motors have an apparent power of less than 150 kW.

[0027] These motors, which are lower in power than the transport traction motors, allow the train to be moved at very low speed (< 25 km / hour) during interventions on the rails along the track. They are designed to have acceleration and deceleration phases at very close intervals, of the order of a few tens of seconds, and this for the entire duration of the intervention. They also have better efficiency at low speed than the transport traction motors. They are mechanically uncoupled during the transport running phases.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the railway works train comprises at least one additional railway works vehicle equipped with one or more devices for driving additional railway works tools powered by the electrical distribution bus.

[0029] The supply vehicle can also itself be a works vehicle, in the sense that it can integrate railway works tools. brief description of the figures

[0030] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge on reading the description which follows, with reference to the appended figures, which illustrate: • [Fig.l], a schematic side view of a railway works train incorporating an electrical distribution network, according to one embodiment of the invention; • [Fig.2], a schematic view of the electrical distribution network of the railway works train of [Fig.l]; • [Fig.3], a detailed diagram of the electrical distribution network of [Fig.2] • [Fig.4], a detailed diagram of a variant of the electrical distribution network of [Fig.2].

[0031] For clarity, identical or similar elements are identified by identical reference signs throughout the figures. DETAILED description of an embodiment

[0032] In [Fig.l] a railway works train with two vehicles 1 and 2 is illustrated. It is however understood that the number of railway vehicles constituting the railway works train may be greater than two. In the following, vehicle 1 will be called a supply vehicle, and vehicle 2, a railway works vehicle, of the general type described in document FR 3108 343 Al.

[0033] In [Fig. 2] an electrical distribution network of the railway works train is shown diagrammatically. This electrical network includes in particular, at the level of the supply vehicle 1, a current collector 3 which collects current from a direct or alternating current line 4, for example from a catenary or a third rail, a direct current power supply bus 5 as well as a primary inverter 6 making it possible to supply, from the power supply bus 5, an alternating current distribution bus 7.

[0034] The alternating current distribution bus 7 is a power bus, preferably three-phase, with or without neutral distribution, configured to distribute an apparent electrical power which may for example be of the order of 550kVA, at an effective voltage between phases of the order of 400 V.

[0035] The AC distribution bus 7 runs at the supply vehicle 1 and the railway work vehicle 2, and distributes the power electric current directly to railway work tool drives 8; and / or to rectifiers 30 which, each at a work vehicle, can supply local DC buses 9, which themselves supply, via final converters 29, local railway work tool drives 8.1 and / or working traction motors 10.

[0036] The railway work tool drive devices 8 powered directly by the distribution bus 7 may in particular include electric motors 20, and / or compressors 21, and / or hydraulic pumps 22. The railway work tools 8 may include, in particular, tamping tools 23, track lifting tools 24, leveling-slipping clamps, leveling tools, de-screeding tools and screening tools, etc.

[0037] Similarly, the local railway work tool drive devices 8.1 powered by the local direct current buses 9 may include, in particular, electric motors 20.1, and / or compressors 21.1, and / or hydraulic pumps 22.1. The local railway work tools 8.1 may include, in particular, tamping tools 23, track lifting tools 24, leveling-shifting clamps 25, leveling tools, stripping tools and screening tools, etc.

[0038] The alternating current distribution bus 7 supplies these devices along the train, for as many railway work vehicles as necessary, and where appropriate also for the supply vehicle, if the latter is carrying railway work tools.

[0039] The nominal voltage of the local DC bus(es) 9 can be chosen independently of the voltage of the DC power bus 5 of the power supply vehicle 1, depending on local needs. Preferably, the nominal voltage of the local bus(es) is 750V, since this is a voltage level that is used by many industrial devices for this type of bus.

[0040] The nominal voltage of the direct current power supply bus 5 can be chosen according to other criteria: generally, this voltage is preferably higher than 750V to transmit and deliver high power under low intensity currents.

[0041] The direct current power bus 5, and where appropriate the local direct current bus(es) 9, are each confined to a railway vehicle of the railway works train, so that it is not necessary to manage a changeover from one direct current power line from one railway vehicle to another.

[0042] According to a variant, a final converter 29 can supply more than one device. The local direct current distribution buses 9 are each limited to one of the vehicles or to a part of one of the vehicles of the work train.

[0043] In [Fig.3] the direct current power bus 5 and the alternating current distribution bus 7 are illustrated.

[0044] The direct current power bus 5 has several energy sources such as the direct current collector 3 capable of collecting current from a direct current line 4 arranged along a railway track on which the work train runs, a single-phase transformer 11 powered by an alternating current collector 3 capable of collecting current from an alternating current line 4 arranged along the railway track on which the work train runs, a battery 12 with a nominal voltage lower than 1000V and / or a generator 13 driven by a heat engine 14.

[0045] The direct current power bus 5 collects electricity via rectifiers 15 and / or power converters 16.

[0046] According to a variant, the power converter 16 can be eliminated between the direct current current collector 3 and the power supply bus 5, in which case the nominal voltage of the direct current power supply bus 5 is equal to the voltage of the direct current catenary which supplies it, for example 1500 or 3000 V.

[0047] According to another variant, the power converter 16 can be eliminated between the battery 12 and the power supply bus 5, in which case the nominal voltage of the direct current power supply bus 5 is equal to the nominal voltage of the battery, which is preferably greater than 750 V, to enable the required power to be delivered with relatively low current intensities.

[0048] The direct current power bus 5 directly supplies, via one or more inverters 17, certain devices located in the supply vehicle, including at least two transport traction motors 18 allowing the train to travel at a speed of between 100 km / h and 120 km / h.

[0049] According to the embodiment illustrated in [Fig. 3], a first pair of transport traction motors 18 is continuously connected to the inverter 17, while the switch 31 supplies the second pair of transport traction motors via the main inverter 6 in the transport circulation phase or via the inverter 17 in the work phase.

[0050] According to a variant illustrated in [Fig.4], a first pair of transport traction motors 18 is continuously connected to the inverter 17, while the switch 31' supplies the second pair of transport traction motors via the main inverter 6 in the transport circulation phase.

[0051] The number of transport traction motors 18 supplied therefore depends on the switching device chosen (two variants described above) and the phase in which the railway works train is (work phase or transport circulation phase).

[0052] The transport traction motors 18 are sized to rotate at relatively high speed and are preferably asynchronous while the work traction motors 10 are sized to rotate at high torque and low speed, with rapid acceleration and deceleration cycles, and are preferably permanent magnet synchronous.

[0053] The direct current power bus 5 also supplies the braking system 19 via an inverter.

[0054] The alternating current distribution bus 7 can, depending on one operating mode, be directly powered by an alternating current outlet located on the platform or a emergency generator for maintenance and / or power source failure management needs.

[0055] The direct current power bus 5 also supplies power to an auxiliary alternating current distribution bus 27 via an inverter.

[0056] This auxiliary AC distribution bus 27 distributes current to all other electrical devices on board the railway work train requiring electrical power, such as screens, domestic electrical outlets, lights, air conditioning, ventilation, circulation pumps of a cooling circuit, fans of the exchangers of a cooling circuit or even heating on board the train.

[0057] Naturally, the examples shown in the figures and discussed above are given for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting. It is explicitly provided that the different embodiments illustrated can be combined with each other to propose others.

[0058] What has been described for a train of two vehicles 1, 2 can be extended to a train comprising any number of work vehicles coupled to the supply vehicle and supplied by the same alternating current distribution bus 7.

[0059] It is emphasized that all features, as they emerge for a person skilled in the art from the present description, the drawings and the attached claims, even if they have been specifically described only in relation to other determined features, both individually and in any combinations, may be combined with other features or groups of features disclosed herein, provided that this has not been expressly excluded or that technical circumstances make such combinations impossible or devoid of sense.

Claims

Claims

1. Railway works train comprising at least one supply vehicle, at least one railway works vehicle equipped with one or more railway work tool drive devices (8.1), and an electrical distribution bus connecting at least the supply vehicle to the railway works vehicle for the direct or indirect electrical supply of the railway work tool drive device(s) (8.1) carried by the railway works vehicle, characterized in that the distribution bus is alternating current (7), powered by a primary inverter (6) powered by a direct current power bus (5), the primary inverter (6) and the direct current power bus (5) being located in the supply vehicle.

2. Railway works train according to claim 1, characterized in that the direct current power bus (5) is supplied with direct current by one or more direct current sources located in or on the supply vehicle.

3. Railway works train according to claim 2, characterized in that the direct current source(s) include: a direct current collector (3) capable of collecting current from a direct current line (4) arranged along a railway track on which the works train runs, and / or a rectifier (15) powered by an alternating current collector (3) capable of collecting current from an alternating current line (4) arranged along the railway track on which the works train runs, and / or a battery (12) and / or a generator (13) driven by a heat engine (14).

4. Railway works train according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a device of at least one switching device (31) capable of cutting off the power supply to the distribution bus during a transport circulation phase.

5. Railway works train according to claim 4, characterized in that the switching device is capable of moving from a first position connecting the primary inverter (6) to the alternating current distribution bus (7) to a second position connecting the primary inverter (6) to a traction motor (18) of the supply vehicle.

6. Railway works train according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the current distribution bus- ternative (7) is a three-phase bus.

7. Railway works train according to claim 6, characterized in that the three-phase alternating current distribution bus (7) is at an effective voltage between phases equal to or greater than 190 V, preferably equal to or greater than 380 V, and less than 1000 V, preferably less than 600 V, for example 400 V.

8. Railway works train according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the alternating current distribution bus (7) is configured to distribute an apparent electrical power greater than or equal to 500kVA, and preferably less than or equal to 600kVA.

9. A railway works train according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the railway works vehicle comprises a local rectifier (30) powered by the alternating current distribution bus (7) and powering a local direct current power bus (9) powering one or more of the railway works tool drive devices (8.1).

10. Railway works train according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the alternating current distribution bus (7) directly supplies at least one of the railway works tool drive devices (8.1).

11. Railway works train according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive devices (8) include electric motors (20), and / or compressors (21), and / or hydraulic pumps (22).

12. Railway works train according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the railway works tools (8.1) include tamping tools (23), and / or track lifting tools (24), and / or leveling tools, and / or leveling-shifting clamps, and / or de-screeding tools (25), and / or screening tools and / or stabilizing tools, and / or tools for laying, removing, replacing or maintaining sleepers, ballast and / or rails of a railway.

13. Railway works train according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a sinusoidal filter (28) is interposed between the power inverter and the alternating current distribution bus.

14. A railway works train according to any one of the claims previous, characterized in that the direct current power supply bus (5) supplies an auxiliary alternating current distribution bus (27) with apparent electrical power at least 5 times lower than the apparent electrical power of the alternating current distribution bus.

15. Railway works train according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the supply vehicle comprises transport traction motors (18) supplied by the direct current supply bus (5) independently of the alternating current distribution bus.

16. Railway works train according to claim 15, characterized in that the transport traction motors (18) have a nominal power greater than or equal to 150kW per unit.

17. Railway works train according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or more of the vehicles are equipped with working traction motors (10) powered directly or indirectly by the distribution bus.

18. Railway works train according to claim 17, characterized in that the working traction motors (10) have an apparent power of less than 150kW.

19. Railway works train according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one additional railway works vehicle equipped with one or more additional railway works tool drive devices (8.1) powered by the electrical distribution bus.

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