Brake control device for railroad vehicles, Brake device for railroad vehicles

Abstract

To provide a method by which a brake distance is effectively reduced in an emergency stopping.SOLUTION: A brake control device 100 for a railway vehicle comprises: a reception part 101 for receiving an emergency brake command to make a brake device braking the railway vehicle actuate in an emergency; a brake control part 102 for controlling the brake device to generate a target brake force which is a prescribed brake force in response to the emergency brake command; and a slide determination part 103 for determining if a slide of a railway vehicle wheel is generated during the control of the brake device. The brake control part 102, after the prescribed brake force is generated in response to the emergency brake command, sets the target brake force equal to or more than the prescribed brake force and increases the target brake force until it is determined that the slide is generated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a brake control device for a railway vehicle and a brake device for a railway vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a technique for activating an emergency brake with a certain braking force in response to an emergency brake command from a driver's cab or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2011 / 064851 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present inventors have come to the following realization regarding brake control devices used in railway vehicles. In the event of an emergency, an emergency brake is activated to bring the railway vehicle to an emergency stop. In this emergency brake, a relatively large braking force is set since the emphasis is on stopping the railway vehicle while it is moving. However, there are many cases where the braking force that can be generated by the brake device of the railway vehicle has a surplus.

[0005] Here, in order to prevent accidents, it is desirable to shorten the braking distance when making an emergency stop in an emergency. In order to shorten this braking distance, it is possible to apply brakes with a greater braking force than the emergency brakes. However, if the braking force is simply made too large, there is a problem that the railway vehicle will skid, and the braking distance cannot be effectively reduced. Therefore, the inventors recognized that there is room for a brake control device to further reduce the braking distance of a railway vehicle by effectively applying brakes with a greater braking force in an emergency.

[0006] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology that can effectively reduce the braking distance when making an emergency stop in an emergency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a brake control device for a railway vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a receiving unit for receiving an emergency brake command for operating a brake device for braking a railway vehicle in an emergency; a brake control unit that, in response to the emergency brake command, sets a predetermined brake force as a target brake force and controls the brake device to generate the target brake force; a skid determination unit that determines whether or not skid is occurring on the wheels of the railway vehicle while controlling the brake device; Equipped with The brake control unit generates the specified braking force in response to the emergency brake command, and then sets the target braking force to be equal to or greater than the specified braking force, and increases the target braking force until it is determined that skidding is occurring.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is a railway vehicle brake device. a skid detection unit that detects skid between the wheels of the railway vehicle and the rail; a receiving unit for receiving an emergency brake command for operating a brake device that brakes the railcar in an emergency; a brake control unit that, in response to the emergency brake command, sets a predetermined brake force as a target brake force and controls the brake device to generate the target brake force; a skid determination unit that determines whether or not skid is occurring on the wheels of the railway vehicle while controlling the brake device; A railway vehicle brake control device including: The brake device, The brake control unit generates the specified braking force in response to the emergency brake command, and then sets the target braking force to be equal to or greater than the specified braking force, and increases the target braking force until it is determined that skidding is occurring.

[0009] In addition, any combination of the above, or mutual substitution of the components or expressions of the present invention among methods, devices, programs, temporary or non-temporary storage media recording programs, systems, etc., are also valid aspects of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, the braking distance can be effectively reduced when making an emergency stop in an emergency. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a railway vehicle equipped with a railway vehicle brake device; [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a brake control device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart of the operation of the brake control device of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart of the operation of the slide control of the brake control device. [Diagram 5] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the slide control of the brake control device. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart of the operation of the brake force increase control of the brake control device. [Figure 7] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the brake force increase control of the brake control device. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a brake control device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a brake control device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart of the operation of the brake control device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a brake control device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart of the operation of the brake control device according to the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments and modified examples, the same or equivalent components and members are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions are omitted as appropriate. The dimensions of the members in each drawing are enlarged or reduced as appropriate for ease of understanding. Some of the members that are not important for explaining the embodiments are omitted in each drawing.

[0013] [First embodiment] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a railway vehicle 1 equipped with a railway vehicle brake device of a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a railway vehicle brake control device of a railway vehicle brake device. The railway vehicle 1 comprises a car body 2, a pair of bogies 3a and 3b, and a railway vehicle brake device 10. The railway vehicle brake device 10 comprises a railway vehicle brake control device 100 (hereinafter referred to as the brake control device) and a brake device 16.

[0014] The bogies 3a and 3b are provided at the front and rear of the vehicle body to support the vehicle body. The bogie 3a is provided with wheels 12a, 12b, axles 14a, 14b, and a braking device 16a. The bogie 3b is provided with wheels 12c, 12d, axles 14c, 14d, and a braking device 16b. The bogies 3a and 3b are referred to collectively as bogie 3. The wheels 12a to 12d are referred to collectively as wheel 12. The axles 14a to 14d are referred to collectively as axle 14. The braking devices 16a and 16b are referred to collectively as braking device 16.

[0015] The axles 14 are disposed at the front and rear of the bogie 3, and wheels 12 are attached to both ends of each axle. The axles 14 are rotated by driving force transmitted from a motor (not shown) via a gear unit (not shown).

[0016] The brake device 16 brakes the railway vehicle 1. The brake device 16 applies a braking force to the axles 14 to slow down and stop the railway vehicle 1. The brake device 16 of this embodiment is an air brake device including a brake cylinder 17, wear material 18, and a brake pressure supply device 20. The brake cylinder 17 is connected to the brake pressure supply device 20 via compressed air piping 19, which serves as a supply path for supplying compressed air. The brake cylinder pressure is increased by compressed air supplied from the brake pressure supply device 20 via the compressed air piping 19, thereby operating the brake cylinder 17. The operation of the brake cylinder 17 presses the wear material 18 against the tread of the axle 14, generating a braking force on the axle 14.

[0017] The following describes the brake pressure supply device 20. The brake pressure supply device 20 includes a load variable valve 21, a normal solenoid valve 22, an emergency solenoid valve 23, a double check valve 24, a relay valve 25, and a slide control valve 26.

[0018] The load-varying valve 21 generates a load-varying pressure using compressed air pressure supplied from an air tank 32, based on the pressure of an air spring 31 that supports the railway vehicle 1. This load-varying pressure corresponds to the total weight of the railway vehicle 1, including the weight of passengers.

[0019] The service solenoid valve 22 generates a brake command pressure using compressed air supplied from an air tank 32 so as to generate a target brake force specified in a service brake command, which will be described later, based on a brake signal, and supplies the brake command pressure to the double check valve 24. In this embodiment, the brake command pressure is also used to generate an increased brake force in a brake force increase control, which will be described later.

[0020] In response to the stop of the supply of an excitation signal described below, the emergency solenoid valve 23 supplies the load-varying pressure of the load-varying valve 21 to the double check valve 24 as emergency brake pressure so as to generate a braking force for emergency braking. The emergency solenoid valve 23 in this embodiment is a valve that switches the internal air passage by exciting and demagnetizing an electromagnetic coil. The emergency solenoid valve 23 is normally excited in response to an excitation signal described below, and cuts off the supply of the load-varying pressure from the load-varying valve 21. On the other hand, the emergency solenoid valve 23 is demagnetized when the supply of the excitation signal from the brake control device 100 is stopped. As a result, the load-varying pressure of the load-varying valve 21 is supplied to the double check valve 24 as emergency brake pressure through the emergency solenoid valve 23.

[0021] The double check valve 24 is a valve having two input ports and one output port. When fluids of different pressures are applied to the two input ports, the double check valve 24 is configured to supply the fluid with the greater pressure to the output port. One input port of the double check valve 24 is connected to the normal solenoid valve 22, and the other input port is connected to the emergency solenoid valve 23. Therefore, the output port of the double check valve 24 outputs the brake command pressure from the normal solenoid valve 22 or the emergency brake pressure from the emergency solenoid valve 23, whichever is greater in pressure.

[0022] The relay valve 25 uses compressed air from the air tank 32 to amplify the volume of the brake command pressure or emergency brake pressure supplied via the double check valve 24. As a result, the volume-amplified brake command pressure or emergency brake pressure is output. The brake pressure output from the relay valve 25 is supplied to the brake cylinder 17 via the slide control valve 26. Note that a relay valve 25 may be provided for each axle of the wheels 12. The volume-amplified emergency brake pressure of this embodiment is an example of a brake pressure based on a load-varying pressure.

[0023] The slide control valve 26 is used to reduce the braking pressure supplied from the relay valve 25 to the brake cylinder 17 to reduce the braking force when it is determined that a slide is occurring. The slide control valve 26 is controlled to perform a supply operation, a holding operation, and an exhaust operation. The supply operation is an operation for generating normal braking force in the brake device 16. The holding operation is an operation for holding the internal pressure of the brake cylinder 17 (the brake pressure of the brake device 16) to maintain the braking force. The exhaust operation is an operation for exhausting a portion of the compressed air supplied to the brake cylinder 17 to the outside to reduce the braking force. Therefore, by extending the period during which the exhaust operation of the slide control valve 26 is performed, it is possible to increase the extent to which the braking force is reduced.

[0024] The brake control device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Each functional block of the railway vehicle brake control device 100 shown in Fig. 2 can be realized in terms of hardware by electronic elements and mechanical parts such as a computer CPU, and in terms of software by a computer program, but here, functional blocks realized by cooperation between them are depicted. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various ways by combinations of hardware and software.

[0025] The brake control device 100 of this embodiment includes a receiving unit 101, a brake control unit 102, a slide determination unit 103, and a memory unit 104.

[0026] The receiving unit 101 receives a service brake command and an emergency brake command. The service brake command is a command for operating the brake device 16 so as to generate a specified target brake force in response to a brake operation. The emergency brake command is a command for operating the brake device 16 in an emergency. The emergency brake command is supplied to the receiving unit 101 from the cab 4 of the railway vehicle 1 in response to, for example, a brake operation by the driver or receipt of an emergency stop signal from an external device of the railway vehicle 1.

[0027] In response to the service brake command, the brake control unit 102 sets a target brake force and controls the brake device 16 to generate the target brake force. For example, the brake control unit 102 sets the brake force specified in the service brake command as the target brake force and supplies a brake signal for generating the set target brake force to the service solenoid valve 22. In a state in which an emergency brake command is not received, the brake control unit 102 supplies an excitation signal to the emergency solenoid valve 23 to excite the emergency solenoid valve 23 and cause the emergency solenoid valve 23 to cut off the supply of emergency brake pressure to the brake cylinder 17. In response to the emergency brake command, the brake control unit 102 sets a predetermined brake force as the target brake force and controls the brake device 16 to generate the target brake force. For example, in response to the emergency brake command, the brake control unit 102 stops the supply of an excitation signal to the emergency solenoid valve 23 to demagnetize the emergency solenoid valve 23 and cause the brake cylinder 17 to supply the above-mentioned volume-amplified emergency brake pressure via the emergency solenoid valve 23. As a result, a predetermined brake force for emergency braking is set as the target brake force.

[0028] The railway vehicle 1 of this embodiment employs an adhesion brake that utilizes the adhesive force between the wheels 12 and the rails. A decrease in adhesive force due to wet conditions such as rainy weather significantly affects the braking distance. When the adhesive force decreases and the wheels skid, the braking distance increases. Therefore, in order to prevent a significant increase in the braking distance, the brake control unit 102 executes skid control, which will be described later, to reduce the braking force when skid occurs.

[0029] In this embodiment, the brake control unit 102 executes brake force increase control in response to an emergency brake command in order to reduce the braking distance. In this brake force increase control, the brake control unit 102 generates a predetermined brake force in response to an emergency brake command, and then sets a target brake force equal to or greater than the predetermined brake force, and increases the target brake force until it is determined that skid is occurring. In this brake force increase control, the brake control unit 102 supplies a brake signal to the normal solenoid valve 22 to generate the increased target brake force. Details of this brake force increase control will be described later.

[0030] The skid determination unit 103 determines whether or not the wheel 12 is skidding while controlling the brake device 16. The skid determination unit 103 detects skid of the wheel 12 by employing various known methods. The skid determination unit 103 of this embodiment determines whether or not the wheel 12 is skidding based on a comparison between the rotation speed of the axle 14 and the translation speed of the railway vehicle 1 (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle speed Vs"). The vehicle speed Vs is acquired from a GPS, a vehicle speed sensor (not shown), or the like provided on the railway vehicle 1. The rotation speed of the axle 14 can be determined from the number of pulses per unit time of a rotation sensor (not shown), such as an encoder, that outputs a pulse signal according to the rotation position of the axle 14. A speed that can be compared to the vehicle speed (hereinafter referred to as "axle speed Va") can be calculated by multiplying the rotation speed of the axle 14 by a predetermined coefficient.

[0031] In an adhesion state where no macroscopic slip occurs between the wheels 12 and the rails, the vehicle speed Vs and the axle speed Va are equal. When slip occurs between the wheels 12 and the rails, the speed difference dV between the vehicle speed Vs and the axle speed Va increases. In a sliding state where a slide occurs, the speed difference dV between the vehicle speed Vs and the axle speed Va increases. The slide determination unit 103 determines that a slide is not occurring when the speed difference dV is equal to or less than a threshold value, and determines that a slide is occurring when the speed difference dV exceeds the threshold value, and provides the determination result to the brake control unit 102.

[0032] The storage unit 104 stores various data, for example, the brake pressure (hereinafter referred to as AC pressure) in the braking device 16 immediately before a skid occurs.

[0033] The operation S100 of the brake control device 100 will be described below with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flowchart of the operation S100.

[0034] In S101, the brake control unit 102 determines whether or not an emergency brake command has been received via the receiving unit 101. If an emergency brake command has not been received (N in S101), the operation S100 returns to S101. If an emergency brake command has been received (Y in S101), the operation S100 proceeds to S102.

[0035] In S102, the brake control unit 102 activates the emergency brake.

[0036] In S103, the slide determination unit 103 determines whether or not the wheel 12 has been sliding for a predetermined time based on the speed difference dV. If a slide is occurring (N in S103), the slide determination unit 103 supplies a slide detection signal to the brake control unit 102, and operation S100 proceeds to S104. If a slide has not occurred for the predetermined time (Y in S103), the slide determination unit 103 supplies a slide non-detection signal to the brake control unit 102, and operation S100 proceeds to S105.

[0037] In S104, the brake control unit 102 executes the slide control, which will be described later, in response to the slide detection signal. After that, the operation S100 returns to S103.

[0038] The anti-slide control will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a flow chart of the anti-slide control operation S104. Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining the anti-slide control operation S104. Figure 5 shows the vehicle speed Vs, the axle speed Va, and the AC pressure along with the elapsed time on the horizontal axis.

[0039] Operation S104 is started in a state where the AC pressure is high in response to an emergency brake command. As shown in Fig. 5, in this state, the vehicle speed Vs and the axle speed Va are gradually decreased by the braking force of the brake device 16. In the initial adhesion state, the speed difference dV between the vehicle speed Vs and the axle speed Va is almost zero, but when slippage occurs, the speed difference dV gradually increases.

[0040] When it is determined that a slide is occurring, in S111, the brake control unit 102 stores the AC pressure at the time of slide detection in the memory unit 104. In this embodiment, the AC pressure at point A in Fig. 5, where it is determined that a slide is occurring, is stored.

[0041] In S112, the brake control unit 102 causes the slide control valve 26 to perform an exhaust operation. In this exhaust operation immediately after detecting a slide, P1 [%] of the AC pressure stored in S111 is exhausted. As a result, as shown in FIG 5, the AC pressure decreases by P1 [%].

[0042] In S113, the slide determination unit 103 determines whether or not the convergence state is reached based on the speed difference dV. The convergence state refers to a state in which the speed difference dV does not change or decreases (for example, point B in FIG. 5). If the convergence state is not reached (N in S113), operation S104 returns to step S112. Thereafter, in S112, P2 [%] of the AC pressure stored in S111 is exhausted until it is determined that the convergence state is reached. If the convergence state is reached (Y in step S113), operation S104 proceeds to S114. Therefore, the exhaust operation in S112 is repeated every predetermined exhaust time Tp until it is determined that the convergence state is reached.

[0043] In S114, the brake control unit 102 holds the AC pressure when convergence is detected. When the convergence state is reached, the speed difference dV gradually decreases, and finally the speed difference dV=0, and re-adhesion (point C in FIG. 5) is detected. If the holding state continues for a long time until re-adhesion is detected, P3 [%] of the stored AC pressure is exhausted every Tc [ms]. Note that if skidding is detected again while this holding operation is maintained, operation S104 may return to S111. In this case, the AC pressure when skidding is detected again may be stored in the memory unit 104.

[0044] If re-adhesion is detected, in S115, the brake control unit 102 causes the slide control valve 26 to perform a supply operation, ends the slide control, and transitions to normal braking operation. After transitioning to normal braking operation, operation S104 is terminated.

[0045] 3, in S105, the brake control unit 102 executes a braking force increase control, which will be described later, in response to the supplied skid non-detection signal. After S105, the operation S100 ends.

[0046] The braking force increase control in S105 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. First, in S121, the brake control unit 102 judges whether or not a braking force increase control stop command has been received via the receiving unit 101. The braking force increase control stop command is supplied from the cab 4 to the receiving unit 101 when, for example, the railway vehicle 1 has stopped or the driver has performed an operation input to stop the braking force increase control. If the braking force increase control stop command has been received (Y in S121), operation S105 ends. If the braking force increase control command has not been received (N in S121), operation S105 proceeds to S122.

[0047] In S122, the brake control unit 102 sets a target brake force so as to increase the brake force by a predetermined amount, and controls the brake device 16 to generate the set brake force. Specifically, the brake control unit 102 supplies a brake signal to the service solenoid valve 22 so as to generate a brake command pressure corresponding to the increased target brake force. In response to this brake signal, the service solenoid valve 22 generates a brake command pressure corresponding to the increased target brake force, and supplies this brake command pressure to the double check valve 24.

[0048] Meanwhile, in parallel with the supply of the brake command pressure from the normal solenoid valve 22, emergency brake pressure is supplied from the emergency solenoid valve 23 to the double check valve 24 in response to an emergency brake command. As described above, the double check valve 24 supplies the greater of the brake command pressure and the emergency brake pressure to the relay valve 25. Therefore, in an emergency, the generated braking force will not be less than the braking force of the emergency brake, that is, it is possible to apply a braking force equal to or greater than the emergency brake.

[0049] In this embodiment, when the speed difference dV is smaller than a predetermined speed difference reference value, the brake control unit 102 increases the increase amount of the target brake force per unit time in S122 compared to when the speed difference dV is equal to or greater than the predetermined speed difference reference value. For example, when the speed difference dV exceeds a plurality of speed difference reference values ​​determined in stages, the brake control unit 102 may set the increase amount corresponding to the exceeded speed difference reference value. Furthermore, the brake control unit 102 may increase the increase amount of the target brake force per unit time in stages or continuously as the speed difference dV increases.

[0050] In S123, the brake control unit 102 causes the memory unit 104 to store the AC pressure after the braking force has been increased.

[0051] In S124, the slide determination unit 103 determines whether or not the wheel 12 has been sliding for a predetermined time based on the speed difference dV. If a slide is occurring (N in S124), the slide determination unit 113 supplies a slide occurrence signal to the brake control unit 102, and operation S105 proceeds to S125. If a slide is not occurring (Y in S124), S105 returns to S121.

[0052] In S125, the brake control unit 102 executes slide control. The slide control in S125 is similar to the slide control in S104, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. In the slide control in S125, the AC pressure stored in S123 may be used without storing the AC pressure in S111. After S125, S105 transitions to S126.

[0053] In S126, the brake control unit 102 returns the target braking force to the target braking force before the occurrence of the slide. Specifically, the brake control unit 102 controls the brake device 16 to generate a braking force corresponding to the AC pressure stored in S123. As a result, in the braking force increase control, a braking force greater than the braking force of the emergency brake is maintained even after the slide is resolved. Note that in S126, the target braking force may be set to be greater than the braking force before the occurrence of the slide. After S126, S105 returns to S124.

[0054] With reference to Fig. 7, the braking force in the braking force increase control of S105 will be described. Fig. 7 shows an example of changes in braking force in the braking force increase control. First, for comparison, the braking force in emergency braking will be described. The braking force in emergency braking is indicated by a solid line in Fig. 7. Upon application of the emergency brake, the braking force increases so as to rise sharply to point D, and then a constant braking force is maintained. When the railway vehicle 1 stops at point K, application of the emergency brake ends. Thus, with emergency braking, it takes time up to point K for the railway vehicle 1 to stop.

[0055] Next, the braking force in the braking force increase control will be described. The braking force in the braking force increase control is indicated by a broken line in FIG. 7. When an emergency brake command is received, the emergency brake is activated (S102 in FIG. 3). Here, the braking force increases so as to rise sharply to point D. If no skid occurs for a predetermined time from point D to point E (Y in S103 in FIG. 3), the braking force increase control is executed and the braking force is increased (S122 in FIG. 6). If skid is detected at point F (N in S124 in FIG. 6), skid control is executed (S125 in FIG. 6). If re-adhesion is detected at point G, the braking force is increased to point H so as to return to the braking force before skid occurs (S125 in FIG. 6). If no skid is detected for a predetermined time until point I (Y in S124 in FIG. 6), the braking force is increased (S122 in FIG. 6). Thereafter, the control loop of S121 to S124 in FIG. 6 is repeated, and when a braking force increase control stop command is received at point J (Y of S121 in FIG. 6), the braking force increase control ends and the operation of the brake device 16 ends. As shown by the braking force from point H to point J, it can be understood that the brake control unit 102 increases the target braking force to be greater than the braking force before the slide occurred when the slide is eliminated. In this way, with the braking force increase control, it is possible to apply to the railway vehicle 1 a braking force greater than the braking force of the emergency brake. Therefore, as shown at point J in FIG. 7, it is possible to reduce the time required for the railway vehicle 1 to stop compared to when the emergency brake is activated (point K in FIG. 7).

[0056] The operation and effects of this embodiment will be described below.

[0057] In the event of an emergency, an emergency brake command is issued from the cab 4 to bring the railway vehicle 1 to an emergency stop, and the emergency brake is activated in response to this emergency brake command. This emergency brake applies a constant braking force to the railway vehicle 1 according to a load compensation pressure based on the total weight of the railway vehicle 1, including the weight of passengers, taking into consideration not only the viewpoint of bringing the railway vehicle 1 to an emergency stop while it is moving, but also the viewpoint of safety, such as mitigating the shock of sudden braking on passengers. Meanwhile, the brake device 16 is capable of generating a larger braking force by using compressed air supplied from the air tank 32.

[0058] Here, in order to prevent collisions with obstacles ahead of the railcar 1, it is desirable to reduce the braking distance in an emergency. In order to reduce this braking distance, it is conceivable to activate a brake with a greater braking force than the emergency brake. However, if the braking force is simply made too large, there is a problem that the railcar 1 skids, making it impossible to effectively reduce the braking distance.

[0059] Therefore, the brake control unit 102 of this embodiment generates a predetermined braking force in response to an emergency brake command, and then sets a target braking force equal to or greater than the predetermined braking force, and increases the target braking force until it is determined that skid is occurring. According to this embodiment, it is possible to apply a braking force equal to or greater than the predetermined braking force generated in response to an emergency brake command to the railway vehicle 1 while suppressing skid. As a result, it is possible to effectively reduce the braking distance when making an emergency stop in an emergency.

[0060] In this embodiment, when a slide is eliminated, the brake control unit 102 increases the target brake force to be greater than the brake force before the slide occurred. Here, it is known that after the slide is eliminated, the vehicle speed is slower than before the slide occurred, and therefore the adhesion limit between the wheels 12 and the rails is greater than before the slide occurred. With this configuration, the target brake force can be increased taking into consideration that the adhesion limit between the wheels 12 and the rails is greater after the slide is eliminated. As a result, the braking distance can be made shorter.

[0061] In this embodiment, when the speed difference dV is smaller than a predetermined speed difference reference value, the brake control unit 102 increases the increase amount of the target brake force per unit time compared to when the speed difference dV is equal to or greater than the predetermined speed difference reference value. With this configuration, the increase amount of the target brake force per unit time can be adjusted taking the speed difference dV into consideration, making it possible to effectively eliminate skids. As a result, the braking distance can be made shorter.

[0062] [Variations] The following describes modified examples.

[0063] In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which it is determined whether or not a slide is occurring based on the speed difference dV, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the slide determination unit 103 may determine whether or not a slide is occurring based on the ratio of the speed difference dV to the vehicle speed Vs (also called the "slip ratio").

[0064] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the braking device 16 and the slide control valve 26 are provided for each bogie 3, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the braking device 16 and the slide control valve 26 may be provided for each axle 14. In addition, the slide control valve 26 may be controlled separately, or the two axles of the bogie 3 may be controlled integrally.

[0065] In this embodiment, the brake control device 100 is provided for each railcar 1, but this is not limiting. For example, the brake control device 100 may be provided for each axle 14 or bogie 3. Also, for example, in a train made up of multiple railcars 1, only one brake control device 100 may be provided for the train to collectively control the multiple railcars 1.

[0066] In the present embodiment, the increase amount of the target braking force per unit time is adjusted based on the speed difference dV, but this is not limiting. For example, the increase amount of the target braking force may be constant.

[0067] Furthermore, wheels 12 located relatively to the rear in the traveling direction of the railway vehicle 1 are less likely to skid than wheels 12 located relatively to the front in the traveling direction. Thus, the brake control unit 102 may make the increase per unit time of the target braking force for wheels 12 located relatively to the rear in the traveling direction of the railway vehicle 1 greater than the increase per unit time of the target braking force for wheels 12 located relatively to the front in the traveling direction. Here, "located relatively to the front or rear in the traveling direction" includes not only the front-to-rear relationship of one railway vehicle 1, but also the front-to-rear relationship between multiple railway vehicles 1. With this configuration, it is possible to effectively reduce the braking distance of the entire railway vehicle while suppressing the occurrence of skid.

[0068] In this embodiment, the AC pressure in the brake increase control is generated using the normal solenoid valve 22, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the AC pressure in the brake increase control may be generated by controlling the emergency solenoid valve 23, or an additional solenoid valve for generating the AC pressure in the brake increase control may be provided in addition to the normal solenoid valve 22 and the emergency solenoid valve 23.

[0069] In the present embodiment, an example has been shown in which the operation S104 includes step S113 for determining whether the operation has converged, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the slide control valve 26 may be controlled based on the accumulated time of the exhaust time Tp or the number of times the exhaust operation has been performed. In this case, the slide control may be terminated without determining whether the operation has converged, and a transition may be made to a normal braking operation.

[0070] In this embodiment, the speed difference dV used for comparison with the predetermined speed difference reference value is the speed difference between the vehicle speed Vs and the axle speed Va, but is not limited to this. For example, the axle speed of the axle 14 having the smallest rotation speed may be set as the reference axle speed, and the speed difference between the axle speed Va of each axle 14 and the reference axle speed may be set as the speed difference dV. Therefore, the speed difference dV may be the speed difference between the axle speed Va of each axle 14 and the predetermined reference speed.

[0071] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the drawings and description of the second embodiment, the same or equivalent components and members as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Explanations that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the description will focus on the configurations that differ from the first embodiment.

[0072] Please refer to Fig. 8. The brake control device 100 of this embodiment includes a jerk acquisition unit 105 that acquires the jerk in the traveling direction of the railway vehicle 1. The jerk acquisition unit 105 of this embodiment acquires the jerk from the output value of a jerk sensor (not shown) provided on the railway vehicle 1. Note that the jerk may also be acquired by time-differentiating the output value of acceleration by an acceleration sensor, without using the jerk sensor.

[0073] The brake control unit 102 of this embodiment stops increasing the target brake force when the jerk acquired by the jerk acquisition unit 105 is larger than a threshold value. This threshold value is appropriately determined according to design and the like.

[0074] In the above-mentioned brake force increase control, a brake with a larger brake force than that of an emergency brake is applied. Therefore, there is a risk that the passengers in the vehicle will receive a larger shock due to the sudden braking than in the case of an emergency brake. According to this embodiment, it is possible to stop the increase in the target brake force when a large shock is applied such that the jerk exceeds a threshold value. As a result, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the passenger's ride comfort. In particular, in the case of a one-car train, the brake force increase control is relatively likely to cause deterioration in ride comfort, so this is effective in suppressing this deterioration.

[0075] [Third embodiment] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the drawings and description of the third embodiment, the same or equivalent components and members as those of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals. Explanations that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the description will focus on the configurations that differ from the first embodiment.

[0076] Please refer to Fig. 9. The brake control device 100 of this embodiment further includes a cause determination unit 106 that determines whether the cause of the issuance of the emergency brake command is a cause external to the railway vehicle 1 or not.

[0077] The operation S200 of the brake control device 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart of the operation S200. In the operation S200, the processes from S201 to S204 and S206 are basically the same as the above-mentioned S101 to S105 unless otherwise noted, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0078] If it is determined in S203 that no slide has occurred (Y in S203), the slide determination unit 103 supplies a slide non-detection signal to the cause determination unit 106, and operation S200 proceeds to S205.

[0079] In S205, the cause determination unit 106 determines whether the cause of the emergency brake command is external to the railway vehicle 1. The "external cause" here refers to, for example, the appearance of an obstacle (person, object, landslide, etc.) in front of the vehicle, the occurrence of an earthquake or strong wind, etc. For example, when an emergency brake command is issued from the cab 4 in response to an emergency stop signal from an external device without the driver's brake operation, it is determined that the cause of the emergency brake command is external to the railway vehicle 1 based on this emergency stop signal. Also, for example, when the driver identifies a railway signal and the driver's brake operation causes the emergency brake command to be issued from the cab 4, the brake control device 100 self-diagnoses the railway vehicle 1. In this case, for example, when the brake control device 100 self-diagnoses that the cause is not an internal cause such as a power loss or a pressure drop in the main air pipe, it is determined that the cause of the emergency brake command is external to the railway vehicle 1.

[0080] If it is determined that the cause is an external cause, the cause determination unit 106 supplies an external cause signal to the brake control unit 102, and operation S200 proceeds to S206. In S206, the brake control unit 102 executes the above-mentioned braking force increase control in response to the external cause signal. If it is determined that the cause is not an external cause, the cause determination unit 106 supplies an internal cause signal to the brake control unit 102, and operation S200 proceeds to S207.

[0081] In S207, the brake control unit 102 determines whether the railway vehicle 1 has stopped in response to the internal cause signal. If the railway vehicle 1 has stopped, operation S200 ends. If the railway vehicle 1 has not stopped, operation S200 returns to S207. In S207, since the emergency brake activated in S202 is in an activated state, the emergency brake will continue to be activated without increasing the target braking force until the railway vehicle 1 stops.

[0082] When an emergency brake command is issued due to a cause external to the railcar 1, the risk of collision with an obstacle or rollover of the railcar 1 increases, so that it is required to stop the railcar 1 more quickly. On the other hand, when the cause is an internal cause of the railcar 1, the risk of collision or rollover is not so high, so that the necessity of an emergency stop is lower than in the case of an external cause. Therefore, if the brake force increase control is executed even for such an internal cause, a brake force larger than the emergency brake is applied, so that there is a risk of unnecessarily worsening the riding comfort of passengers. In this embodiment, when it is determined that the cause is not an external cause, the brake control unit 102 does not execute the brake force increase control and does not increase the target brake force, and when it is determined that the cause is not an external cause, it executes the brake force increase control and increases the target brake force. According to this configuration, since the brake force increase control can be executed as necessary, it is possible to effectively reduce the braking distance while suppressing deterioration of the riding comfort of passengers.

[0083] Here, if there is an obstacle ahead in the traveling direction of the railcar 1, the distance to the obstacle is short, and the risk of collision with the obstacle is high, it is necessary to apply a larger braking force to the railcar 1 to shorten the braking distance. On the other hand, if the distance to the obstacle is large and the risk of collision with the obstacle is low, it is required to stop the train while considering the comfort and safety of passengers rather than avoiding a collision.

[0084] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the cause determination unit 106 determines that there is an obstacle ahead in the traveling direction of the railway vehicle 1 as the external cause, the brake control unit 102 may increase the increase amount of the target braking force per unit time when the distance between the railway vehicle 1 and the obstacle is smaller than a predetermined distance reference value, compared to when the distance is equal to or greater than the predetermined distance reference value. For example, when the distance to the obstacle falls below a plurality of distance reference values ​​determined in stages, the brake control unit 102 sets the increase amount corresponding to the threshold value by which the distance falls below. Also, the brake control unit 102 may increase the increase amount of the target braking force per unit time in a stepwise or continuous manner as the distance to the obstacle decreases.

[0085] According to this configuration, the increase in the target braking force can be adjusted taking into account the distance to an obstacle in front of the vehicle, so that the braking distance can be made shorter when the distance to the obstacle is small, and when the distance to the obstacle is large, the shock to passengers caused by braking can be mitigated while preventing collision with the obstacle.

[0086] [Fourth embodiment] Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the drawings and description of the fourth embodiment, the same or equivalent components and members as those of the third embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Explanations that overlap with the third embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the description will focus on the configurations that differ from the third embodiment.

[0087] Please refer to Fig. 11. The brake control device 100 of this embodiment further includes an abnormality determination unit 107 that determines whether or not the brake control device 100 is in an abnormal state.

[0088] The operation S300 of the brake control device 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a flowchart of the operation S200. In the operation S300, the processes from S301 to S304, S306, and S307 are basically the same as the above-mentioned S201 to S204, S206, and S207 unless otherwise noted, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0089] If it is determined in S303 that no slide has occurred (Y in S303), the slide determination unit 103 supplies a slide non-detection signal to the abnormality determination unit 107, and the operation S300 proceeds to S305.

[0090] In S305, the abnormality determination unit 107 determines whether or not the brake control device 100 is in an abnormal state. Here, "the brake control device 100 is in an abnormal state" refers to, for example, a state in which the brake control device 100 has broken down or a state in which there is a problem with the software stored in the memory or the like of the brake control device 100. These "abnormal states" are determined by appropriately using a known method.

[0091] If it is determined that an abnormal state exists, the abnormality determination unit 107 supplies an abnormal state signal to the brake control unit 102, and operation S300 proceeds to S306. If it is determined that an abnormal state does not exist, the abnormality determination unit 107 supplies a normal state signal to the brake control unit 102, and operation S300 proceeds to S307. In S307, in response to the normal state signal, the brake control unit 102 determines whether the railway vehicle 1 has stopped.

[0092] Here, when the brake control device 100 is in an abnormal state, the above-mentioned brake force increase control may not be executed appropriately. As a result, for example, the braking distance may not be effectively reduced, and the safety of passengers and the like may be impaired. According to this embodiment, when it is determined that the brake control device 100 is in an abnormal state, the brake control unit 102 does not execute the above-mentioned brake force increase control. Therefore, when the brake control device 100 is in an abnormal state, the brake control unit 102 does not supply an excitation signal to the emergency solenoid valve and continues to apply the emergency brake. With this configuration, it is possible to perform an emergency stop while more appropriately ensuring the safety of passengers.

[0093] Any combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications is also useful as an embodiment of the present invention. A new embodiment resulting from the combination has the combined effects of the respective embodiments and modifications. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1 Railway vehicle, 4 Driver's cab, 10 Railway vehicle brake device, 16 Brake device, 20 Brake pressure supply device, 100 Railway vehicle brake control device, 101 Receiving unit, 102 Brake control unit, 103 Slide determination unit, 104 Memory unit, 105 Jerk acquisition unit, 106 Cause determination unit, 107 Abnormality determination unit.

Claims

1. a receiving unit for receiving an emergency brake command for operating a brake device for braking a railway vehicle in an emergency; a brake control unit that, in response to the emergency brake command, sets a predetermined brake force as a target brake force and controls the brake device to generate the target brake force; a skid determination unit that determines whether or not a skid is occurring on a wheel of the railway vehicle during control of the brake device; a cause determination unit that determines whether the cause of issuance of the emergency brake command is a cause outside the railway vehicle or a cause inside the railway vehicle; Equipped with the brake control unit generates the predetermined braking force in response to the emergency brake command, and then sets the target braking force to be equal to or greater than the predetermined braking force, and increases the target braking force until it is determined that the skid is occurring, the brake control unit increases the target brake force when it is determined that the cause is the external cause, and maintains or reduces the target brake force when it is determined that the cause is the internal cause. Brake control device for railway vehicles.

2. The brake control unit, when the slide is eliminated, increases the target brake force to a value greater than the brake force before the slide occurred.

2. A brake control device for a railway vehicle according to claim 1.

3. when a speed difference between the rotational speed of the axle of the railway vehicle and a predetermined reference speed is smaller than a predetermined speed difference reference value, the brake control unit increases an increase amount per unit time of the target brake force compared to when the speed difference is equal to or larger than the speed difference reference value.

3. A brake control device for a railway vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A jerk acquisition unit that acquires a jerk in a traveling direction of the railway vehicle, The brake control unit stops increasing the target brake force when the jerk is greater than a threshold value. The brake control device for a railway vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the brake control unit sets an increase amount per unit time of the target braking force for the wheels relatively positioned on the rear side in a traveling direction of the railway vehicle to be greater than an increase amount per unit time of the target braking force for the wheels relatively positioned on the front side in the traveling direction. The brake control device for a railway vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The receiving unit receives a service brake command for operating the brake device so as to generate a target brake force designated in response to a brake operation, The brake control unit operates the brake device so as to generate the specified target brake force in response to the service brake command. The brake control device for a railway vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. 2. The railway vehicle brake control device according to claim 1, wherein the cause determination unit determines that the cause is the external cause when an obstacle is present ahead in a traveling direction of the railway vehicle.

8. the brake control unit, when a distance between the railway vehicle and the obstacle is shorter than a predetermined distance reference value, increases an increase amount of the target brake force per unit time compared to when the distance is equal to or greater than the distance reference value.

8. A brake control device for a railway vehicle according to claim 7.

9. The railway vehicle brake control device according to claim 1 , further comprising an abnormality determination unit that determines whether the railway vehicle brake control device is in an abnormal state.

10. When the emergency brake command has not been received, the brake control unit supplies an excitation signal to an emergency solenoid valve of the railway vehicle to excite the emergency solenoid valve, thereby causing the emergency solenoid valve to cut off the supply of brake pressure based on the load variable pressure from the load variable valve of the railway vehicle to a brake cylinder of the brake device; When the railway vehicle brake control device is in an abnormal state, the brake control unit does not supply the excitation signal to the emergency solenoid valve, but demagnetizes the emergency solenoid valve and supplies a brake pressure based on the load-varying pressure to the brake cylinder via the emergency solenoid valve. The brake control device for a railway vehicle according to claim 9.

11. a skid detection unit that detects skid between the wheels of the railway vehicle and the rail; a receiving unit for receiving an emergency brake command for operating a brake device that brakes the railcar in an emergency; a brake control unit that, in response to the emergency brake command, sets a predetermined brake force as a target brake force and controls the brake device to generate the target brake force; a skid determination unit that determines whether or not a skid is occurring on a wheel of the railway vehicle during control of the brake device; a cause determination unit that determines whether the cause of issuance of the emergency brake command is a cause outside the railway vehicle or a cause inside the railway vehicle; A railway vehicle brake control device including: The brake device, the brake control unit generates the predetermined braking force in response to the emergency brake command, and then sets the target braking force to be equal to or greater than the predetermined braking force, and increases the target braking force until it is determined that the skid is occurring, the brake control unit increases the target brake force when it is determined that the cause is the external cause, and maintains or reduces the target brake force when it is determined that the cause is the internal cause. Braking equipment for railway vehicles.

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