Brake control device for railway vehicle

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

Brake control device for railway vehicles

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

[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 traveling, 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 predetermined amount 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 the friction material, thereby reducing the burden on the maintenance worker.

[0003] JP 2015-121251 A

[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.

[0006] The brake control device for a railway vehicle disclosed herein is a brake control device that has a plurality of mechanical brake devices that generate braking force by pressing friction material against a rotating body that rotates when the railway vehicle is traveling, and controls the mechanical brake devices, and is equipped with 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, so that it is equal among the mechanical brake devices, an output target value calculation unit that calculates an output target value for each mechanical brake device, which is a target value of the force on the acting member that operates the friction material, based on the target brake force, and an equalization adjustment unit that acquires the actual brake force, which is the brake force output by the mechanical brake device, detected by a brake force detection unit installed in each mechanical brake device, and, if the actual brake forces are not equal, corrects the output target value so that the actual brake force of each mechanical brake device matches the target brake force.

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

[0008] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a railway vehicle according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a railway vehicle brake control device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a case where a processing circuit provided in a railway vehicle brake control device according to embodiment 1 is realized by a processor and a memory. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a case where a processing circuit provided in a railway vehicle brake control device according to embodiment 1 is configured by dedicated hardware. A flowchart showing the operation of a railway vehicle brake control device according to embodiment 1. A flowchart showing the operation of an output target value correction unit of a railway vehicle brake control device according to embodiment 1. A graph showing the actual braking force of each mechanical brake device in a conventional railway vehicle brake control device. A graph showing the actual braking force of each mechanical brake device in a railway vehicle brake control device according to embodiment 1.

[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] First Embodiment. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a railway vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The vehicle 1 includes wheels 2a to 2d, a brake command device 3, a brake control device 4, mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d, and brake force detection units 6a to 6d. Although not shown, the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d each include a friction material. The vehicle 1 brakes when the friction material included in each of the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d is pressed against the wheels 2a to 2d, respectively. The mechanical brake devices 5a to 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 1. 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 a 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. While the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d in the first embodiment are installed on each axle, this is not a limitation. They may also be installed on each wheel.

[0013] The brake control device 4 calculates a target brake force, which is a target value of the brake force to be output by the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d, and an output target value, which is a target value of the force on each of 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 actual braking forces AFa to AFd, i.e., braking forces generated when the friction material of the mechanical braking devices 5a to 5d is pressed against the wheels 2a to 2d, respectively. 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. Similar to 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 installed, for example, on the friction material 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 material. They may be attached to any component constituting the mechanical braking devices 5a to 5d, or to the wheels 2a to 2d, axles connected 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 railway vehicle brake control device 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 (AS pressure) of the air inside an air spring 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 a 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 a target braking force, which is a target value of the braking force to be output by the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d. In doing so, the target braking force calculation unit 42 calculates the target braking forces so that they are equal among the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d. For example, the target braking force calculation unit 42 equally divides the required braking force required for the entire vehicle 1 by the number of mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d, thereby equally calculating the target braking forces for each of the mechanical brake 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 applied to the operating member that operates the 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 target values ​​of the pressure of a fluid such as air supplied to a brake cylinder provided in the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d, known as brake cylinder pressure. For example, if the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d are electric brakes that operate a linear motion conversion mechanism driven by 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 friction material against the wheels or braking members that rotate integrally with the wheels.

[0020] The equality adjustment unit 44 includes an equality determination unit 441 and an output target value correction unit 442 .

[0021] The equality determination unit 441 acquires the actual braking forces AFa to AFd from the braking force detection units 6a to 6d, determines whether the values ​​of the actual braking forces AFa to AFd are equal to each other, and outputs the determination result. Note that the determination of whether the values ​​of the actual braking forces AFa to AFd are equal does not require perfect agreement, and a range within which the actual braking forces AFa to AFd can be considered equal may be set in advance. For example, the actual braking forces AFa to 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] The 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, the 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 included 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 unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor).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 (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 illustrating 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 illustrated in FIG. 4 may be, 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 implemented with dedicated hardware and partially implemented with 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 a 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. The required braking force is then equally divided by the number of mechanical brake devices 5a-5d to calculate a target braking force for each of the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d (step S1). The output target value calculation unit 43 calculates output target values ​​BTa-BTd for each of the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d based on the target braking force calculated by the target braking force calculation unit 42 (step S2). The mechanical brake devices 5a-5d operate their respective acting members 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 AFa to AFd from the braking force detection units 6a to 6d (step S3). The equality determination unit 441 of the equality adjustment unit 44 then determines whether the actual braking forces AFa to AFd are equal to each other (step S4). If the actual braking forces AFa to AFd are equal to each other, the output target values ​​BTa to BTd are not corrected (step S4: Yes). If the actual braking forces AFa 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 with reference to 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 values ​​of the actual braking forces AFa to AFd are not equal, the output target value correction unit 442 of the brake control device 4 corrects the output target values ​​BTa to BTd so that the values ​​of the actual braking forces AFa to AFd are equal. First, for each of the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d, a comparison is made to determine whether the target braking force and the actual braking forces AFa to AFd match (step S51). If the target braking force and the actual braking forces AFa to AFd do not match (step S51: No), the magnitudes of the target braking force and the actual braking forces AFa to AFd are compared (step S52), and correction is made depending on the magnitude relationship between the target braking force and the actual braking forces AFa to AFd. If the actual braking forces AFa to AFd are greater than the target braking forces (step S52: Yes), the output target values ​​BTa to BTd are corrected downward (step S53), and if the actual braking forces AFa to AFd are smaller than the target braking forces (step S52: No), the output target values ​​BTa to 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 is compared with the actual brake force AFa generated by the mechanical brake device 5a. Because 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 AFa match, no correction is made to the output target value BTa. If the target brake force and the actual brake force AFa differ, the magnitudes of the target brake force and the actual brake force AFa are compared. Then, if the actual brake force AFa is greater than the target brake force, a correction is made to lower the output target value BTa. If the actual brake force AFa is smaller than the target brake force, a correction is made to raise the output target value BTa. 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 AFa 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 brake devices 5a to 5d, if the target braking force and the actual braking force AFa to AFd match for each of the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d (step S51: Yes), no correction is made.

[0033] FIG. 7 is a graph showing the actual braking forces AFa to AFd of the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d in a conventional railway vehicle brake control device. FIG. 8 is a graph showing the actual braking forces AFa to AFd of the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d in a railway vehicle brake control device according to the first embodiment. Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 7, the actual braking forces AFa to AFd of the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d differ depending on the operating conditions of the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d, resulting in different amounts of friction material wear and different replacement times for the friction material. However, according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the actual braking forces AFa to AFd of the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d can be equalized by adjusting them to a target braking force calculated to equalize the actual braking forces AFa to AFd among the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d. Because the actual braking forces AFa to AFd, i.e., the pressing forces of the friction material, are equal, the amounts of friction material wear are also equalized among the mechanical brake devices 5a to 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 AFa to AFd of the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d are equal, and if the actual braking forces AFa to AFd are not equal, corrects the actual braking forces AFa to AFd so that they are equal. This equalizes the amount of friction material wear among the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d, allowing for the timing of friction material replacement to be synchronized and improving maintenance efficiency by workers. Furthermore, equalizing the actual braking forces AFa to AFd among the mechanical brake devices 5a to 5d makes it possible to suppress axle load shifts caused by differences in braking force among the mechanical brake devices 5a to 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 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 mechanical brake devices 5c and 5d equal. This allows the friction material replacement times to be synchronized for each bogie, improving the efficiency of maintenance by workers.

[0037] In addition, in actual operation, for example, to suppress skidding, there may be cases where the magnitude of the target braking force is 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 is calculated as an equal target value by equally dividing the required brake force for the entire vehicle 1 by the number of mechanical brake devices 5a-5d. However, this calculation method is not limited to this. It is sufficient to equalize the target brake force among the mechanical brake devices for which the friction material replacement periods are to be synchronized. For example, the target brake force calculation unit 42 may acquire the actual brake forces AFa-AFd and reset the maximum actual brake force among the actual brake forces AFa-AFd as the target brake force for each of the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d. This corrects the actual brake forces AFa-AFd of the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d to match the maximum actual brake force, thereby obtaining equal actual brake forces AFa-AFd among the mechanical brake devices 5a-5d. The target brake force may be reset to the minimum value among the actual brake forces AFa-AFd or the average value of the actual brake forces AFa-AFd.

[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.

[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.

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 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.

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.