Dual-Mode Rail Vehicle Self-Load Testing With Overhead Line Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing self-load test methods for dual-mode rail vehicles are complex, costly, and environmentally inefficient, as they convert excess power into heat using internal and external resistors.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves connecting the diesel engine's generator output to a DC link, which is then split between an internal braking resistor and an overhead line system, allowing excess power to be fed into the overhead line network instead of being lost as heat, using a system of converters and a 4-quadrant controller to manage energy feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If power is converted to heat using internal and external resistors during self-load test, then the diesel engine can be tested under load, but energy is wasted and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the previously harmful waste heat into useful electrical energy by using the generator to produce electricity during the self-load test. This generated electricity is then fed back into the overhead line network through the contact wire, transforming the energy that would have been wasted as heat into a beneficial resource that can power other rail vehicles or be stored in the network.
Solution Approach 2:
The system recovers energy that would otherwise be discarded during the self-load test. By connecting the generator to the overhead line network through the existing electrical infrastructure (contact wire, collectors, substations), the patent enables the rail vehicle to feed recovered electrical energy back into the network, preventing energy loss and enabling its reuse.
2Power
If external load resistors are connected in parallel with internal braking resistor, then excess power can be dissipated, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the external load resistor from the system entirely. Instead of using both internal and external resistors to dissipate power, the invention removes the external resistor and redirects the power flow through the generator and into the overhead line network, simplifying the system architecture while maintaining power management capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The overhead line network serves as an intermediary between the generator and the final energy destination. Rather than directly dissipating power through resistors, the system uses the electrical network as a mediator to transfer and redistribute the generated energy to where it is needed, eliminating the need for complex resistor configurations.
3Measurement precision
If self-load test is performed with separate diesel engine test stand and load machine, then accurate testing can be conducted, but ease of operation and accessibility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The rail vehicle performs its own self-load test using its generator and the existing overhead line network infrastructure. This self-service capability eliminates the need for external test stands and load machines, allowing any rail vehicle to conduct its own testing operations independently, thereby improving accessibility and ease of operation while maintaining testing accuracy through the vehicle's own control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The overhead line network, originally designed solely for power supply, is made multi-functional by enabling it to also serve as a testing infrastructure. This universal use of existing infrastructure allows the same network that powers vehicles during normal operation to also facilitate self-load testing, eliminating the need for separate dedicated test equipment and improving operational accessibility.
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 energy loss, lowers operational costs, and provides environmental benefits by utilizing the overhead line network for energy reuse, making self-load tests more efficient and cost-effective.
Implementation Method 1
a first drive system is based on a diesel engine that is operated as an internal combustion engine. The diesel engine is used to drive a generator. The generator in turn forms a corresponding electrical power
Implementation Method 2
The power or energy that is generated during the self-test is converted into heat in an installed braking resistor
Data Source
AI summary
An arrangement and a method for carrying out a self-load test on a rail vehicle which has a dual-mode drive system. A first drivetrain of the rail vehicle includes a diesel engine, which is coupled to an electric generator to generate electrical power. The generator is connected via a first converter to a DC link to transfer the power delivered by the generator as required into the DC link. A second drivetrain of the rail vehicle has an electrical line system, which is connected via a second converter to the DC link to transfer power from the line system as required into the DC link. During the self-load test of the diesel engine, the power delivered by the generator passes in part via a third converter to a braking resistor and in part via the second converter into the line system.