Radiator control unit
The radiator control device for railway vehicles optimizes coolant temperature and fan speed control, reducing power consumption and noise while facilitating Condition-Based Maintenance through data management and predictive maintenance.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NAJICO CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-07
AI Technical Summary
Existing radiator control devices for diesel engines in railway vehicles require frequent maintenance due to aging deterioration of temperature switches and fail to efficiently control coolant temperature, leading to increased power consumption and noise.
A radiator control device that includes an input unit for coolant temperature, a calculation control unit to generate fan speed signals, a storage unit for data, and a transmission unit to manage and transmit operating data, allowing precise control of coolant temperature and fan speed, reducing power consumption and noise.
The device maintains optimal coolant temperature, reduces power requirements, minimizes noise, and enables Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) by analyzing performance degradation and predicting abnormalities, thus enhancing maintenance efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure 2026112679000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a radiator control device used for cooling a diesel engine mounted on a railway vehicle.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, after a railway vehicle is newly manufactured, for example, alternate inspections every 90 days, major inspections every 4 years or every 600,000 km of travel, general inspections every 8 years, and TBM (Time Based Maintenance, time-based maintenance) for status confirmation and maintenance at regular intervals have been carried out.
[0003] In addition, a mechanical drive method such as a V-belt and a pulley is adopted for a diesel engine mounted on a railway vehicle, and the rotation speed of a cooling fan provided in a radiator for cooling the diesel engine depends on the rotation speed of the engine and is controlled, for example, in two steps. Also, only the abnormal state (presence or absence of abnormality) of the radiator has been sent as an on / off signal to the administrator side of the railway vehicle.
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] For temperature control at multiple points of cooling water from the diesel engine, a plurality of temperature switches (temperature relays) are required, and failures due to aging deterioration of these temperature switches occur. Since the usage environment of railway vehicles is harsher than that of automobiles, regular maintenance (cleaning) is important.
[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the problems in the above conventional radiator control device, and an object thereof is to provide a radiator control device that maintains the cooling water temperature of the radiator at an appropriate temperature and contributes to reduction of required power, reduction of noise, etc.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a device for controlling a radiator that cools a diesel engine mounted on a railway vehicle, comprising: an input unit into which the coolant temperature on the outlet side of the diesel engine is input; a calculation control unit that generates a control signal for the rotation speed of the cooling fan of the radiator based on the coolant temperature input to the input unit; an output unit that outputs the control signal generated by the calculation control unit to the radiator; a storage unit that stores data including the coolant temperature and the rotation speed of the cooling fan; and a transmission unit that transmits the data stored in the storage unit.
[0007] According to the present invention, by controlling the rotation speed of the radiator's cooling fan based on the coolant temperature, the radiator's coolant temperature can be maintained at an appropriate temperature, and the required power can be reduced through appropriate control, as well as noise. Furthermore, by transmitting the data stored in the storage unit from the transmission unit, the stored data can be effectively utilized.
[0008] In the radiator control device, the transmission unit can transmit data indicating the coolant temperature, the rotation speed of the cooling fan, the operating mode of the radiator (automatic operation, maintenance mode, abnormality detection mode, etc.), the operating status of the diesel engine (operating, stopped), the status of input / output signals of various switches, or an abnormality of the radiator.
[0009] Furthermore, by transmitting the data transmitted from the transmission unit to the railway vehicle's administrator device, it becomes possible for the railway vehicle's administrator to apply it to Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM). [Effects of the Invention]
[0010] As described above, the present invention provides a radiator control device that maintains the radiator coolant temperature at an appropriate temperature, while also contributing to a reduction in required power and noise. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of the radiator control device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a block diagram of the radiator control device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0012] Next, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0013] Figure 1 shows one embodiment of a radiator control device according to the present invention and related devices, wherein the radiator control device 1 is provided to control a radiator 3 that cools a diesel engine 2 mounted on a railway vehicle.
[0014] The radiator control device 1 controls the radiator 3 by outputting a control signal C to the radiator 3 based on an input signal I from the diesel engine 2. The operating data D of the radiator 3 stored in the radiator control device 1 is transmitted to the railway vehicle's administrator device (hereinafter referred to as the "administrator device") 4 and used by the administrator device 4.
[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the radiator control device 1 consists of an input unit 1a to which an input signal I from the diesel engine 2 is input, a calculation control unit 1b that generates a control signal C to the radiator 3 based on the input signal I from the input unit 1a and controls the entire device, a storage unit 1c that stores various data, an output unit 1d that outputs the control signal C from the calculation control unit 1b to the radiator 3, and a transmission unit 1e that transmits the operating data D stored in the storage unit 1c to the administrator device 4 via the calculation control unit 1b.
[0016] The input signal I from the diesel engine 2 to the radiator control device 1 relates to the temperature of the coolant W returned from the diesel engine 2 to the radiator 3. The temperature of the coolant W is measured by a water temperature sensor, and the analog signal from this sensor facilitates control with multiple temperature settings. Furthermore, the water temperature sensor is said to have a longer lifespan than a temperature switch.
[0017] The control signal C output from the radiator control device 1 to the radiator 3 relates to the rotation speed of the cooling fan of the radiator 3. The cooling fan of the radiator 3 rotates by driving the fan motor with an inverter, and by controlling the fan rotation speed in, for example, six stages, the coolant temperature can be controlled to an appropriate temperature, allowing the radiator 3 to be operated only when and as needed. This avoids unnecessary operation, reduces power consumption, reduces clogging of the radiator fins, and also reduces noise.
[0018] The operating data D includes the temperature of the coolant W supplied from the diesel engine 2 to the radiator 3, the rotation speed of the cooling fan on the radiator 3, the operating mode of the radiator 3 (automatic operation, maintenance, abnormality detection, etc.), the operating status of the diesel engine (running, stopped), the status of input / output signals of various switches, and data indicating abnormal conditions of the radiator. By accumulating data on the temperature of the coolant W and the operating status of the cooling fan, it is possible to analyze the performance degradation of the radiator 3 over time (higher temperature compared to past data, more cooling fan operation, etc.) and sudden abnormalities (larger / smaller temperature change slope, etc.), enabling more efficient maintenance and application to CBM (Condition-Based Monitoring). This makes it possible to predict the aging deterioration of the radiator 3 (decreased cooling performance) and abnormalities in the cooling system, leading to labor savings in vehicle maintenance and prevention of abnormalities (stable operation).
[0019] The illustrated embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]
[0020] 1. Radiator control device 2 Diesel engine 3. Radiator 4. Equipment for railway vehicle administrators
Claims
1. A device for controlling the radiator that cools the diesel engine mounted on a railway vehicle, An input section into which the coolant temperature on the outlet side of the aforementioned diesel engine is input, A calculation control unit that generates a control signal for the rotation speed of the radiator's cooling fan based on the coolant temperature input to the input unit, An output unit that outputs the control signal generated by the calculation control unit to the radiator, A storage unit that stores data including the cooling water temperature and the rotation speed of the cooling fan, A radiator control device characterized by comprising a transmission unit for transmitting data stored in the storage unit.
2. The radiator control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission unit transmits data indicating the coolant temperature, the rotational speed of the cooling fan, the operating mode of the radiator, the operating status of the diesel engine, the status of the input / output signals of the switch, or an abnormality of the radiator.
3. The radiator control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the data transmitted from the transmission unit is transmitted to the administrator's device of the railway vehicle.