Rail Vehicle Brake Force Generator Communication Failure Handling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Rail vehicle brake systems face issues where a fault in the compressed air line or communication failure can lead to unintended emergency braking, causing operational restrictions or expenses, as existing systems cannot accurately determine the need for emergency braking without proper communication.

Innovation Solution

The brake force generator uses its own acceleration sensor and communication device to assess whether emergency braking is required by checking previous braking status, current vehicle acceleration, and deceleration values, with threshold comparisons and potential test braking to determine if emergency braking is needed, ensuring proper operation even without communication with the overall system.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the brake system is oversized to compensate for a failed brake force generator, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebraking system reliabilityVSAvoidbrake system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The brake force generator uses its own acceleration sensor and onboard resources to autonomously determine whether emergency braking is required when communication fails, without needing external system oversight or manual intervention

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The brake force generator checks whether emergency braking was carried out before communication failure and uses this preliminary information to make the correct decision, preventing unnecessary braking while ensuring safety

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the brake force generator triggers emergency braking due to a local fault, then safety is improved, but productivity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidoperational efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The brake force generator uses feedback from its acceleration sensor to continuously monitor vehicle motion state and compare it with expected behavior, allowing it to distinguish between actual emergency situations and false alarms caused by communication failures

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces reliance on compressed air system state with direct mechanical acceleration sensing, substituting a potentially faulty pneumatic signal with a reliable physical measurement of vehicle motion

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If communication connection is monitored to detect failures, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The brake force generator autonomously monitors its own communication status and independently makes braking decisions based on this monitoring, without requiring additional system-level communication monitoring infrastructure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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

This approach ensures that the rail vehicle is properly decelerated during emergency situations while preventing unnecessary braking, thus reducing operational restrictions and expenses by accurately determining the need for emergency braking in faulty conditions.

Implementation Method 1

the brake force generator has its own acceleration sensor in order to be able to detect the acceleration or deceleration values of the rail vehicle even if communication has failed

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAcceleration detection: Accelerometer

Data Source

PatentEP3676143B1Method for determining the safety-relevant state of the brakes of rail vehicles
Publication Date: 2021.07.07 KNORR BREMSE SYST FUR SCHIENENFAHRZEUGE GMBH
  • EP3676143B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3676143B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3676143B1 patent drawingFigure 3a

AI summary

The invention relates to an emergency braking method for a braking force generator of a rail vehicle, comprising the following steps: S1: detecting that the communication link of the braking force generator has failed; S2: checking if, before the failure of the communication link, emergency braking was active; deciding to brake if, before the failure of the communication link, emergency braking was active.