Rail Vehicle Storage Branch Charge Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing rail vehicle systems face challenges in efficiently managing the charging and discharging of energy across multiple storage branches, leading to uneven energy distribution and reduced lifespan of storage branches due to variations in state of charge.

Innovation Solution

A method where a central control device coordinates the loading and unloading of energy across storage branches, ensuring that branches with higher state of charge are discharged more and charged less, maintaining optimal operating ranges by dividing total discharge and load capacities based on individual charging states, using DC converters and auxiliary power supplies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple storage branches are operated independently without coordinated control, then each branch can be managed individually, but uneven energy distribution occurs and storage branch lifespan is reduced due to variations in state of charge

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage branch lifespanVSAvoidenergy distribution uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The control device continuously monitors the state of charge of each storage branch and uses this feedback information to dynamically adjust charging and discharging allocations. This ensures that branches with higher state of charge are discharged more and charged less, while branches with lower state of charge receive more charging and less discharging, maintaining uniform energy distribution and extending storage branch lifespan.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the charging and discharging power allocation to each storage branch based on their real-time state of charge. The control device modifies operational parameters continuously to maintain optimal operating conditions, preventing any single branch from being overcharged or over-discharged, thereby extending overall system lifespan.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If total discharge capacity and total load capacity are distributed equally among all storage branches, then control is simplified, but branches with different states of charge operate outside optimal ranges reducing overall efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy storage efficiencyVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control device changes operational parameters (charging power and discharging power) for each storage branch based on their state of charge. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system optimizes energy storage efficiency while maintaining manageable control complexity through automated calculations and control algorithms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Quantity of substance

If high energy quantities are stored in multiple storage branches, then energy capacity is increased, but uneven state of charge distribution reduces system reliability and lifespan

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestored energy quantityVSAvoidsystem reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control device uses feedback from state of charge measurements to continuously adjust power distribution, ensuring that high energy storage capacity is maintained while preventing uneven state of charge conditions that would reduce reliability. The system monitors and adjusts in real-time to maintain optimal operation across all branches.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

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 ensures balanced energy distribution, prolongs the lifespan of storage branches, and allows for efficient storage and retrieval of high energy quantities by maintaining all branches at approximately the same state of charge, thereby optimizing their performance.

Implementation Method 1

the memory branches are charged and discharged via a respective loading unloading device (80)... the charging unloading devices (80) are driven by a central control device (200)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrical energy transformation: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP3974245A1Method for controlling the charging and discharging of storage branches in a railway vehicle
Publication Date: 2022.03.30 SIEMENS MOBILITY GMBH
  • EP3974245A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3974245A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3974245A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In a method according to the invention for controlling the charging and discharging of storage branches in a rail vehicle, wherein the rail vehicle has a DC link which is connected to at least one drive motor and to at least two storage branches, wherein the storage branches are charged and discharged via a respective charging-discharging device, and wherein the storage branches feed electrical energy into the DC link during discharge and draw electrical energy from the DC link during charging, the charging-discharging devices are controlled by a central control unit of the rail vehicle in such a way that the storage branches are charged or discharged simultaneously.wherein the total charging power fed into the storage branches during charging and the total discharging power taken from the storage branches during discharging are distributed among the storage branches depending on their respective state of charge.