Rail Vehicle Brake Actuator Speed Detection via Vibration Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current rail vehicle brake actuators are oversized due to assuming maximum speed in emergency braking without speed information, leading to increased costs and potential safety issues with braking distance and thermal overload, and rely on complex speed sensors that can fail, affecting braking force calculation and actuation.
Innovation Solution
A brake actuator that determines vehicle speed from the relationship between braking force and vibrations generated, using a single sensor to detect both, eliminating the need for redundant communication systems and speed sensors, and allowing speed-dependent emergency braking without external speed signals, with a control unit calculating coefficients for accurate braking force application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If brakes are dimensioned for maximum possible speed in fail-safe mode without speed information, then safety is improved, but device size and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical speed sensors and communication systems with a vibration-based detection system. By measuring vibrations generated during braking and analyzing their frequency characteristics, the system determines vehicle speed without requiring traditional speed sensors or complex communication infrastructure. This substitution reduces device complexity while maintaining safety through accurate speed-dependent braking force calculation.
Solution Approach 2:
The brake actuator performs self-diagnosis and self-determination of operating conditions by analyzing vibrations generated during its own operation. The system uses the vibrations produced by the braking process itself to determine speed, eliminating the need for external speed sensors or communication systems. This self-service approach reduces dependency on external components while maintaining accurate braking control.
2Measurement precision
If speed sensors and communication systems are used to determine braking force, then braking accuracy is improved, but device complexity and failure risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the braking function with the speed measurement function into a single integrated system. The brake actuator simultaneously applies braking force and measures vibrations to determine speed, eliminating the need for separate speed sensors and communication systems. This merging reduces device complexity while maintaining braking accuracy through the relationship between vibration frequency and vehicle speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The brake actuator is designed to perform multiple functions: applying braking force, generating controlled vibrations, measuring vibrations, determining speed, and calculating required braking force. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate dedicated speed sensors and communication infrastructure, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining measurement precision through the inherent relationship between braking-induced vibrations and vehicle speed.
3Device complexity
If a single sensor detects both braking force and vibrations, then component quantity is reduced, but measurement precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a single multi-functional sensor that simultaneously detects both braking force magnitude and vibration characteristics. This sensor is strategically positioned to measure the reaction force generated by the braking process, which contains information about both the applied braking force and the vibrations produced. By analyzing the frequency spectrum of the detected signal, the system extracts speed information while maintaining measurement precision through the inherent coupling between braking force and vibration generation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables safe and efficient braking without oversizing, reduces component complexity and costs, and improves reliability by using vibrations to determine speed and calculate braking force independently of speed sensors, ensuring a shorter safety-relevant braking distance and reduced thermal overload risks.
Implementation Method 1
both the braking force and the vibrations generated by pressing against the brake disk can be easily detected in each brake actuator
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a brake actuator (1) for a rail vehicle (2). The brake actuator (1) has a sensor (3) for detecting a braking force generated in the brake actuator (1), a sensor (4) for detecting vibrations generated by the braking force in the brake actuator (1), and a control unit (5). The control unit (5) is configured so as to generate a relationship between the speed of the rail vehicle (2) with a generated braking force and a frequency of the vibrations generated by the braking force.