Vehicle vibration damping devices and railway vehicles

Abstract

To provide a vibration damping device for a vehicle capable of continuing control over a first damping force variable damper and a second damping force variable damper even if an abnormality occurs in a first acceleration sensor or a second acceleration sensor.SOLUTION: A control device 21 is connected to bogie side acceleration sensors 14A to 14D and vehicle body side acceleration sensors 15A to 15D. The control device 21 varies damping forces of first dampers 9A to 9H and second dampers 12A to 12D on the basis of acceleration information from the bogie side acceleration sensors 14A to 14D and the vehicle body side acceleration sensors 15A to 15D. Also, the control device 21 detects an abnormality of the bogie side acceleration sensors 14A to 14D and the vehicle body side acceleration sensors 15A to 15D. The control device 21 complements acceleration information of one of the bogie side acceleration sensors 14A to 14D and the vehicle body side acceleration sensors 15A to 15D with acceleration information from the other of the bogie side acceleration sensors 14A to 14D and the vehicle body side acceleration sensors 15A to 15D, when detecting an abnormality in one of the bogie side acceleration sensors 14A to 14D and the vehicle body side acceleration sensors 15A to 15D.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vibration damping device for a vehicle and a railway vehicle that reduces vibrations of a vehicle, for example.

Background Art

[0002] In order to improve the riding comfort of railway vehicles, a vehicle (railway vehicle) in which a damping force adjusting type shock absorber is disposed between an axle and a bogie or between a bogie and a car body is known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a vibration damping device in which a damping force adjusting type shock absorber (variable damping damper) is disposed between an axle and a bogie. Patent Document 2 describes a vibration control device for a railway vehicle in which a damping force adjusting type shock absorber (damping force adjusting type damper) is disposed between a bogie and a car body. The damping force adjusting type shock absorber is controlled based on a detection value (measurement value) of an acceleration sensor mounted on the vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When a damping force adjusting type shock absorber (for example, a first damping force variable damper) is provided between an axle and a bogie and a damping force adjusting type shock absorber (for example, a second damping force variable damper) is provided between a bogie and a car body, and when controlling both of these shock absorbers, that is, both the first damping force variable damper and the second damping force variable damper, consider the case where an abnormality occurs in a first acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the bogie. In this case, for example, when the control of the first damping force variable damper is stopped when an abnormality occurs in the first acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the bogie, the riding comfort may deteriorate. Also, for example, when the control of the second damping force variable damper is stopped when an abnormality occurs in a second acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the car body, there is a risk that the riding comfort will deteriorate.

[0005] One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a vehicle vibration damping device that can continue to control the first variable damping damper and the second variable damping damper even if an abnormality occurs in the first acceleration sensor or the second acceleration sensor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention preferably comprises a first variable damping force damper provided between the axle and the bogie of a vehicle, a second variable damping force damper provided between the bogie and the vehicle body, a first acceleration sensor provided on the bogie for detecting the acceleration of the bogie, a second acceleration sensor provided on the vehicle body for detecting the acceleration of the vehicle body, and a controller connected to the first and second acceleration sensors for varying the damping force of the first and second variable damping force dampers based on acceleration information from the first and second acceleration sensors, wherein the controller has an abnormality detection means for the first or second acceleration sensor, and when an abnormality is detected in one of the acceleration sensors, it supplements the acceleration information of the other acceleration sensor with the acceleration information from the other acceleration sensor.

[0007] Furthermore, the present invention preferably relates to a railway vehicle comprising: a first variable damping force damper provided between the axle and the bogie of the vehicle; a second variable damping force damper provided between the bogie and the vehicle body; a first acceleration sensor provided on the bogie for detecting the acceleration of the bogie; a second acceleration sensor provided on the vehicle body for detecting the acceleration of the vehicle body; and a controller connected to the first and second acceleration sensors, which varies the damping force of the first variable damping force damper and the second variable damping force damper based on acceleration information from the first and second acceleration sensors, and which has an abnormality detection means for the first or second acceleration sensor, and when an abnormality is detected in one of the acceleration sensors, it supplements the acceleration information of the other acceleration sensor with the acceleration information from the other acceleration sensor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, even if an abnormality is detected in the first acceleration sensor provided on the trolley or the second acceleration sensor provided on the vehicle body, control of the first variable damping force damper and the second variable damping force damper can be continued. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic side view showing a railway vehicle equipped with a vehicle vibration damping device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a plan view that schematically shows the positional relationships of the trolley, wheels, first variable damping force damper, first acceleration sensor, etc. in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a plan view that schematically shows the positional relationships of the vehicle body, air springs, second variable damping damper, second acceleration sensor, etc., in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This block diagram shows the processing of acceleration information by the control device in Figure 1. [Figure 5] This block diagram is similar to Figure 4, showing how acceleration information is processed when an abnormality is detected in the second acceleration sensor. [Figure 6] This characteristic curve shows an example of the time evolution of (A) the detected value from the second accelerometer, (B) the detected value from the first accelerometer, and (C) the estimated value (interpolated value) from the second accelerometer. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The following description will explain the vehicle vibration damping device according to the embodiment, using the example of its installation on railway vehicles such as electric trains, diesel railcars, and passenger cars, with reference to the attached drawings. In Figure 1-3, the left side of the drawing (one side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle) is considered the front side in the direction of travel of the railway vehicle, and the right side of the drawing (the other side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle) is considered the rear side in the direction of travel of the railway vehicle. However, the right side of the drawing may be considered the front side and the left side the rear side.

[0011] In Figure 1, the railway vehicle 1 (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle 1") comprises a car body 2 on which passengers, crew members, and other personnel are seated, and a front bogie 3A and a rear bogie 3B located beneath the car body 2. These two bogies 3A and 3B are spaced apart, one at the front of the car body 2 (one side in the longitudinal direction of the car body 2, on the left side in Figures 1 to 3) and the other at the rear of the car body 2 (the other side in the longitudinal direction of the car body 2, on the right side in Figures 1 to 3). Thus, the car body 2 of vehicle 1 is mounted on the pair of bogies 3A and 3B. In Figures 1 to 3, to avoid complexity in the drawings, a single vehicle 1, i.e., a single-car train, is shown. However, in reality, trains in operation are often trains consisting of multiple vehicles 1 coupled together, i.e., trains composed of multiple vehicles 1.

[0012] Each bogie 3A and 3B is equipped with a bogie frame 4A and 4B, multiple wheels 5A-5H, multiple axle springs 8, 8 (Figure 1), and multiple first damping force adjustable hydraulic shock absorbers 9A-9H (hereinafter referred to as first dampers 9A-9H). Each wheel 5A-5H is rotatably supported by the bogie frame 4A and 4B, which serves as the support structure for the bogies 3A and 3B, and is therefore attached to the bogies 3A and 3B. Specifically, each bogie 3A and 3B (bogie frame 4A and 4B) has two wheelsets 7A-7D attached to each axle 6A-6D (Figure 2), with wheels 5A-5H attached to both ends in the longitudinal direction (i.e., both ends in the width direction of the vehicle body 2), spaced apart in the front-rear direction.

[0013] As a result, each bogie 3A and 3B is equipped with four wheels 5A-5D and 5E-5H, respectively. That is, there are four wheels 5A-5H per bogie and eight wheels 5A-5H per vehicle. Vehicle 1 travels along the rails R (only one is shown in Figure 1) by having each wheel 5A-5H rotate on the left and right rails R. The left-right direction, which is the width direction of the vehicle body 2, is based on the state facing the direction of travel. That is, the left-right direction corresponds to the width direction of the vehicle body 2 (the axial direction of the axles 6A-6D), and for example, in Figure 1, the front side is considered left and the back side is considered right in the front-back direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper.

[0014] Between the bogie frames 4A and 4B of the bogies 3A and 3B and each axle 6A-6D (more specifically, the bearing housings that rotatably support the axles 6A-6D), there are multiple axle springs 8, 8 and multiple first dampers 9A-9H. The axle springs 8, 8 mitigate vibrations and shocks from the wheels 5A-5H. The axle springs 8, 8 correspond to the "primary springs" provided between the "unsprung mass" of the wheels 5A-5H, etc. and the "intersprung mass" of the bogie frames 4A and 4B, etc. The axle springs 8, 8 are, for example, made of coil springs, and two are provided on each side of the axles 6A-6D. That is, there are 8 axle springs 8, 8 per bogie and 16 per vehicle.

[0015] The first dampers 9A-9H, acting as first variable damping force dampers, are arranged in parallel with the axle springs 8,8. For example, two first dampers 9A-9H are provided on each side of each bogie 3A,3B (one on each side of the axial direction of axles 6A-6D). In other words, four first dampers 9A-9H are provided per bogie and eight per vehicle. The first dampers 9A-9H are provided between the bogies 3A,3B (more specifically, the bogie frames 4A,4B) and each wheel 5A-5H (more specifically, the bearing housing). In other words, the first dampers 9A-9H are interposed (arranged) between the bogie frames 4A,4B etc., which constitute the "intersprung mass," and the wheels 5A-5H etc., which constitute the "unsprung mass."

[0016] The first dampers 9A-9H generate a force that reduces vibrations in the bogies 3A and 3B. Specifically, the first dampers 9A-9H generate a force (i.e., damping force) that reduces vibrations (relative displacement) in relation to the vertical vibrations of the bogie frames 4A and 4B relative to the wheels 5A-5H (more specifically, the axles 6A-6D) (relative displacement between the wheels 5A-5H and the bogie frames 4A and 4B). In this way, the first dampers 9A-9H suppress (reduce) vertical vibrations of the bogies 3A and 3B. In this case, the first dampers 9A-9H are configured as dampers with adjustable damping force, for example, adjustable damping force hydraulic shock absorbers. Specifically, the first dampers 9A-9H are configured as adjustable damping force shock absorbers (variable damping force dampers with variable damping force control) in which each damping force can be individually adjusted.

[0017] The first dampers 9A - 9H, together with a control device 21 and the like described later, constitute a vehicle vibration control device (a vibration control device for a railway vehicle). The first dampers 9A - 9H, also called semi - active dampers, together with the axle springs 8, 8, constitute a suspension (semi - active suspension) that buffers (attenuates) vertical vibrations between the wheels 5A - 5H and the bogies 3A, 3B. For example, when power (driving current) is supplied from the control device 21 to the first dampers 9A - 9H, the opening pressure of control valves 10A - 10H such as solenoid valves is adjusted. As a result, the first dampers 9A - 9H can continuously adjust the damping characteristics from hard characteristics to soft characteristics.

[0018] Note that the first dampers 9A - 9H are not limited to those that continuously adjust the damping characteristics, and may be adjustable in two steps or multiple steps. Also, the first dampers 9A - 9H may be damping force - adjustable shock absorbers that adjust the damping force according to voltage or current. Furthermore, the first dampers 9A - 9H may be active dampers such as actuators that actively generate force (damping force) by external power. The actuator (active damper) can be constituted by, for example, an electric linear motor (electric actuator) that expands and contracts by the supply of electric power such as a three - phase linear motor, or a hydraulic cylinder (hydraulic actuator) that expands and contracts by the supply of pressure oil.

[0019] In any case, the first dampers 9A - 9H are bogie - wheel - to - wheel actuators that can control the generated force (damping force) by the power supplied from a vehicle power source (for example, a battery that stores power from an overhead wire, a generator, etc.). In this case, the first dampers 9A - 9H (control valves 10A - 10H) are connected to the control device 21, and when power is supplied through the control device 21, the generated damping force is variably adjusted.

[0020] On one hand, between the vehicle body 2 of the vehicle 1 and each of the bogies 3A and 3B, a plurality of air springs 11A - 11D and a plurality of second damping force adjustable hydraulic shock absorbers 12A - 12D (hereinafter referred to as the second dampers 12A - 12D) are provided. The air springs 11A - 11D elastically support the vehicle body 2 on their respective bogies 3A and 3B. The air springs 11A - 11D are also called "pillow springs" or "suspension springs", and correspond to the "secondary springs" provided between the vehicle body 2 etc. which become the "sprung mass" and the bogie frames 4A and 4B etc. which become the "unsprung mass". The air springs 11A - 11D are provided one by one on both the left and right sides of each of the bogies 3A and 3B. That is, two air springs 11A - 11D are provided for each bogie, and four air springs 11A - 11D are provided for each vehicle.

[0021] The second dampers 12A - 12D as the second damping force variable dampers are arranged in parallel with respect to the air springs 11A - 11D. The second dampers 12A - 12D are provided, for example, two by two spaced apart in the left - right direction for each of the bogies 3A and 3B. That is, two second dampers 12A - 12D are provided for each bogie, and four second dampers 12A - 12D are provided for each vehicle. The second dampers 12A - 12D are provided between the vehicle body 2 and the bogies 3A and 3B (more specifically, the bogie frames 4A and 4B). That is, the second dampers 12A - 12D are interposed (arranged) between the vehicle body 2 etc. which become the "sprung mass" and the bogie frames 4A and 4B etc. which become the "unsprung mass".

[0022] The second dampers 12A - 12D generate a force to reduce the vibration of the vehicle body 2. That is, the second dampers 12A - 12D generate a force (i.e., damping force) to reduce the vibration (relative displacement) with respect to the vertical vibration of the vehicle body 2 with respect to the bogies 3A and 3B (more specifically, the bogie frames 4A and 4B) (the relative displacement between the bogie frames 4A and 4B and the vehicle body 2). Thereby, the second dampers 12A - 12D suppress (reduce) the vertical vibration of the vehicle body 2. In this case, similar to the first dampers 9A - 9H, the second dampers 12A - 12D are dampers capable of adjusting the damping force, for example, constituted by a damping force adjustable hydraulic shock absorber capable of adjusting the damping force. That is, the second dampers 12A - 12D are also configured as damping force adjustable shock absorbers (damping force variable dampers capable of variably controlling the damping force) capable of individually adjusting their respective damping forces.

[0023] The second dampers 12A-12D, together with the control device 21 described later, constitute a vehicle vibration damping device (railway vehicle vibration control device). The second dampers 12A-12D are also called semi-active dampers, and together with the air springs 11A-11D, they constitute a suspension (semi-active suspension) that buffers (damps) vertical vibrations between the bogies 3A, 3B and the car body 2. For example, the opening pressure of the control valves 13A-13D, such as solenoid valves, is adjusted when power (drive current) is supplied from the control device 21 to the second dampers 12A-12D. This allows the damping characteristics of the second dampers 12A-12D to be continuously adjusted from hard characteristics to soft characteristics.

[0024] Furthermore, the second dampers 12A-12D are not limited to those that continuously adjust damping characteristics, but may also be adjustable in two or more stages. The second dampers 12A-12D may also be damping force adjustable shock absorbers that adjust damping force according to voltage or current. Additionally, the second dampers 12A-12D may be active dampers such as actuators that actively generate force (damping force) using external power. The actuator (active damper) can be composed of an electric linear motor (electric actuator) that extends and retracts by the supply of power such as a three-phase linear motor, or a hydraulic cylinder (hydraulic actuator) that extends and retracts by the supply of pressurized oil.

[0025] In any case, the second dampers 12A-12D are inter-bogie actuators whose generated force (damping force) can be controlled by power supplied from the vehicle's power source (for example, a battery that stores power from overhead lines, generators, etc.). In this case, the second dampers 12A-12D (control valves 13A-13D) are connected to the control device 21, and the generated damping force is variably adjusted by power supplied via the control device 21.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the bogies 3A and 3B are equipped with a total of two bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D (four per vehicle) at two positions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, respectively, to detect the vertical acceleration of the bogies 3A and 3B at each position. The bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D, as first acceleration sensors, are mounted at multiple different locations on the vehicle 1 and are sensors (behavior sensors) that detect the behavior of the vehicle 1 (more specifically, the vibration state of the bogies 3A and 3B). Various types of acceleration sensors can be used as bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D, such as piezoelectric, servo, and piezoresistive analog acceleration sensors, and it is particularly preferable to use acceleration sensors with excellent water resistance and heat resistance.

[0027] Here, the first bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A and the second bogie-side acceleration sensor 14B are located on the front bogie 3A. In this case, the first bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A is located near the front axle 6A, and the second bogie-side acceleration sensor 14B is located near the rear axle 6B. The first bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A corresponds to the front first acceleration sensor located on the front of the bogie 3A on the front side in the direction of travel. The third bogie-side acceleration sensor 14C and the fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor 14D are located on the rear bogie 3B. In this case, the third bogie-side acceleration sensor 14C is located near the front axle 6C, and the fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor 14D is located near the rear axle 6D. The fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor 14D corresponds to the rear first acceleration sensor located on the rear of the bogie 3B on the rear side in the direction of travel.

[0028] The trolley-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D are connected to the control device 21. The trolley-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D output detection signals for the vertical acceleration of trolleys 3A and 3B detected at their respective positions (detection signals for vibrations of trolleys 3A and 3B, which represent vehicle behavior) to the control device 21. The trolley-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D are not limited to being placed on the front and rear sides of trolleys 3A and 3B; for example, they may be placed on the left and right sides of trolleys 3A and 3B, or any other configuration may be used for the sensors on trolleys 3A and 3B. Furthermore, the number of trolley-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D is not limited to two per trolley, but can be freely selected according to the purpose of measurement and control. For example, one sensor may be provided for each trolley 3A and 3B, or three or more sensors may be provided for each. In addition, the number of sensors may differ between the front trolley 3A and the rear trolley 3B.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, the vehicle body 2 is equipped with a total of four vehicle-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D at four locations: two at positions spaced apart in the longitudinal direction and two at positions spaced apart in the lateral direction. These sensors detect the vertical acceleration of the vehicle body 2 at each of these locations. The vehicle-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D, acting as second acceleration sensors, are mounted at multiple different locations on the vehicle 1 and are sensors (behavior sensors) that detect the behavior of the vehicle 1 (more specifically, the vibration state of the vehicle body 2). Similar to the bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D, the vehicle-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D can also be various types of acceleration sensors, such as piezoelectric, servo, or piezoresistive analog acceleration sensors.

[0030] Here, the first vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15A is located at the front of the vehicle body 2, more specifically, at the foremost position, ahead of the front bogie 3A. The first vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15A corresponds to the front second acceleration sensor located at the front of the vehicle body 2 in the direction of travel. The second vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15B is located at the rear of the vehicle body 2, more specifically, at the rearmost position, behind the rear bogie 3B. The second vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15B corresponds to the rear second acceleration sensor located at the rear of the vehicle body 2 in the direction of travel. The third vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15C is located on the left side of the center in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 2. The fourth vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15D is located on the right side of the center in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 2.

[0031] The vehicle-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D are connected to the control device 21. The vehicle-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D output detection signals for the vertical acceleration of the vehicle body 2 (detection signals for vibration of the vehicle body 2, which is the vehicle's behavior) detected at their respective positions to the control device 21. The vehicle-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D are not limited to being located at the front center, rear center, center left, or center right of the vehicle body 2. For example, they may be placed at the front left, front right, rear left, or rear right of the vehicle body 2. The sensor placement on the vehicle body 2 can take any form. Furthermore, the number of vehicle-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D is not limited to four per vehicle (per vehicle body). It can be freely selected according to the purpose of measurement and control. For example, two, three, or five or more sensors may be provided on the vehicle body 2.

[0032] The control device 21 is a controller that controls the first dampers 9A-9H (control valves 10A-10H) and the second dampers 12A-12D (control valves 13A-13D). The control device 21 is installed at a predetermined position on the vehicle 1 (for example, a position approximately in the center of the vehicle body 2). The control device 21 is composed of components such as a microcomputer and a drive circuit. The control device 21 is connected to acceleration sensors 14A-14D and 15A-15D. The control device 21 is also connected to the control valves 10A-10H and 13A-13D of the dampers 9A-9H and 12A-12D.

[0033] The control device 21 has a memory 21A, which is a storage unit consisting of, for example, ROM, RAM, non-volatile memory, etc. The memory 21A stores, for example, a program for controlling dampers 9A-9H and 12A-12D, a program for determining failures (abnormalities) of acceleration sensors 14A, 14B, 15A, and 15B, and a program for estimating the acceleration when acceleration sensors 14A, 14B, 15A, and 15B fail. The memory 21A also stores (records) acceleration information from acceleration sensors 14A-14D and 15A-15D. Furthermore, as will be described later, the memory 21A stores (records) the difference value of acceleration information from acceleration sensors 14A-14D and 15A-15D, for example, the difference value of acceleration information between the bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A-14D and the vehicle body-side acceleration sensor 15A-15D (phase difference Δμs, wave height value Δ ratio, etc.). The "acceleration information" and / or "difference values ​​of acceleration information" stored in memory 21A are used, for example, to estimate (calculate) the acceleration that would be detected by a faulty acceleration sensor if any of the acceleration sensors 14A-14D or 15A-15D fails.

[0034] Furthermore, the memory in which the "acceleration information" and / or the "difference value of the acceleration information" is stored (recorded) may be a separate memory from the memory 21A of the control device 21. That is, the memory in which the acceleration information and / or the difference value of the acceleration sensors 14A-14D and 15A-15D is stored (recorded) may be a storage device such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) or HDD (Hard Disk Drive). In other words, the controller that controls the dampers 9A-9H and 12A-12D and the memory in which the acceleration information and / or the difference value of the acceleration sensors 14A-14D and 15A-15D are stored (recorded) may be configured as an integrated unit in the control device 21, or they may be configured separately as a control device (controller) and a storage device (memory).

[0035] The control device 21 is connected to another control device, for example, a higher-level control device (not shown), via a communication line 31. The control device 21 receives vehicle information of vehicle 1 (for example, the vehicle's position, travel section, travel speed, etc.) as a higher-level signal from the higher-level control device via the communication line 31. The control device 21 outputs behavioral information of vehicle 1 (vibration information of the vehicle body 2, vibration information of the bogies 3A and 3B) to the higher-level control device. For example, one control device 21 is installed in each vehicle body 2.

[0036] The control device 21 performs calculations internally based on sensor signals (acceleration) obtained from acceleration sensors 14A-14D and 15A-15D and signals (vehicle information) obtained via the communication line 31, and outputs command signals (drive current) to dampers 9A-9H and 12A-12D. The control device 21 includes a damping force control unit as a damping force control means for controlling the damping force of the first damper 9A-9H and the second damper 12A-12D. In order to reduce vibrations of the vehicle body 2 and improve ride comfort, the damping force control unit reads detection signals from acceleration sensors 14A-14D and 15A-15D, higher-level signals from the communication line 31, etc., at each sampling time, and calculates the drive current corresponding to the damping force that should be generated by each damper 9A-9H and 12A-12D according to a predetermined control rule.

[0037] For example, the damping force control unit calculates the drive current corresponding to the damping force to be generated by the first dampers 9A-9H based on the detection signals from the bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D. Similarly, the damping force control unit calculates the drive current corresponding to the damping force to be generated by the second damper 12A-12D based on the detection signals from the vehicle-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D. The damping force control unit then outputs the drive current individually to the control valves 10A-10H and 13A-13D (solenoids) for dampers 9A-9H and 12A-12D, thereby variably controlling the force (damping force) generated by each damper. As the control law for dampers 9A-9H and 12A-12D, for example, the skyhook control law, LQG control law, or H∞ control law can be used.

[0038] Incidentally, as control suspension systems for railway vehicles, there are axle semi-active systems, which install variable damping dampers (first dampers 9A-9H) in parallel with the primary springs (axle springs 8,8) between the axle and bogie of the railway vehicle, and vertical semi-active systems, which install variable damping dampers (second dampers 12A-12D) in parallel with the secondary springs (air springs 11A-11D) between the car body and bogie of the railway vehicle. Each system has acceleration sensors (accelerometers 14A-14D, 15A-15D) installed at the front and rear of the bogie and at the front and rear of the car body to detect vertical vibrations. Let's consider the case where these systems are used simultaneously. In this case, for example, if the acceleration sensor of the axle semi-active system (for example, the acceleration sensor on the bogie) fails, stopping the control of the axle semi-active system may reduce ride comfort. Also, for example, if the acceleration sensor of the vertical semi-active system (for example, the acceleration sensor on the car body) fails, stopping the control of the vertical semi-active system may reduce ride comfort.

[0039] Therefore, in this embodiment, the following configuration is adopted so that even if an acceleration sensor fails, the ride comfort can be maintained without stopping the control. Specifically, in this embodiment, the first dampers 9A-9H (first variable damping force dampers) that constitute the axle semi-active system and the second dampers 12A-12D (second variable damping force dampers) that constitute the up-down semi-active system are coordinately controlled by the same control device 21 (controller). In this case, the control device 21 stores (records, saves) the difference (difference value) between "acceleration information from the bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D (first acceleration sensors) used to control the first dampers 9A-9H" and "acceleration information from the vehicle-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D (second acceleration sensors) used to control the second dampers 12A-12D" in the memory 21A. The difference (difference value) is stored continuously in correspondence with the travel section of the vehicle 1. In this way, the difference (difference value) is accumulated in the memory 21A.

[0040] Furthermore, if either of the acceleration sensors, either the trolley-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D or the vehicle-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D, fails, the control device 21 estimates (calculates) the detected value of the failed acceleration sensor based on the "difference value stored (accumulated) in memory 21A" and the "detected value of the non-failed acceleration sensor," and interpolates (interpolates) this estimated (calculated) value as the output value of the "failed acceleration sensor." In this embodiment, even if an acceleration sensor fails, it is possible to prevent the control from stopping and maintain ride comfort. These points will be explained in detail below.

[0041] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, in this embodiment, the control device 21, which acts as the controller, is shared by providing a specification for coordinated control of the first dampers 9A-9H and the second dampers 12A-12D. Specifically, in this embodiment, the system is configured such that the detection signals (acceleration signals) from the bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D and the detection signals (acceleration signals) from the car body-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D are input to one control device 21. The four bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D correspond to the control sensors for the first dampers 9A-9H. The four car body-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D correspond to the control sensors for the second dampers 12A-12D.

[0042] Furthermore, if either the first car-side acceleration sensor 15A (the front sensor) or the second car-side acceleration sensor 15B (the rear sensor) among the four car-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D fail, control will continue using either the first bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A (the front sensor) or the fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor 14D (the rear sensor) among the four bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D. For example, if the first car-side acceleration sensor 15A fails, control will continue using the first bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A. If the second car-side acceleration sensor 15B fails, control will continue using the fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor 14D.

[0043] Here, the first dampers 9A-9H are referred to as "first variable damping force dampers 9A-9H". The first bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A or the fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor 14D are acceleration sensors for the first variable damping force dampers 9A-9H, i.e., "first acceleration sensors 14A, 14D". Also, the second dampers 12A-12D are referred to as "second variable damping force dampers 12A-12D". The first vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15A or the second vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15B are acceleration sensors for the second variable damping force dampers 12A-12D, i.e., "second acceleration sensors 15A, 15B". Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the processing of acceleration information by the control device 21 when the first acceleration sensors 14A, 14D and the second acceleration sensors 15A, 15B are functioning normally. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the processing of acceleration information by the control device 21 when an abnormality (failure) is detected in the second acceleration sensors 15A, 15B.

[0044] As shown in Figure 4, the control device 21 includes a low-pass filter unit 22, an FFT phase difference confirmation unit 23, a signal comparison unit 24, a data storage unit 25, and an output unit 26. The low-pass filter unit 22 receives acceleration information (first acceleration information) from the first acceleration sensors 14A and 14D. The first acceleration information corresponds to the acceleration signal (first acceleration signal) input to the control device 21 from the first acceleration sensors 14A and 14D. The low-pass filter unit 22 processes the input first acceleration signal with a low-pass filter to remove high-frequency components. For example, the first acceleration signal is processed with a low-pass filter that allows frequency components below 3Hz to pass through, using a frequency band of 7-9Hz as the cutoff frequency. This cuts the signal in the control band of the first variable damping dampers 9A-9H from the first acceleration signal and extracts the signal near the control band of the second variable damping dampers 12A-12D. The low-pass filter unit 22 outputs the "first acceleration signal processed with a low-pass filter" to the FFT phase difference confirmation unit 23 and the signal comparison unit 24.

[0045] The FFT phase difference verification unit 23 receives the "low-pass filtered first acceleration signal (first acceleration information)" from the low-pass filter unit 22. The FFT phase difference verification unit 23 also receives acceleration information (second acceleration information) from the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B. The second acceleration information corresponds to the acceleration signal (second acceleration signal) input to the control device 21 from the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B. The FFT phase difference verification unit 23 performs an FFT on the "low-pass filtered first acceleration signal (first acceleration information)". The FFT phase difference verification unit 23 also performs an FFT on the second acceleration signal (second acceleration information). Finally, the FFT phase difference verification unit 23 checks the phase difference Δμs of the peak values ​​of each frequency from the results of both FFT processing. For example, the FFT phase difference confirmation unit 23 confirms (calculates) the phase difference Δμs after FFT processing between the acceleration information of the first bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A after low-pass filtering (first acceleration information) and the acceleration information of the first vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15A (second acceleration information), and the phase difference Δμs after FFT processing between the acceleration information of the fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor 14D after low-pass filtering (first acceleration information) and the acceleration information of the second vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15B (second acceleration information). The FFT phase difference confirmation unit 23 outputs the confirmed (calculated) phase difference Δμs, that is, the phase difference Δμs of the peak values ​​of each frequency obtained from the FFT processing results of the first acceleration information after low-pass filtering and the FFT processing results of the second acceleration information, to the signal comparison unit 24.

[0046] The signal comparison unit 24 receives "second acceleration information" from the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B. The signal comparison unit 24 also receives "first acceleration information after low-pass filtering" from the low-pass filter unit 22. Furthermore, the signal comparison unit 24 receives "phase difference Δμs" from the FFT phase difference verification unit 23. The signal comparison unit 24 outputs the second acceleration information to the output unit 26. The signal comparison unit 24 also calculates the peak value Δ ratio between the "first acceleration information after low-pass filtering" and the "second acceleration information." For example, the signal comparison unit 24 calculates the peak value Δ ratio between the acceleration information from the first bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A after low-pass filtering (first acceleration information) and the acceleration information from the first vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15A (second acceleration information), and the peak value Δ ratio between the acceleration information from the fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor 14D after low-pass filtering (first acceleration information) and the acceleration information from the second vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15B (second acceleration information).

[0047] The signal comparison unit 24 then moves and averages the phase difference Δμs and the peak value Δ ratio at predetermined intervals to smooth the data. Specifically, the signal comparison unit 24 moves and averages the phase difference Δμs and the peak value Δ ratio between the first bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A and the first vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15A. At the same time, the signal comparison unit 24 moves and averages the phase difference Δμs and the peak value Δ ratio between the fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor 14D and the second vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15B. The signal comparison unit 24 outputs the "data obtained by moving and averaging the phase difference Δμs and the peak value Δ ratio" to the data storage unit 25.

[0048] The data storage unit 25 receives "data obtained by moving average the phase difference Δμs and the peak value Δ ratio" from the signal comparison unit 24. The data storage unit 25 corresponds to, for example, memory 21A. The data storage unit 25 stores (records, stores, saves) "data obtained by moving average the phase difference Δμs and the peak value Δ ratio". In this case, this information is stored in correspondence with the travel section of vehicle 1. The travel section can be obtained, for example, from a higher-level control device via the communication line 31. In this way, the data storage unit 25 stores the difference values ​​(phase difference Δμs, peak value Δ ratio) of acceleration information from the first acceleration sensors 14A, 14D and the second acceleration sensors 15A, 15B according to the travel section of vehicle 1. In this case, the data storage unit 25 stores the difference between the acceleration information from the first bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A and the acceleration information from the first vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15A (phase difference Δμs, wave height value Δ ratio), and the difference between the acceleration information from the fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor 14D and the second vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15B (phase difference Δμs, wave height value Δ ratio).

[0049] The output unit 26 receives second acceleration information from the signal comparison unit 24. The output unit 26 outputs the second acceleration information received from the signal comparison unit 24. That is, if the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B are functioning correctly, the output unit 26 outputs the second acceleration information of the functioning second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B. The control device 21 uses the second acceleration information of the functioning second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B to control the second damping force variable dampers 12A-12D.

[0050] Next, the processing of acceleration information by the control device 21 when an abnormality (failure) of the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B is detected will be explained with reference to Figure 5. In Figure 5, the parts that have stopped functioning due to an abnormality (failure) of the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B are marked with an "×". The control device 21 has an abnormality detection means (abnormality detection unit) for detecting abnormalities in the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B. The abnormality detection means (abnormality detection unit) detects abnormalities in the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B by determining, for example, whether the signals from the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B have fallen outside the normal output range. When the control device 21 detects an abnormality in the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B because the signals from the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B have fallen outside the normal output range, it estimates the second acceleration information of the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B from the first acceleration information of the first acceleration sensors 14A and 14D and the information (difference value) stored in the memory 21A (data storage unit 25).

[0051] Specifically, the memory 21A (data storage unit 25) stores (records, stores, saves) information (difference values) for estimating the second acceleration information from the first acceleration information of the first acceleration sensors 14A and 14D, namely the "phase difference Δμs" and the "wave height value Δ ratio". If the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B fail, the control device 21 estimates the second acceleration information corresponding to the first acceleration information at that time from the "first acceleration information of the first acceleration sensors 14A and 14D" and the "information (difference values) stored in the memory 21A (data storage unit 25)". As shown in Figure 5, if the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B fail, the control device 21 outputs the second acceleration information (virtual second acceleration information) estimated from the data storage unit 25 to the output unit 26. The output unit 26 outputs the virtual second acceleration information input from the data storage unit 25. In other words, if the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B are malfunctioning, the output unit 26 outputs virtual second acceleration information. The control device 21 uses the virtual second acceleration information to control the second damping force variable dampers 12A-12D.

[0052] Figure 6 is a time chart showing an example of the relationship between "detected values ​​from the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B (second acceleration information)," "detected values ​​from the first acceleration sensors 14A and 14D (first acceleration information)," and "second acceleration information estimated from the detected values ​​from the first acceleration sensors 14A and 14D (virtual second acceleration information)." Specifically, Figure 6(A) shows an example of the time change of the detected values ​​from the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B (second acceleration information). Figure 6(B) shows an example of the time change of the detected values ​​from the first acceleration sensors 14A and 14D (first acceleration information) at the same time as Figure 6(A). Figure 6(C) shows an example of the time change of the second acceleration information estimated from the detected values ​​from the first acceleration sensors 14A and 14D (estimated second acceleration detected value, virtual second acceleration information) at the same time as Figures 6(A) and (B). As shown in Figure 6(C), even if the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B fail, the control device 21 can compensate for the second acceleration information from the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B using the first acceleration information from the first acceleration sensors 14A and 14D.

[0053] As shown in Figure 4, the control device 21 converts the acceleration information (first acceleration information) from the first acceleration sensors 14A and 14D for the first variable damping dampers 9A-9H to the acceleration information (second acceleration information) from the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B for the second variable damping dampers 12A-12D, and stores (records, remembers, saves) this converted acceleration information (converted second acceleration information) as converted data in the memory 21A (data storage unit 25). The converted data (converted second acceleration information) corresponds to the difference value (phase difference Δμs, wave height value Δ ratio) of the acceleration information from the first acceleration sensors 14A and 14D and the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B. The control device 21 automatically stores the converted data (converted second acceleration information) when the acceleration sensors 15A, 15B, 14A, and 14D are operating normally, rather than manually. The accumulation of conversion data (converted second acceleration information) may be performed continuously or periodically. For example, the memory 21A (data storage unit 25) can store data in association with "the driving section of vehicle 1", "acceleration information from the first acceleration sensors 14A and 14D", and "conversion data (converted second acceleration information)".

[0054] Here, the conversion of acceleration information is performed, for example, by applying a 3Hz low-pass filter to cut off the 7~9Hz frequency band of the first acceleration information, and then comparing the processed data with normal second acceleration information. The peak value is calculated from the ratio, and the phase difference is calculated using FFT to determine the time difference. That is, as part of the acceleration information conversion process, the control device 21 performs the following processes (1) to (5) when the first acceleration sensors 14A, 14D and the second acceleration sensors 15A, 15B are operating normally, and stores (records, remembers, saves) the results in the memory 21A (data storage unit 25). (1) The first acceleration information from the first acceleration sensors 14A and 14D is processed using a low-pass filter. For example, the low-pass filter removes the frequency band of 7-9 Hz and allows the frequency band of 3 Hz or less to pass through. This cuts out the control band signals of the first variable damping dampers 9A-9H from the first acceleration information and extracts the signals near the control band of the second variable damping dampers 12A-12D. (2) The first acceleration information after low-pass filtering is subjected to FFT processing. The second acceleration information from the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B is also subjected to FFT processing. Then, the phase difference of the peak values ​​of each frequency is checked (calculated). (3) Store the phase difference Δμs between the first acceleration information and the second acceleration information of the FFT result. (4) Store the peak value Δ ratio between the first acceleration information and the second acceleration information after low-pass filtering. (5) The above (1) to (4) are smoothed by moving average over predetermined intervals.

[0055] Then, as shown in Figure 5, if the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B for the second variable damping dampers 12A-12D fail, the control device 21 estimates the acceleration information (second acceleration information) for the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B for the second variable damping dampers 12A-12D from the acceleration information (first acceleration information) of the first acceleration sensors 14A and 14D for the first variable damping dampers 9A-9H and the converted data (converted second acceleration information) stored in the memory 21A (data storage unit 25). At this time, the control device 21 estimates the acceleration information (second acceleration information) of the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B using the converted data (converted second acceleration information) corresponding to the travel section that the vehicle 1 is currently traveling. The control device 21 continues vibration control of the second variable damping dampers 12A-12D using the estimated acceleration information (virtual second acceleration information). In other words, if the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B fail, the control device 21 controls the second variable damping dampers 12A-12D using acceleration information (virtual second acceleration information) estimated from the "first acceleration information" of the first acceleration sensors 14A and 14D and the "converted data (converted second acceleration information)" in the memory 21A (data storage unit 25).

[0056] As described above, in this embodiment, when the "second acceleration sensors 15A, 15B for the second variable damping dampers 12A-12D" fail, "virtual acceleration information for the second acceleration sensors 15A, 15B" is generated from the "acceleration information for the first acceleration sensors 14A, 14D". Therefore, even if the second acceleration sensors 15A, 15B fail, control of the second variable damping dampers 12A-12D can be continued using the "virtual acceleration information for the second acceleration sensors 15A, 15B". This prevents the control of the second variable damping dampers 12A-12D from stopping. In addition, in this embodiment, the difference value (phase difference Δμs, wave height value Δ ratio) of the acceleration information from the first acceleration sensors 14A, 14D and the second acceleration sensors 15A, 15B according to the travel section of the vehicle 1 is stored in the memory 21A (data storage unit 25). Therefore, virtual acceleration information (virtual second acceleration information) for the malfunctioning second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B can be generated without requiring any special tuning.

[0057] As described above, in this embodiment, the vehicle 1, as a railway vehicle, is equipped with a vehicle vibration damping device for suppressing vibrations of the vehicle 1. The vehicle vibration damping device comprises first dampers 9A-9H as first damping force variable dampers, second dampers 12A-12D as second damping force variable dampers, bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D as first acceleration sensors, car body-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D as second acceleration sensors, and a control device 21 as a controller. The vehicle vibration damping device also includes a memory 21A (data storage unit 25). The first dampers 9A-9H are installed between the axles 6A-6D of the vehicle 1 and the bogies 3A, 3B (more specifically, the bogie frames 4A, 4B). The second dampers 12A-12D are installed between the bogies 3A, 3B (more specifically, the bogie frames 4A, 4B) and the car body 2.

[0058] The bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D are installed on bogies 3A and 3B. The bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D detect the acceleration of bogies 3A and 3B (for example, vertical acceleration). The car body-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D are installed on car body 2. The car body-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D detect the acceleration of car body 2 (for example, vertical acceleration). Memory 21A (data storage unit 25) records acceleration information from the bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D and car body-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D. The control device 21 is connected to the bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D and car body-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D. The control device 21 has damping force control means (damping force control unit) that varies the damping force of the first damper 9A-9H and the second damper 12A-12D based on acceleration information from the bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D and the vehicle body-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D. In addition, the control device 21 has abnormality detection means (abnormality detection unit) that detects abnormalities (failures) in the bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D and the vehicle body-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D.

[0059] The abnormality detection means (abnormality detection unit) can be configured, for example, by determining whether the signals from the bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D and the vehicle body-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D have fallen outside the normal output range. That is, the abnormality detection means (abnormality detection unit) determines that an abnormality has occurred in the acceleration sensor when the signal from either the bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A-14D or the vehicle body-side acceleration sensor 15A-15D falls outside the normal output range. As a result, the abnormality detection means (abnormality detection unit) detects abnormalities in the bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A-14D and the vehicle body-side acceleration sensor 15A-15D.

[0060] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, when the control device 21 detects an abnormality in one of the acceleration sensors (for example, the second acceleration sensor: the first vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15A or the second vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15B) of the bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D and the vehicle-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D, it supplements the acceleration information of that one acceleration sensor. In this case, the control device 21 supplements the acceleration information of one acceleration sensor with acceleration information from the other acceleration sensor (for example, the first acceleration sensor: the first bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A or the fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor 14D).

[0061] Here, the memory 21A (data storage unit 25) of the control device 21 records the difference in acceleration information (e.g., phase difference Δμs, wave height value Δ ratio) between the bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D and the car body-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D, corresponding to the travel section of the vehicle 1. That is, the memory 21A (data storage unit 25) records the difference in acceleration information (e.g., phase difference Δμs, wave height value Δ ratio) when the bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D and the car body-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D are functioning normally. In addition, the control device 21 receives the travel section, which is the vehicle information of the vehicle 1, from a higher-level control device via the communication line 31. The memory 21A (data storage unit 25) records the difference in acceleration information (e.g., phase difference Δμs, wave height value Δ ratio) between the bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D and the car body-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D, corresponding to the travel section of the vehicle 1. The difference values ​​of acceleration information recorded in memory 21A (data storage unit 25) (for example, phase difference Δμs, wave height value Δ ratio) are automatically stored (recorded, stored, and saved) without requiring manual operation by the driver, provided that the bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D and the vehicle body-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D are functioning normally.

[0062] The control device 21 obtains acceleration information from the acceleration sensor that detected the abnormality (for example, the second acceleration sensor: the first vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15A or the second vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15B) from the following (A) and (B). (A) Acceleration information from the other acceleration sensor (for example, the first acceleration sensor: the first trolley-side acceleration sensor 14A or the fourth trolley-side acceleration sensor 14D). (B) Difference values ​​of acceleration information recorded in memory 21A (data storage unit 25) (for example, phase difference Δμs, wave height value Δ ratio).

[0063] In this embodiment, the first acceleration sensors, the bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D, include a first bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A, which is positioned on the front side of the bogie 3A in the direction of travel, and a fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor 14D, which is positioned on the rear side of the bogie 3B in the direction of travel, as a rear-side first acceleration sensor. The second acceleration sensors, the vehicle-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D, include a first vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15A, which is positioned on the front side of the vehicle body 2 in the direction of travel, as a front-side second acceleration sensor, and a second vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15B, which is positioned on the rear side of the vehicle body in the direction of travel, as a rear-side second acceleration sensor. The difference values ​​of acceleration information recorded in memory 21A (data storage unit 25) are: "the difference between the acceleration information of the first bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A and the acceleration information of the first vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15A (for example, phase difference Δμs, wave height value Δ ratio)" and "the difference between the acceleration information of the fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor 14D and the acceleration information of the second vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15B (for example, phase difference Δμs, wave height value Δ ratio)".

[0064] The vehicle vibration damping device and railway vehicle according to the embodiment have the configuration described above, and their operation will now be explained.

[0065] Vehicle 1 travels along rail R, for example, towards the left in Figures 1 to 3. When vehicle 1 (body 2, bogies 3A, 3B) vibrates while it is traveling, the vertical vibrations are detected by acceleration sensors 14A-14D and 15A-15D. Based on the acceleration signals detected by acceleration sensors 14A-14D and 15A-15D, the control device 21 calculates the target damping force that should be generated by dampers 9A-9H and 12A-12D to suppress the vibration of vehicle 1. Then, dampers 9A-9H and 12A-12D are variably controlled according to the command signal (drive current) output from the control device 21 so that their generated damping force has characteristics in line with the target damping force.

[0066] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, when the control device 21 detects an abnormality in the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B, it supplements the acceleration information of the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B with the acceleration information from the first acceleration sensors 14A and 14D. Therefore, even if an abnormality occurs in the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B, control of the dampers 9A-9H and 12A-12D can be continued.

[0067] According to the embodiment, the memory 21A (data storage unit 25) records the difference in acceleration information between the first acceleration sensors 14A, 14D and the second acceleration sensors 15A, 15B according to the travel section of the vehicle 1 (e.g., phase difference Δμs, wave height value Δ ratio). Then, the control device 21 determines the acceleration information of the second acceleration sensors 15A, 15B that have detected an abnormality from the "acceleration information of the first acceleration sensors 14A, 14D" and the "difference in acceleration information between the first acceleration sensors 14A, 14D and the second acceleration sensors 15A, 15B according to the travel section of the vehicle 1 (e.g., phase difference Δμs, wave height value Δ ratio)". Therefore, the acceleration information of the second acceleration sensors 15A, 15B that have detected an abnormality can be determined based on the "acceleration information of the first acceleration sensors 14A, 14D" and the "difference in acceleration information recorded in the memory 21A (data storage unit 25) (e.g., phase difference Δμs, wave height value Δ ratio)".

[0068] According to this embodiment, the difference values ​​of acceleration information corresponding to the travel section recorded in the memory 21A (data storage unit 25) (e.g., phase difference Δμs, wave height value Δ ratio) are automatically stored when the first acceleration sensors 14A, 14D and the second acceleration sensors 15A, 15B are operating normally. Therefore, the acceleration information of the second acceleration sensors 15A, 15B that have detected an abnormality can be determined based on the "acceleration information of the first acceleration sensors 14A, 14D" and the "difference values ​​of acceleration information corresponding to the travel section that are automatically stored (e.g., phase difference Δμs, wave height value Δ ratio)".

[0069] According to the embodiment, the bogie-side acceleration sensors 14A-14D include a first bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A and a fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor 14D, and the vehicle body-side acceleration sensors 15A-15D include a first vehicle body-side acceleration sensor 15A and a second vehicle body-side acceleration sensor 15B. Therefore, when an abnormality is detected in the first vehicle body-side acceleration sensor 15A or the second vehicle body-side acceleration sensor 15B, the acceleration information from the first bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A or the fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor 14D can be used to supplement the acceleration information from the first vehicle body-side acceleration sensor 15A or the second vehicle body-side acceleration sensor 15B. Furthermore, although not shown in the diagram, conversely, when an abnormality is detected in the first bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A or the fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor 14D, the acceleration information from the first vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15A or the second vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15B can be used to supplement the acceleration information from the first bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A or the fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor 14D.

[0070] According to the embodiment, the difference values ​​of acceleration information recorded in the memory 21A (data storage unit 25) (e.g., phase difference Δμs, peak value Δ ratio) are "the difference value between the acceleration information of the first bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A and the acceleration information of the first vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15A (e.g., phase difference Δμs, peak value Δ ratio)" and "the difference value between the acceleration information of the fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor 14D and the second vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15B (e.g., phase difference Δμs, peak value Δ ratio)". Therefore, the difference values ​​of acceleration information recorded in the memory 21A (data storage unit 25) (e.g., phase difference Δμs, peak value Δ ratio) can be used to supplement the acceleration information of the first vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15A, the second vehicle-side acceleration sensor 15B, the first bogie-side acceleration sensor 14A, or the fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor 14D that has detected an abnormality.

[0071] In this embodiment, the control device 21 was described as having an abnormality detection means (abnormality detection unit) for detecting abnormalities in the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B. Specifically, in this embodiment, when the control device 21 detects an abnormality in the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B, it supplements the acceleration information of the second acceleration sensors 15A and 15B with the acceleration information of the first acceleration sensors 14A and 14D and the difference values ​​(for example, phase difference Δμs, wave height value Δ ratio) stored (recorded, stored, and saved) in the memory 21A (data storage unit 25). However, the invention is not limited to this, and for example, the control device may also have an abnormality detection means (abnormality detection unit) for detecting abnormalities in the first acceleration sensor. Specifically, when the control device detects an abnormality in the first acceleration sensor, it may supplement the acceleration information of the first acceleration sensor with the acceleration information of the second acceleration sensor and the difference values ​​stored (recorded, stored, and saved) in the memory.

[0072] In this embodiment, the second damper 12A-12D, which is a second variable damping force damper, is described as being positioned to extend vertically between the vehicle body 2 and the bogies 3A and 3B, that is, as a case in which vertical vibrations between the vehicle body 2 and the bogies 3A and 3B are suppressed by the second damper 12A-12D. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and for example, the second variable damping force damper may be positioned to extend horizontally between the vehicle body and the bogie, and configured to suppress horizontal vibrations between the vehicle body and the bogie.

[0073] In the embodiment, the example described was one in which the damping force control means (damping force control unit) and the abnormality detection means (abnormality detection unit) are provided in a single control device 21. However, the invention is not limited to this, and for example, the damping force control means (damping force control unit) and the abnormality detection means (abnormality detection unit) may be provided in separate control devices. Furthermore, the control device may be configured to include both a controller for controlling the variable damping force damper and a memory for recording acceleration information, or it may be configured to include a storage device corresponding to the memory in addition to the control device corresponding to the controller.

[0074] In this embodiment, the abnormality detection means (abnormality detection unit) was described as being configured to detect abnormalities in acceleration sensors 14A-14D and 15A-15D by determining whether the signals from the acceleration sensors 14A-14D and 15A-15D have fallen outside the normal output range. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and for example, in addition to determining whether the sensor value has fallen outside the normal output range, the abnormality detection means can use various methods (abnormality determination methods, abnormality detection methods) to detect abnormalities in sensors, such as determining whether the sensor value of the first acceleration sensor and the sensor value of the second acceleration sensor are consistent.

[0075] In this embodiment, the first dampers 9A-9H, which are the first variable damping dampers, and the second dampers 12A-12D, which are the second variable damping dampers, were described as being configured with a damping force adjustable hydraulic shock absorber capable of continuously (steplessly) changing the damping force characteristics. However, the variable damping damper is not limited to this, and may be configured with a damping force adjustable hydraulic shock absorber capable of intermittently (multi-stage) changing the damping force characteristics in two stages (for example, ON and OFF), three stages, or even more (four stages or more). Furthermore, the variable damping damper is not limited to a hydraulic type, but can use various types of damping force adjustable dampers. In addition, the variable damping damper is not limited to a damper capable of semi-active control, but may also be a damper capable of fully active control.

[0076] According to the embodiment described above, when the controller detects an abnormality in either the first or second acceleration sensor, it supplements the acceleration information of the other acceleration sensor with the acceleration information from the other acceleration sensor. Therefore, even if an abnormality occurs in either the first or second acceleration sensor, the control of the first variable damping damper and the control of the second variable damping damper can be continued.

[0077] According to the embodiment, the memory stores the difference in acceleration information between the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor according to the vehicle's travel section. The controller then determines the acceleration information of the acceleration sensor that detected the abnormality from "the acceleration information of the other acceleration sensor" and "the difference in acceleration information between the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor according to the vehicle's travel section." Therefore, the acceleration information of the acceleration sensor that detected the abnormality can be determined based on "the acceleration information of the other acceleration sensor" and "the difference in acceleration information recorded in memory."

[0078] According to this embodiment, the difference in acceleration information corresponding to the travel section recorded in memory is automatically accumulated when the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor are operating normally. Therefore, the acceleration information of one of the acceleration sensors that has detected an abnormality can be determined based on "the acceleration information of the other acceleration sensor" and "the difference in acceleration information corresponding to the travel section that is automatically accumulated."

[0079] According to the embodiment, the first acceleration sensor has a front first acceleration sensor and a rear first acceleration sensor, and the second acceleration sensor has a front second acceleration sensor and a rear second acceleration sensor. Therefore, when an abnormality is detected in the front first acceleration sensor or the rear first acceleration sensor, the acceleration information from the front second acceleration sensor or the rear second acceleration sensor can be used to supplement the acceleration information of the front first acceleration sensor or the rear first acceleration sensor. Also, when an abnormality is detected in the front second acceleration sensor or the rear second acceleration sensor, the acceleration information from the front first acceleration sensor or the rear first acceleration sensor can be used to supplement the acceleration information of the front second acceleration sensor or the rear second acceleration sensor.

[0080] According to the embodiment, the difference values ​​of acceleration information recorded in memory are the difference between the acceleration information of the front first acceleration sensor and the acceleration information of the front second acceleration sensor, and the difference between the acceleration information of the rear first acceleration sensor and the acceleration information of the rear second acceleration sensor. Therefore, the difference values ​​of acceleration information recorded in memory can be used to supplement the acceleration information of the front first acceleration sensor, front second acceleration sensor, rear first acceleration sensor, or rear second acceleration sensor that has detected an abnormality. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0081] 1. Vehicle (railway vehicle) 2 car bodies 3A,3B trolley 5A-5H wheels 6A-6D Axle 9A-9H First damper (first damping force variable damper) 12A-12D Second damper (second damping force variable damper) 14A-14D Trolley-side acceleration sensor (first acceleration sensor) 14A First Bogie-side Acceleration Sensor (Front First Acceleration Sensor) 14D Fourth bogie-side acceleration sensor (rear-side first acceleration sensor) 15A-15D Vehicle-side acceleration sensor (second acceleration sensor) 15A First vehicle-side acceleration sensor (front-side second acceleration sensor) 15B Second vehicle-side acceleration sensor (rear-side second acceleration sensor) 21 Control device (controller) 21A Memory

Claims

1. A first damping force variable damper is installed between the vehicle's axle and the bogie, A second damping force variable damper is provided between the bogie and the car body, A first acceleration sensor is provided on the trolley and detects the acceleration of the trolley, A second acceleration sensor is provided on the vehicle body to detect the acceleration of the vehicle body, The system includes a controller connected to the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor, which varies the damping force of the first variable damping damper and the second variable damping damper based on acceleration information from the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor, The controller has an abnormality detection means for the first acceleration sensor or the second acceleration sensor, and when an abnormality is detected in one of the acceleration sensors, it supplements the acceleration information of the other acceleration sensor with the acceleration information from the other acceleration sensor.

2. A vehicle vibration damping device according to claim 1, The vehicle is equipped with a memory that records the difference in acceleration information between the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor according to the travel section of the vehicle, The vehicle vibration damping device is characterized in that the controller obtains acceleration information from one of the acceleration sensors that has detected an abnormality from the difference between the acceleration information from the other acceleration sensor and the acceleration information recorded in the memory.

3. A vehicle vibration damping device according to claim 2, The difference value of the acceleration information recorded in the memory is automatically accumulated when the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor are operating normally, characterized in that the vibration damping device for a vehicle.

4. A vehicle vibration damping device according to claim 1, The first acceleration sensor comprises a front first acceleration sensor positioned on the front side in the direction of travel of the trolley, and a rear first acceleration sensor positioned on the rear side in the direction of travel of the trolley. The vehicle vibration damping device is characterized in that the second acceleration sensor comprises a front second acceleration sensor positioned on the front side in the direction of travel of the vehicle body and a rear second acceleration sensor positioned on the rear side in the direction of travel of the vehicle body.

5. A vehicle vibration damping device according to claim 2, The first acceleration sensor comprises a front first acceleration sensor positioned on the front side in the direction of travel of the trolley, and a rear first acceleration sensor positioned on the rear side in the direction of travel of the trolley. The vehicle vibration damping device is characterized in that the second acceleration sensor comprises a front second acceleration sensor positioned on the front side in the direction of travel of the vehicle body and a rear second acceleration sensor positioned on the rear side in the direction of travel of the vehicle body.

6. A vehicle vibration damping device according to claim 5, The vehicle vibration damping device is characterized in that the difference value of the acceleration information recorded in the memory is the difference value between the acceleration information of the front first acceleration sensor and the acceleration information of the front second acceleration sensor, and the difference value between the acceleration information of the rear first acceleration sensor and the acceleration information of the rear second acceleration sensor.

7. A first damping force variable damper is installed between the vehicle's axle and the bogie, A second damping force variable damper is provided between the bogie and the car body, A first acceleration sensor is provided on the trolley and detects the acceleration of the trolley, A second acceleration sensor is provided on the vehicle body to detect the acceleration of the vehicle body, A railway vehicle comprising: a controller connected to the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor, which varies the damping force of the first variable damping damper and the second variable damping damper based on acceleration information from the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor, and which has an abnormality detection means for the first acceleration sensor or the second acceleration sensor, and when an abnormality is detected in one of the acceleration sensors, it supplements the acceleration information of the other acceleration sensor with acceleration information from the other acceleration sensor.

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