Monitoring the wear of a contact strip

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and an assembly for monitoring the wear of a contact strip of a rail vehicle (SFZ). The rail vehicle (SFZ) travels on a track (FSK), and while the rail vehicle is traveling, a camera (KAM) of the rail vehicle (SFZ), said camera being oriented in the direction of the track path (FS), detects a mirror (SP) which is positioned along the track (FSK) and is oriented in the direction of the track path (FS). The camera (KAM) optically detects a contact strip (SL) of the rail vehicle at a location on the track (FSK) via the mirror (SP) and produces an image of the contact strip via the mirror (SP). The image of the camera (KAM) is analyzed in order to determine the current thickness of the contact strip (SL) as a measurement of the wear thereof.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Monitoring wear of a contact strip

[0003] The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for monitoring wear of a contact strip of a rail vehicle.

[0004] It is known that some rail vehicles are equipped with pantographs that carry contact strips used for current collection. The contact strip wears out during the vehicle's travel in contact with a designated overhead electric line. Replacement of the pantograph or contact strip becomes necessary when a predetermined limit, such as a minimum thickness of the contact strip, is reached.

[0005] If the minimum threshold is significantly undercut, there is a risk of failures in the energy transmission via the contact strip. These failures could lead to damage or, in the worst case, to unplanned interruptions.

[0006] The remaining thickness of a used contact strip and the associated remaining range of the rail vehicle are unknown at a given point in time.

[0007] However, it is possible to determine the remaining thickness of the contact strip at specified (maintenance) times by manually measuring the contact strip. Based on this, and taking into account other conditions (e.g., climatic and environmental conditions, operating conditions of the rail vehicle, etc.), it is determined whether the contact strip can remain in service for further planned journeys or whether it must be replaced.

[0008] The current state of the grinding strip is determined by:

[0009] - the distance travelled,

[0010] - the average speed of the rail vehicle,

[0011] - the friction between the overhead line and the contact strip,

[0012] - the thermal stress on the contact strip during current transmission,

[0013] - the contact situation between the contact strip and the overhead line, which is caused and influenced by ice formation, wear, surface structure, sparking, etc.,

[0014] - etc .

[0015] The determination of a potential (remaining) range of the rail vehicle, which is determined by the current condition of the contact strip, is currently based on empirical values.

[0016] If these are faulty, this can lead to premature or unnecessary disposal of the contact strip and thus to increased costs or to a failure of the rail vehicle with corresponding consequences for the operational process.

[0017] It is known to use pantograph monitoring systems with a system of cameras. The cameras are installed at predetermined points along a route and generate images of the pantograph as it passes the points. The images are transmitted to a monitoring station for evaluation. These monitoring systems are very costly due to the installation of the cameras, data acquisition, and data transmission devices.

[0018] At the same time, these pantograph monitoring systems are maintenance-intensive, partly because they are exposed to the risk of damage, weather influences and even theft.

[0019] It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide an improved method and an improved arrangement for monitoring wear of a contact strip of a rail vehicle, which avoids the disadvantages mentioned above and is in particular reliable and cost-effective to use.

[0020] This problem is solved by the features of patent claim 1 and by the features of patent claim 10. Advantageous further developments are specified in the respective dependent patent claims.

[0021] The invention relates to an arrangement and a method for monitoring wear on a contact strip of a rail vehicle. The rail vehicle travels along a track and has a camera and a pantograph.

[0022] The pantograph carries a contact strip. The camera is aligned in the direction of travel.

[0023] A mirror is arranged along the route and is directed in the direction of the route.

[0024] The camera and mirror are aligned in such a way that, when the rail vehicle is moving, the camera uses the mirror to optically capture the contact strip at a specific location along the track. An image of the contact strip is captured via the mirror. The image is evaluated to determine the current thickness of the contact strip as a measure of its wear.

[0025] In an advantageous further development, the pantograph is arranged in the roof area of ​​the rail vehicle.

[0026] In an advantageous further development, the camera is arranged inside a driver's cab of the rail vehicle.

[0027] In an advantageous further development, the camera is directed towards the route via a front window of the driver's cab.

[0028] In an advantageous further development, the mirror is mounted via a bracket on a mast or on an overhead line mast or in a tunnel or on a bridge.

[0029] In an advantageous further development, the mirror is arranged above or next to the route.

[0030] In an advantageous further development, the rail vehicle has a display unit on which the thickness of the contact strip is displayed.

[0031] In an advantageous further development, the rail vehicle has a communication device that transmits the strength of the contact strip to a fixed control point. In an advantageous further development, the rail vehicle has a device that uses artificial intelligence to analyze the image of the contact strip in order to estimate its strength.

[0032] In an advantageous further development, the rail vehicle has an artificial intelligence algorithm,

[0033] - which is trained to estimate the strength of predetermined grinding bar models with a given accuracy, and / or

[0034] - which is trained in such a way that it recognizes typical predetermined damages to the grinding strip.

[0035] The present invention can be implemented cost-effectively compared to the prior art.

[0036] The present invention can be retrofitted to existing rail vehicles with little effort.

[0037] The present invention, in particular the positioning of the camera inside the driver's cab of the rail vehicle, eliminates the need for protection of the camera.

[0038] In comparison to the prior art, the present invention requires neither complex communication nor data exchange systems between the location where the monitoring system is installed and a control center.

[0039] The invention is explained in more detail below with the aid of a drawing. It shows:

[0040] FIG 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the invention, FIG 2 shows an exemplary further development of the invention with reference to FIG 1,

[0041] FIG 3 a first typical damage to a grinding strip, and

[0042] FIG 4 a second typical damage to a grinding strip.

[0043] FIG 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0044] A rail vehicle SFZ has a pantograph STA in the roof area, which carries a contact strip SL.

[0045] The rail vehicle SFZ draws electrical energy from an overhead line via the pantograph STA for a journey along a route FSK, which energy is then fed to the traction motors belonging to the rail vehicle SFZ to drive it.

[0046] The rail vehicle SFZ has a camera KAM inside the associated driver's cab FS, which preferably creates high-resolution images or image sequences (video sequences).

[0047] The KAM camera is positioned above the front window of the driver’s cab in the direction of the route FSK to be travelled.

[0048] Along the track FSK, which is part of a rail network, mirrors SP are mounted on HLTG brackets at predetermined locations. The HLTG brackets of the mirrors SP are selected such that the mirror SP is aligned and fixed at a predetermined angle alpha a in the direction of the track FS.

[0049] Existing support structures, such as overhead line masts, are preferably used as HLTG mounts for the SP mirrors. The HLTG mounts are preferably mounted beneath structures in such a way that the associated SP mirrors are protected from the elements and vandalism—for example, under bridges or in possibly illuminated tunnels or tunnel sections.

[0050] The preferred high-resolution camera KAM is mounted in the driver's cab FS on a bracket at a location that allows the camera KAM a clear view of the route FSK.

[0051] As shown here as an example, the camera KAM is located inside the driver's cab FS between a sun visor and the windscreen.

[0052] The mount of the camera KAM is designed in such a way that the camera KAM is aligned and fixed at a predetermined angle in the direction of the route FS.

[0053] The camera KAM and the mirror SP are aligned to each other via the respective brackets in such a way that when the rail vehicle SFZ is moving at a location, the camera KAM optically records the pantograph, more precisely the associated contact strip SL, via the mirror SP in order to produce high-resolution images or image sequences (video sequences) of this.

[0054] In summary, the current thickness or strength of the grinding strip SL is measured and documented using the KAM camera.

[0055] This measuring principle can be implemented not only with mirrors SP which, as shown here, are located above the travel distance FSK.

[0056] An equivalent solution would be to arrange the mirrors SP to the side of the track FSK - the prerequisite is that the alignment of the mirror SP and the camera KAM allows the camera KAM to optically detect the grinding strip SL via the mirror SP in order to measure its strength or thickness.

[0057] If the rail vehicle has multiple pantographs that are used alternately as needed, their contact strips are recorded alternately for measurements. If a pantograph has multiple contact strips, it is sufficient to record the condition of only one of these contact strips per pantograph for measurements, since the other contact strips of the same pantograph wear at a similar rate.

[0058] The thickness and thus the wear of the contact strip SL is measured using the system described above, preferably continuously or at intervals while the rail vehicle SFZ is traveling.

[0059] These are displayed as results in the driver's cab FS of the rail vehicle SFZ and, if necessary - as described below - transmitted to a fixed control point LS, designated as landside.

[0060] FIG 2 shows an exemplary further development of the invention with reference to FIG 1.

[0061] In an environment UMG of the rail vehicle there is the mirror SP including the bracket HLTG as well as the landside control point LS .

[0062] On board the rail vehicle SFZ is:

[0063] - a control system known as the on-board controller (OBC), two driver's cabs FS1, FS2, with associated cameras KAM-FS1, KAM-FS2, and with associated displays DISP-FS1, DISP-FS2, two databases, namely the database DB1, in which images of damaged contact strips are stored, and the database DB2, in which images of different contact strips with different thicknesses are stored, and

[0064] - a train control unit ZSG.

[0065] Using the on-board controller OBC:

[0066] - an approach of the rail vehicle SFZ or one of the cameras KAM-FS1, KAM-FS2 to the mirror SP is detected,

[0067] - the images or video sequences of the contact strip are analyzed or processed using artificial intelligence to evaluate the contact strip or to enable an estimate of the strength of the contact strip,

[0068] - data is exchanged with the databases DB1 and DB2,

[0069] - results (strength, thickness) of the grinding strip are subjected to a plausibility check,

[0070] - the results are displayed on the DISP-FS1 or DISP-FS2 displays of the FS1 or FS2 driver’s cabs, and

[0071] - results and error messages are transmitted to the onshore control point LS.

[0072] When a predetermined distance is reached between the camera and the mirror, the on-board controller (OBC) triggers the camera to capture the reflected image of the contact strip in contact with the overhead line via the mirror and take pictures. The camera's high resolution allows the best images to be selected and analyzed using image processing software.

[0073] The image processing software is preferably based on artificial intelligence, which crops the images in such a way that the grinding bar is enlarged and displayed with sufficient quality.

[0074] The cropped images are evaluated using a specially trained KL algorithm that runs within the on-board OPC controller.

[0075] The Kl algorithm is trained to estimate the thickness of predetermined contact strip models with high accuracy and a given level of accuracy.

[0076] After training, the Kl algorithm is tested to determine whether it correctly estimates the thickness of the grinding strip even from images of lower quality, with an accuracy comparable to that of measuring instruments (e.g., a caliper).

[0077] The Kl algorithm is also trained to detect typical damage to the SL contact strip. This includes, among other things, the detachment of material fragments caused by the impact of ice pieces from the overhead line. Examples are shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0078] The Kl algorithm accesses database DB1, which contains images of damaged sanding strips, and database DB2, which contains images of various sanding strips of varying thickness. Both databases DB1 and DB2 are also used for documentation.

[0079] Each estimate of the thickness or strength of the grinding strip is subjected to a check or plausibility check.

[0080] If an anomaly is detected in an estimate (e.g., the thickness of the contact strip is suddenly several mm less than in a previously performed estimate), the on-board controller (OBC) classifies the estimate as "implausible." An error message is then generated via the train control unit (ZSG) and sent to the DISP-FS 1 or DISP-FS 2 displays.

[0081] Alternatively or in addition, the error message is sent to the shore-based control center KS with the involvement of the on-board controller OBC.

[0082] If the on-board controller OBC evaluates the estimate as "plausible", the estimated value for the thickness of the contact strip is sent to the displays DISP-FS 1 or DISP-FS2 via the train control unit ZSG and displayed there.

[0083] Alternatively or in addition, the estimated value for the thickness of the contact strip is sent to the shore-based control center KS with the involvement of the on-board controller OBC.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Arrangement for monitoring wear of a contact strip (SL) of a rail vehicle (SFZ), - with a rail vehicle (SFZ) running on a track (FSK) which has a camera (KAM) and a pantograph (STA), - where the camera is aligned in the direction of travel (FS) and where the pantograph (STA) carries a contact strip (SL), - with a mirror (SP) arranged along the route (FSK) and directed in the direction of the route (FS), - in which the camera (KAM) and the mirror (SP) are aligned to each other in such a way that, when the rail vehicle (SFZ) is moving, the camera (KAM) optically detects the contact strip (SL) via the mirror (SP) at a location on the track (FSK) in order to take an image of it via the mirror (SP), and - with means for evaluating the image from the camera (KAM) in order to determine the current thickness of the contact strip (SL) as a measure of its wear.

2. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the rail vehicle (SFZ) has the pantograph (STA) in the roof area.

3. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the camera (KAM) is arranged inside a driver's cab (FS) of the rail vehicle (SFZ).

4. Arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the camera (KAM) is directed via a front window of the driver's cab (FS) in the direction of the route (FSK).

5. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the mirror is mounted via a bracket (HLTG) on a mast or on an overhead line mast or in a tunnel or on a bridge.

6. Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, in which the mirror (SP) is arranged above or next to the travel path (FS).

7. Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, - in which the rail vehicle has a display unit (DISP-FS1, DISP-FS2) on which the thickness of the contact strip (SL) is displayed, and / or - in which the rail vehicle has a means of communication (OBC) with which the strength of the contact strip (SL) is transmitted to a fixed control point (LS).

8. Arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, in which the rail vehicle has a means (OBC) which analyses the image of the contact strip (SL) with the aid of artificial intelligence in order to estimate its strength.

9. Arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the rail vehicle has an artificial intelligence algorithm, - which is trained to estimate the strength of predetermined contact strip models with a given accuracy, and / or - which is trained in such a way that it is considered as a typical predetermined Detects damage to the contact strip (SL).

10. Method for monitoring wear of a contact strip (SL) of a rail vehicle (SFZ), - in which a rail vehicle (SFZ) travels on a track (FSK), - in which a camera (KAM) of the rail vehicle (SFZ), which is aligned in the direction of the track (FS), detects a mirror (SP) while the vehicle is traveling, which is arranged along the track (FSK) and aligned in the direction of the track (FS), - in which the camera (KAM) is located at a location on the track (FSK) optically detects a contact strip (SL) of the rail vehicle via the mirror (SP) and creates an image of it via the mirror (SP), - in which the image from the camera (KAM) is evaluated to determine the current thickness of the contact strip (SL) as a measure of its wear.

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