Rail Vehicle Track Brake Magnetization Circuit Decoupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rail brake systems require high electrical power for magnetic excitation, which can be unreliable due to dependence on the operating state of the rail vehicle's electrical system, especially for emergency braking, and suffer from wear-related issues in friction-based systems.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising a long-term energy store, a high-current energy storage device, a voltage converter, and an electrical switching device, decoupled from the vehicle's electrical system, allowing for efficient and short-term high-power switching to the excitation coil, ensuring independence from the rail vehicle's electrical state and optimizing energy storage properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If high electrical power is supplied to the excitation coil for magnetic excitation, then the braking power is sufficient, but the reliability decreases due to dependence on the vehicle's electrical system operating state
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical energy storage is segmented into two distinct components: a long-term energy store (battery) and a high-current energy store (capacitor). This segmentation allows the system to decouple the high-power requirement from the vehicle's electrical system, ensuring reliable brake operation independent of the vehicle's electrical state.
Solution Approach 2:
The high-current energy store acts as an intermediary between the long-term energy store and the excitation coil. It receives energy from the battery and provides high-current pulses to the excitation coil, isolating the coil from direct connection to the vehicle's electrical system and ensuring reliable operation.
2Reliability
If the brake system is decoupled from the vehicle's electrical system to ensure reliability, then the availability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into functional modules: long-term energy store, high-current energy store, voltage converter, and switching device. This modular segmentation manages complexity by organizing components into distinct functional units with clear interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The dual energy storage system serves multiple functions: the long-term energy store provides sustained power and recharges the high-current energy store, while the high-current energy store delivers high-power pulses. This multi-functionality justifies the increased complexity by providing both reliability and power capability.
3Force
If a friction-based magnetic rail brake is used for emergency braking, then the braking force is sufficient, but wear occurs requiring maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces friction-based mechanical braking with magnetic braking. The electromagnet generates magnetic fields that interact with the rail or brake disc to produce braking force without physical contact, eliminating wear while maintaining sufficient braking capability for emergency stops.
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
The solution enhances the availability and reliability of rail brakes by decoupling the magnetization circuit from the vehicle's electrical system, reducing wear and maintaining functionality even when the vehicle's electrical state is compromised, while optimizing energy storage for efficient pulse generation.
Implementation Method 1
a voltage converter for transforming the on-board power supply voltage supplied by the long-term energy store to a predetermined magnetization voltage
Implementation Method 2
supplying at least one electrical excitation coil with at least one electrical current pulse for permanent magnetization or demagnetization, with regard to the magnetic polarity, of at least one magnet segment
Implementation Method 3
The magnetic core, which is permanently magnetized in this way, generates a magnetic flux that is short-circuited via the rail head as soon as the brake magnet rests on the rail with its pole shoes. This creates a magnetic attraction between the brake magnet and the rail.
Implementation Method 4
rail brakes designed as linear eddy current brakes, in which permanently magnetized magnetic cores generate braking forces in the manner described above as a result of eddy currents and their magnetic fields
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (28) for supplying at least one electrical excitation coil (9) with at least one electrical current pulse in order to alternatively permanent-magnetize or demagnetize, regarding the magnetic polarity, at least one magnet segment (5), containing hard magnetic material, of a brake magnet (2) of a track brake of a rail vehicle. The device is characterized by a) at least one long-term energy store (34), which can be supplied with electrical energy by a vehicle electrical system circuit (32) of the rail vehicle that is under vehicle electrical system voltage at least at times, b) at least one magnetization circuit (38), comprising a voltage transformer (36) for transforming the vehicle electrical system voltage supplied by the long-term energy store (34) to a specified magnetization voltage and for charging at least one high-current energy store (40) with electrical energy under magnetization voltage and comprising a switching device (42) that is connected in an electrically conductive manner to the high-current energy store (40) at one end and to the excitation coil (9) at the other end, by means of which switching device current pulses to the excitation coil (9) that are based on the electrical energy stored in the high-current energy store (40) and that can be alternatively varied regarding the current flow direction can be switched according to the control signals controlled by a control device (44).