Abnormality detection method and abnormality detection program for railway vehicle

Abstract

This abnormality detection method for a railway vehicle (1) comprises a preparation step, a vibrating step, a detection step, and a determination step. In the preparation step, the railway vehicle (1) is prepared. The railway vehicle (1) includes a bogie (2), a car body (3), an actuator (11), and an acceleration sensor (12). The actuator (11) is disposed between the bogie (2) and the car body (3). In the vibrating step, the car body (3) is vibrated at a predetermined vibration frequency using the actuator (11). In the detection step, the acceleration of the vibrated car body (3) is detected using the acceleration sensor (12). In the determination step, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in a component of the railway vehicle (1) if the frequency of the detected acceleration of the car body (3) is different from the vibration frequency.

Description

Railway vehicle abnormality detection method and abnormality detection program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a railway vehicle abnormality detection method and an abnormality detection program.

[0002] A railway vehicle includes a bogie and a carbody supported by the bogie. In recent years, as railway vehicles have become faster, there has been a demand for suppressing vibrations in the carbody and improving ride comfort. Railway vehicles are sometimes equipped with vibration suppression control devices to suppress vibrations in the carbody.

[0003] The vibration prevention control device mainly controls the vibration of the car body in the vertical direction (height direction of the railway vehicle) or the horizontal direction (width direction of the railway vehicle). The vibration prevention control device includes, for example, an actuator. The actuator is attached to the bogie and the car body. The actuator applies a thrust to the car body to suppress the vibration of the car body.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a vibration control device (anti-vibration control device) for railway vehicles. The anti-vibration control device in Patent Document 1 includes a controller that controls the operation of an actuator to suppress vibration of the car body. The controller has a self-diagnosis mode. In the self-diagnosis mode, while the railway vehicle is stopped, the actuator vibrates the car body, and the detected displacement or acceleration of the car body is compared with a predetermined reference value to diagnose the soundness of each element, such as the actuator and acceleration sensor.

[0005] JP 2009-35068 A

[0006] The vibration suppression control device of Patent Document 1 requires a reference value for the displacement or acceleration of the vehicle body in order to diagnose the soundness of the actuators, acceleration sensors, etc. However, in order to set the reference value, it is necessary to accumulate data on the displacement or acceleration when the vehicle body is vibrated and to investigate within what range the displacement or acceleration value must fall in order to be considered sound. Therefore, it is difficult to diagnose the soundness of the actuators, acceleration sensors, etc. until the data is accumulated.

[0007] Railway vehicles also have mechanisms for detecting component abnormalities using sensors attached to the components. However, not all components are equipped with sensors. For example, sensors are not attached to the mounting parts and peripheral parts of the actuators of the anti-roll bar control device. Therefore, even if an abnormality occurs in a component, it is difficult to detect the abnormality early, and the abnormal condition may progress.

[0008] If an abnormal condition in a part progresses, the part may emit an abnormal noise. For example, in a vibration prevention control device, if an abnormality progresses in an actuator or its peripheral parts, an impact noise may be generated when the actuator operates. If an abnormal noise occurs while a railway vehicle is running, the railway vehicle must be stopped temporarily, which may result in delays or cancellations of the railway vehicle. If an abnormality in a part can be detected early, it may be possible to replace the part that has developed an abnormality before the abnormal noise occurs, for example.

[0009] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an abnormality detection method that can detect abnormalities in railway vehicle parts at an early stage.

[0010] The railway vehicle anomaly detection method according to the present disclosure includes a preparation step, an excitation step, a detection step, and a determination step. In the preparation step, a railway vehicle is prepared. The railway vehicle includes a bogie, a car body, an actuator, and an acceleration sensor. The actuator is disposed between the bogie and the car body. In the excitation step, the actuator excites the car body at a predetermined excitation frequency. In the detection step, the acceleration of the excited car body is detected by the acceleration sensor. In the determination step, if the frequency of the detected car body acceleration differs from the excitation frequency, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in a railway vehicle component.

[0011] According to the anomaly detection method disclosed herein, anomalies in railway vehicle components can be detected early.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a railway vehicle. FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a controller. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing processing executed by the controller in the anomaly detection method of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of data on acceleration of the car body when railway vehicle components are normal. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of data on acceleration of the car body when an abnormality has occurred in a railway vehicle component. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing processing executed by the controller in the anomaly detection method of the second embodiment.

[0013] A railway vehicle anomaly detection method according to an embodiment includes a preparation step, an excitation step, a detection step, and a determination step. In the preparation step, a railway vehicle is prepared. The railway vehicle includes a bogie, a car body, an actuator, and an acceleration sensor. The actuator is disposed between the bogie and the car body. In the excitation step, the actuator excites the car body at a predetermined excitation frequency. In the detection step, the acceleration of the excited car body is detected by the acceleration sensor. In the determination step, if the frequency of the detected car body acceleration differs from the excitation frequency, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in a railway vehicle component (first configuration).

[0014] In the anomaly detection method according to the first configuration, in the excitation step, an actuator is used to vibrate the carbody at a predetermined excitation frequency. In the detection step, an acceleration of the vibrated carbody is detected using an acceleration sensor. In the determination step, the frequency of the detected carbody acceleration is compared with the excitation frequency. If the frequency of the carbody acceleration differs from the excitation frequency, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in a railway vehicle component. In this anomaly detection method, the excitation frequency of the actuator is used when determining whether an abnormality has occurred, so there is no need to set a reference value. Therefore, even in new railway vehicles for which there is not enough accumulated data to set a reference value, an abnormality in the component of the railway vehicle can be detected.

[0015] The anomaly detection method according to the first configuration can determine whether or not there is an anomaly in a railway vehicle component based on a predetermined excitation frequency and the frequency of the acceleration of the carbody excited at this excitation frequency. Therefore, it is possible to detect an anomaly in a component that affects the vibration of the carbody when the actuator is operating. For example, it is possible to detect an anomaly in a component from which information cannot be directly obtained by a sensor or the like. Therefore, it is possible to detect an anomaly in a railway vehicle component early.

[0016] In the abnormality detection method of the first configuration, the determining step may determine that an abnormality has occurred in the actuator when the frequency of the acceleration of the vehicle body is twice the excitation frequency (second configuration).

[0017] When the acceleration frequency of the vehicle body is twice the excitation frequency, there is a high possibility that an impact occurs when the actuator is fully extended or fully retracted. Therefore, in the abnormality detection method of the second configuration, when the acceleration frequency of the vehicle body is twice the excitation frequency, it is determined in the determination step that an abnormality has occurred in the actuator. This allows the actuator to be checked preferentially, and replacement work of the actuator itself or its components can be carried out efficiently.

[0018] In the abnormality detection method of the second configuration, in the determination step, when the frequency of the acceleration of the vehicle body is F, the vibration frequency is f, and the allowable errors are α2 and β2 (where α2 and β2 are each between 0 and 0.6f), if the frequency F satisfies 2.0f-α2≦F≦2.0f+β2, it can be determined that the frequency F is twice the vibration frequency f (third configuration).

[0019] A program according to an embodiment is an abnormality detection program for a railway vehicle. The railway vehicle includes a bogie, a car body, an actuator, and an acceleration sensor. The actuator is arranged between the bogie and the car body. The abnormality detection program causes a computer to realize a vibration function, a detection function, and a determination function. The vibration function vibrates the car body at a predetermined vibration frequency using the actuator. The detection function detects the acceleration of the vibrated car body using the acceleration sensor. The determination function determines that an abnormality has occurred in a part of the railway vehicle if the frequency of the detected acceleration of the car body differs from the vibration frequency (fourth configuration).

[0020] In the abnormality detection program of the fourth configuration, the determination function may determine that an abnormality has occurred in the actuator when the frequency of the acceleration of the vehicle body is twice the vibration frequency (fifth configuration).

[0021] In the anomaly detection program of the fifth configuration, the judgment function can judge that the frequency F is twice the vibration frequency f if the frequency F satisfies 2.0f-α2≦F≦2.0f+β2, where F is the frequency of the acceleration of the vehicle body, f is the vibration frequency, and α2 and β2 are the allowable errors (where α2 and β2 are each between 0 and 0.6f) (sixth configuration).

[0022] A storage medium according to the embodiment stores the anomaly detection program according to any one of the fourth to sixth configurations. The storage medium is a non-transitory storage medium that can be read by a computer.

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent components are designated by the same reference numerals, and the same description will not be repeated.

[0024] First Embodiment [Configuration of Railway Vehicle] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a railway vehicle 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram of the railway vehicle 1 as viewed along its direction of travel. In this embodiment, the direction of travel of the railway vehicle 1 may be simply referred to as the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the width direction and height direction of the railway vehicle 1 may be simply referred to as the left-right direction and the up-down direction, respectively.

[0025] Referring to Figure 1, a railway vehicle 1 includes a bogie 2 and a carbody 3. The bogies 2 are arranged at the front and rear of the carbody 3. Each bogie 2 includes wheel sets 4 at the front and rear. Each wheel set 4 has a pair of wheels 4a on the left and right and an axle 4b extending in the left-right direction. The carbody 3 is supported by each bogie 2 via air springs 5. The air springs 5 ​​are arranged on the left and right of each bogie 2. A damper (not shown) may be arranged between the bogie 2 and the carbody 3 to damp vibrations of the carbody 3 by a stroke in the left-right direction.

[0026] The railway vehicle 1 further includes a vibration prevention control device 10. The vibration prevention control device 10 prevents the railway vehicle 1 from swaying in the up-down or left-right direction while in motion, thereby improving ride comfort. In this embodiment, the vibration prevention control device 10 is provided to prevent vibration in the left-right direction. The vibration prevention control device 10 includes, for example, an actuator 11, an acceleration sensor 12, and a controller 13.

[0027] The actuator 11 is disposed between the bogie 2 and the carbody 3 and is connected to the bogie 2 and the carbody 3. The actuator 11 is, for example, an electric actuator. The actuator 11 includes, for example, mounting parts 111 and 112, a motor 113, a ball screw nut 114, and a rod 115. The actuator 11 is attached to the bogie 2 by the mounting part 111 and to the carbody 3 by the mounting part 112. The motor 113 includes a main shaft 1131. The actuator 11 is driven by rotation of the main shaft 1131 of the motor 113. The ball screw nut 114 meshes with the main shaft 1131 of the motor 113. The ball screw nut 114 is fixed to the rod 115. The ball screw nut 114 and the rod 115 advance and retreat in the left-right direction relative to the motor 113 in response to the rotation of the main shaft 1131. This causes the actuator 11 to expand and contract in the left-right direction.

[0028] The acceleration sensor 12 detects the acceleration of left-right vibrations occurring in the car body 3. The acceleration sensor 12 is attached to the car body 3. In the example of FIG. 1 , the acceleration sensor 12 is attached to a position on the car body 3 close to the bogie 2.

[0029] The controller 13 is connected to the actuator 11 and the acceleration sensor 12. The controller 13 controls the operation of the actuator 11. Specifically, while the railway vehicle 1 is traveling, the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 12 is input to the controller 13. The controller 13 performs a predetermined calculation using the input acceleration, and transmits a command to the actuator 11 based on the calculation result. The actuator 11 operates in accordance with the command from the controller 13.

[0030] The controller 13 is, for example, a computer. FIG. 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the controller 13. Referring to FIG. 2, the controller 13 includes, for example, an HDD 131, a CPU 132, a memory 133, an input device 134, and an output device 135. The HDD 131 stores various programs, data, and the like. The HDD 131 may store an abnormality detection program for detecting an abnormality in the railway vehicle 1. The CPU 132 can load the abnormality detection program from the HDD 131 to the memory 133 and execute it. The memory 133 serves as a work area that temporarily stores programs executed by the CPU 132, data used by the CPU 132, and calculation results by the CPU 132. The input device 134 is a device for an operator to perform input operations. The output device 135 is a device for outputting processing results, etc., of the CPU 132.

[0031] [Railway Vehicle Abnormality Detection Method] Hereinafter, an abnormality detection method for a railway vehicle 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The abnormality detection method according to this embodiment detects damage to components between the bogie 2 and the carbody 3. The components between the bogie 2 and the carbody 3 include, for example, actuators 11, dampers, air springs 5, etc.

[0032] The anomaly detection method according to this embodiment is typically performed on a stopped railway vehicle 1. For example, during a periodic inspection of the railway vehicle 1, the anomaly detection method is performed as a self-diagnosis of the railway vehicle 1. The anomaly detection method includes a preparation step, a vibration application step, a detection step, and a determination step.

[0033] In the preparation step, the railway vehicle 1 is prepared. In the vibration excitation step, the carbody 3 of the railway vehicle 1 is excited at a predetermined excitation frequency by the actuator 11. That is, an excitation test of the railway vehicle 1 is performed. In the detection step, the acceleration of the excited carbody 3 is detected by the acceleration sensor 12. In the determination step, if the frequency of the detected acceleration of the carbody 3 differs from the excitation frequency, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in a component of the railway vehicle 1.

[0034] In the anomaly detection method according to this embodiment, the excitation step, the detection step, and the determination step may be executed by a computer. In the example of this embodiment, the anomaly detection method is executed by the controller 13, which is a computer.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the controller 13. The processing executed by the controller 13 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. Each processing described below is executed by the controller 13. The CPU 132 of the controller 13 executes an abnormality detection program, thereby realizing a vibration function, a detection function, and a determination function. The vibration function vibrates the carbody 3 at a predetermined vibration frequency using the actuator 11. The detection function detects the acceleration of the vibrated carbody 3 using the acceleration sensor 12. The determination function determines that an abnormality has occurred in a component of the railway vehicle 1 if the frequency of the detected acceleration of the carbody 3 differs from the vibration frequency.

[0036] (Vibration Function) The controller 13 causes the actuator 11 to vibrate the vehicle body 3 at a predetermined vibration frequency (step S1). More specifically, the controller 13 outputs a command to the actuator 11 to vibrate the vehicle body 3 at the predetermined vibration frequency. The vibration frequency may be stored in the controller 13 in advance, or a frequency input to the controller 13 by an operator's input operation may be used as the vibration frequency. The voltage waveform of the command output from the controller 13 to the actuator 11 is, for example, a sine wave with a constant frequency. However, the voltage waveform of the command to the actuator 11 is not limited to a sine wave and may be, for example, a triangular wave with a constant frequency. In response to the command from the controller 13, the actuator 11 expands and contracts in the left-right direction of the vehicle body 3 at a specified frequency, vibrating the vehicle body 3.

[0037] (Detection Function) The controller 13 detects the acceleration of the vibrated carbody 3 using the acceleration sensor 12 (step S2). Specifically, the controller 13 detects the acceleration of the carbody 3 vibrated by the actuator 11 using, for example, the acceleration sensor 12 of the vibration prevention control device 10. Alternatively, an acceleration sensor other than the acceleration sensor 12 may be provided in the railway vehicle 1, and the acceleration of the carbody 3 may be detected by this acceleration sensor. The detected acceleration data of the carbody 3 is transmitted to the controller 13. The controller 13 performs frequency analysis on the acceleration data of the carbody 3. As a result, the controller 13 obtains the frequency of the acceleration of the carbody 3.

[0038] (Determination Function) If the detected frequency of the acceleration of the carbody 3 differs from the excitation frequency, the controller 13 determines that an abnormality has occurred in a component of the railway vehicle 1 (step S3). Specifically, the controller 13 first compares the frequency of the acceleration of the carbody 3 detected in step S2 with the excitation frequency used in step S1, and determines whether the frequency of the acceleration of the carbody 3 differs from the excitation frequency (step S31). The controller 13 determines whether the frequency of the acceleration of the carbody 3 differs from the excitation frequency significantly. For example, when the frequency of the acceleration of the carbody 3 is F and the excitation frequency is f, if the frequency F does not satisfy f-α1≦F≦f+β1, the controller 13 determines that the frequency F and the excitation frequency f differ. Conversely, if the frequency F satisfies f-α1≦F≦f+β1, the controller 13 determines that the frequency F and the excitation frequency f match. Here, α1 and β1 are allowable errors. α1 and β1 are set to satisfy, for example, 0 to 0.3f. α1 and β1 are preferably 0.2f or less, and more preferably 0.1f or less. α1 may be equal to or different from β1.

[0039] 4 and 5 show examples of the waveform of the acceleration of the carbody 3 and the waveform of the command to the actuator 11. Fig. 4 shows data on the acceleration of the carbody 3 when the components of the railway vehicle 1 are normal. Fig. 5 shows data on the acceleration of the carbody 3 when an abnormality has occurred in a component of the railway vehicle 1.

[0040] When no abnormality occurs in any component of the railway vehicle 1, the carbody 3 vibrates at a frequency equivalent to the excitation frequency f of the actuator 11. That is, as shown in Fig. 4, the frequency F of the acceleration of the carbody 3 substantially coincides with the excitation frequency f. On the other hand, when an abnormality occurs in any component of the railway vehicle 1, the carbody 3 may vibrate at a frequency F different from the excitation frequency f, as shown in Fig. 5. For example, when damage occurs to the actuator 11 or a component in the vicinity thereof, an impact may occur in response to the operation of the actuator 11, and the waveform of the acceleration of the vibration of the carbody 3 changes.

[0041] As described above, when an abnormality occurs in a component of the railway vehicle 1, the waveform of the acceleration of the vibration of the carbody 3 detected by the acceleration sensor 12 tends to differ from that when the component of the railway vehicle 1 is normal. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3 , the controller 13 compares the frequency F of the acceleration of the carbody 3 detected by the acceleration sensor 12 with the excitation frequency f to determine whether or not an abnormality occurs in the component of the railway vehicle 1. Specifically, when the frequency F and the excitation frequency f match (NO in step S31), the controller 13 determines that no abnormality has occurred in the component of the railway vehicle 1 (step S32). On the other hand, when the frequency F and the excitation frequency f differ (YES in step S31), the controller 13 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the component of the railway vehicle 1 (step S33). In this case, the controller 13 may output (display on a screen) to the output device 135 that an abnormality has occurred in the component of the railway vehicle 1. This allows the worker to recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the component of the railway vehicle 1.

[0042] [Effects] In the anomaly detection method according to this embodiment, in the excitation step, the actuator 11 is used to vibrate the carbody 3 at a predetermined excitation frequency f. In the detection step, the acceleration of the vibrated carbody 3 is detected by the acceleration sensor 12. In the determination step, the frequency F of the acceleration of the carbody 3 detected by the acceleration sensor 12 is compared with the excitation frequency f. If the frequency F and the excitation frequency f differ, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in a component of the railway vehicle 1. In this anomaly detection method, the excitation frequency f by the actuator 11 is used when determining whether or not an abnormality has occurred, so there is no need to set a reference value. Therefore, even in a new railway vehicle 1 for which there is not enough accumulated data to set a reference value, an abnormality in a component of the railway vehicle 1 can be detected.

[0043] In the anomaly detection method according to this embodiment, it is possible to determine whether or not there is an abnormality in a component of the railway vehicle 1 based on a predetermined excitation frequency f and the frequency F of the acceleration of the carbody 3 excited at the excitation frequency f. Therefore, it is possible to detect an abnormality in a component that affects the vibration of the carbody 3 when the actuator 11 is operating. For example, it is possible to detect an abnormality even in a component from which information cannot be directly obtained by a sensor or the like. Therefore, it is possible to detect an abnormality in a component of the railway vehicle 1 at an early stage.

[0044] Second Embodiment Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the controller 13 (Fig. 2) in the anomaly detection method of this embodiment. The processing executed by the controller 13 will be described below with reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 6. In this embodiment, the controller 13 executes processing different from the processing described in the first embodiment. Specifically, if the controller 13 determines in the determination step that the frequency F of the acceleration of the vehicle body 3 and the vibration frequency f are different (YES in step S31), the controller 13 executes processing that was not executed in the first embodiment.

[0045] In this embodiment, the determination function determines that an abnormality has occurred in the actuator 11 if the frequency F of the acceleration of the vehicle body 3 is twice the excitation frequency f. Specifically, if the controller 13 determines that the frequency F of the acceleration of the vehicle body 3 and the excitation frequency f are different (YES in step S31), the controller 13 determines whether the frequency F of the acceleration of the vehicle body 3 is twice the excitation frequency f (step S34). The controller 13 determines whether the frequency F of the acceleration of the vehicle body 3 is essentially twice the excitation frequency f. For example, the controller 13 determines that the frequency F is twice the excitation frequency f if the frequency F satisfies 2.0f - α2 ≦ F ≦ 2.0f + β2. Conversely, if the frequency F does not satisfy 2.0f - α2 ≦ F ≦ 2.0f + β2, the controller 13 determines that the frequency F is not twice the excitation frequency f. Here, α2 and β2 are allowable errors. α2 and β2 are set to satisfy, for example, a range of 0 to 0.6f. α2 and β2 are preferably 0.4f or less, and more preferably 0.2f or less. α2 may be equal to or different from β2.

[0046] If the frequency F is twice the excitation frequency f (YES in step S34), the controller 13 determines that an abnormality has occurred in the actuator 11 (step S35). In this case, the controller 13 may output to the output device 135 that an abnormality has occurred in the actuator 11. Conversely, if the frequency F is not twice the excitation frequency f, it is difficult to identify the part in which the abnormality has occurred. Therefore, if the frequency F is not twice the excitation frequency f (NO in step S34), the controller 13 determines that an abnormality has occurred in a part of the railway vehicle 1, but does not identify the part in which the abnormality has occurred (step S36). In this case, the controller 13 may output to the output device 135 that it is impossible to identify the part in which the abnormality has occurred.

[0047] For example, if the mounting parts 111 and 112 of the actuator 11 are damaged, an impact occurs when the actuator 11 is fully extended or fully retracted, increasing the likelihood that the acceleration frequency F of the vehicle body 3 will be twice the excitation frequency f. If the damage to the mounting parts 111 and 112 worsens, a gap will form between the parts of the actuator 11 connected to the mounting parts 111 and 112 and the mounting parts 111 and 112, causing rattles in the actuator 11. If rattles occur in the actuator 11, an impact noise may be generated when the actuator 11 operates. Therefore, in the abnormality detection method according to this embodiment, in the determination step, if the frequency F is twice the excitation frequency f, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the actuator 11. Even if no abnormal noise is generated during operation of the actuator 11, if the acceleration frequency F of the vehicle body 3 is twice the excitation frequency f, it is highly likely that some kind of impact has occurred, and it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the actuator 11. Therefore, an abnormality in the actuator 11 can be detected early. Furthermore, if the frequency F of the acceleration of the vehicle body 3 is twice the vibration frequency f, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the actuator 11, so that the actuator 11, particularly the mounting parts 111 and 112, can be checked first, and replacement work of the actuator 11 itself or its components can be carried out efficiently.

[0048] In each embodiment, when performing frequency analysis on the data of the acceleration of the carbody 3 detected in step S2, the controller 13 may also perform envelope analysis on the data. The envelope analysis outputs a characteristic frequency caused by an abnormality that has occurred in a component of the railway vehicle 1. In this case, the controller 13 acquires the characteristic frequency obtained by the envelope analysis as the frequency F of the acceleration of the carbody 3.

[0049] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the anomaly detection method is performed by the controller 13 (computer) executing an anomaly detection program. However, the anomaly detection method may be realized by means other than program processing. For example, the vibration process, detection process, and determination process of the anomaly detection method may be performed by an operator. The operator may visually check the acceleration waveform of the car body 3 obtained in the vibration test and compare the acceleration frequency F with the vibration frequency f.

[0051] In the above-described embodiment, the abnormality detection program is executed by the controller 13. However, the abnormality detection program may be executed by a computer other than the controller 13. For example, the abnormality detection program may be executed by a computer external to the railway vehicle 1. The abnormality detection program executed by the processor of the computer may be stored in a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium. Examples of the storage medium include a magnetic storage medium such as a hard disk, an optical storage medium such as a CD-R, and a semiconductor memory.

[0052] In each of the above embodiments, the actuator 11 is configured to vibrate the vehicle body 3 in the left-right direction. However, the direction in which the vehicle body 3 is vibrated is not limited to this. The actuator 11 may also be configured to vibrate the vehicle body 3 in the up-down direction.

[0053] 1: Railway vehicle 2: Bogie 3: Car body 11: Actuator 12: Acceleration sensor 13: Controller (computer)

Claims

1. A method for detecting an abnormality in a railway vehicle, comprising: a preparation step of preparing a railway vehicle including a bogie, a car body, an actuator arranged between the bogie and the car body, and an acceleration sensor; a vibration step of vibrating the car body at a predetermined vibration frequency using the actuator; a detection step of detecting the acceleration of the vibrated car body with the acceleration sensor; and a determination step of determining that an abnormality has occurred in a part of the railway vehicle if the frequency of the detected acceleration of the car body differs from the vibration frequency.

2. An abnormality detection method according to claim 1, wherein in the determination step, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the actuator if the frequency of the acceleration of the vehicle body is twice the vibration frequency.

3. An abnormality detection method according to claim 2, wherein in the determination step, when the frequency F satisfies 2.0f - α2 ≦ F ≦ 2.0f + β2, where F is the frequency of the acceleration of the vehicle body, f is the vibration frequency, and α2 and β2 are allowable errors (where α2 and β2 are each between 0 and 0.6f), the frequency F is determined to be twice the vibration frequency f.

4. An abnormality detection program for a railway vehicle including a bogie, a car body, an actuator arranged between the bogie and the car body, and an acceleration sensor, which causes a computer to realize: a vibration function that uses the actuator to vibrate the car body at a predetermined vibration frequency; a detection function that detects the acceleration of the vibrated car body with the acceleration sensor; and a judgment function that determines that an abnormality has occurred in a part of the railway vehicle if the frequency of the detected acceleration of the car body differs from the vibration frequency.

5. An abnormality detection program according to claim 4, wherein the determination function determines that an abnormality has occurred in the actuator when the frequency of the acceleration of the vehicle body is twice the vibration frequency.

6. An abnormality detection program according to claim 5, wherein the determination function determines that the frequency F is twice the vibration frequency f when the frequency F satisfies 2.0f - α2 ≦ F ≦ 2.0f + β2, where F is the frequency of the acceleration of the vehicle body, f is the vibration frequency, and α2 and β2 are allowable errors (where α2 and β2 are each between 0 and 0.6f).

Images