Turnout snow-melting control system and method

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of rail transit. Disclosed are a turnout snow-melting control system and method. The system comprises a communication module, control modules and collection modules; the control module is provided with CAN interfaces used for information transmission and relay among a plurality of control modules, and the control modules are connected to a plurality of collection modules; the communication module is used for receiving a command sent by a control terminal to the control modules, and sending the command to the control modules; the communication module comprises a dial switch, the dial switch being used for switching a communication protocol between the control terminal and the communication module; each control module is used for controlling an alternating-current contactor in a heating loop on the basis of a received command; the collection modules are used for sending collected current information, alternating-current contactor state information and circuit breaker state information of the heating loops to the control modules. The present invention is compatible with existing standard turnout snow-melting hardware systems, thus simplifying replacement of modules.

Description

A turnout snow melting control system and method Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of rail transportation, and in particular relates to a turnout snow melting control system and method. Background Art

[0002] The turnout snow melting system has multiple functions, including: system parameter configuration function, multiple mode control function, input and output function, interface function, and emergency heating function.

[0003] The existing turnout snow melting control system cannot meet the compatibility and expansion requirements of rail transit for all equipment, including:

[0004] Compatibility requirements: Currently, turnout snow-melting system control modules come in two types: a plug-in control module and an integrated control module based on an AVR microcontroller. The integrated control module comes in two versions, and these three modules are incompatible with each other. If damaged, they require re-shipment and reconfiguration.

[0005] Scalability requirements: Currently, the turnout snow melting system has 8 circuit breakers and 8 AC contactors, which can output 24 circuit currents. If more circuits need to be controlled, the system can only be expanded by adding snow melting control cabinets.

[0006] Data timeliness and reliability requirements: The turnout snow-melting system collects and gathers status information on all electric heating elements at each station or line. This requires hundreds of collection points for all turnouts at each station, and thousands for the entire line. Furthermore, to ensure normal turnout switching and safe high-speed train operation in rainy and snowy winter weather, the collection frequency is high, generating a large amount of data in a short period of time. The turnout snow-melting system must be able to rapidly transmit, store, and reliably process this data, taking into account its specific characteristics.

[0007] Maintainability guarantee: In order to meet the requirements of safe high-speed operation of trains in rainy and snowy weather in winter and the normal switching of switches without being affected by snow and ice accumulation in rainy and snowy weather, it is necessary to more accurately monitor the status information of electric heating elements while ensuring equipment quality, and ensure that the working status of electric heating elements can be fed back to the indoor maintenance terminal in a timely and accurate manner, so that the equipment maintenance unit can grasp the operating status of its equipment in a timely and accurate manner.

[0008] In summary, the existing turnout snow melting control system is not compatible with the current hardware devices, which means that when a device fails, it is necessary to find out the device model and then perform a special replacement, which is inconvenient for installation and maintenance, and also increases time and labor costs.

[0009] Summary of the Invention

[0010] In response to the above problems, the present invention provides a turnout snow melting control system and method, which adopts the following technical solutions:

[0011] A turnout snow melting control system includes a communication module, a control module and an acquisition module; wherein the control module is provided with a CAN interface for information transmission and relay between multiple control modules, and the control module is connected to multiple acquisition modules; the communication module is used to receive commands sent to the control module by a control terminal, and send the commands to the control module; the communication module includes a dip switch, and the dip switch is used to switch the communication protocol between the control terminal and the communication module; the control module is used to control the AC contactors in each heating circuit according to the received commands, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the electric heating strips; the acquisition module is used to send the collected current information, AC contactor status information and circuit breaker status information of each heating circuit to the control module.

[0012] Furthermore, the communication module also includes a first RS232 interface, a remote RS232 interface, a first DS18B20 interface, a first CAN interface and a TCP / IP interface;

[0013] Among them, the communication module is connected to the control terminal through the first RS232 interface, the remote RS232 interface or the TCP / IP interface, the first DS18B20 interface is used to transmit the temperature signal in the control cabinet sent by the control module back to the control terminal, the first CAN interface is connected to the control module, and the communication module sends the command of the control module to the control module through the first CAN interface.

[0014] Furthermore, the control module is equipped with a rotary dial switch for setting the address, and the address information of the control module and the CAN bus are configured through the dial switch.

[0015] Further, the control module includes a second CAN interface, a third CAN interface, a 12-way DO interface, a second DS18B20 interface, a third DS18B20 interface, a second RS485 interface and a third RS485 interface;

[0016] Among them, the second CAN interface is used to receive commands sent by the control terminal to the control module from the communication module; the third CAN interface is used for information transmission and relay between multiple control modules; the 12-way second DO interface is used to control the AC contactors in the 12-way heating circuits; the second DS18B20 interface is connected to the external rail temperature transmitter for monitoring the rail temperature; the third DS18B20 interface is connected to the rail temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the control cabinet; the second RS485 interface is connected to multiple acquisition modules; the third RS485 interface is connected to an external electric meter for collecting three-phase current and voltage, and displaying them in the control cabinet.

[0017] Furthermore, the control module also includes 4-way first DI interfaces, 2-way first DO interfaces, 3-way first AD interfaces and 4-way second AD interfaces;

[0018] Among them, the 4-way first DI interface is used for access control and three-position control switch status acquisition, the 2-way first DO interface is used to control the display function of the module indicator light; the 3-way first AD interface is used for current / voltage acquisition; the 4-way second AD interface is used for three-phase voltage acquisition, resistance simulation network judgment DI status acquisition and temperature acquisition of two 4-20mA temperature sensors.

[0019] Furthermore, the control module also includes an AC220 power input interface and a 24V voltage output interface;

[0020] The control module converts the AC220V input from the AC220 power input interface into a 24V voltage and outputs it through the 24V voltage output interface.

[0021] Furthermore, the acquisition module includes a fourth RS485 interface, an 8-way second DI interface, and a 12-way third AD interface;

[0022] Among them, the 8-way second DI interface is used to collect the status information of the AC contactor and the circuit breaker;

[0023] The 12-channel third AD interface collects the current information of the 12-channel heating circuit by connecting to the Hall sensor or current transmitter;

[0024] Multiple acquisition modules can also be connected to the second RS485 interface of the control module through the fourth RS485 interface. The fourth RS485 interface is used to send the current information of the 12 heating circuits, the status information of the AC contactor and the status information of the circuit breaker to the control module.

[0025] Furthermore, the acquisition module also includes two 0-1 dip switches, and the acquisition module is equipped with an 8-bit rotary dip switch to set the address function.

[0026] Furthermore, the control module is also used to collect the temperature, three-phase current, three-phase voltage and rail temperature inside the control cabinet, and send them to the control terminal for display through the communication module;

[0027] The control module is also used to send its own response information, current information of each heating circuit, AC contactor status information and circuit breaker status information to the control terminal through the communication module for display.

[0028] Furthermore, the communication module, control module and acquisition module all use STM32 microcontrollers.

[0029] The present invention also provides a turnout snow melting control method, comprising the following steps:

[0030] The communication module receives the command sent by the control terminal to the control module and sends the command to the control module; the communication module includes a dial switch, which is used to switch the communication protocol between the control terminal and the communication module;

[0031] The control module controls the AC contactors in each heating circuit according to the received commands, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the electric heating strips;

[0032] The acquisition module sends the collected current information of each heating circuit, AC contactor status information and circuit breaker status information to the control module;

[0033] Among them, the control module is provided with a CAN interface for information transmission and relay between multiple control modules, and the control module is connected to multiple acquisition modules.

[0034] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0035] 1. While forming its own system, the present invention is compatible with existing standard turnout snow melting hardware systems by changing the built-in dial address, thus simplifying module replacement.

[0036] 2. The present invention simplifies the difficulty of system development and use by adding interfaces such as CAN bus and RS485 to each module, improves the practicality and scalability of the hardware system, and can efficiently develop product functions while reducing the time for troubleshooting system failures, while also reducing labor costs and improving the overall maintenance efficiency of the hardware system.

[0037] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in the following description, and in part will become apparent from the description, or will be understood by practicing the present invention. The purpose and other advantages of the present invention can be realized and obtained by the structures pointed out in the description and the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0039] FIG1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a turnout snow melting control system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of communication between a turnout snow melting control system and a control terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] FIG3 shows a schematic structural diagram of a communication module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] FIG4 shows a schematic structural diagram of a control module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] FIG5 shows a schematic structural diagram of a collection module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] In the figure: 1. Control terminal; 2. Communication module; 3. Control module; 4. Acquisition module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0046] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in this application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0047] The embodiment of the present invention provides a turnout snow melting control system and method, which fully considers the space and cables of existing equipment, increases the number of interfaces on each module without adding additional supporting equipment, facilitates module expansion, and realizes the overall upgrade and transformation of the existing hardware system, thereby making up for the problems of the existing system being outdated, difficult to maintain, and difficult to expand.

[0048] As shown in FIG1 , a turnout snow melting control system includes a communication module 2, a control module 3 and an acquisition module 4. The communication module 2, the control module 3 and the acquisition module 4 all use STM32 single-chip microcomputers to achieve an overall upgrade and transformation of the existing hardware system.

[0049] The communication module 2 is used to receive commands sent from the control terminal 1 to the control module 3 and send the commands to the control module 3 , and at the same time receive response information sent back by the control module 3 and send it to the control terminal 1 for display.

[0050] As shown in FIG3 , for example, the communication module 2 includes a first RS232 interface, an AC220 power input interface, a remote RS232 interface, a first DS18B20 interface, a dip switch, a first CAN interface, and a TCP / IP interface.

[0051] Communication module 2 is connected to control terminal 1 via the first RS232 interface, the remote RS232 interface, or the TCP / IP interface. The DIP switch is used to switch the communication protocol between control terminal 1 and communication module 2. Control terminal 1 and communication module 2 communicate via the RS232 protocol or the TCP / IP protocol. Commands sent by control terminal 1 are transmitted to communication module 2 via the RS232 protocol or the TCP / IP protocol, thus being compatible with existing modules that transmit commands via the RS232 and TCP / IP protocols. The DIP switch can be used to switch between the RS232 protocol and the TCP / IP protocol.

[0052] Among them, the first DS18B20 interface is used to transmit the temperature signal inside the control cabinet sent by the control module 3 back to the control terminal 1, the first CAN interface is connected to the control module 3, and the communication module 2 sends the command of the control module 3 to the control module 3 through the first CAN interface.

[0053] The control module 3 is used to control the AC contactor in the heating circuit (adsorption or lifting), thereby controlling the opening and closing of the electric heating strip. When the electric heating strip is turned on, it heats the track in front of the switch to a certain temperature to achieve the purpose of melting snow. The control module 3 is also used to collect the temperature, three-phase current, three-phase voltage and track temperature in the control cabinet, and send them to the control terminal 1 for display through the communication module 2.

[0054] The control module 3 is provided with a CAN interface for information transmission and relay between multiple control modules 3 , and the control module 3 is connected to multiple acquisition modules 4 .

[0055] As shown in Figure 4, for example, the control module 3 includes a second CAN interface, a third CAN interface, an AC220 power input interface, a 24V voltage output interface, 4-way first DI interfaces, 2-way first DO interfaces, 3-way first AD interfaces, 4-way second AD interfaces, 12-way second DO interfaces, a second DS18B20 interface, a third DS18B20 interface, a second RS485 interface and a third RS485 interface. The control module 3 is configured with an 8-bit rotary dial function for setting the address, or is configured with 2 10-bit rotary dial functions for setting the address. The address information of the control module 3 and the CAN bus can be set through the dip switch.

[0056] Among them, the second CAN interface is used for data transmission. Specifically, the second CAN interface is used to receive commands sent by the control terminal 1 to the control module 3 from the communication module 2. The third CAN interface is used for information transmission and relaying between multiple control modules 3, as shown in Figure 2. For example, when the transmission distance is greater than 3km, long-distance transmission of information is achieved through multiple control modules 3. For example, the control terminal 1 is connected to 4 upstream control modules 3 through a communication module 2, and is connected to 4 downstream control modules 3 through another communication module 2. Each control module 3 is connected through the third CAN interface, and information is transmitted and relayed between the 4 upstream control modules 3 through the third CAN interface, and information is transmitted and relayed between the 4 downstream control modules 3 through the third CAN interface.

[0057] The 4-way first DI interface is used for status acquisition of access control and three-position control switch, and the 2-way first DO interface is used for the display function of the indicator light of control module 3.

[0058] In order to be compatible with various types of turnout snow melting systems and self-contained system functions, the 3-way first AD interface is used for current / voltage collection and can realize the function of rail temperature transmitter. The 4-way second AD interface is used for three-phase voltage collection, resistance simulation network to judge DI status and perform temperature collection of two 4-20mA temperature sensors.

[0059] The 12-way second DO interface is used to control the AC contactor in the 12-way heating circuit. When the AC contactor is closed, the electric heating strip in the heating circuit is turned on to heat the track in front of the turnout. This increases the number of circuit breaker and AC contactor drives to 12.

[0060] The control module 3 converts the AC220V input from the AC220 power input interface into a 24V voltage and outputs it through the 24V voltage output interface to supply power to other modules.

[0061] The second DS18B20 interface is connected to an external rail temperature transmitter for monitoring the rail temperature; the third DS18B20 interface is connected to a rail temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the control cabinet.

[0062] The second RS485 interface is connected to multiple acquisition modules 4 to achieve expansion of the acquisition module 4. For example, the control module 3 is connected to three acquisition modules 4 through the second RS485 interface; the third RS485 interface is connected to a three-phase electric meter for collecting three-phase current and voltage and displaying them in the control cabinet.

[0063] The control module 3 receives the commands transmitted from the communication module 2, sends the commands to each module, collects the response information after each device executes the command, and transmits it back to the communication module 2 through the first CAN interface, realizing the overall control of the system and the monitoring function of each device information.

[0064] The acquisition module 4 is used to send the collected current information of each heating circuit, AC contactor status information and circuit breaker status information to the control module 3.

[0065] The control module 3 is further configured to send its own response information, current information of each heating circuit, AC contactor status information and circuit breaker status information to the control terminal 1 through the communication module 2 for display.

[0066] As shown in Figure 5, for example, the acquisition module 4 includes a fourth RS485 interface, a DC24V input interface, an 8-way second DI interface, a 12-way third AD interface and two 0-1 dip switches. The acquisition module 4 is equipped with an 8-bit rotary dip switch to set the address function, which can configure the address of the acquisition module 4. For example, the acquisition module 4 address 1 represents the first acquisition module 4, and the acquisition module 4 address 2 represents the second acquisition module 4. The control module 3 can read the address of the acquisition module 4 to determine which acquisition module 4 it is. The 8-way second DI interface is used to collect the status information of the AC contactor and the status information of the circuit breaker.

[0067] To collect both AC and DC information and maintain signal stability, acquisition module 4 features two 0-1 DIP switches. One switches controls whether to collect DC or AC current. For example, a Hall effect sensor typically outputs DC current, while a current transmitter typically outputs AC current. The other switches select whether to configure a 120-ohm resistor for the RS485 interface, preventing signal reflection and improving signal quality.

[0068] The 12-channel third AD interface collects current information from the 12 heating circuits via Hall sensors or current transmitters. After collecting information such as the AC contactor status, circuit breaker status, and current flow within the heating circuits, the acquisition module 4 transmits this information to the control module 3 via its built-in fourth RS485 interface. The RS485 communication address can be set using a rotary dial. Multiple acquisition modules 4 can be connected to the second RS485 interface of the control module 3 via the fourth RS485 interface, allowing for expansion of acquisition modules 4.

[0069] The fourth RS485 interface is used to send the current information of the 12 heating circuits, the status information of the AC contactor and the status information of the circuit breaker to the control module 3.

[0070] In the present invention, the control module 3 increases the number of drives of the circuit breaker and the AC contactor to 12, and each control module 3 is connected to three acquisition modules 4. Each acquisition module 4 collects the current information of 12 heating circuits through a 12-channel AD interface, thereby obtaining 36 heating circuit currents, which can meet the needs of most stations.

[0071] This invention simplifies module replacement by changing the internal DIP address to enable compatibility with existing turnout snow-melting hardware systems. Communication module 2 features a DIP switch that controls data transmission between control terminal 1 and communication module 2 via RS232 or TCP / IP protocols, achieving compatibility. In control module 3, by changing the 19-bit DIP switch setting, the program and underlying circuitry can be converted between the self-contained system, the first existing system to be compatible, the second existing system to be compatible, and the third existing system to be compatible, thus meeting the compatibility requirements of control module 3.

[0072] The present invention uses a 0-1 switch dial in the acquisition module 4 to achieve conversion between DC and AC current. By upgrading the AVR microcontroller to the STM32 series microcontroller and adding interfaces such as the CAN bus and RS485, the system development and use difficulties are simplified, and the practicality and scalability of the hardware system are improved. While enabling efficient development of product functions, it not only reduces system fault troubleshooting time, but also reduces labor costs and improves the overall maintenance efficiency of the hardware system.

[0073] Based on the above-mentioned turnout snow melting control system, the present invention also provides a turnout snow melting control method, which includes the following steps: the communication module 2 receives the command sent by the control terminal 1 to the control module 3, and sends the command to the control module 3; the control module 3 controls the AC contactors and circuit breakers in each heating circuit according to the received command, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the electric heating strip; the acquisition module 4 sends the collected current information, AC contactor status information and circuit breaker status information of each heating circuit to the control module 3.

[0074] The turnout snow melting control system and method of the present invention are compatible with all functions of the three existing turnout snow melting system control modules 3. When an existing module fails, the control system of the present invention can be replaced to meet the original functional requirements, gradually replacing the three existing modules, improving troubleshooting efficiency, and saving manpower and time costs.

[0075] This invention expands upon existing technologies, ensuring timely and reliable data access while achieving the compatibility and scalability required for turnout snow melting systems, reducing equipment complexity. It also maximizes the use of existing on-site cabling and cabinet space, reducing project construction costs and facilitating the retrofit and upgrade of existing on-site equipment.

[0076] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein; and these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A turnout snow melting control system, characterized in that It includes a communication module, a control module, and a collection module; Among them, the control module is provided with a CAN interface for information transmission and relay between multiple control modules, and the control module is connected to multiple collection modules; The communication module is used to receive the commands sent by the control terminal to the control module and send the commands to the control module; the communication module includes a DIP switch, and the DIP switch is used to switch the communication protocol between the control terminal and the communication module; The control module is used to control the AC contactors in each heating circuit according to the received commands, so as to control the opening and closing of the electric heating elements; The collection module is used to send the collected current information, AC contactor status information, and circuit breaker status information of each heating circuit to the control module.

2. The turnout snow melting control system according to claim 1, wherein The communication module also includes a first RS232 interface, a remote RS232 interface, a first DS18B20 interface, a first CAN interface, and a TCP / IP interface; Among them, the communication module is connected to the control terminal through the first RS232 interface, the remote RS232 interface, or the TCP / IP interface. The first DS18B20 interface is used to send back the temperature signal in the control cabinet sent by the control module to the control terminal. The first CAN interface is connected to the control module, and the communication module sends the commands of the control module to the control module through the first CAN interface.

3. The switch snow melting control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control module is configured with a rotary DIP switch to set the address function, and the address information of the control module and the CAN bus are configured through the DIP switch.

4. The turnout snow melting control system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control module includes a second CAN interface, a third CAN interface, 12-way DO interfaces, a second DS18B20 interface, a third DS18B20 interface, a second RS485 interface, and a third RS485 interface; Among them, the second CAN interface is used to receive the commands sent by the control terminal to the control module from the communication module; the third CAN interface is used for information transmission and relay between multiple control modules; the 12-way second DO interfaces are used to control the AC contactors in the 12 heating circuits; the second DS18B20 interface is externally connected to a rail temperature transmitter for monitoring the rail temperature; the third DS18B20 interface is connected to a rail temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the control cabinet; the second RS485 interface is connected to multiple collection modules; the third RS485 interface is connected to an external ammeter for collecting three-phase current and voltage and displaying them in the control cabinet.

5. The turnout snow melting control system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The control module also includes 4-way first DI interfaces, 2-way first DO interfaces, 3-way first AD interfaces, and 4-way second AD interfaces; Among them, the 4-way first DI interfaces are used for collecting the status of the access control and the three-position control switch, and the 2-way first DO interfaces are used for the display function of the control module indicator lights; the 3-way first AD interfaces are used for collecting current / voltage; the 4-way second AD interfaces are used for collecting three-phase voltage, judging the DI status of the resistance analog network, and collecting the temperature of two 4-20mA temperature sensors.

6. The turnout snow melting control system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The control module also includes an AC220 power input interface and a 24V voltage output interface; Among them, the control module converts the input AC220V of the AC220 power input interface into 24V voltage and outputs it outward through the 24V voltage output interface.

7. The turnout snow melting control system according to claim 4, wherein, The acquisition module includes a fourth RS485 interface, eight second DI interfaces, and twelve third AD interfaces; Among them, the eight second DI interfaces are used to acquire the status information of AC contactors and the status information of circuit breakers; The twelve third AD interfaces collect the current information of twelve heating circuits by connecting Hall sensors or current transmitters; Multiple acquisition modules can also be connected to the second RS485 interface of the control module through the fourth RS485 interface. The fourth RS485 interface is used to send the current information of twelve heating circuits, the status information of AC contactors, and the status information of circuit breakers to the control module.

8. The switch snow melting control system according to claim 7, wherein The acquisition module also includes two 0-1 DIP switches, and the acquisition module is configured with an 8-bit rotary DIP switch to set the address function.

9. The turnout snow melting control system according to claim 1, wherein The control module is also used to collect the temperature inside the control cabinet, three-phase current, three-phase voltage, and track temperature, and send them to the control terminal through the communication module for display; The control module is also used to send its own response information, the current information of each heating circuit, the AC contactor status information, and the circuit breaker status information to the control terminal through the communication module for display.

10. The turnout snow melting control system according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The communication module, the control module, and the acquisition module all use STM32 single-chip microcontrollers.

11. A switch snow melting control method, characterized in that, It includes the following steps: The communication module receives the command sent by the control terminal to the control module and sends the command to the control module; the communication module includes a DIP switch, and the DIP switch is used to switch the communication protocol between the control terminal and the communication module; The control module controls the AC contactors in each heating circuit according to the received command, so as to control the opening and closing of the electric heating strips; The acquisition module sends the collected current information of each heating circuit, the AC contactor status information, and the circuit breaker status information to the control module; Among them, the control module is provided with a CAN interface for information transmission and relay between multiple control modules, and the control module is connected to multiple acquisition modules.

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