Analysis system for a catenary contact wire

Abstract

Title: Catenary Contact Wire Analysis System The invention relates to a system (1) for analyzing a contact wire (10) of a catenary extending above a railway track, the contact wire (10) being intended to be in contact with a pantograph of a railway vehicle traveling on the railway track, the system (1) comprising a device (2) delimiting an engagement passage (20) of the contact wire (10), the device (2) comprising:- rolling elements (41) intended to roll on the contact wire (10) inserted in the engagement passage (20), the rolling elements (41) forming means for suspending the device (2) on the contact wire (10), and defining a rolling plane (410) of the device (2) on the contact wire (10);- at least one sensor (51) intended to perform a measurement on a contact wire (10) on which the device (2) is suspended, the sensor or sensors (51) being carried by the device (2) opposite the rolling elements (41) with respect to the engagement passage (20), at a fixed distance (F) from the rolling surface (410). Figure for the abbreviation: Fig. 1;

Description

Title of the invention: Analysis system for a catenary contact wire

[0001] The field of the invention is that of the design and manufacture of maintenance equipment for railway installations.

[0002] More specifically, the invention relates to a device for maintaining equipment for the supply of electrical current to train locomotives operating on a railway track.

[0003] The transmission of electric current to the train traveling on a railway track can be achieved via at least one contact wire located above the railway track.

[0004] Such a contact wire supplies current to pantographs carried by a locomotive. The pantograph is a device that allows a locomotive to collect current by friction on the contact wire of a catenary.

[0005] The contact wire is suspended from a carrier cable by means of a series of vertical cables called pendulums, the lengths of which are adapted to keep the contact wire substantially horizontal. The assembly formed by the contact wire, the pendulums and the carrier cable is conventionally referred to as a "catenary" (or overhead contact line).

[0006] Such a catenary is supported above the railway by support poles arranged at intervals along the railway.

[0007] A contact wire of a catenary is classically in the form of a longitudinal element and has on each lateral face a longitudinal fixing groove to allow, in particular, the connection of the contact wire with the pendulums of the catenary using a jaw.

[0008] Naturally, as trains pass, the pantographs of the locomotives rub against the underside of the contact wires, causing wear. In practice, this wear results in a flat spot forming on the underside of the contact wire, which is reduced in thickness.

[0009] When a contact wire is worn, it can break and thus cause significant damage to the catenary. Typically, a wear limit is defined for a contact wire, this limit corresponding to a minimum thickness of the contact wire before it needs to be replaced.

[0010] In order to limit the risk of breakage, the wear condition of the contact wire, i.e. its thickness, is monitored to detect weak points that could lead to a breakage. To do this, the wear of the contact wire is monitored periodically, manually or automatically.

[0011] A device for measuring the thickness of a contact wire intended to be carried by a pole has been proposed. Such a measuring device is described in French patent document published under number FR3033883.

[0012] This measuring device comprises a frame assembled at the upper end of a pole. The frame has means for suspending the frame on a contact wire, the frame carrying a first element and a second element forming a passage for engaging the contact wire, and comprising means for measuring the thickness of the contact wire inside the passage.

[0013] According to this technique, the operator mounts the measuring device at the end of a pole to suspend the device over a contact wire in order to measure the thickness of the contact wire. In this device, the measuring means comprise two elements forming a jaw that closes on the contact wire to mechanically measure its thickness. The operator manipulating the pole must move the frame along the contact wire by pulling or pushing the pole to obtain a thickness measurement of the contact wire.

[0014] Such a device presents several disadvantages in use.

[0015] Indeed, it appears that the mechanical measurement can induce an uncertainty on the measurement carried out because the jaw may not close exactly on the thickness of the contact wire.

[0016] For example, it is possible that the flat caused by wear is not parallel to the ground and / or to the running surface formed by the railway track (a contact wire may in particular be located on the side of a central axis of the railway track, and the flat may then be oblique to the running surface depending on how the pantographs come into contact with the contact wire).

[0017] Thus, if the device is positioned on the contact wire with its jaw closed parallel to the rolling plane, then the dimension measured using the device does not correspond to the actual thickness of the contact wire from the flat.

[0018] In practice, it is observed that the movement of the measuring device along the contact wire occurs in jerks due to successive buttressing, which can impair the measurement and proves, in any case, very unpleasant for the operator.

[0019] Finally, the accuracy of the measurement may not be as good as that measured manually by an operator using a caliper or micrometer.

[0020] Another device intended to be carried by a pole is described in the patent document published under number FR3091919.

[0021] This device is designed to perform a laser profilometer of a contact wire.

[0022] For this purpose, the device includes a frame delimiting a passage for receiving the contact wire, within which the profile of the contact wire is determined by analyzing a projected shadow.

[0023] When the contact wire is inserted into the receiving passage, it rests on cylinders mounted freely for rotation on the frame. In this way, the operator manipulating the pole can move the device forward or backward along the contact wire in order to determine the profile of the contact wire.

[0024] This device nevertheless shows limitations, in particular with regard to its inability to determine certain anomalies of the contact wire, such as a deformation of the contact wire, or that the measurement of the thickness of the contact wire by the projected shadow may be distorted if the flat is oblique to the rolling plane.

[0025] The invention aims in particular to overcome these drawbacks of the prior art.

[0026] More specifically, the invention aims to provide a catenary contact wire analysis system that can better determine anomalies in the contact wire, for example, a thickness that is too low, than systems and devices according to the prior art.

[0027] This objective, as well as others that will appear subsequently, are achieved through the invention, which relates to a system for analyzing a contact wire of a catenary extending above a railway track, the contact wire being intended to be in contact with a pantograph of a railway vehicle traveling on the railway track, the system comprising a device delimiting an engagement passage of the contact wire, the device comprising: - rolling elements intended to roll on the contact wire inserted in the engagement passage, the rolling elements forming means of suspending the device on the contact wire, and defining a rolling plane of the device on the contact wire; - at least one sensor intended to perform a measurement on a contact wire on which the device is suspended; characterized in that the sensor or sensors are carried by the device opposite the rolling elements relative to the engagement passage, at a fixed distance from the rolling surface, the sensor or sensors being designed to measure variations in the gap separating the sensor or sensors from the underside of a contact wire, and in that the system includes an electronic processing unit configured to process data from the sensor(s).

[0028] Thanks to the system according to the invention, it is possible to carry out a better analysis of the state of a contact wire than is possible with systems according to the prior art.

[0029] Indeed, the system according to the invention performs a measurement from below the contact wire. Consequently, the measurement of the thickness of the contact wire is not biased by the height measurement resulting from a lateral projection of the shadow of the contact wire.

[0030] From the fixed distance between the sensor and the rolling surface, a thickness of the contact wire can be deduced by subtracting, from the fixed distance, the measured gap between the sensor and the lower face of the contact wire.

[0031] Furthermore, a measurement from below the contact wire makes it possible to detect anomalies, in addition to wear, such as deformation of the contact wire. Indeed, for example, if it is determined that the contact wire has an abnormal height relative to the bearing surface, then it can be concluded that this contact wire is deformed.

[0032] Advantageously, at each point along the contact wire where a variation in spacing is measured, the sensor(s) are designed to take a plurality of measurements at different locations along the transverse relief of the underside of the contact wire.

[0033] It is thus possible to detect a flat extending obliquely with respect to the rolling plane, and to determine a more precise thickness of the contact wire.

[0034] According to an advantageous feature, the or at least one of the sensors is a profilometer, preferably a laser profilometer.

[0035] In this way, it can be determined exactly the profile seen from below of the contact wire, that is to say the profile of the lower face of the contact wire.

[0036] A particularly detailed analysis of the wear of the contact wire is thus possible.

[0037] According to a preferred design, the sensors are formed, at least in part, by two profilometers, advantageously three profilometers, regularly distributed in a plane orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the engagement passage.

[0038] A more global view of the profile of the lower face of the contact wire can be obtained in this way.

[0039] According to a preferred embodiment, the sensor(s) are carried by the device, outside of an area, called the rolling area, along a longitudinal axis of the engagement passage where the rolling elements are carried by the device.

[0040] A longitudinal deformation of the contact wire is therefore not supposed to induce an error in the analysis of the state of the contact wire if this deformation is not located in the rolling area.

[0041] Preferably, the sensor(s) are carried at a distance from the rolling area.

[0042] The risk of making an analysis error in the presence of a is then further reduced Longitudinal deformation of the contact wire. Since the sensor(s) are positioned at a distance from the rolling area, the longitudinal deformation is further removed from the rolling elements of the device.

[0043] According to a preferred feature, the electronic processing unit is configured to identify anomalies in the contact wire from the relief of the underside of the contact wire, and from the fixed distance separating the sensor from the rolling surface.

[0044] A particularly precise three-dimensional analysis is thus carried out of the lower surface of the contact wire, and of the height of this lower surface of the contact wire with respect to the rolling plane.

[0045] Advantageously, the device includes drive means designed to drive the movement of the device along the contact wire received in the engagement passage.

[0046] The device can thus evolve autonomously to perform a mapping of the lower surface of the contact wire and its anomalies.

[0047] Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon reading the following description of various preferred embodiments of the invention, given by way of illustrative and non-limiting examples, and the accompanying drawings, among which: • [Fig.1] [Fig.1] is a schematic side view representation of a system according to the invention; • [Fig. 2] [Fig. 2] is a schematic illustration in cross-section transversal of the measurement performed by the device on a contact wire housed in an engagement passage of the device; • [Fig. 3] [Fig. 3] is a schematic representation of the relief of a face lower of a contact wire that is not worn, brought into relation with a rolling plane of the device on the contact wire; • [Fig.4] [Fig.4] is a schematic representation of the relief of a lower face of a worn contact wire which has a flat extending parallel to the rolling plane of the device on the contact wire; • [Fig. 5] [Fig. 5] is a schematic representation of the relief of a face lower part of a worn contact wire which has a flat section extending obliquely relative to the rolling plane of the device on the contact wire; • [Fig. 6] [Fig. 6] is a schematic representation of the relief of a face lower part of a very worn contact wire which has a flat extending parallel to the rolling plane of the device on the contact wire.

[0048] With reference to [Fig.1], a system 1 for analyzing a contact wire 10 of a catenary extending above a railway track is shown.

[0049] As previously explained, a contact wire 10 is intended to be in contact with a pantograph of a railway vehicle travelling on the railway track.

[0050] The friction of the pantograph on the contact wire 10 produces wear. Figures 3 to 6 show different types of conditions on the underside 100 of a contact wire 10.

[0051] On [Fig.3], the lower face 100 of the contact wire 10 is in a new state and extends in describing a continuous circular arc 101.

[0052] In figures 4 to 6, the lower face 100 of the contact wire 10 is worn and has a flat 102.

[0053] In Figures 4 and 6, the flats 102 extend horizontally, while in [Fig. 5], the flat extends obliquely with respect to the horizontal. The wear of the contact wire 10 illustrated in [Fig. 6] is particularly significant, and this contact wire 10 thus has a very small thickness E.

[0054] As will be shown later, the system 1 according to the invention makes it possible to identify anomalies in the contact wire 10, and in particular the wear illustrated by figures 4 to 6.

[0055] The analysis system 1 includes a device 2 designed to be suspended on the contact wire 10 in order to perform the analysis of the contact wire 10.

[0056] For this purpose, the device 2 delimits an engagement passage 20 of the contact wire 10.

[0057] The contact wire 10 is intended to be located in the engagement passage 20, shown in [Fig.2], when the device 2 is suspended on the contact wire 10.

[0058] Although not illustrated, the device 2 also includes means for bringing a contact wire 10 into the engagement passage 20, such as, for example, a secondary passage opening into the engagement passage 20 and outside the device 2 in order to allow the contact wire to be brought into the engagement passage 20 by passing it through the secondary passage, or means for opening the device 2 in order to make it close on the contact wire 10 by housing the contact wire 10 in the engagement passage 20.

[0059] As can be seen in [Fig. 1], device 2 comprises a frame.

[0060] According to the present embodiment, the frame comprises a longitudinal member 31.

[0061] The device 2 also includes rolling elements 41 which are intended to roll on the contact wire 10 inserted in the engagement passage 20. These rolling elements 41 form means for suspending the device 2 on the contact wire 10. These rolling means thus define a rolling plane 410 of the device 2 on the contact wire 10.

[0062] The rolling plane 410 corresponds to a plane in which tangents of the set of rolling elements 41 are inscribed, and on which an upper longitudinal end 110 of a contact wire 10 inserted in the engagement passage 20 comes into contact.

[0063] The rolling elements 41 are in this case formed by cylinders mounted freely to rotate relative to the frame.

[0064] According to the present embodiment, the frame comprises arms 32 extending from the longitudinal member 31 to support the cylinders forming the bearing elements 4L

[0065] As can be understood, the cylinders, the arms 32, and the longitudinal member 31 define the engagement passage 20 of the contact wire 10.

[0066] Indeed, the arms 32 are positioned in pairs with one arm 32 intended to be located on one side of the contact wire 10, and another arm 32 intended to be located on the other side of the contact wire 10.

[0067] The means for bringing a contact wire 10 into the engagement passage 20 can thus be formed by joints of the arms 32 on the longitudinal member 31 in order to move the arms 32 and the rolling elements 41 apart, and in particular to move the two arms 32 of each pair apart from each other.

[0068] The device 2 further includes guiding and centering means for keeping the contact wire 10 centered in the engagement passage.

[0069] These guiding and centering means are for example formed by cylinders mounted freely in rotation directly on the longitudinal member and forming a groove intended to center and guide the contact wire, by rolling on the lateral faces and / or the lower face of the contact wire.

[0070] The device 2 also includes at least one sensor 51 for taking a measurement on a contact wire 10 on which the device 2 is suspended.

[0071] According to one envisaged embodiment, the device 2 may comprise a plurality of sensors 51 each formed by probes.

[0072] According to the present embodiment illustrated by figures 1 and 2, the device 2 comprises three sensors 51 which are each of profilometers, and which are preferably laser profilometers.

[0073] According to other envisaged embodiments, the device 2 may comprise a single laser profilometer, or two laser profilometers.

[0074] As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, each sensor 51 is carried by the device 2 opposite the bearing members 41 with respect to the engagement passage 20.

[0075] In other words, and with reference to [Fig.2], with respect to an axis A passing through the center of the contact wire 10 located in the engagement passage 20, and separating the contact wire 10 into an upper part and a lower part, then the bearing members 41 are located on the side of the upper part of the contact wire 10, while the sensors 51 are located on the side of the lower part of the contact wire 10.

[0076] In a catenary installation, the lower part of the contact wire 10 is intended to be located towards the ground, while the upper part of the contact wire 10 is intended to be oriented towards the sky.

[0077] The rolling elements 41 forming suspension means, the device 2 is then suspended on the contact wire 10 along the axis of gravity. Of course, the Device 2 is configured so that its center of gravity orients the sensors towards the underside of the contact wire 10 when the device 2 is suspended on a contact wire 10.

[0078] In addition, each sensor 51 is carried by the device 2 at a fixed distance F from the rolling surface 410.

[0079] This fixed distance F separating each sensor 51 from the rolling surface 410 is specific to each sensor 51.

[0080] For example, and still with reference to [Fig.2], a central sensor 5 IC is located at a first distance Fl from the rolling plane 410, according to a measurement orthogonal to this rolling plane 410, while the two lateral sensors 5 IL are each located at a second distance F2 from the rolling plane 410, which is less than the first distance, according to a measurement orthogonal to this rolling plane 410.

[0081] These sensors 51 are designed to measure variations in spacing separating the sensor(s) 51 from the lower face 100 of a contact wire 10 located in the engagement passage 20.

[0082] Thanks to the rolling elements 41, the device 2 can move along the contact wire 10. Thus, the device 2, thanks to its sensors 51, makes it possible to measure variations in spacing at different points along the contact wire 10.

[0083] According to the present embodiment, the sensors 51 are designed to take a plurality of measurements at different locations along the transverse relief of the lower face 100 of the contact wire 10. In this way, it can for example be identified a flat extending obliquely with respect to the rolling plane 410, as illustrated by [Fig.5].

[0084] More specifically, the sensors 51 each define a detection triangle 510 of the isosceles triangle type whose axis of symmetry, forming the orientation axis 511 of the sensor 51, is oriented towards the contact wire 10.

[0085] The system 1 further includes an electronic processing unit 6 which is configured to process data from sensors 51.

[0086] According to the embodiment illustrated in [Fig. 1], the electronic processing unit 6 is separate from the device 2.

[0087] In this case, the electronic processing unit 6 may correspond, for example, to a mobile electronic unit such as a smartphone. The electronic processing unit 6 and the device 2 each then include telecommunications means enabling them to exchange data. The device 2 may also include telecommunications means enabling it to send and exchange data with a remote server.

[0088] According to another conceivable embodiment, the electronic processing unit 6 can be integrated directly into the device 2.

[0089] The electronic processing unit 6 is configured to identify anomalies in the contact wire 10 from the relief of the lower face 100 of the contact wire 10, and from the fixed distance separating the sensor from the rolling surface 410.

[0090] This identification also incorporates the measurement of the thickness E of the contact wire 10 from the relief of the lower face 100 of the contact wire 10, and of the fixed distance separating the sensor from the rolling surface 410.

[0091] With reference to [Fig. 1], and according to the present embodiment, the sensors 51 are carried by the device 2 outside of a so-called rolling zone, along a longitudinal axis of the engagement passage 20, in which the rolling elements 41 are carried by the device 2.

[0092] The sensors 51 are notably carried by the device 2 at a distance from the rolling area. For this purpose, the longitudinal member 31 has an extension area along which it has no arms 32 for carrying rolling elements 41, and at the end of which is located a support 33 carrying the sensors 51.

[0093] This allows the rolling elements 41 which form the rolling plane 410 to be moved away from the area where measurements are taken by the sensors 51 of the device 2 on the contact wire 10.

[0094] As can be seen in [Fig. 1], a vertical deformation D of the contact wire 10 is schematically represented. This configuration of the device 2 makes it easy to identify this type of anomaly.

[0095] This anomaly could be likened to particularly significant wear of the contact wire 10, as illustrated by [Fig. 6]. However, as explained below, device 2 of system 1 according to the invention makes it possible to correlate the data from the sensors 51 with the aforementioned deformation D.

[0096] With reference to [Fig.2], the sensors 51 are formed by three profilometers which are regularly distributed in a plane orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the engagement passage 20, while being opposed to the rolling elements 41 with respect to the engagement passage 20 shown.

[0097] In other words, in the orthogonal plane mentioned, the lateral sensors 51L are located at 45° to the central sensor 51C, and at 45° to the axis A, around a theoretical projection of the central longitudinal axis of the contact wire 10 in the engagement passage 20.

[0098] Other regular spacing intervals between the sensors are conceivable. For example, it is conceivable to have only two sensors located 60° apart, and each 60° from axis A, around the central longitudinal axis of the contact wire 10.

[0099] These configurations not only allow us to have an image of the transverse relief of the lower face 100 of the contact wire 10, but also an image of the transverse relief of a part of the lateral faces 103 of the contact wire 10.

[0100] In this way, as schematically illustrated in [Fig.5], the arc-shaped forms of the parts of the lateral faces 103 of the contact wire 10 can be used to project the essentially circular theoretical shape 1000 (represented in dotted lines) of the contact wire 10 to determine its positioning relative to the rolling plane 410.

[0101] The wear level of the contact wire 10 can also be determined, and the adjusted thickness E of the contact wire 10 derived from this, as previously mentioned. The fixed distance(s) F separating the sensors 51 from the bearing surface 410 allow the measurements to be calibrated.

[0102] In the case of the deformation D illustrated in [Fig.1], the upper longitudinal end 110 of the contact wire 10 at the level of the deformation D does not correspond to the rolling plane 410, nevertheless the arc-shaped forms of the parts of the lateral faces of the contact wire 10 allow the electronic processing unit 6 to project the theoretical shape of the contact wire 10 and thus to analyze precisely the anomaly of the contact wire 10, and not to indicate a level of wear that does not correspond to reality.

[0103] With reference to [Fig.1], the device 2 further includes drive means 7 which are designed to drive the movement of the device 2 along the contact wire 10 received in the engagement passage 20. These drive means 7 include a motor block, as well as wheels 71 intended to be in contact with the contact wire in order to move the device 2 forward or backward along the contact wire 10.

[0104] These motor means thus allow the device to move semi-autonomously, or even totally autonomously, on the contact wire 10.

[0105] Of course, the device 2 is provided with various means enabling it to function in such ways, such as an electric accumulator, and electronic means for controlling the motor means.

[0106] The system 1 described above allows for a detailed analysis of anomalies in a contact wire 10.

[0107] Indeed, this system can evolve along a contact wire 10 and map its lower face, in particular to determine the evolution of the thickness E of the contact wire 10, but more generally to determine the presence of anomalies such as a thickness that is too small or a deformation of the contact wire 10.

Claims

Demands

1. System (1) for analyzing a contact wire (10) of a catenary extending above a railway track, the contact wire (10) being intended to be in contact with a pantograph of a railway vehicle traveling on the railway track, the system (1) comprising a device (2) delimiting an engagement passage (20) of the contact wire (10), the device (2) comprising: - rolling elements (41) intended to roll on the contact wire (10) inserted in the engagement passage (20), the rolling elements (41) forming means for suspending the device (2) on the contact wire (10), and defining a rolling plane (410) of the device (2) on the contact wire (10); - at least one sensor (51) intended to perform a measurement on a contact wire (10) on which the device (2) is suspended;the sensor or sensors (51) being carried by the device (2) opposite the rolling elements (41) with respect to the engagement passage (20), at a fixed distance (F) from the rolling plane (410), the sensor or sensors (51) being designed to measure variations in the gap separating the sensor or sensors (51) from the lower face (100) of a contact wire (10), the system (1) comprising an electronic processing unit (6) configured to process the data from the sensor or sensors (51), in that the sensor or sensors (51) are carried by the device (2), outside and at a distance from an area, called the rolling area, along a longitudinal axis of the engagement passage (20) in which the rolling elements (41) are carried by the device (2).

2. System (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that, at each point along the contact wire (10) where a variation in spacing is measured, the sensor(s) (41) are designed to take a plurality of measurements at different locations along the transverse relief of the underside face (100) of the contact wire (10).

3. System (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the or at least one of the sensors (51) is a profilometer, preferably a laser profilometer.

4. System (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the sensors (51) are formed, at least in part, by two profilometers, advantageously three profilometers, regularly distributed in a plane orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the engagement passage (20).

5. System (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electronic processing unit (6) is configured to identify anomalies in the contact wire (10) from the relief of the underside face (100) of the contact wire (10), and the fixed distance (F) separating the sensor (51) from the rolling surface (410).

6. System (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (2) comprises drive means (7) designed to drive the movement of the device (2) along the contact wire (10) received in the engagement passage (20).

7. System (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (2) comprises a frame, the frame comprising a longitudinal member (31) and arms extending from the longitudinal member (31) to carry the rolling elements (41), the longitudinal member (31) having an extension zone along which it does not have any arms (32) for carrying rolling elements (41), and at the end of which is located a support (33) carrying the sensors (51).

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