Rail Vehicle Brake Capacity Adaptive Speed Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for operating rail vehicles do not effectively adapt the driving behavior to account for the real-time braking capacity, leading to potential safety issues and inefficiencies, as they primarily focus on maximum permissible speed without considering operational boundaries like route conditions and energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A method that determines the current braking capacity of the vehicle's brakes and calculates a location-dependent target speed profile based on route information and braking capacity, allowing for adaptive speed adjustments to ensure safe operation and optimal energy use, even in the event of brake failures, by continuously updating the target speed profile during the journey.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the vehicle operates at maximum permissible speed without adapting to real-time braking capacity, then the productivity and journey time are improved, but the safety and reliability deteriorate due to potential brake failures and inability to stop safely
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adaptation of the target speed profile based on real-time braking capacity assessment. The system continuously monitors brake component status and adjusts the speed profile dynamically, allowing the vehicle to operate at higher speeds when brakes are healthy and automatically reducing speeds when degradation is detected, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and safety
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop where brake status information is continuously fed back to the control unit, which then adjusts the target speed profile accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures that safety requirements are met while maximizing productivity by only reducing speed when actually necessary based on real-time brake condition
2Reliability
If the vehicle interrupts the journey upon detecting brake failure, then the safety is improved by preventing dangerous operation, but the productivity and operational continuity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of binary stop/go decisions, the system changes operational parameters by adapting the target speed profile to match the current braking capacity. This allows continued operation at reduced speeds when brake degradation is detected, maintaining safety while preserving operational continuity and productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively reduces the target speed profile in advance when brake degradation is detected, creating a safety buffer that prevents dangerous situations while allowing continued operation. This anticipatory speed reduction cushions against potential complete brake failure and maintains operational continuity
3Reliability
If the target speed profile is set below the maximum permissible speed to account for braking capacity limitations, then the safety is improved by ensuring adequate stopping distances, but the productivity and energy efficiency worsen due to unnecessarily reduced speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes the target speed profile parameter based on actual braking capacity assessment. When brakes are healthy, the profile allows speeds close to maximum permissible, improving productivity. When degradation is detected, the profile is adjusted downward only to the extent necessary for safety, minimizing the impact on productivity and energy efficiency
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates, inter alia, to a method for operating a vehicle, in particular a rail vehicle (10), wherein in the method a failure state indication (AZA) specifying the failure state of brakes (130) of the vehicle is determined and a braking capacity value (BVW) specifying the braking capacity of the brakes (130) of the vehicle is determined taking into account the failure state indication (AZA).According to the invention, it is provided that during travel in a section of track (SA), at least once, preferably regularly or irregularly, a current failure state indication (AZA) is determined, indicating the current failure state of the brakes (130), a current braking capacity value (BVW) indicating the current braking capacity of the vehicle's brakes (130) is determined taking into account the current failure state indication (AZA) during travel, and based on track information (SI) describing the currently traveled or next to be traveled section of track (SA), as well as on the current braking capacity value (BVW) during travel, a location-dependent target speed profile (Vtarget(x)) is calculated, which defines the target speed (Vtarget) of the vehicle above the location (X) in the currently traveled or next to be traveled section of track (SA).