Brake control device for railway vehicles

Abstract

A brake control device (4) for a railway vehicle having a plurality of mechanical brake devices (5a to 5d) that obtain brake force by pressing a friction material against a rotating body that rotates while the railway vehicle is traveling, the brake control device controlling the mechanical brake devices, wherein the brake control device comprises: a target brake force calculation unit (42) that calculates a target brake force, which is a target value of the brake force outputted by the mechanical brake devices, so that the target brake force is equal among the mechanical brake devices; an output target value calculation unit (43) that, on the basis of the target brake force and for each of the mechanical brake devices, calculates an output target value, which is a target value of force with respect to an operation member that operates the friction material; and an equality adjustment unit (44) that acquires actual brake forces, which are brake forces detected by brake force detection units (6a to 6d) installed in the mechanical brake devices, and, when the actual brake forces are not equal, corrects the output target values so that the actual brake forces of the mechanical brake devices match the target brake force.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a brake control device for use in a railway vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Railway vehicles are equipped with mechanical brake devices that apply braking by pressing friction material against rotating bodies that rotate while the railway vehicle is running, such as wheels or braking members that rotate integrally with the wheels. The friction material of mechanical brake devices wears with use and must be replaced when a preset amount of material remains. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a wear amount calculation device that estimates the amount of wear of the friction material based on the brake pressure, the speed of the object being braked, and the braking time, and notifies the maintenance worker when it is time to replace it, thereby reducing the burden on the maintenance worker. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-121251 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, railway vehicles are equipped with multiple mechanical brake devices, and depending on the usage conditions of the mechanical brake devices, the amount of wear on the friction material may differ between mechanical brake devices, resulting in different replacement times for the friction material, which creates a problem of reduced maintenance efficiency for workers.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide a brake control device for a railway vehicle that can improve the maintenance efficiency of workers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The railway vehicle brake control device disclosed herein comprises a target brake force calculation unit that calculates a target brake force, which is a target value of the brake force output by the mechanical brake devices that are installed on each wheel or axle of each railway vehicle and obtain braking force by pressing friction material against a rotating body that rotates during travel, so that the target brake force is equal among the mechanical brake devices; an output target value calculation unit that calculates, for each mechanical brake device, an output target value, which is a target value of the force applied to an acting member that operates the friction material, based on the target brake force; and an actual brake force, which is the brake force output by the mechanical brake device, detected by a brake force detection unit installed on each mechanical brake device, Determine whether the actual braking forces are equal, and an equality adjustment unit that corrects the output target value of each of the mechanical brake devices so that the actual braking force of each of the mechanical brake devices coincides with the target braking force when the actual braking forces of each of the mechanical brake devices are not equal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The railway vehicle brake control device of the present disclosure has the effect of improving the maintenance efficiency of workers. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a railway vehicle according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a railway vehicle brake control device according to a first embodiment; [Figure 3] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a case where a processing circuit provided in the railway vehicle brake control device according to the first embodiment is realized by a processor and a memory. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example in which a processing circuit provided in the railway vehicle brake control device according to the first embodiment is configured with dedicated hardware. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the railway vehicle brake control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the output target value correcting unit of the railway vehicle brake control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7]6 is a graph showing the actual braking force of each mechanical brake device in a conventional railway vehicle brake control device. [Figure 8] 4 is a graph showing the actual braking force of each mechanical brake device by the railway vehicle brake control device according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, a brake control device for a railway vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. In addition, in the description, the brake control device for a railway vehicle may be abbreviated as the brake control device, and the railway vehicle may be abbreviated as the vehicle.

[0010] Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a railway vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The vehicle 1 includes wheels 2a-2d, a brake command device 3, a brake control device 4, mechanical brake devices 5a-5d, and braking force detection units 6a-6d. Although not shown, the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d each include a friction material. The vehicle 1 brakes when the friction material included in each of the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d is pressed against the wheels 2a-2d, respectively. The mechanical brake devices 5a-5d are controlled by a brake control device 4 that receives a brake command output from a brake command device 3.

[0011] The brake command device 3 outputs a brake command for braking the vehicle. The brake command includes information indicating a target deceleration for the vehicle 1. The brake command device 3 is, for example, a master controller provided in the driver's cab of the train, an ATC (Automatic Train Control), or an ATO (Automatic Train Operation).

[0012] The mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d mechanically brake the wheels, and are, for example, tread brakes, disc brakes, and electric brakes in which friction material is operated by a motor or the like. The mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d have friction material and an acting member that applies the friction material, and by operating the acting member, the friction material is pressed against a rotating body that rotates when the railway vehicle is running, such as a wheel or a braking member that rotates integrally with the wheel, to obtain braking force. For example, the friction material is a brake shoe or brake pad, and the acting member is a brake cylinder or a linear motion conversion mechanism attached to an electric motor. Although the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d in the first embodiment are installed on each axle, this is not limiting. They may also be installed on each wheel.

[0013] The brake control device 4 calculates target brake forces, which are target values ​​of brake forces to be output by the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d, and output target values, which are target values ​​of forces on the acting members of the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d, and outputs these to the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d. Details will be described later.

[0014] The braking force detection units 6a to 6d detect braking forces generated when the friction materials of the mechanical braking devices 5a to 5d are pressed against the wheels 2a to 2d, respectively, i.e., actual braking forces AFa to AFd. For example, the braking force detection unit 6a detects the actual braking force AFa generated when the friction material of the mechanical braking device 5a is pressed against the wheel 2a. Like the braking force detection unit 6a, the braking force detection units 6b to 6d detect the actual braking forces AFb to AFd, respectively. The braking force detection units 6a to 6d are, for example, load converters such as load cells. The braking force detection units 6a to 6d are, for example, installed on the friction materials of the mechanical braking devices 5a to 5d, respectively. Note that the installation locations of the braking force detection units 6a to 6d are not limited to the friction materials. They may be attached to any component constituting the mechanical braking devices 5a to 5d, or to the wheels 2a to 2d, axles linked to the wheels 2a to 2d, or braking members that rotate integrally with the wheels 2a to 2d.

[0015] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a brake control device for a railway vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The brake control device 4 includes an acquisition unit 41, a target braking force calculation unit 42, an output target value calculation unit 43, and an equalization adjustment unit 44.

[0016] The acquisition unit 41 acquires the brake command output from the brake command device 3 and sends it to the target braking force calculation unit 42. The acquisition unit 41 also acquires, for example, the pressure value of the air inside an air spring (AS pressure) that is provided on the bogie and supports the car body. Then, the acquisition unit 41 sends the load of the vehicle 1 calculated based on the AS pressure to the target braking force calculation unit 42.

[0017] The target braking force calculation unit 42 calculates the required braking force, which is the braking force required for the entire vehicle 1 to obtain the deceleration included in the braking command, based on the braking command obtained by the acquisition unit 41 and the load of the vehicle 1, and calculates the target braking force, which is the target value of the braking force to be output by the mechanical braking devices 5a to 5d. In this case, the target braking force calculation unit 42 calculates the target braking force so that it is equal among the mechanical braking devices 5a to 5d. For example, the target braking force calculation unit 42 calculates the target braking force for each of the mechanical braking devices 5a to 5d equally by equally dividing the required braking force required for the entire vehicle 1 by the number of mechanical braking devices 5a to 5d.

[0018] The output target value calculation unit 43 calculates output target values ​​BTa to BTd for each of the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d, which are target values ​​of force on an acting member that operates a friction material, based on the target braking force calculated by the target braking force calculation unit 42. The output target value calculation unit 43 outputs the output target values ​​BTa to BTd for each of the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d. For example, if the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d are air brakes or hydraulic brakes that operate in response to a fluid source such as air or oil, the output target values ​​BTa to BTd are so-called brake cylinder pressures, which are target values ​​of the pressure of a fluid such as air supplied to brake cylinders provided in the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d. For example, if the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d are electric brakes that operate a linear motion conversion mechanism by driving a motor, the output target values ​​BTa to BTd are target values ​​of input power to a motor for operating the linear motion conversion mechanism.

[0019] The mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d operate the acting members in accordance with the output target values ​​BTa to BTd output from the output target value calculation unit 43, thereby pressing the friction material against the wheels or the braking members that rotate integrally with the wheels.

[0020] The equality adjuster 44 includes an equality determiner 441 and an output target value corrector 442 .

[0021] The equality determination unit 441 acquires the actual braking forces AFab-AFd from the braking force detection units 6a-6d, determines whether the values ​​of the actual braking forces AFab-AFd are equal to each other, and outputs the determination result. Note that the determination of whether the values ​​of the actual braking forces AFab-AFd are equal does not require perfect agreement, and a range within which the actual braking forces can be considered equal may be set in advance. For example, the actual braking forces AFab-AFd may be considered equal if the difference between them falls within a range that does not cause a large difference in the amount of wear of the friction material.

[0022] An output target value correcting unit 442 corrects the output target values ​​BTa to BTd when the actual braking forces AFa to AFd are not uniform based on the determination result of the uniformity determining unit 441. Then, an output target value calculating unit 43 outputs the corrected output target values ​​BTa to BTd to each of the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a processing circuit 90 provided in the railway vehicle brake control device according to the first embodiment, when the processing circuit is realized by a processor 91 and a memory 92. The processing circuit 90 illustrated in FIG. 3 is a control circuit and includes a processor 91 and a memory 92. When the processing circuit 90 is configured with the processor 91 and the memory 92, each function of the processing circuit 90 is realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software or firmware is written as a program and stored in the memory 92. The processor 91 reads and executes the program stored in the memory 92 to realize each function of the processing circuit 90. That is, the processing circuit 90 includes the memory 92 for storing a program that results in the processing of the brake control device 4 being executed. This program can also be said to be a program that causes the brake control device 4 to execute each function realized by the processing circuit 90. This program may be provided by a storage medium on which the program is stored, or by other means such as a communication medium.

[0024] Here, the processor 91 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a processing device, an arithmetic device, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc. Furthermore, the memory 92 is, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), or an EEPROM (registered trademark) (Electrically EPROM), a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a minidisk, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc).

[0025] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a case where the processing circuit 93 included in the railway vehicle brake control device according to the first embodiment is configured with dedicated hardware. The processing circuit 93 shown in FIG. 4 corresponds to, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof. The processing circuit 93 may be partially realized by dedicated hardware and partially realized by software or firmware. In this way, the processing circuit 93 can realize each function by dedicated hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof.

[0026] Next, the operation of the brake control device 4 will be described using a flowchart. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the brake control device for a railway vehicle according to the first embodiment.

[0027] The target braking force calculation unit 42 of the brake control device 4 calculates the required braking force, which is the braking force required for the entire vehicle 1, based on the brake command obtained by the acquisition unit 41 and the load of the vehicle 1. Then, the required braking force is equally divided by the number of mechanical braking devices 5a-5d to calculate the target braking force for each of the mechanical braking devices 5a-5d (step S1). The output target value calculation unit 43 calculates the output target values ​​BTa-BTd for each of the mechanical braking devices 5a-5d based on the target braking force calculated by the target braking force calculation unit 42 (step S2). The mechanical braking devices 5a-5d operate the acting members provided in the mechanical braking devices 5a-5d in accordance with the output target values ​​BTa-BTd output from the output target value calculation unit 43.

[0028] The equality adjustment unit 44 of the brake control device 4 acquires the actual braking forces AFab to AFd from the braking force detection units 6a to 6d (step S3). Then, the equality determination unit 441 of the equality adjustment unit 44 determines whether the values ​​of the actual braking forces AFab to AFd are equal to each other (step S4). If the values ​​of the actual braking forces AFab to AFd are equal to each other, the output target values ​​BTa to BTd are not corrected (step S4: Yes). If the values ​​of the actual braking forces AFab to AFd are not equal to each other (step S4: No), the output target values ​​BTa to BTd are corrected (step S5). Details of the processing in step S5 will be described using FIG. 6.

[0029] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the output target value correcting unit 442 of the railway vehicle brake control device according to the first embodiment, and shows details of the output target value correcting process (step S5) of FIG.

[0030] If the actual braking forces AFi-AFd are not equal to each other, the output target value corrector 442 of the brake control device 4 corrects the output target values ​​BTa-BTd so that the actual braking forces AFi-AFd are equal to each other. First, for each of the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d, a comparison is made to determine whether the target braking force and the actual braking forces AFi-AFd match (step S51). If the target braking force and the actual braking forces AFi-AFd do not match (step S51: No), the output target value corrector 442 compares the target braking force and the actual braking forces AFi-AFd (step S52) and corrects each of the target braking force and the actual braking forces AFi-AFd according to their relative magnitude. If the actual braking forces AFi-AFd are greater than the target braking force (step S52: Yes), the output target values ​​BFi-BTd are corrected downward (step S53). If the actual braking forces AFi-AFd are smaller than the target braking force (step S52: No), the output target values ​​BFi-BTd are corrected upward (step S54). The output target value calculation unit 43 outputs the corrected output target values ​​BTa to BTd to the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d, respectively.

[0031] The output target value correction process (step S5) will be illustrated with respect to the mechanical brake device 5a. First, the target brake force and the actual brake force AFab produced by the mechanical brake device 5a are compared. Since the target brake force is calculated so that it is equal among the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d, if the target brake force and the actual brake force AFab match, the output target value BTa is not corrected. If the target brake force and the actual brake force AFab differ, the magnitudes of the target brake force and the actual brake force AFab are compared. If the actual brake force AFab is greater than the target brake force, the output target value BTa is corrected to decrease. If the actual brake force AFab is smaller than the target brake force, the output target value BTa is corrected to increase. The output target value calculation unit 43 outputs the corrected output target value BTa to the mechanical brake device 5a. This correction process is repeated until the actual brake force AFab matches the target brake force calculated so that it is equal among the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d. Similar processing is performed for the mechanical brake devices 5b to 5d.

[0032] Since the target braking force is calculated so that it is equal among the mechanical braking devices 5a to 5d, if the target braking force and the actual braking force AFa to AFd match for each of the mechanical braking devices 5a to 5d (step S51: Yes), no correction is made.

[0033] FIG. 7 is a graph showing the actual braking forces AFab-AFd of the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d in a conventional railway vehicle brake control device. FIG. 8 is a graph showing the actual braking forces AFab-AFd of the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d in a railway vehicle brake control device according to the first embodiment. Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 7, the actual braking forces AFab-AFd differ for each of the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d depending on the state of use of the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d, which results in different amounts of wear on the friction material and different replacement times for the friction material. However, according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the actual braking forces AFab-AFd of the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d can be made uniform by adjusting them to a target braking force calculated to make them uniform among the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d. Because the actual braking forces AFab-AFd, i.e., the pressing forces of the friction material, are uniform, the amounts of wear on the friction material are also uniform among the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d.

[0034] As described above, according to this embodiment, the railway vehicle brake control device 4 uses the equalization adjustment unit 44 to determine whether the actual braking forces AFab-AFd of the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d are equal, and if the actual braking forces AFab-AFd are not equal, corrects the actual braking forces AFab-AFd so that they are equal. This equalizes the amount of friction material wear among the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d, allowing for the timing of friction material replacement to be synchronized and improving maintenance efficiency by workers. Furthermore, equalizing the actual braking forces AFab-AFd among the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d makes it possible to suppress axle load shifts caused by differences in braking force among the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d.

[0035] In the first embodiment of the present disclosure, an example is shown in which mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d are installed on each axle, but a mechanical brake device may also be installed on each wheel, and the number of mechanical brake devices is not limited to four, but may be, for example, eight mechanical brake devices.

[0036] Furthermore, in the first embodiment of the present disclosure, correction is performed to make the actual braking forces AFa to AFd of all of the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d equal, but it is also possible to make them equal for each bogie, for example. Specifically, it is also possible to make the actual braking forces AFa and AFb of one of the mechanical brake devices 5a and 5b equal, and to make the actual braking forces AFc and AFd of the other of the mechanical brake devices 5c and 5d equal. This allows the replacement timing of the friction material to be synchronized for each bogie, improving the efficiency of maintenance by workers.

[0037] In addition, in actual operation, for example, to suppress skidding, the magnitude of the target braking force may be set differently for each of the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d, but in the present disclosure, the target braking forces may be calculated so that they are forcibly equal.

[0038] Furthermore, in this disclosure, the target brake force, which is an equal target value, is calculated by equally dividing the required brake force for the entire vehicle 1 among the number of mechanical brake devices 5a-5d, but the calculation method is not limited to this. It is sufficient to equalize the target brake force among the mechanical brake devices whose friction material replacement periods are synchronized. For example, the target brake force calculation unit 42 may acquire the actual brake forces AFab-AFd and reset the maximum actual brake force among the actual brake forces AFab-AFd as the target brake force for each of the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d. This corrects the actual brake forces AFab-AFd of the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d to match the maximum actual brake force, thereby obtaining equal actual brake forces AFab-AFd among the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d. The target brake force may be reset to the minimum value among the actual brake forces AFab-AFd or the average value of the actual brake forces AFab-AFd. Various aspects of the present disclosure are summarized below as appendices. (Appendix 1) a target braking force calculation unit that calculates a target braking force, which is a target value of the braking force output by a mechanical brake device that is installed on each wheel or axle of each railcar and applies a friction material to a rotating body that rotates during travel to generate braking force, so that the target braking force is equal among the mechanical brake devices; an output target value calculation unit that calculates, for each of the mechanical brake devices, an output target value that is a target value of force applied to an acting member that operates the friction material based on the target brake force; an equalization adjustment unit that acquires actual braking forces, which are braking forces output by the mechanical brake devices and detected by braking force detection units installed in the mechanical brake devices, and, if the actual braking forces are not equal, corrects the output target value so that the actual braking forces of the mechanical brake devices coincide with the target braking forces; A brake control device for a railway vehicle. (Appendix 2) the equalization adjustment unit repeats the correction of the output target value until the actual braking force of each of the mechanical brake devices coincides with the target braking force. 10. A brake control device for a railway vehicle as set forth in claim 1. (Appendix 3) the braking force detection unit is a load converter installed on the axle or the rotating body of the railway vehicle, 3. A brake control device for a railway vehicle according to claim 1 or 2. (Appendix 4) the equalization adjustment unit corrects the output target value to decrease when the actual braking force of each of the mechanical brake devices is greater than the target braking force, and corrects the output target value to increase when the actual braking force of each of the mechanical brake devices is smaller than the target braking force. 4. A railway vehicle brake control device according to any one of appendices 1 to 3. (Appendix 5) The target brake force is calculated so as to be uniform among the plurality of mechanical brake devices mounted on the same bogie in the railway vehicle. 5. A railway vehicle brake control device according to any one of appendices 1 to 4. (Appendix 6) the target brake force calculation unit acquires the actual brake forces of the mechanical brake devices, and resets the target brake force based on the actual brake forces. 6. A railway vehicle brake control device according to any one of appendices 1 to 5.

[0039] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are examples of the content, and can be combined with other known technologies, or embodiments of the present disclosure can be combined with each other, and part of the configuration can be omitted or modified within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1 vehicle, 2a to 2d wheels, 3 brake command device, 4 brake control device, 41 acquisition unit, 42 target brake force calculation unit, 43 output target value calculation unit, 44 equality adjustment unit, 441 equality determination unit, 442 output target value correction unit, 5a to 5d mechanical brake devices, 6a to 6d brake force detection unit ,90,93 Processing circuit, 91 Processor, 92 Memory .

Claims

1. a target braking force calculation unit that calculates a target braking force, which is a target value of the braking force output by a mechanical brake device that is installed on each wheel or axle of each railcar and applies a friction material to a rotating body that rotates during travel to generate braking force, so that the target braking force is equal among the mechanical brake devices; an output target value calculation unit that calculates, for each of the mechanical brake devices, an output target value that is a target value of force applied to an acting member that operates the friction material based on the target brake force; an equality adjustment unit that acquires actual braking forces, which are braking forces output by the mechanical brake devices and detected by braking force detection units installed in the mechanical brake devices, determines whether the actual braking forces are equal to each other, and, if the actual braking forces are not equal to each other, corrects the output target value so that the actual braking forces of the mechanical brake devices coincide with the target braking forces; A brake control device for a railway vehicle.

2. the equalization adjustment unit repeats the correction of the output target value until the actual braking force of each of the mechanical brake devices coincides with the target braking force. The brake control device for a railway vehicle according to claim 1.

3. the braking force detection unit is a load converter installed on the axle or the rotating body of the railway vehicle, 3. The brake control device for a railway vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the equalization adjustment unit corrects the output target value to decrease when the actual braking force of each of the mechanical brake devices is greater than the target braking force, and corrects the output target value to increase when the actual braking force of each of the mechanical brake devices is smaller than the target braking force.

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

5. The target brake force is calculated so as to be uniform among the plurality of mechanical brake devices mounted on the same bogie in the railway vehicle.

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

6. the target brake force calculation unit acquires the actual brake forces of the mechanical brake devices, and resets the target brake force based on the actual brake forces.

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

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