Rail Vehicle Air Spring Sensor System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rail vehicle suspension systems face challenges in detecting incipient air loss and overload conditions without damaging sensors, especially when direct contact occurs between the top plate and sliding plate, and are hindered by space constraints and environmental influences.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a sensor system using the rim and upper plate as interacting parts to generate electrical signals based on their distance, employing either inductive or capacitive principles, allowing for continuous measurement without additional components or cabling, and being resistant to environmental factors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a sensor is mounted inside the air spring to detect distance between top plate and rim, then measurement capability is improved, but the sensor is damaged by direct contact between top plate and sliding plate during overload or air loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a magnetic field as an intermediary between the sensor and the mechanical components. The sensor detects changes in magnetic field strength caused by movement of a magnet attached to the sliding plate, rather than directly measuring mechanical distance. This magnetic field intermediary protects the sensor from physical damage while enabling continuous distance measurement, even when the top plate contacts the sliding plate during overload conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces a mechanical contact-based measurement system with a magnetic field-based sensing system. Instead of using a sensor that physically contacts or closely monitors the gap between top plate and rim, a magnet is attached to the sliding plate and its magnetic field is detected by a sensor mounted on the air spring body. This substitution eliminates mechanical wear and damage risks while maintaining measurement accuracy
2Measurement precision
If additional sensors and cabling are integrated inside the air spring, then measurement capability is improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the sensing function with existing air spring components. The sensor is mounted on the outer housing of the air spring rather than inside, and the magnet is attached to the sliding plate which is already part of the air spring assembly. This merging approach eliminates the need for separate sensor housings, internal cable routing, and complex integration procedures, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining measurement capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the sensor from the internal air spring structure and mounts it on the external housing. The magnet is attached to the sliding plate which remains part of the internal mechanism. This extraction simplifies the internal air spring design, eliminates internal cabling requirements, and allows for easier installation and maintenance of the sensing system
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 reliable detection of load conditions and emergency situations without damaging the sensor components, utilizing existing components and simplifying installation, while being immune to temperature and humidity variations.
Implementation Method 1
One solution involves the interacting parts forming an inductive sensor, in which preferably the top plate has a coil and the rim or sliding plate has a ferritic material, and the sensor generates a signal that depends on the inductance, which changes with the distance between the rim or sliding plate and the top plate.
Implementation Method 2
An alternative solution involves the interacting parts forming a capacitive sensor. This sensor incorporates capacitively active surfaces on or in the upper plate and on or in the rim or sliding plate. The sensor generates a signal that varies with the capacitance of the surface, which changes with the distance between the rim or sliding plate and the upper plate.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
Railway vehicle suspension with an air spring arranged between sprung mass and unsprung mass, namely between the body or car body and the chassis or bogie of a railway vehicle, wherein the railway vehicle suspension has a rim and a top plate opposite the rim, wherein the rim is provided with a sliding plate and the rim and top plate are arranged such that in the event of a failure of the air spring, the sliding plate and the top plate lie against each other and thus support the body on the bogie, wherein the rim or sliding plate on the one hand and the top plate on the other hand form cooperating parts of a sensor or sensor system which generate an electrical signal depending on the distance between the rim or sliding plate and the top plate.