Rotation angle detection system for detecting the rotation angle of a rotary brake drive unit for railway vehicles

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rotation angle detection system (1, 1', 1'', 1''') for detecting the rotation angle of a rotary brake drive (10) for a railway vehicle, the system comprising at least one sensor unit (20, 21) for detecting the rotation angle, which is functionally connectable to the rotary brake drive (10), and at least one electronic main path for transmitting drive control signals and / or sensor signals, the at least one electronic main path being functionally connectable to the at least one sensor unit (20, 21), and the at least one electronic main path being connected to at least one signal converter (51, 52, 53, 54). ), wherein the signal converters (51, 52, 53, 54) divide the main electronic path into a main electronic path portion from the signal converters (51, 52, 53, 54) to the sensor units (20, 21) and a main electronic path portion from the signal converters (51, 52, 53, 54) on the opposite side of the sensor units (20, 21), and the at least one signal converter (51, 52, 53, 54) is configured to galvanically isolate at least one sensor unit (20, 21) from the main electronic path portion on the opposite side of the sensor units (20, 21).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rotation angle detection system for detecting the rotation angle of a rotary brake drive for a railway vehicle, a brake system for a railway vehicle, and a railway vehicle equipped with such a rotation angle detection system.

[0002] In railway vehicles, for example, electromechanical brake actuators, such as brake cylinders, are configured to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy using an electric motor. When the brake actuator or brake cylinder is driven, a rotor in the electric motor is rotated. This rotational movement is then transmitted to a spindle nut fixedly attached to a hollow shaft. Because the rotating spindle nut is fixedly attached axially, this results in a feed movement of the spindle. In another step, the eccentric shaft lever rotates the eccentric shaft, which operates a caliper lever. Correspondingly, the caliper lever can press brake pads attached to a holder against the rotating brake disc to generate a braking force. To release the brake, the electric motor rotates in the opposite direction, thereby returning the screw drive.

[0003] To drive and control electric motors, such as permanent magnet excited synchronous machines (PMSMs), a rotation angle sensor is used to detect the rotor position. In addition to the rotation angle sensor, the brake actuator housing may also contain other sensors and electrical and mechatronic components, such as limit switches, force measuring rings, or motor brake devices. Due to possible installation in a bogie, higher requirements are placed on the high-voltage and dielectric strength, also referred to as high voltage / insulation resistance. This is particularly relevant for the higher system voltage of 110V instead of 48V that may be used for brake actuators. For example, type testing requires a high voltage / insulation resistance of 500V AC or 750V DC at 50Hz for 60 seconds at 48V, whereas the high voltage / insulation resistance must be 1000V AC or 1500V DC at 50Hz for 110V. Furthermore, in this example, a high voltage / insulation withstand voltage of 500V AC or 750V DC at 50 Hz for 48V, or 1000V AC or 1500V DC at 50 Hz for 110V, for 10 seconds, may be required for the piece test. These requirements are here illustratively applicable to configurations where no prior potential isolation is performed and where, for example, 110V is transmitted directly from the rail vehicle conductors. Corresponding tests are performed between the housing of each component and electronic devices or current-carrying components, such as windings, cable outlets, and the like.

[0004] Basically, higher voltages / insulation resistance can be achieved by increasing the insulation of conductive components and contact surfaces. This can be achieved, on the one hand, by increasing the internal insulation gap between the voltage-carrying housing part and the corresponding sensor housing part, and, on the other hand, by additional reinforcement using non-conductive materials, such as plastics. Thus, for example, in electrical lines, the corresponding wire insulation can be strengthened, or in electronic boards, the insulation sections can be enlarged, and components more suitable for higher voltage classes, such as ESD capacitors for 1 kV and above, can be selected.

[0005] Specifically, currently, many standard sensors and components available on the market do not have the required high voltage / insulation resistance, especially with regard to the high demands of a system voltage of 110 V. To achieve these high demands, manufacturers must make customer-specific adaptations, such as better insulated winding wires, plastic-coated housings and / or replacing electronic components. Such interventions generally involve a relatively large effort, increased development costs, relatively high component prices, and poor availability.

[0006] The end result is that the listed measures for increasing the high voltage / insulation resistance require necessary modifications to the sensor that no longer correspond to standard products. However, this entails the aforementioned and other drawbacks in addition to the high demands on high voltage / insulation resistance that must be met. From a technical point of view, this can result in corresponding modifications, for example, a shorter durability or service life in the case of a plastic housing, or a larger required installation space, for example, due to a larger wire diameter. Furthermore, these modifications can limit the scope of application, because of possible vibration or shock loads, limitations in the temperature profile, environmental loads, and / or limited installation situations.

[0007] In view of the above, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved rotation angle detection system with the simplest possible and therefore cost-effective configuration compared to the prior art, particularly with regard to high voltage / insulation resistance.

[0008] This problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous developments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0009] According to the present invention, a rotation angle detection system for detecting the rotation angle of a rotary brake drive for a railway vehicle comprises at least one sensor unit for detecting the rotation angle, which is functionally connectable to the rotary brake drive, and at least one main electronic path for transmitting drive control signals and / or sensor signals, the at least one main electronic path comprising at least one signal converter which divides the main electronic path into a main electronic path portion on a side of the signal converter facing the sensor unit and a main electronic path portion on an opposite side of the signal converter from the sensor unit, and the at least one signal converter is configured to galvanically isolate the at least one sensor unit from the main electronic path portion on the opposite side of the sensor unit.

[0010] The basic idea of ​​the present invention is to shift the implementation of high voltage / insulation resistance to another area of ​​the system chain. Thus, for example, the sensor unit or its corresponding sensor does not need to be modified and can therefore continue to be implemented as a standard product, and the sensor unit or its corresponding sensor is galvanically isolated, for example in the form of an electric cable, in the main electronics path serving as the signal path and / or drive / control path for the sensor unit. As a signal converter provided for galvanic isolation, a component that can provide the required high voltage / insulation resistance can be used in a significantly simpler and therefore more cost-effective manner. This allows the remaining electronics in the entire system to be galvanically isolated in a simple manner, in response to higher demands.

[0011] The functional connectability or connectivity of the electronic main path relates to both direct and indirect connection of individual paths for signal transmission. Furthermore, the functional connection can also relate to the actual activation of the electronic main path or of components in the electronic main path, such as a signal processing unit. In other words, at least one electronic main path may, for example, be constantly physically connected to the sensor unit, and the functional connection only takes place precisely upon activation of the corresponding signal processing unit.

[0012] The functional connection between the sensor unit and the rotary brake drive may likewise include a direct or indirect connection, which may be mechanical and / or signal-technical, so that the sensor unit, in interaction with the rotary brake drive, either by direct contact or via optical, acoustic and / or electrical or electromagnetic signals, can generate at least one signal representative of the rotation angle, which signal can be transferred via the electronic mains to a respective signal processing unit or the like.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the rotation angle detection system further includes at least one electronic device safety path for transmitting drive control signals and / or sensor signals, the at least one electronic device safety path being functionally connectable to at least one sensor unit, and the at least one electronic device safety path includes at least one signal converter that divides the electronic device safety path into an electronic device safety path portion from the signal converter to the sensor unit side and an electronic device safety path portion from the signal converter to the opposite side of the sensor unit, and the at least one signal converter is configured to galvanically isolate the at least one sensor unit from the electronic device safety path portion opposite the sensor unit.

[0014] The main electronics path and the safety electronics path are separate paths that are connected in parallel to each other or that run essentially separately. The main electronics path can be understood as an electronics path that is functionally connected to the sensor unit during fault-free operation, thereby allowing the sensor signal or other signals, such as drive control signals or the like, to be conducted unidirectionally or bidirectionally. Correspondingly, the safety electronics path can be functionally connected to the sensor unit only when a fault prevents or otherwise impedes transmission via the main electronics path. Alternatively, the main electronics path and the safety electronics path can be functionally connected to the sensor unit at least temporarily at the same time, thereby enabling a validation check of the transmitted signal or transmitting a signal without delay via the safety electronics path even in the event of a failure of the main electronics path. The functional connectability of the safety electronics path, like the main electronics path, relates to both direct and indirect connection of the individual paths for signal transmission. Furthermore, the functional connection can also relate to the actual activation of the individual paths or their respective signal processing units.

[0015] The configuration of the rotation angle detection system with the electronic main path and the electronic safety path may relate to a redundant design of the rotation angle detection system in this regard. The basic idea is that instead of two or more complete sensor paths, each with a sensor unit itself and a signal processing unit, e.g., corresponding signal processing electronics, a sensor unit with two or more signal processing units is used to achieve redundancy, with at least one of the signal processing units each associated with the electronic main path and at least one of the signal processing units each associated with the electronic safety path.

[0016] Configuring a rotation angle detection system with sensor units having redundant individual paths can help reduce the required installation space, in particular because the respective signal processing units can be realized with small microelectronic and / or highly integrated components, which require relatively little space even when the individual paths are implemented redundantly. The redundant implementation of the individual paths, i.e. of the individual paths of the electronic device safety path with respect to the electronic device main path, or the respective signal processing units, can relate to the performance of identical functions, but can also relate to the redundancy of predetermined functions, in particular safety-related functions.

[0017] However, the electronic safety path may also be configured as an independent electronic device function path, which performs other functions and / or other signaling independent of or complementary to the redundant function. In such a configuration, the electronic device safety path is not properly a single safety path, but rather a second electronic device function path.

[0018] The configuration with at least one electronic device main path and at least one electronic device safety path is also a configuration method that can be used independently of increasing the high voltage / insulation withstand capability of the rotation angle detection system, and although this configuration method certainly has a synergistic effect, it can also be used independently.

[0019] Thus, in an independent consideration, according to the disclosure, a rotation angle detection system for detecting the rotation angle of a rotary brake drive for a railway vehicle comprises at least one sensor unit for detecting the rotation angle, which is operably connectable to the rotary brake drive, and at least one electronic main path and at least one electronic safety path for each sensor unit, each of which is operably connectable to the at least one sensor unit as an individual path, and each of the at least one electronic main path and the at least one electronic safety path comprises at least one signal processing unit.

[0020] According to one disclosed embodiment of the redundant rotation angle detection system, the sensor unit is configured with higher failure safety than at least one electronic device main path and / or at least one electronic device safety path, and the sensor unit has particularly low loss characteristics with respect to higher failure safety.

[0021] Therefore, the sensor unit, e.g., the individual sensor elements, is implemented to be correspondingly simple, reliable, and fault-proof in order to achieve the highest possible failure safety. This can be achieved, for example, by appropriate measures, such as a durable mechanical design, reinforced insulation, a larger conductor cross-section, and / or the use of more aging-resistant materials. The sensor unit is particularly configured so that its properties are "hard to lose" over a specified period of use or even over its entire lifespan. In this context, the term "hard to lose properties" refers to failures that cannot be foreseen. The signal processing unit or the individual paths connected thereto are implemented redundantly at least in predefined functionality, so that functionality with a relatively low failure safety can be transferred to these individual paths. Indeed, with regard to signal processing units with corresponding components that are often relatively complex and have a relatively high failure probability, this relatively high failure probability can be at least partially compensated for by redundancy.

[0022] According to one disclosed embodiment of the redundant rotation angle detection system, the signal processing unit of the at least one electronic device main path and / or the at least one electronic device safety path comprises at least one signal converter.

[0023] Via at least one signal converter, for example, a sensor signal transmitted by a sensor unit can be converted into a signal that can be processed by another signal processing component, such as an A / D converter that converts the analog signal of the sensor unit into a digital format.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the disclosure of the redundant rotation angle detection system, the signal processing unit of the at least one electronic device main path and / or the at least one electronic device safety path includes at least one signal processing unit.

[0025] For example, the signal processing unit further processes the signal of the sensor unit, which may optionally have been converted beforehand via a signal converter, and the further processing may be, inter alia, a calculation into other quantities taking into account other signal inputs and / or other forms of signal processing, so that the rotation angle of the rotary brake drive is determined based on the signal of the sensor unit.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the disclosure of the redundant rotation angle detection system, the signal processing unit of the at least one electronic device main path and / or the at least one electronic device safety path has at least one signal output unit.

[0027] The signal output unit outputs the rotation angle of the rotary brake drive unit, which is determined based on the signal from the sensor unit. The signal output unit may be a separate unit of the signal processing unit, or may be incorporated into the signal processing unit. Conversely, the signal output unit may include a signal processing function.

[0028] According to one disclosed embodiment of the redundant rotation angle detection system, at least one electronic device main path and / or at least one electronic device safety path has at least one signal switch, through which at least one signal processing unit is functionally connectable to at least one sensor unit.

[0029] Thus, at least one main electronic device path and / or at least one safety electronic device path can be selectively connected to and disconnected from the sensor unit via such a signal switch. If an error in at least one main electronic device path and / or at least one safety electronic device path could be transmitted to the sensor unit or otherwise adversely affect the sensor unit, this is prevented by disconnecting the individual path with the error. Furthermore, a deliberate connection to the sensor unit can also be established via the signal switch. In this way, for example, only one individual path can initially be connected to the sensor unit, and then, if this individual path fails or for another reason, another individual path can be switched on or switched to via the signal switch. The concept of switching on relates to the connection of two individual paths, while switching off disconnects the previous individual path.

[0030] According to one embodiment of the disclosure of the redundant rotation angle detection system, at least one electronic device main path and / or at least one electronic device safety path has at least one energy supply unit, which is operatively connectable to at least one sensor unit.

[0031] Therefore, the sensor unit does not necessarily need a dedicated energy supply, but can be supplied with energy via at least one main electronic path and / or at least one safety electronic path. If the main electronic path and / or the safety electronic path have at least one energy supply unit or a connection with an energy supply unit, fault safety can be further improved.

[0032] According to one embodiment of the disclosure of the redundant rotation angle detection system, at least one electronic device main path and / or at least one electronic device safety path has at least one energy supply switch, through which at least one energy supply unit is functionally connectable to at least one sensor unit.

[0033] Thus, here too, like a signal switch, the respective energy supply unit can be connected and disconnected in a targeted manner.

[0034] The various disclosed embodiments of the redundant rotation angle detection system are applicable to configurations having electronic device safety paths, either by themselves or in combination with the rotation angle detection system of the present invention.

[0035] According to one embodiment, at least one sensor unit is arranged in the sensor unit housing, and at least one signal converter of the electronic device main path and / or the electronic device safety path constitutes a signal input and / or a signal output of the electronic device main path and / or the electronic device safety path within the sensor unit housing and / or outside the sensor unit housing.

[0036] The at least one signal converter therefore constitutes an interface to the sensor unit, whereby the signal converter may be easily retrofittable. The signal converter may in particular be arranged in or at the sensor unit housing as an interface of the sensor unit housing.

[0037] According to one embodiment, at least one signal converter of the electronic device main path and / or the electronic device safety path is or has at least one signal transformer, digital isolator or optocoupler.

[0038] Galvanic isolation can be achieved, for example, by using relatively small converters or transformers as signal converters, which can be arranged in front of the input and output of the sensor and on the printed circuit board. This allows for a more cost-effective technology for the analog interface to the sensor unit. However, this variant requires consideration of the space required on the printed circuit board and in the height of the structure, since with an increase in input voltage, the converters or transformers must be designed to be correspondingly larger. For this reason, optocouplers can also be used for the following digital signal transmission.

[0039] Alternatively or additionally, galvanic isolation can also be achieved via the digital interface. Today's sensors often require further digital signal processing, and digital isolators can be used at this system boundary to transmit the required measured quantities to the system via the digital interface. These digital isolators can be configured as individual electronic components in the form of integrated circuits, enabling reliable separation of signal and power lines as well as communication and data interfaces, thereby meeting higher high-voltage / insulation withstand requirements. However, as already mentioned above, optocouplers can also be used as digital isolators in corresponding configurations.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the at least one sensor unit is or comprises a resolver.

[0041] A resolver is a rotation angle sensor that, like an electric motor, has a rotor and a stator. The resolver's rotor can be made of a material with good magnetic conductivity and can form a flux guide for the magnetic field generated by the stator. Observing the windings on the resolver's stator, two distinct regions can be distinguished. The first region corresponds to a rotary transformer, where the windings are arranged concentrically around the rotor. In the second region, the winding structure corresponds to that of a motor winding with two phases, but these phases are not connected to each other. The two winding regions are spatially separated from each other and are magnetically coupled only by the rotor and stator flux guides. The resolver's excitation winding is excited by a high-frequency voltage, typically sinusoidal or rectangular, typically in the range of 2 kHz to 10 kHz. The alternating magnetic field is transmitted exclusively by the rotor to the measurement winding, where its amplitude is modulated. The voltage at the measurement winding can be used as an evaluation quantity. Sinusoidal and cosine oscillations are then displayed as output signals. Since the rotor is excited by an alternating voltage of constant amplitude, this excitation induces a voltage in the measurement winding whose amplitude is independent of the number of revolutions of the brake drive shaft and therefore depends only on the rotor angle.

[0042] Due to the resolver's construction, which does not use mechanical components with wear characteristics, such as ball bearings, and electronic components, such as microprocessors, semiconductors, or capacitors with solid electrolytes, the resolver itself provides extremely high failure safety.

[0043] The electronics main path and / or the electronics safety path particularly comprise at least one resolver digital converter, which is particularly configured to magnetically excite the rotor of the resolver with a preferably constant amplitude AC voltage and to receive sine and cosine signals of the resolver stator.

[0044] By using at least one resolver-to-digital converter, the resolver can be easily operated as a sensor unit. In this case, the resolver-to-digital converter can be used both to drive and control the resolver and to evaluate the measurement data. Information about the measured quantity can be transmitted from the resolver-to-digital converter to a higher-level system, such as a microcontroller or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), via a digital interface of the resolver-to-digital converter, such as an SPI interface.

[0045] In particular, at least one excitation signal switch is arranged between the resolver digital converter and the resolver in the electronic device main path and / or the electronic device safety path for disconnecting and connecting the resolver digital converter and the resolver to the excitation signal path in the electronic device main path and / or the electronic device safety path, at least one sine wave signal switch is arranged to disconnect and connect the resolver digital converter and the resolver to the sine wave signal path in the electronic device main path and / or the electronic device safety path, and / or at least one cosine wave signal switch is arranged to disconnect and connect the resolver digital converter and the resolver to the cosine wave signal path in the electronic device main path and / or the electronic device safety path.

[0046] Thus, the transmission of the excitation signal, the sine wave signal, and / or the cosine wave signal can be switched between the resolver-to-digital converter in the main electronics path and / or in the safety electronics path and the resolver via the respective excitation signal switch, sine wave signal switch, or cosine wave signal switch. The respective disconnections and connections can be related to error cases that trigger a switchover from the main electronics path to the safety electronics path. However, alternatively or additionally, the disconnections and connections can also be performed when an excessive voltage rise is detected, thereby realizing overvoltage protection.

[0047] According to one development, the at least one resolver digital converter and / or signal processing unit is configured to determine the rotational angular position of the resolver from the sine and cosine signals of the resolver stator, in particular taking into account the number of pole pairs of the resolver.

[0048] The resolver signals, i.e., the sine and cosine signals, can be evaluated, for example, via arctangent generation, to provide an electrical rotational angle position. By incorporating the resolver pole pair number, a mechanical rotational angle position can also be provided. Furthermore, the two output signals allow for resolver diagnostics and trigonometric calculations.

[0049] According to one embodiment, at least one resolver-to-digital converter in the main electronics path and / or in the safety electronics path is arranged in the main electronics path portion or the safety electronics path portion on the sensor unit side.

[0050] Therefore, at least one resolver-to-digital converter in the electronic device main path and / or in the electronic device safety path can be similarly protected by a signal converter for galvanic isolation or galvanically isolated from the electronic device main path portion or electronic device safety path portion side opposite the sensor unit.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the rotation angle detection system has at least one sensor unit and a safety path sensor unit as another sensor unit, and at least one electronic device safety path is functionally connectable to the safety path sensor unit.

[0052] Thus, for example, for redundancy or to detect different sensor signals, not only can at least one sensor unit be connected to the main electronic device path and the safety electronic device path as separate paths, but the safety electronic device path may alternatively or supplementarily be functionally connectable to another sensor unit different from the at least one sensor unit.

[0053] The sensor unit and the safety path sensor unit in particular have different measurement methods or different measurement configurations.

[0054] The different measurement methods or different measurement configurations may be related to the determination of the same measurand, i.e., the rotation angle. However, alternatively or additionally, it is also possible to determine another measurand that supports the determination of the rotation angle or specifies the rotation angle in additional detail or may not be dependent thereon. For the different measurement methods for determining the measurand, here the rotation angle, the sensor unit may be the aforementioned resolver, whereas the other sensor unit is a Hall sensor. As an example of a different measurement configuration, the sensor unit and the other sensor unit may both be configured as resolvers, but may be driven by different excitation signals depending on the operating mode of the rotary brake drive.

[0055] According to one embodiment, the rotation angle detection system has at least one signal processing unit in a portion of the electronic device main path opposite the sensor unit in the electronic device main path, and at least one signal processing unit in a portion of the electronic device safety path opposite the sensor unit in the electronic device safety path.

[0056] Thus, at least one signal processing unit in the main electronics path and the safety electronics path is galvanically isolated from the at least one sensor unit via the signal converter. The corresponding signal processing via the main electronics path and the safety electronics path also allows for the redundant signal processing already mentioned.

[0057] According to one embodiment, the rotation angle detection system has at least one signal processing unit and at least one other signal processing unit in a portion of the main electronic path opposite the sensor unit, and the at least one signal processing unit and the at least one other signal processing unit are connected in parallel.

[0058] Here, too, the at least one signal processing unit and the at least one other signal processing unit are galvanically isolated from the at least one sensor unit by a signal converter. In this case, the two signal processing units can transmit the same sensor signal via the main electronics path. This parallel connection also allows for redundant signal processing of the sensor signal.

[0059] According to another aspect, the present invention relates to a braking system for a railway vehicle, the braking system comprising at least one brake actuator for applying a braking force, at least one rotary brake drive for operating the brake actuator, and at least one rotation angle detection system as described above.

[0060] The features described above and below of the rotation angle detection system are likewise relevant to advantageous developments of the braking system according to the invention, and vice versa.

[0061] According to another aspect, the present invention relates to a railway vehicle comprising at least one rotation angle detection system as described above and / or a braking system as described above, wherein at least one sensor unit is arranged on a bogie of the railway vehicle.

[0062] The features described above and in the following description of the rotation angle detection system relate to equally advantageous developments of the railway vehicle according to the invention, and vice versa.

[0063] The embodiments of the invention described above and below should not be considered as limiting the subject matter of the invention, but rather by supplementing, omitting or replacing individual features, other subject matter of the invention can be obtained.

[0064] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0065] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a rotation angle detection system for a railway vehicle according to a first exemplary embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a rotation angle detection system for a railway vehicle according to a second exemplary embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a rotation angle detection system for a railway vehicle according to a third exemplary embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a rotation angle detection system for a railway vehicle according to a fourth exemplary embodiment.

[0066] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a rotation angle detection system 1 for a railway vehicle according to a first exemplary embodiment. The rotation angle detection system 1 includes a resolver 20 as an exemplary sensor unit, which transmits a sensor signal corresponding to the rotation angle of a motor 10 as an exemplary rotary brake drive to a main electronic path and to a safety electronic path, which will also be described later. The motor 10 is controlled via a motor drive control unit 90, which transmits a signal from a voltage supply unit 60 to the motor 10, taking into account a signal processing unit 70 associated with the main electronic path and a signal processing unit 80 associated with the safety electronic path. As shown here, the voltage supply unit of the train 100 is arranged as a higher-level system unit of the railway vehicle, while the remaining illustrated components can be associated with a brake actuator 200, which in the illustrated embodiment is provided on a bogie. The connections between the signal processing units 70 and 80 and the motor drive control unit 90 can be interrupted and re-established via the signal output switches 71 and 81, respectively.

[0067] The main electronic path connects the resolver 20 to a signal processing unit 70 that can be associated with the main electronic path. To drive and control the resolver 20, the signal processing unit 70 drives and controls the resolver digital converter 30 via the main electronic path, and the resolver digital converter 30 itself transmits an excitation signal to the resolver 20 via the main electronic path in accordance with the drive control. The connection between the resolver digital converter 30 and the resolver 20 can be disconnected and reconnected via an excitation signal switch 31 in the main electronic path. In response to the excitation signal related to the rotation angle of the motor 10, the resolver 20 transmits a sine wave signal and a cosine wave signal to the resolver digital converter 30 via separate signal paths in the main electronic path, and the resolver digital converter 30 transmits corresponding signals to the signal processing unit 70. The respective signal connections between the resolver-to-digital converter 30 and the resolver 20 can be similarly disconnected and reconnected via sine signal switch 32 and cosine signal switch 33 in the main electronics path.

[0068] The electronic device safety path is configured similarly to the electronic device main path and, in this example, functions as a redundant path for the electronic device main path. Correspondingly, the electronic device safety path connects the resolver 20 to a signal processing unit 80 that can be associated with the electronic device safety path. To drive and control the resolver 20, the signal processing unit 80 drives and controls the resolver digital converter 40 via the electronic device safety path, and the resolver digital converter 40 itself transmits an excitation signal to the resolver 20 via the electronic device safety path in accordance with the drive control. The connection between the resolver digital converter 40 and the resolver 20 can be disconnected and reconnected via an excitation signal switch 41 in the electronic device safety path. In response to an excitation signal related to the rotation angle of the motor 10, the resolver 20 transmits a sine wave signal and a cosine wave signal via respective separate signal paths in the electronics safety path to the resolver digital converter 40, which then transmits corresponding signals to the signal processing unit 80. The respective signal connections between the resolver digital converter 40 and the resolver 20 can be similarly disconnected and reconnected via a sine wave signal switch 42 and a cosine wave signal switch 43 in the electronics safety path.

[0069] To galvanically isolate the resolver 20 from the remaining components in the main electronics path and the safety electronics path, an excitation signal transformer 51 is arranged in the signal path for the excitation signal between the excitation signal switch 31 or 41 and the resolver 20, a sine signal transformer 52 is arranged in the signal path for the sine signal between the sine signal switch 32 or 42 and the resolver 20, and a cosine signal transformer 53 is arranged in the signal path for the cosine signal between the cosine signal switch 33 or 43 and the resolver 20. Each transformer 51, 52, 53 separates the corresponding signal path into a corresponding signal path section on the resolver 20 side and a corresponding signal path section on the opposite side of the resolver 20. The resolver 20 is arranged in the sensor unit housing 3 in this embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, the respective signal transformers 51, 52, 53 for galvanic isolation are configured as housing interfaces of the sensor unit housing 3 or are correspondingly integrated into the interface region of the sensor unit housing 3. The signal path section on the resolver 20 side is therefore arranged in the sensor unit housing 3, whereas the signal path section on the opposite side of the resolver 20 is associated with the region of the battery potential 2.

[0070] The above-described arrangement with the signal transformers 51, 52, 53 connected in the signal cable to the resolver 20 also allows the use of standard resolvers with metal housings, which can offer advantages in terms of cost, durability, and availability. The signal transformers 51, 52, 53 can also be obtained at a relatively low cost and have a slightly higher failure rate, e.g., +30 FIT ("Failure in Time"). To reduce the space required by the signal transformers 51, 52, 53, it is possible to consider, for example, a reduction in the supply voltage for the resolution and / or resolver 20, e.g., from 7 V rms to 1 V rms, in accordance with the corresponding needs resulting from the maximum available installation space.

[0071] 2 is a schematic diagram of a rotation angle detection system 1' for a railway vehicle according to a second exemplary embodiment. The rotation angle detection system 1' of the second embodiment differs from the rotation angle detection system 1 of the first embodiment in that the galvanic isolation between the signal processing unit 70 and the resolver digital converter 30 in the main electronic path and the galvanic isolation between the signal processing unit 80 and the resolver digital converter 40 in the safety electronic path are provided in place of the galvanic isolation provided by signal transformers 51, 52, and 53 directly connected to the resolver 20. In addition, the resolver 20, resolver digital converter 30, excitation signal switch 31, sine wave signal switch 32, and cosine wave signal switch 33 of the main electronic path are arranged in a sensor unit housing 3'. A digital isolator 54 is provided in the main electronic path to galvanically isolate the resolver 20, resolver digital converter 30, excitation signal switch 31, sine wave signal switch 32, and cosine wave signal switch 33 from the signal processing unit 70, and the digital isolator 54 separates the main electronic path into a portion of the main electronic path on the resolver 20 side and a portion of the main electronic path on the opposite side of the resolver 20. The digital isolator 54 is configured to provide galvanic isolation between the portion of the main electronic path on the resolver 20 side, including the resolver digital converter 30, excitation signal switch 31, sine wave signal switch 32, and cosine wave signal switch 33, and the portion of the main electronic path on the opposite side of the resolver 20, including the signal processing unit 70. In the illustrated embodiment, the digital isolator 54 is configured as a housing interface of the sensor unit housing 3 or is correspondingly integrated into an interface region of the sensor unit housing 3. Thus, the main electronics path portion on the resolver 20 side is arranged in the sensor unit housing 3', while the main electronics path portion on the opposite side of the resolver 20 is associated with the region of the battery potential 2'.

[0072] A digital isolator 55 is provided in the electronic device safety path as well as in the electronic device main path for galvanic isolation of the resolver 20, resolver digital converter 40, excitation signal switch 41, sine wave signal switch 42, and cosine wave signal switch 43 from the signal processing unit 80, and the digital isolator 55 separates the electronic device safety path into an electronic device safety path portion on the resolver 20 side and an electronic device safety path portion on the opposite side of the resolver 20. The digital isolator 55 is configured to provide galvanic isolation between the electronic device safety path portion on the resolver 20 side, including the resolver digital converter 40, excitation signal switch 41, sine wave signal switch 42, and cosine wave signal switch 43, and the electronic device safety path portion on the opposite side of the resolver 20, including the signal processing unit 80. In the illustrated embodiment, the digital isolator 55 is configured as a housing interface of the sensor unit housing 3 or is correspondingly integrated into an interface region of the sensor unit housing 3. Thus, the part of the electronics safety path on the resolver 20 side is arranged in the sensor unit housing 3', while the part of the electronics safety path on the opposite side of the resolver 20 is associated with the region of battery potential 2'.

[0073] Therefore, a digital isolator 54, 55 is connected in front of each resolver digital converter 30, 40 in the direction from each signal processing unit 70, 80 to the resolver 20, thereby enabling galvanic isolation between the supply voltage and the digital I / O interface. Therefore, in a redundant structure with a main electronics path and a safety electronics path, a digital isolator 54, 55 should be provided for each signal path.

[0074] In other respects, the description of the first embodiment can be correspondingly applied to the second embodiment.

[0075] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a rotation angle detection system 1″ for a railway vehicle according to a third exemplary embodiment. The rotation angle detection system 1″ of the third embodiment differs from the rotation angle detection system 1′ of the second embodiment in that the rotation angle detection system 1″ has a safety path sensor unit 21 as another sensor unit in addition to the resolver 20. The main electronic path of the rotation angle detection system 1″ does not differ here from the main electronic path of the rotation angle detection system 1′ in its functioning method and its configuration, for which see the above explanation for FIG. 2.

[0076] The difference in the embodiment of the safety path sensor unit 21 in relation to the electronic device safety path is particularly related to the resulting formation of a completely separate signal path that also includes the safety path sensor unit 21. In this exemplary embodiment, the safety path sensor unit 21 is based on a different measurement method and is configured as a Hall sensor in this example. Therefore, different signal lines in the electronic device safety path also result for the drive control and signal feedback to the resolver 20. This is represented by a signal converter 40a'' for the drive control signal and a signal converter 40b'' for the sensor signal feedback in the respective signal paths of the electronic device safety path. Correspondingly, the digital isolator 55'' of the electronic device safety path of the rotation angle detection system 1'' may also be designed differently from the digital isolator 55 of the electronic device safety path of the rotation angle detection system 1'.

[0077] In other respects, the explanations regarding the second embodiment can be applied to the third embodiment as well.

[0078] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a rotation angle detection system 1''' for a railway vehicle according to a fourth exemplary embodiment. The rotation angle detection system 1''' of the fourth embodiment differs from the rotation angle detection system 1' of the second embodiment in that the rotation angle detection system 1''' does not have an electronic safety path with a corresponding component. At least partial redundancy is achieved here through redundant implementation of the signal processing units 70, 80, which are connected to the resolver-to-digital converter 30 in a parallel circuit via a digital isolator 54. The rotation angle detection system 1''' therefore has two identical interface connections to the two signal processing units 70, 80, which are also used for drive control. This allows the use of more standard components. This does not necessarily increase the failure probability of the entire system in the case of a failure rate of the digital isolators, for example, of about 10 FIT.

[0079] In other respects, the explanations regarding the second embodiment can be applied to the fourth embodiment as well. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1,1',1'',1''' Rotation angle detection system 2,2' Battery potential 3,3' Sensor unit housing 10 Motor (brake drive unit) 20 Resolver (sensor unit) 21 Safety path sensor unit (sensor unit) 30 Resolver digital converter (main electronics path) 31 Excitation signal switch (electronic device main path) 32 Sine wave signal switch (electronic device main path) 33 Cosine wave signal switch (electronic device main path) 40 Resolver-to-Digital Converter (Electronic Safety Path) 40a'' signal converter (electronic device safety path) 40b'' signal converter (electronic device safety path) 41 Excitation signal switch (electronic device safety path) 42 Sine wave signal switch (electronic safety path) 43 Cosine wave signal switch (electronic safety path) 51 Excitation signal transformer 52 Sine wave signal transformer 53 Cosine Wave Signal Transformer 54 Digital isolator (main path for electronic devices) 55,55'' Digital Isolator (Safety Path for Electronic Devices) 60 Voltage supply unit 70 Signal processing unit (main path for electronic devices) 71 Signal output switch (electronic device main path) 80 Signal Processing Unit (Electronic Device Safety Path) 81 Signal output switch (electronic device safety path) 90 Motor drive control unit 100 trains 200 Brake Actuator

Claims

1. A rotation angle detection system (1, 1', 1'', 1''') for detecting the rotation angle of a rotary brake drive (10) for a railway vehicle, comprising: at least one sensor unit (20, 21) for detecting a rotation angle, which is functionally connectable to the rotary brake drive (10); at least one main electronic path for transmitting drive control signals and / or sensor signals, said at least one main electronic path being functionally connectable to at least one of said sensor units (20, 21); At least one of the electronic device main paths has at least one signal converter (51, 52, 53, 54), and the signal converter (51, 52, 53, 54) divides the electronic device main path into an electronic device main path portion on the side from the signal converter (51, 52, 53, 54) to the sensor unit (20, 21) and an electronic device main path portion on the opposite side from the signal converter (51, 52, 53, 54) to the sensor unit (20, 21); A rotation angle detection system (1, 1', 1'', 1''') for detecting a rotation angle, wherein at least one of the signal converters (51, 52, 53, 54) is configured to galvanically isolate at least one of the sensor units (20, 21) from a main path portion of the electronic device opposite the sensor unit (20, 21).

2. The rotation angle detection system (1, 1') further comprises: at least one electronic device safety path for transmitting drive control signals and / or sensor signals, wherein the at least one electronic device safety path is operatively connectable to the at least one sensor unit (20, 21); At least one of the electronic device safety paths has at least one signal converter (55, 55''), and the signal converter (55, 55'') divides the electronic device safety path into an electronic device safety path portion on a side from the signal converter (55, 55'') to the sensor unit (20, 21) and an electronic device safety path portion on an opposite side from the signal converter (55, 55'') to the sensor unit (20, 21); 2. The rotation angle detection system (1, 1') according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the signal converters (55, 55'') is configured to galvanically isolate at least one of the sensor units (20, 21) from a portion of the electronic device safety path opposite the sensor unit (20, 21).

3. 3. A rotation angle detection system (1, 1', 1'', 1''') according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the sensor units (20, 21) is arranged in a sensor unit housing (3, 3'), and at least one of the signal converters (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 55'') of the main electronic path and / or the safety electronic path constitutes a signal input and / or a signal output of the main electronic path and / or the safety electronic path within the sensor unit housing (3, 3') and / or outside the sensor unit housing (3, 3').

4. 4. The rotation angle detection system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the signal converters (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 55") of the main electronics path and / or the safety electronics path is a signal transformer (51, 52, 53), a digital isolator (54, 55, 55") or an optocoupler, or comprises at least one of the signal transformer (51, 52, 53), a digital isolator (54, 55, 55") and / or an optocoupler.

5. The rotation angle detection system (1, 1', 1'', 1''') according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one sensor unit (20) is a resolver (20) or comprises at least one resolver (20).

6. 6. The rotation angle detection system (1, 1', 1'', 1''') according to claim 5, wherein the main electronics path and / or the safety electronics path comprises at least one resolver digital converter (30, 40), which is configured to magnetically excite a rotor of the resolver (20) preferably with an AC voltage of constant amplitude and to receive sine and cosine wave signals of a stator of the resolver (20).

7. At least one excitation signal switch (31, 41) is arranged between the resolver digital converter (30, 40) and the resolver (20) in the electronic device main path and / or the electronic device safety path, for disconnecting and connecting the resolver digital converter (30, 40) and the resolver (20) to an excitation signal path in the electronic device main path and / or the electronic device safety path, and the resolver digital converter (30, 40) is arranged between the resolver digital converter (30, 40) and the resolver (20) to a sine wave signal path in the electronic device main path and / or the electronic device safety path.

7. The rotation angle detection system according to claim 6, wherein at least one sine wave signal switch (32, 42) is arranged for disconnecting and connecting the resolver-to-digital converter (30, 40) and the resolver (20), and / or at least one cosine wave signal switch (33, 43) is arranged for disconnecting and connecting the resolver-to-digital converter (30, 40) and the resolver (20) to a cosine wave signal path in the main electronics path and / or the safety electronics path.

8. 8. The rotation angle detection system (1, 1', 1'', 1''') according to claim 6 or 7, wherein at least one of the resolver digital converters (30, 40) and / or the signal processing unit (70, 80) is configured to determine the rotation angle position of the resolver (20) from the sine wave signals and the cosine wave signals of the stator of the resolver (20), in particular taking into account the number of pole pairs of the resolver (20).

9. 9. A rotation angle detection system (1, 1', 1'', 1''') according to claim 1, wherein at least one resolver-to-digital converter (30, 40) in the main electronics path and / or in the safety electronics path is arranged in the main electronics path portion or the safety electronics path portion on the sensor unit (20, 21) side.

10. 10. The rotation angle detection system (1'') according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the rotation angle detection system (1'') comprises at least one sensor unit (20) and a safety path sensor unit (21) as another sensor unit, and at least one of the electronic device safety paths is functionally connectable to the safety sensor unit (21).

11. 11. The rotation angle detection system (1'') according to claim 10, wherein the sensor unit (20) and the safety path sensor unit (21) have different measurement methods or different measurement configurations.

12. 12. The rotation angle detection system (1, 1', 1'', 1''') according to claim 1, further comprising at least one signal processing unit (80) in a portion of the main electronic device path opposite the sensor unit (20, 21) and at least one signal processing unit (70) in a portion of the safety electronic device path opposite the sensor unit (20, 21).

13. 12. The rotation angle detection system (1''') according to claim 1, wherein the rotation angle detection system (1''') has at least one signal processing unit (80) and at least one further signal processing unit (70) in a part of the main electronic path opposite the sensor unit (20, 21), and the at least one signal processing unit (80) and the at least one further signal processing unit (70) are connected in parallel.

14. 1. A braking system for a rail vehicle, comprising: at least one brake actuator (200) for applying a braking force; At least one rotary brake driver (10) for operating the brake actuator; A braking system for a railway vehicle, comprising at least one rotation angle detection system (1, 1', 1'', 1''') according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. A railway vehicle equipped with at least one rotation angle detection system (1, 1', 1'', 1''') according to any one of claims 1 to 13 and / or a brake system according to claim 14, At least the sensor units (20, 21) are arranged on a bogie of the railway vehicle.

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