Railway Track Brake Power Switching for Cost Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing shunting systems with multiple rail brakes and braking power sources face high investment and operational management costs due to the need for multiple power sources to ensure fail-safety, which is not met by standard industry components, leading to complex and costly solutions.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where an electrical connection is established between a rail brake and a braking power source only when a train approaches, with an acknowledgment signal processed in the sequence control to confirm successful connection and correct current intensity, allowing for a reduced number of power sources and enabling efficient switching and redundancy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If each track brake is assigned its own braking power source to ensure fail-safety, then operational availability is improved, but investment costs and operational management costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
A single braking power source is designed to serve multiple track brakes sequentially through automated switching mechanisms. The power source becomes a universal resource that can be dynamically allocated to any track brake that requires it, eliminating the need for dedicated power sources at each track while maintaining operational availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic allocation of the braking power source based on real-time operational needs. A switching mechanism dynamically connects the single power source to different track brakes as trains approach, transforming a static one-to-one assignment into a dynamic many-to-one relationship that adapts to varying demand.
2Device complexity
If a multiplex power distribution system is used to supply power to multiple rail brakes, then system costs are reduced, but fail-safety requirements increase system complexity and costs
Solution Approach 1:
The power distribution system is segmented into individual track-specific circuits that can be independently controlled and switched. This segmentation allows the system to maintain cost-effective multiplex distribution while isolating faults to individual tracks, thereby preserving fail-safety without requiring complex system-wide redundancy.
3Reliability
If multiple braking power sources are installed to meet fail-safety requirements, then operational reliability is improved, but investment and operational management costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple braking power sources are merged into a single centralized power source that serves all track brakes. This consolidation reduces the total number of power sources from many to one, significantly lowering investment costs while maintaining fail-safety through the implementation of automated switching and monitoring systems that ensure reliable power delivery to any track brake that requires it.
4Reliability
If each track brake has a dedicated power source, then fail-safety is improved, but operational management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automated switching and monitoring that enables self-service operational management. The control system automatically detects when a track brake requires power, switches the single power source to the appropriate track, and monitors the braking process, eliminating the need for manual intervention or complex operational management procedures that would be required with multiple dedicated power sources.
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 reduces costs by minimizing the number of power sources required, enhances fail-safety through feedback and control, and allows for independent maintenance of track brakes without disrupting hump operations.
Implementation Method 1
an electrical connection is established between this rail brake and a braking power source by means of an electrical switching mechanism and after it has passed through completely separated again
Implementation Method 2
A magnetic field is induced in the U-shaped trough with the help of electrically-carrying coils, so that an open magnetic circuit is created
Implementation Method 3
the brake beams are applied or pressed against the wheel of the rail vehicle by the action of magnetic forces
Implementation Method 4
an acknowledgment signal about the successful establishment of the electrical connection between the track brake and braking current source is processed in a higher-level sequence control
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a shunting shunting system with a plurality of track brakes and braking current sources provided for their power supply, as well as a method for operating such a shunting shunting system. The invention is intended to offer cost savings compared to the prior art in the initial setup and operation of such shunting shunting systems. To this end, the process is designed so that, before a shunting sequence enters the track brake (1) responsible for that sequence, an electrical connection is established between this track brake (1) and a braking current source (3) by means of an electrical switching device (2), and is disconnected again after the sequence has completely passed through the track brake.In a device-oriented manner, an electrical switching device (2) is provided for establishing or disconnecting an electrical connection between a track brake (1) and a braking current source (3), the control of which (4) can be connected to a sequence control computer of the shunting system via data technology.