Rail Vehicle Power-Line Control for Stable Battery Charge Sharing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional railroad systems face challenges in synchronizing the charge and discharge of electric storage devices in hybrid vehicles with the state of the vehicle and the electric storage device, leading to inefficiencies and potential damage from overcharging or over-discharging.

Innovation Solution

A railroad system with a control mechanism that allows or prohibits charge/discharge of the electric storage device based on detection values such as charge accumulation amount, distance between vehicles, and voltage values, using set values to maintain stable states and prevent overcharging or over-discharging, thereby extending the service life of the electric storage element.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the electric storage device charges or discharges based on real-time vehicle state and distance detection, then energy efficiency and device longevity are improved, but system complexity and control difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectric storage device service lifeVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control part pre-establishes first and second set values for distance detection before charge/discharge operations begin. These threshold values are predetermined based on safe operating parameters, allowing the system to make immediate control decisions without complex real-time calculations, thus extending device service life while maintaining manageable system complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously detects the distance between vehicles and compares it against the pre-set first and second threshold values. This feedback mechanism enables dynamic adjustment of charge/discharge feasibility based on real-time conditions, improving reliability by preventing overcharging or over-discharging while using simple threshold comparisons to avoid excessive control complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If the system allows charge and discharge operations based on distance detection, then power sharing between vehicles is optimized, but the risk of overcharging or over-discharging increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower sharing efficiencyVSAvoidovercharging or over-discharging damage
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The control part establishes prohibitive distance thresholds (first and second set values) that prevent charge/discharge operations before harmful conditions occur. When the detected distance exceeds these thresholds, the system proactively prohibits operations, counteracting potential overcharging or over-discharging damage before it can affect the electric storage device

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts charge/discharge feasibility based on real-time distance detection between vehicles. As distance changes, the control part transitions between allowing and prohibiting operations, optimizing power sharing efficiency while adaptively preventing harmful conditions through continuous monitoring and threshold-based control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Stability of the object's composition

If hysteresis control with different set values is implemented, then charge/discharge stability is improved, but control precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecharge discharge state stabilityVSAvoiddistance detection precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses asymmetric first and second set values for distance thresholds, where the prohibitive threshold differs from the permissive threshold. This asymmetry creates a hysteresis effect that stabilizes charge/discharge operations by preventing rapid state transitions, compensating for limitations in distance detection precision through deliberately unequal threshold values

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentEP3187360B1Railroad system
Publication Date: 2024.05.15 KK TOSHIBA
  • EP3187360B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3187360B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3187360B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

To provide a railroad system including a first vehicle and a second vehicle electrically connected to a certain power line. The first vehicle includes a drive part, an inverter configured to drive the drive part by acquiring power from the power line, an electric storage device configured to supply power to the power line or accumulate power from the power line, and a control part. The control part is configured to control feasibility of charge or discharge of the electric storage device based on a detection value of any of a charge accumulation amount of the electric storage device, a distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle, or a voltage value of the power line. When it is assumed that the detection value when charge or discharge of the electric storage device is switched from an allowable state to a prohibited state is a first set value, and the detection value when charge or discharge of the electric storage device is switched from a prohibited state to an allowable state is a second set value, the first set value and the second set value are different from each other.