Electropneumatic Brake Check Valves for Redundant Air Supply
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electro-pneumatic braking devices face reliability issues due to unreliable shuttle valves and potential failures in compressed air supply redundancy, which can lead to undefined intermediate positions and insufficient air supply in emergency situations.
Innovation Solution
The use of spring-loaded check valves that allow compressed air flow from two separate supplies into a pressure control module but prevent flow between the supplies, ensuring redundancy and reliability by allowing air from both sources to be used simultaneously, thus preventing failures and ensuring sufficient air supply even in long pressure lines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a changeover valve is used to supply compressed air from two reservoirs, then compressed air supply redundancy is achieved, but the valve can assume undefined intermediate positions and fail to operate reliably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single changeover valve function into two separate check valves. Each check valve independently handles one compressed air supply line, allowing both reservoirs to supply air simultaneously without mechanical switching. This segmentation eliminates the undefined intermediate position problem while maintaining supply redundancy.
Solution Approach 2:
The check valves act as intermediaries that automatically select the appropriate flow direction based on pressure differential. Instead of a complex changeover valve with multiple positions, simple check valve elements automatically mediate the air flow from each reservoir to the brake system, ensuring reliable operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If compressed air lines are extended to reach all brake components, then complete brake system coverage is achieved, but air leaks and supply failures can occur in long pressure lines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent places check valves at strategic locations near the brake components they serve. This local placement creates independent supply zones, so that a leak or failure in one long pressure line does not affect the supply to other brake components. Each check valve ensures local supply reliability from its associated reservoir.
3Device complexity
If a single compressed air reservoir is used, then the system is simple in design, but sufficient air supply cannot be guaranteed in emergency situations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two compressed air reservoirs into a unified supply system for the brake module. Both reservoirs can simultaneously supply compressed air through their respective check valves to the brake system, effectively doubling the available air volume for emergency braking situations while maintaining relatively simple system architecture.
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 solution enhances the reliability and safety of the electro-pneumatic braking system by maintaining compressed air supply redundancy and preventing air leaks, ensuring consistent brake pressure across both front and rear axles, even under high demand conditions like emergency stops.
Implementation Method 1
the check valves each include at least one valve closing element pressed against a valve seat by spring forces of at least one spring element
Implementation Method 2
the spring rate of the check valve spring elements can be selected as needed so that such a check valve switches to the open position at a defined pressure difference between its two ports
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
AI summary
The invention relates to an electropneumatic brake device (1) comprising a first electropneumatic pressure-regulating module (6) with a first relay valve device (22a) and a first inlet/outlet solenoid valve combination (16a) which pneumatically controls the first relay valve device (22a), in addition to a supply connection (14a) which is connected to a first supply inlet (52a) of the first relay valve device (22a) and an inlet valve (18a) of the inlet/outlet solenoid valve combination (16a), the first supply connection (14a) of the first pressure-regulating module (6) being connected to at least one of two independent compressed-air supplies (40, 46), a first compressed-air supply (40) and a third compressed-air supply (46). According to the invention, the first supply connection (14a) is connected to the first compressed-air supply (40) by means of at least one first check valve (42) and to the third compressed-air supply (46) by means of at least one second check valve (48), wherein the check valves (42, 48) each comprise at least one valve-closing member (58) which is pressed against a valve seat (56) by means of spring forces of at least one spring element (54) and, in the forward direction, when the valve-closing member (58) is lifted off the valve seat (56), the check valves allow a compressed-air flow from each of the compressed-air supplies (40, 46) or even from both compressed-air supplies (40, 46) at the same time into the first supply connection (14a), but in the reverse direction, when the valve-closing member (58) is pressed against the valve seat (56), the check valves prevent a compressed-air flow from the first supply connection (14a) into one of the two compressed-air supplies (40, 46) or into both compressed-air supplies (40, 46), and a compressed-air flow from the first compressed-air supply (40) into the third compressed-air supply (46) or from the third compressed-air supply (46) into the first compressed-air supply (40).