Method and measuring device for measuring the operating time of a cut-off rod, as well as a cut-off device and a monitoring device using the same

Abstract

To realize a method capable of automatically measuring an operation time of a crossing bar with a simple structure and a measurement device.SOLUTION: A measurement device 2 measures an operation time T from the start of ascending movement or descending movement of a crossing bar 11 to the completion of the movement based on a change in an operation current I for driving the crossing bar 11 of a crossing gate 1. The measurement device 2 includes: a detection unit 21 for detecting the operation current I; a storage unit 22 for storing the operation current I detected by the detection unit 21; and an arithmetic processing unit 23 for computing a temporal change in the operation current I stored in the storage unit 22 and determining the timing of the start of operation and the timing of the termination of operation based on the computed temporal change so as to calculate the operation time T of the crossing bar 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and a measuring device for measuring the rising or falling operation time of a cutoff rod in a cutoff machine, and a cutoff device and a monitoring device using the same.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, at a level crossing where a train track intersects a road, an alarm is used to notify the approach of a train, and a cutoff rod is lowered by a cutoff machine to prevent people and vehicles from entering the level crossing, ensuring the safety of traffic. As a conventional cutoff machine, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electric level crossing cutoff machine in which the driving state of a general-purpose inverter motor for raising and lowering a cutoff rod is controlled by a control unit.

[0003] The electric level crossing cutoff machine of Patent Document 1 has a rising-side cam switch that turns on at the rising position of the cutoff rod and a falling-side cam switch that turns on at the falling position of the cutoff rod. The rising position signal and the falling position signal output from these cam switches are input to the control unit. The control unit controls a general-purpose inverter motor according to the output signals from the respective cam switches and a rising command or a falling command, and raises or lowers the cutoff rod. As the cam switch, for example, as shown in FIG. 15, a mechanical switch mainly composed of a cam 101 that rotates together with the cutoff rod and a roller 102 that abuts against the cam 101 is mainly used.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, in the maintenance of the circuit breaker, in order to determine whether the circuit breaker is operating normally, the operating time of the circuit breaker rod during its ascent and descent may be measured. Usually, a maintenance worker measures the operating time of the ascent and descent of the circuit breaker rod on the actual machine using a stopwatch or the like. However, such a measurement operation of the operating time by a maintenance worker is complicated, and at the same time, a large number of circuit breakers can be the measurement targets, so there is a demand for automating the measurement.

[0006] Regarding the electric railway crossing circuit breaker of Patent Document 1 described above, it is possible to measure the operating time of the circuit breaker rod during its ascent and descent by taking out and using the output signals of the ascending cam switch and the descending cam switch externally. However, when using the output signals of the ascending cam switch and the descending cam switch, as a configuration of the measuring device for measuring the operating time, it is necessary to provide two input terminals corresponding to the output signals of the ascending cam switch and the descending cam switch, and the number of the input terminals increases in proportion to the number of circuit breakers to be measured. For this reason, there is a problem that the configuration of the measuring device becomes complicated. Such an operating time measuring device is required to be realized with a simple device configuration, for example, when introducing a remote monitoring device using IoT (Internet of Things).

[0007] The present invention has been made paying attention to the above points, and an object thereof is to realize a method and a measuring device capable of automatically measuring the operating time of a circuit breaker rod with a simple configuration, and to provide a circuit breaker device and a monitoring device using the same.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] To achieve the above object, one aspect of the method for measuring the operating time of a circuit breaker rod according to the present invention measures the operating time from the start of the operation to the end of the operation of the ascent of the circuit breaker rod based on the change in the operating current for driving the circuit breaker rod of the circuit breaker, and When the lowering operation of the cutoff rod starts, the current flowing through an electrical wiring different from the electrical cable through which the operating current flows that is, the current that changes more greatly than the operating current flowing through the electric cable, and flowing through the electric cable Based on the change in the operating current, measure the operating time from the start to the end of the lowering operation of the disconnector rod.

[0009] In addition, one aspect of the measuring device according to the present invention measures the operating time from the start to the end of the rising operation of the disconnector rod based on the change in the operating current for driving the disconnector rod of the circuit breaker, and When the lowering operation of the cutoff rod starts, the current flowing through an electrical wiring different from the electrical cable through which the operating current flows that is, the current that changes more greatly than the operating current flowing through the electric cable, and flowing through the electric cable includes means for measuring the operating time from the start to the end of the lowering operation of the disconnector rod based on the change in the operating current.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the method and measuring device for measuring the operating time of the disconnector rod according to the present invention, manual measurement by a maintenance worker as in the prior art becomes unnecessary, When the cutoff rod rises based on the change in the operating current also, based on the current flowing through an electrical wiring different from the electric cable through which the operating current flows when the cutoff rod descends and the change in the operating current, the operating time of the disconnector rod can be automatically measured with a simple configuration.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the measuring device 2 of this embodiment measures the operation time T from the start to the end of the operation of the ascending or descending movement of the blocking rod 11 for a cutoff machine 1 installed at a level crossing where a railway track and a road intersect, for example.

[0013] The barrier 1 includes a barrier rod 11 for preventing the intrusion of people and vehicles into the level crossing, a drive unit 12 for driving the barrier rod 11, and a control unit 13 for controlling the drive unit 12. The drive unit 12 is connected to a power supply P disposed outside the barrier 1 via an electric cable C, and drives the barrier rod 11 to perform a lifting operation by supplying the output voltage of the power supply P to a general-purpose inverter motor or the like. The control unit 13 controls the driving state of the barrier rod 11 by the drive unit 12 according to a command (rise command or fall command) given from the outside.

[0014] The measuring device 2 includes a detection unit 21 for detecting an operating current I for driving the barrier rod 11 of the barrier 1, a storage unit 22 for storing the operating current I detected by the detection unit 21, and an arithmetic processing unit 23 for calculating the temporal change of the operating current I stored in the storage unit 22 and determining the timing of the start of operation and the timing of the end of operation based on the calculation result, and calculating the operation time of the barrier rod 11.

[0015] The detection unit 21 detects the operating current I flowing through the electric cable C when the barrier rod 11 is driven, for example, by using a clamp-type current sensor attached to the electric cable C connecting between the power supply P and the drive unit 12 of the barrier 1. The detection of the operating current I in the detection unit 21 is repeatedly performed at a predetermined sampling period Fs, and the detected value is sequentially stored in the storage unit 22.

[0016] The storage unit 22 can store the data of the operating current I detected by the detection unit 21 and the data indicating the calculation result of the arithmetic processing unit 23 for a predetermined holding period (for example, for several days). The data after the holding period has elapsed is updated (overwritten) with new data. FIG. 2 shows an example of the data stored in the storage unit 22 of the measuring device 2. In this example, for each number of sampling periods Fs, the detected value of the operating current I at the detection unit 21, and the current value of the operating current I, the moving average value, the difference between the current value and the moving average value, and the presence or absence of a flag calculated by the arithmetic processing unit 23 described later are stored, and data such as the value of the threshold used for determining the magnitude of the difference is stored.

[0017] The arithmetic processing unit 23 calculates the temporal change of the operating current I using the data stored in the storage unit 22. Here, as the temporal change of the operating current I, the difference between the current value of the operating current I and the moving average value of the operating current I for a preset averaging period is calculated. In other words, in the arithmetic processing unit 23 of the present embodiment, an operation is performed to determine how much the current value of the operating current I has changed with respect to the moving average value obtained by averaging the operating current I over a past predetermined period.

[0018] Specifically, the arithmetic processing unit 23 sets, as the current value of the operating current I, data for m cycles including the latest data among the data stored in the storage unit 22 as one set, and calculates the average value of the m pieces of data included in this set. That is, the arithmetic processing unit 23 calculates the average value of the most recent m pieces of data as the current value of the operating current I. By setting the current value of the operating current I to the average value of m pieces of data, the influence of noise superimposed on the operating current I is reduced.

[0019] Also, the arithmetic processing unit 23 calculates the moving average of the average values of each set of n sets as the moving average value of the operating current I. The averaging period in this moving average value of the operating current I is (Fs × m × n). The average value of each set of n sets may be the average value of the latest set and the subsequent (n - 1) sets, or the average value of n sets excluding the latest set. By excluding the average value of the latest set (i.e., the current value of the operating current I) from the calculation target of the moving average value of the operating current I as described above, the temporal change (the difference between the current value and the moving average value) of the operating current I becomes clearer.

[0020] Furthermore, the arithmetic processing unit 23 calculates the difference between the calculated current value and the moving average value of the operating current I. The arithmetic processing unit 23 determines the timing at which the magnitude of the calculated difference first exceeds a predetermined threshold, and determines that timing as the start timing of the rising or falling operation of the cutoff lever 11. The predetermined threshold can be appropriately set in consideration of the change characteristics of the operating current I and the influence of noise, etc. The setting and change of the threshold can be performed using general input means. The specific setting of the threshold will be described later.

[0021] In addition, after the timing of the determined start of operation until the elapse of a preset measurement target period, the arithmetic processing unit 23 determines the timing when the magnitude of the difference between the current value and the moving average value of the operating current I last exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and determines that timing as the timing of the end of the rising or falling operation of the cutoff rod 11. The measurement target period is set to be sufficiently longer than the rising or falling operation time of the cutoff rod 11 during normal times (for example, ten-odd seconds). Then, the arithmetic processing unit 23 calculates the operation time T required from the timing of the start of the rising or falling operation of the cutoff rod 11 to the timing of the end of the operation, and outputs information indicating the calculated operation time T to the outside.

[0022] Next, the details of the method for measuring the operation time T in the measuring device 2 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 3.

[0023] When the measurement of the operation time T by the measuring device 2 is started, first, in step S10 of FIG. 3, the detection unit 21 detects the operation current I flowing through the electric cable C according to a predetermined sampling period Fs. The detected value of the operation current I by the detection unit 21 is sequentially stored in the storage unit 22 (see the second column of FIG. 2).

[0024] In the subsequent step S20, the arithmetic processing unit 23 calculates the current value (average value of the latest m data) of the operation current I with reference to the data stored in the storage unit 22. The current value of the operation current I calculated by the arithmetic processing unit 23 is also stored in the storage unit 22 in the same manner as the detected value of the operation current I (see the third column of FIG. 2).

[0025] In the subsequent step S30, the arithmetic processing unit 23 determines whether the elapsed time since the start of the measurement has reached the averaging period, that is, whether the time (Fs×m×n) at which the average value of each set of n pieces has been calculated has elapsed (m×n in terms of the number of sampling periods shown in the first column of FIG. 2). If the elapsed time since the start of the measurement has not reached the averaging period (NO), the process returns to step S10 described above, and the detection of the operating current I and the calculation of the current value are repeated. On the other hand, if the elapsed time since the start of the measurement has reached the averaging period (YES), the process proceeds to the next step S40.

[0026] In step S40, the arithmetic processing unit 23 refers to the data stored in the storage unit 22 and calculates the moving average value of the operating current I for the averaging period (the average value of each set of n pieces). Then, when the calculation of the moving average value is completed, in the next step S50, the arithmetic processing unit 23 calculates the difference between the current value (the average value of the latest set) of the operating current I and the moving average value.

[0027] In the subsequent step S60, the arithmetic processing unit 23 determines whether the magnitude of the difference between the current value of the operating current I calculated in step S50 and the moving average value exceeds a predetermined threshold. If the magnitude of the difference does not exceed the threshold, that is, if the temporal change in the operating current I is relatively small (NO), the process proceeds to step S100 described later. On the other hand, if the magnitude of the difference exceeds the threshold, that is, if the temporal change in the operating current I is relatively large (YES), in the subsequent step S70, a flag indicating that the magnitude of the difference has exceeded the threshold is set. Note that the moving average value of the operating current I, the difference between the current value and the moving average value, and the presence or absence of the flag are also stored in the storage unit 22 (see the fourth to sixth columns of FIG. 2).

[0028] In the subsequent step S80, the arithmetic processing unit 23 determines whether the flag set in the above step S70 is the first flag. If it corresponds to the first flag (YES), in the next step S90, the arithmetic processing unit 23 determines the timing when the first flag is set as the start timing of the ascending or descending operation of the cutoff lever 11. On the other hand, if it does not correspond to the first flag in the determination of step S80, that is, if the flag has already been set and the operation start timing has been determined (NO), the process proceeds to step S100.

[0029] In step S100, the arithmetic processing unit 23 determines whether the preset measurement target period has elapsed after the operation start timing determined in the above step S90. If the measurement target period has not elapsed yet (NO), the process returns to the aforementioned step S10. On the other hand, if the measurement target period has elapsed (YES), the process proceeds to the next step S110.

[0030] In step S110, the arithmetic processing unit 23 determines the timing when the flag was last set during the measurement target period as the end timing of the ascending or descending operation of the cutoff lever 11. In the subsequent step S120, the arithmetic processing unit 23 calculates the operation time T required from the operation start timing to the operation end timing. Then, the arithmetic processing unit 23 outputs the information indicating the calculated operation time T to the outside. Note that the operation time T calculated by the arithmetic processing unit 23 of the measuring device 2 does not distinguish whether it is the operation time during ascent or descent. To distinguish between ascent and descent, it is necessary to refer to commands given to the control unit 13 of the cutoff machine 1, which will be described later.

[0031] FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are diagrams illustrating the temporal change of the operating current I and the transitions of the current value, moving average value, and difference of the operating current I calculated corresponding to the change. FIG. 4 is an example of data in the descending operation of the cutoff lever 11, and FIG. 5 is an example of data in the ascending operation of the cutoff lever 11.

[0032] The left end of the horizontal axis (time axis) in Fig. 4 corresponds to the timing of the start of measurement of the operation time T by the measuring device 2. Immediately after the start of measurement, the lowering operation of the cutoff rod 11 has not yet started, and there is almost no temporal change in the operating current I (dotted line). For this reason, the current value (〇 mark) and the moving average value (□ mark) of the operating current I also change substantially constantly. Then, when a lowering command is given to the cutoff machine 1, the operating current I increases and the lowering operation of the cutoff rod 11 starts. At this time, the current value (〇 mark) of the operating current I increases following the change in the operating current I (dotted line) immediately after the start of lowering, while the moving average value (□ mark) of the operating current I increases with a delay compared to the current value. For this reason, the difference (solid line) between the current value and the moving average value of the operating current I, which was almost zero before the start of lowering, changes more greatly immediately after the start of lowering. When the magnitude of this difference exceeds a predetermined threshold value, a flag (△ mark) is set, and the timing when the first flag is set is determined as the timing of the start of the lowering operation. Also, at the same time as the start of the lowering operation, the measurement target period (open arrow) starts.

[0033] Within the measurement target period, a flag (△ mark) is set each time the magnitude of the difference between the current value and the moving average value of the operating current I exceeds the threshold value. In an example of Fig. 4, within slightly less than 1 second immediately after the start of the operation, a relatively large change in the operating current I occurs and the flag is repeatedly set. After that, the change in the operating current I during the lowering operation becomes small and the flag is no longer set, but when the cutoff rod 11 approaches the lowered position, the change in the operating current I becomes large again and the flag is set. Then, when the cutoff rod 11 reaches the lowered position, the operating current I becomes substantially constant and the flag is no longer set. When the elapsed time from the start of the lowering operation exceeds the measurement target period in such a state, the timing when the last flag was set is determined as the timing of the end of the lowering operation. Therefore, the lowering operation time T of the cutoff rod 11 can be calculated as the time required from the start of the operation (first flag) to the end of the operation (last flag).

[0034] Also, regarding an example of the ascending operation shown in FIG. 5, similar to the case of the example of the descending operation as described above, when the magnitude of the difference between the current value and the moving average value of the operating current I exceeds the threshold value, a flag is set. The timing when the first flag is set is determined as the start timing of the ascending operation, and the timing when the last flag is set is determined as the end timing of the ascending operation. A major difference between the example of the ascending operation in FIG. 5 and the example of the descending operation in FIG. 4 described above is that the operating current I flowing during the ascending operation is overall larger than the operating current I flowing during the descending operation. Regarding its temporal change, not only immediately after the start of the operation and immediately before the end of the operation, but also relatively large changes occur during the ascending process. Therefore, the magnitude of the difference between the current value and the moving average value of the operating current I exceeds the threshold value throughout the ascending operation, and a large number of flags are set. When the operating current I shows such a temporal change, it is possible to reduce the measurement error due to noise by setting the threshold value used for determining the magnitude of the difference relatively large.

[0035] Note that as a method for setting the threshold value used for determining the magnitude of the difference between the current value and the moving average value of the operating current I, it is possible to set a common threshold value for all of (1) determination of the start of the descending operation, (2) determination of the end of the descending operation, (3) determination of the start of the ascending operation, and (4) determination of the end of the ascending operation, or to set different threshold values for the descending operation in (1)(2) and the ascending operation in (3)(4), or to set different threshold values for the start of the operation in (1)(3) and the end of the operation in (2)(4). Specifically, for the examples shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in both the descending and ascending operations, the magnitude of the difference at the end of the operation is smaller than that at the start of the operation. Therefore, by setting the threshold value used for the determination of the start of the operation in (1)(3) relatively large and the threshold value used for the determination of the end of the operation in (2)(4) relatively small, it is possible to improve the measurement accuracy of the operation time T.

[0036] As described above, according to the measuring device 2 of the present embodiment, by measuring the operation time T from the start to the end of the rising or falling operation of the cutoff rod 11 based on the change in the operation current I that drives the cutoff rod 11 of the cutoff machine 1, manual measurement of the operation time by a maintenance worker as in the prior art becomes unnecessary, and it is possible to automate the measurement. Further, the measuring device 2 of the present embodiment only needs to be provided with one input terminal for detecting the operation current I instead of the two input terminals required when taking out and using the output signals of the rising-side cam switch and the falling-side cam switch in a conventional cutoff machine. Therefore, it is possible to realize a measuring device with a simple configuration and a small size.

[0037] Furthermore, in the measuring device 2 of the present embodiment, the operation current I detected by the detection unit 21 is stored in the storage unit 22, and based on the temporal change of the operation current I calculated using the stored data in the storage unit 22, the timings of the start and end of the operation of the cutoff rod 11 during rising or falling are determined to calculate the operation time T. Thereby, since it is possible to accurately and reliably determine the timings of the start and end of the operation where the temporal change of the operation current I becomes relatively large, it is possible to measure the operation time T with high accuracy. In addition, by obtaining the difference between the current value and the moving average value of the operation current I as the temporal change of the operation current I, it is possible to more accurately and reliably determine the timings of the start and end of the operation while effectively suppressing the influence of noise.

[0038] Note that in the measuring device 2 of the present embodiment described above, the temporal change is calculated using the moving average value of the operation current I, but it is also possible to obtain the temporal change of the operation current I using other parameters other than the moving average value. Hereinafter, as a modification example of the measuring device 2 described above, the case where the operation current acceleration is used to perform the calculation of the temporal change will be described.

[0039] FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining a method of measuring the operation time T in a modified example of the above-described measuring apparatus 2. Note that the configuration of the apparatus in the modified example is the same as that of the measuring apparatus 2 shown in FIG. 1 described above, and thus the description thereof is omitted. In the modified example, the temporal change of the operating current I is calculated using the operating current acceleration obtained by differentiating the operating current I twice with respect to time.

[0040] Specifically, in step S210 of FIG. 6, in the same manner as in step S10 of FIG. 3 described above, the detection unit 21 detects the operating current I according to a predetermined sampling period Fs and sequentially stores it in the storage unit 22. In the subsequent step S220, the arithmetic processing unit 23 calculates the operating current acceleration obtained by differentiating the operating current I twice with respect to time with reference to the data stored in the storage unit 22 and stores it in the storage unit 22.

[0041] In the subsequent step S230, the arithmetic processing unit 23 determines whether or not the magnitude of the operating current acceleration calculated in step S220 exceeds a predetermined threshold value. If the magnitude of the operating current acceleration does not exceed the threshold value, that is, if the temporal change of the operating current I is relatively small (NO), the process proceeds to step S270 described later. On the other hand, if the magnitude of the operating current acceleration exceeds the threshold value, that is, if the temporal change of the operating current I is relatively large (YES), in the subsequent step S240, a flag indicating that the magnitude of the operating current acceleration has exceeded the threshold value is set.

[0042] Each process in steps S250 to S290 hereinafter is the same as each process in steps S80 to S120 of FIG. 3 described above. The timing at which the first flag is set is determined as the timing of the start of the rising or falling operation, and the timing at which the last flag is set is determined as the timing of the end of the rising or falling operation. Then, the time required from the start of the operation (first flag) to the end of the operation (last flag) is calculated as the rising or falling operation time T, and information indicating the operation time T is output to the outside. In this way, even if the temporal change of the operating current I is calculated using the operating current acceleration, the same effects as those in the above-described embodiment can be achieved.

[0043] Incidentally, the operating current I measured by the measurement device 2 described above may have different temporal change patterns depending on the type (form) of the circuit breaker 1 to be measured. For example, in a certain type of circuit breaker 1, the change in the operating current I at the start of the downward movement of the cutoff rod 11 may be minimal. In this case, even if an attempt is made to optimize the determination threshold, it may be difficult to accurately and stably measure the operating time T due to factors such as individual differences in the circuit breaker 1 and the installation environment (noise). Below, an application example of a measurement device that addresses such a case will be described.

[0044] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the measurement device according to the above application example. In the measurement device 2' shown in FIG. 7, a filter circuit 24 is added to the measurement device 2 shown in FIG. 1 above. The filter circuit 24 is an electric circuit configured to allow a charging current to flow through a capacitor at the start of the downward movement based on the state of the contacts of a relay that controls the upward or downward movement of the cutoff rod 11. Note that since the configuration of the measurement device 2' other than the filter circuit 24 is the same as the configuration of the measurement device 2 described above, the description here is omitted.

[0045] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a specific configuration example of the filter circuit 24. In FIG. 8, the filter circuit 24 is connected to two control relays TER and CR arranged in series that form part of the control unit 13 of the circuit breaker 1. The control relay TER arranged in the front stage is supplied with the power supply voltage from the power supply P. The control relay TER has a front contact and a back contact, and determines whether to raise or lower the cutoff rod 11 according to the state of the contacts. That is, in this circuit example, a control signal corresponding to the above-described upward command or downward command is generated according to the state of the contacts of the control relay TER. Specifically, here, a control signal corresponding to the upward command is generated when the control relay TER is in the ON state (the front contact is closed and the back contact is open), and a control signal corresponding to the downward command is generated when the control relay TER is in the OFF state (the back contact is closed and the front contact is open).

[0046] The control relay CR arranged in the latter stage is a relay for switching the operating state of the drive unit 12 of the circuit breaker 1 according to the ON / OFF state of the control relay TER in the former stage. Specifically, when the control relay TER is ON, the control relay CR turns on (ON), and the drive unit 12 is controlled so that the cutoff rod 11 moves upward. Also, when the control relay TER is OFF, the control relay CR turns off (OFF), and the drive unit 12 is controlled so that the cutoff rod 11 moves downward.

[0047] The filter circuit 24 has, for example, two resistors R1, R2 and a capacitor C1. One end of the resistor R1 is connected to the normally closed contact of the control relay TER, which becomes closed during the downward movement of the cutoff rod 11. Note that the normally closed contact of the control relay TER was unused in the configuration before adding the filter circuit 24 (FIG. 1). One end of the capacitor C1 is connected to the other end of the resistor R1. The other end of the capacitor C1 is connected to the output side terminal of the control relay CR. The resistor R2 is connected in parallel to the resistor R1 and the capacitor C1 connected in series. The electrical wiring L connecting between the other end of the capacitor C1 and the output side terminal of the control relay CR is drawn out to near the electrical cable C connecting between the power supply P and the drive unit 12, and a clamp type current sensor is attached to the electrical cable C and the electrical wiring L together (see FIG. 7).

[0048] In the measuring device 2' with the filter circuit 24 added as described above, at the timing when the control relay TER switches from ON to OFF, that is, triggered by the start of the downward movement of the cutoff rod 11, the capacitor C1 of the filter circuit 24 is charged. When the relatively large charging current I' flowing through the electrical wiring L during the charging of this capacitor C1 is detected by the clamp type current sensor together with the operating current I at the detection unit 21, even when the temporal change of the operating current I at the start of the downward movement is small, the timing of the start of the downward movement can be clearly determined.

[0049] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the temporal change of the operating current I + I' measured when the cutoff rod 11 descends in the measuring device 2', and the transitions of the current value, moving average value, and difference of the operating current I + I' calculated corresponding to the change. Further, FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an enlarged view of the area before and after the start of the descending operation in FIG. 9 (area A surrounded by the broken line).

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, in the circuit breaker 1 that the measuring device 2' is measuring, the change in the operating current I (without the filter circuit) in the descending operation of the cutoff rod 11 is overall less than the change in the operating current I shown in FIG. 4 above. In particular, the operating current I at the start of the descending operation is around 0.2 [A] as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 10, and the temporal change is minimal. For measuring the operating time T of the cutoff rod 11 in such a circuit breaker 1, the measuring device 2' with the added filter circuit 24 is effective.

[0051] Specifically explaining the operation of the filter circuit 24 with reference to FIG. 10, when the control relay TER switches from ON to OFF and the descending operation of the cutoff rod 11 starts, the operating current I shown by the dotted line in the figure flows through the resistor R1 and capacitor C1 of the filter circuit 24 via the normally closed contact of the control relay TER, and the capacitor C1 is charged. When this capacitor C1 is being charged, a charging current I' larger than the operating current I flows through the electrical wiring L for a short time. Therefore, the operating current I + I' shown by the solid line in the figure detected by the detection unit 21 by the clamp type current sensor shows a relatively large temporal change. Accordingly, in the measuring device 2', the data of the operating current I + I' detected by the detection unit 21 is stored in the storage unit 22, and in accordance with the same procedure as in the case of the measuring device 2 described above, the current value and moving average value (or operating current acceleration) of the operating current I + I' are calculated by the arithmetic processing unit 23, and the threshold determination of their difference is performed. Thereby, the measuring device 2' can determine the timing of the start of the descending operation of the cutoff rod 11.

[0052] Also, in the filter circuit 24, the time constants of the resistor R1 and the capacitor C1 are set to be short, and with respect to the measurement of the operating current I after the start of the descending operation, the influence due to the addition of the filter circuit 24 is suppressed. Further, the discharge of the capacitor C1 charged at the start of the descending operation is performed by the resistor R2 connected in parallel with the resistor R1 and the capacitor C1 during the control of the ascending operation of the cutoff rod 11 (when the control relay TER is ON). Thereby, the measuring device 2' can determine the timing of the end of the descending operation of the cutoff rod 11 in the same manner as in the case of the measuring device 2 described above, and can also determine the timings of the start and the end of the ascending operation of the cutoff rod 11.

[0053] According to the measuring device 2' with the filter circuit 24 added as described above, even when the change in the operating current I at the start of the descending operation is minimal, it becomes possible to correctly and stably measure the operating time T of the cutoff rod 11.

[0054] Next, an embodiment of the cutoff device using the measuring device as described above will be described. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a cutoff device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 11, the cutoff device 3 includes the cutoff machine 1, the power supply P, and the measuring device 2 (or the measuring device 2') shown in FIG. 1 (or FIG. 7) described above, a monitoring unit 31 to which the information output from the measuring device 2 (or the measuring device 2') is input, a storage unit 32 capable of storing the output information generated by the monitoring unit 31, a display unit 33 for displaying the output information, and an external output connector 34 to which a terminal device such as a personal computer can be connected.

[0055] The monitoring unit 31 generates and outputs externally information regarding the operating state of the circuit breaker 1 according to the operating time T measured by the measuring device 2 (the operating time T from the start to the end of the upward or downward movement of the cutoff rod 11 of the circuit breaker 1). Here, the monitoring unit 31 uses the operating time T measured by the measuring device 2 and the command (upward command or downward command) given to the control unit 13 of the circuit breaker 1 from the outside to monitor whether the operating state of the circuit breaker 1 is normal or abnormal, and generates and outputs externally output information indicating the monitoring result. The output information generated by the monitoring unit 31 is stored in the storage unit 32 and is also transmitted to the display unit 33 and the external output connector 34. FIG. 12 shows an example of the data stored in the storage unit 32 of the cutoff device 3. In this example, data such as the movement direction (upward / downward) of the cutoff rod 11, the operating time T measured by the measuring device 2, and the operating state (normal / abnormal) of the circuit breaker 1 are stored.

[0056] The display unit 33 displays the output information from the monitoring unit 31 on an LED monitor or the like, so that maintenance personnel or the like can visually confirm the operating state of the circuit breaker 1. The external output connector 34 is used when taking in the output information generated by the monitoring unit 31 into the terminal device.

[0057] Next, the operation of the cutoff device 3 of the present embodiment will be described. In the cutoff device 3 of the present embodiment, in the same manner as described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5 above, the measuring device 2 measures the upward or downward operating time T of the cutoff rod 11 of the circuit breaker 1, and information indicating the operating time T is given to the monitoring unit 31. In the monitoring unit 31, it is determined whether the operating time T measured by the measuring device 2 is the operating time T during the upward movement of the cutoff rod 11 or the operating time T during the downward movement of the cutoff rod 11. This determination is made by referring to the command (upward command or downward command) given to the control unit 13 of the circuit breaker 1 in the monitoring unit 31, and it is determined whether the operating time T measured by the measuring device 2 is for the upward movement or the downward movement.

[0058] Further, in the monitoring unit 31, the operating state of the cutoff machine 1 is monitored according to the operating time T during rising and the operating time T during falling. Specifically, for example, when the operating time T during rising and the operating time T during falling are within a previously specified range, it is determined that the operating state of the cutoff machine 1 is normal, and when it is outside the range, it is determined that the operating state of the cutoff machine 1 is abnormal. The range serving as the criterion for the operating state can be specified, for example, by setting the upper limit value of the range according to the specification values of the cutoff machine 1. Usually, since the specification values regarding the operating time of the cutoff machine 1 are only shown as the upper limit, the lower limit value of the range may not be particularly specified and the operating state may be determined only by the upper limit value. Alternatively, it is also possible to separately acquire data regarding the variation in the operating time T during normal operation, and calculate and specify the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the range based on the acquired data. Note that, as a prerequisite for the operating state of the cutoff machine 1 to be normal, the output voltage supplied from the power supply P to the drive unit 12 of the cutoff machine 1 and the operating current I flowing through the electric cable C need to be within the range of the specification values of the cutoff machine 1.

[0059] Furthermore, in the monitoring unit 31, output information is generated according to the content determined as described above. This output information is output to the outside according to the format illustrated in the upper left of FIG. 11. Specifically, the output information includes the operating direction (rising or falling) of the cutoff lever 11, the value of the operating time T, the operating state (normal or abnormal) of the cutoff machine 1, and the like. Note that the order of each item in the above format can be interchanged and is not limited thereto. The output information generated by the monitoring unit 31 is stored in the storage unit 32 (see FIG. 12) and is also output to the display unit 33 and the external output connector 34.

[0060] Note that the output of the information generated by the monitoring unit 31 to the outside may be performed in real time each time the output information is generated, or the output information stored in the storage unit 32 may be collectively output to the outside for a required period in response to a transmission request from the outside or the like. Also, the output information stored in the storage unit 32 is preferably accumulated for a predetermined holding period (for example, for several days), and the output information that has passed the holding period is updated (overwritten) with new output information.

[0061] According to the cutoff device 3 of the present embodiment as described above, the monitoring unit 31 monitors the operating state of the cutoff machine 1 according to the operating time T measured by the measuring device 2, so that information on whether the cutoff machine 1 is operating normally can be surely transmitted to the outside.

[0062] Next, an embodiment of the monitoring device using the measuring device as described above will be described. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a monitoring device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 13, the monitoring device 4 remotely monitors the operating states of a plurality (N units) of cutoff machines 1 installed outside. 1 , 1 2 , …1 N This monitoring device 4 is connected to a power supply P connected via electric cables C 1 ~1 N to N cutoff machines 1, and detects the operating current I 1 ~C N flowing through each electric cable C 1 ~C N to measure the operating time T 1 ~I N of the rising or falling of the cutoff rods (not shown) of each cutoff machine 1 1 ~1 N ~T 1 ~T N The monitoring device 4 includes a measuring device 40, a monitoring unit 41 into which information indicating the measurement result of the measuring device 40 is input, a storage unit 42 capable of storing the output information generated by the monitoring unit 41, a display unit 43 for displaying the output information, and an external output connector 44 connectable to a terminal device such as a personal computer.

[0063] The measuring device 40 has basically the same configuration as the measuring device 2 (or the measuring device 2′) shown in FIG. 1 described above. The difference from the measuring device 2 (or the measuring device 2′) is that it has N input terminals corresponding to N cutoff machines 1 1 ~1 N respectively. Each input terminal of the measuring device 40 is connected to each electric cable C 1 ~C NClamp-type current sensors attached thereto are respectively connected. The measuring device 40 measures the operating current I 1 ~C N flowing through each electrical cable C 1 ~I N using the clamp-type current sensors, and uses each detected operating current I 1 ~I N to measure the operation time T 1 ~1 N of the rising or falling of the cutoff rod of each cutoff device 1 1 ~T N in the same manner as in the case of the above-described measuring device 2 (or measuring device 2'). The measuring device 40 outputs information indicating the measured operation time T 1 ~T N to the monitoring unit 41.

[0064] The monitoring unit 41 generates information regarding the operating state of each cutoff device 1 1 ~T N according to each measured operation time T 1 ~1 N and outputs it to the outside. Here, the monitoring unit 41 monitors whether the operating state of each cutoff device 1 1 ~T N is normal or abnormal using each operation time T 1 ~1 N measured by the measuring device 2 and the command (rise command or fall command) given to each cutoff device 1 1 ~1 N from the outside, and generates output information indicating the monitoring result and outputs it to the outside. The output information generated by the monitoring unit 41 is stored in the storage unit 42 and is also transmitted to the display unit 43 and the external output connector 44. FIG. 14 shows an example of the data stored in the storage unit 42 of the monitoring device 4. In this example, data such as the date and time when the output information was generated by the monitoring unit 41, the number of the operating cutoff device, the operating direction (rise / fall) of the cutoff rod 11, the operation time T measured by the measuring device 40, and the operating state (normal / abnormal) of the cutoff device are stored. Note that in the above example, the data is sequentially stored in the order of the date and time when the output information was generated by the monitoring unit 41, but the data may be stored by dividing areas for each number of the cutoff device.

[0065] The display unit 43 displays the output information from the monitoring unit 41 on an LED monitor or the like, so that maintenance personnel or the like can visually confirm the operating states of the respective circuit breakers 1 1 ~1 N . The external output connector 44 is used when taking in the output information generated by the monitoring unit 41 into a terminal device.

[0066] Next, the operation of the monitoring device 4 of the present embodiment will be described. In the monitoring device 4 of the present embodiment, in the same manner as in the case of the measuring device 2 described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5 above, by the measuring device 40, the operating time T of the rising or falling of the cutoff rod of each circuit breaker 1 1 ~1 N is measured, and information indicating each operating time T 1 ~T N is given to the monitoring unit 41. In the monitoring unit 41, it is determined whether each operating time T 1 ~T N measured by the measuring device 40 is the operating time T 1 ~T N during the rising of the cutoff rod or the operating time T 1 ~T N during the falling of the cutoff rod. This determination is made in the monitoring unit 41 by referring to the command (rising command or falling command) given to each circuit breaker 1 1 ~1 N to determine whether each operating time T 1 ~1 N measured by the measuring device 40 is for rising or falling. 1 ~T N is determined.

[0067] Also, in the monitoring unit 41, the operating state of each circuit breaker 1 1 ~T N during rising and the operating time T 1 ~T N during falling are monitored to determine whether they are normal. Specifically, for example, the operating time T 1 ~1 N during rising and the operating time T 1 during falling and the operating time T 1When it is within a pre - defined range, it is determined that the operating state of the circuit breaker 1 1 is normal, and when it is outside the range, it is determined that the operating state of the circuit breaker 1 1 is abnormal. Regarding the operating states of other circuit breakers 1 2 ~1 N the same judgment as for circuit breaker 1 1 is made as to whether it is normal or abnormal. Note that the range and pre - conditions serving as the criteria for the operating state judgment are the same as in the case of the above - mentioned circuit breaker 3

[0068] Furthermore, in the monitoring unit 41, output information is generated according to the content judged as described above. This output information is output to the outside in real - time in the order of generation according to the format exemplified in the upper left of FIG. 13. Specifically, the output information includes the number of the operating circuit breaker, the operating direction of the breaker rod (ascending or descending), the value of the operating time T, the operating state of the circuit breaker (normal or abnormal), etc. Note that the order of each item in the above - mentioned format can be interchanged and is not limited to this. The output information generated by the monitoring unit 41 is stored in the storage unit 42 and is also output to the display unit 43 and the external output connector 44. Note that the method of outputting the information generated by the monitoring unit 41 to the outside and the method of updating the output information stored in the storage unit 42 are the same as in the case of the above - mentioned circuit breaker 3

[0069] As described above, according to the monitoring device 4 of the present embodiment, for each circuit breaker 1 1 ~1 N corresponding to the operating time T 1 ~T N measured by the measuring device 40, the monitoring unit 41 monitors the operating states of each circuit breaker 1 1 ~1 N so that it is possible to remotely collectively monitor whether N circuit breakers 1 1 ~1 N are operating normally. Also, in the measuring device 40 of the monitoring device 4, the circuit breakers 1 1 ~1 NIt is only necessary to provide input terminals corresponding to the number of units, so that complication of the configuration of the measuring device 40 can be avoided, and a small-sized monitoring device 4 can be realized. Such a small-sized monitoring device 4 can also be arranged in an instrument box or the like installed beside a line.

[0070] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention and their modifications have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and their modifications, and further modifications and changes are possible based on the technical idea of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example of measuring the operating time T of the cutoff rod 11 of the cutoff machine 1 installed at a level crossing has been described. However, it is of course possible to apply the present invention to the measurement of the operating time of the cutoff rod in cutoff machines installed in various facilities other than level crossings.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0071] 1, 1 1 ~1 N …Cutoff machine, 2, 2’, 40…Measuring device, 3…Cutoff device, 4…Monitoring device, 11…Cutoff rod, 12…Drive unit, 13…Control unit, 21…Detection unit, 22, 32, 42…Storage unit, 23…Arithmetic processing unit, 24…Filter circuit, 31, 41…Monitoring unit, 33, 43…Display unit, 34, 44…External output connector, C, C 1 ~C N …Electric cable, C1…Capacitor, I, I 1 ~I N …Operating current, I’…Charging current, L…Electrical wiring, P…Power supply, R1, R2…Resistor, T, T 1 ~T N …Operating time

Claims

1. Based on the change in the operating current that drives the cutoff rod of the cutoff machine, measure the operating time from the start to the end of the upward movement of the cutoff rod, and at the start of the downward movement of the cutoff rod, a current flowing through an electrical wiring different from the electrical cable through which the operating current flows, the current that changes more greatly than the operating current flowing through the electrical cable, and based on the change in the operating current flowing through the electrical cable, measure the operating time from the start to the end of the downward movement of the cutoff rod.

2. A measuring device, characterized by including means for measuring the operating time from the start to the end of the upward movement of the cutoff rod based on the change in the operating current that drives the cutoff rod of the cutoff machine, and at the start of the downward movement of the cutoff rod, a current flowing through an electrical wiring different from the electrical cable through which the operating current flows, the current that changes more greatly than the operating current flowing through the electrical cable, and based on the change in the operating current flowing through the electrical cable, measure the operating time from the start to the end of the downward movement of the cutoff rod.

3. The means for measuring the operating time is a filter circuit that, at the start of the downward movement of the cutoff rod, causes a charging current to flow through the electrical wiring connected to the capacitor based on the state of the contacts of the relay that controls the upward and downward movements of the cutoff rod, and the electrical wiring is led out close to the electrical cable that connects between the power supply and the drive unit of the cutoff rod; a detection unit that collectively detects the operating current flowing through the electrical cable and the current flowing through the electrical wiring; a storage unit that stores the current detected by the detection unit; an arithmetic processing unit that calculates the temporal change of the current stored in the storage unit, determines the timing of the start of the operation and the timing of the end of the operation based on the calculated temporal change, and calculates the operating time; The measuring device according to claim 2, characterized by having the above.

4. The filter circuit according to claim 3, characterized in that based on the state of the contacts of the relay that controls the upward and downward movements of the cutoff rod, at the start of the downward movement, a charging current is caused to flow through the electrical wiring connected to the capacitor, and the electrical wiring is led out close to the electrical cable that connects between the power supply and the drive unit of the cutoff rod.

5. The arithmetic processing unit obtains a moving average value of the current stored in the storage unit for a preset averaging period, determines the timing at which the magnitude of the difference between the current value of the current stored in the storage unit and the moving average value first exceeds a predetermined threshold as the timing of the start of the operation, and determines the timing at which the magnitude of the difference last exceeds the threshold as the timing of the end of the operation during the period from the determined timing of the start of the operation until a preset measurement target period elapses. The measuring device according to claim 3, characterized in that.

6. The arithmetic processing unit differentiates the current stored in the storage unit twice to obtain an operating current acceleration, determines the timing at which the magnitude of the operating current acceleration first exceeds a predetermined threshold as the timing of the start of the operation, and determines the timing at which the magnitude of the operating current acceleration last exceeds the threshold as the timing of the end of the operation during the period from the determined timing of the start of the operation until a preset measurement target period elapses. The measuring device according to claim 3, characterized in that.

7. The measuring device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, A monitoring unit that generates and outputs externally information regarding the operating state of the circuit breaker according to the operating time measured by the measuring device, A circuit breaker device, characterized by including.

8. The measuring device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, A monitoring unit that generates and outputs externally information regarding the operating state of each circuit breaker according to the operating time corresponding to a plurality of circuit breakers measured by the measuring device, A monitoring device, characterized by including.

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