Rail Vehicle Leaf Guide Device for Wheel-Rail Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rail transport systems face safety and reliability issues due to leaves entering the wheel-rail contact, leading to reduced braking and traction forces, increased maintenance, and potential security risks, as they form a coating that impairs power transmission and affects vehicle performance.
Innovation Solution
A device with guide surfaces is installed on rail vehicles to create negative pressure and direct air flows that remove leaves from the wheel-rail contact area, either by blowing them away or diverting them into the center of the track, where they can no longer be drawn into the contact, utilizing flow control surfaces on both the inside and outside of the wheels and shield sections to enhance leaf removal efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If trees next to tracks are cut back to reduce leaves, then fewer leaves enter the wheel-rail contact, but this reduces the overall capacity of the rail transport system and is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces guide devices with flow guide surfaces as intermediary elements between the leaves and the wheel-rail contact. These devices manipulate air flows to transport leaves away from the contact area, serving as a mediator that prevents harmful leaf entry without requiring tree removal or operational changes
2Object-affected harmful factors
If high-pressure cleaners or laser systems are used to remove coating, then the wheel-rail contact is cleaned, but this is time-consuming and material-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by preventing leaf coating formation in the first place through guide devices that intercept leaves before they enter the wheel-rail contact. This proactive approach eliminates the need for subsequent cleaning operations with high-pressure cleaners or laser systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of air flows that could blow leaves into the wheel-rail contact into a beneficial force. The same air flows are manipulated by the guide surfaces to transport leaves away from the contact area, turning a potential hazard into a protective mechanism
3Reliability
If operating schedule is altered to allow longer acceleration and deceleration periods, then braking and traction forces are improved, but this requires preventive change in timetables and reduces overall capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful leaves from the wheel-rail contact environment using guide devices with flow guide surfaces. By removing the contaminant rather than modifying operational parameters, the original acceleration and deceleration schedules can be maintained without compromise
Data Source
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AI summary
A device (20, 120, 220, 420) for reducing the entry of leaves (16) into a wheel-rail contact (18, 84, 86) is designed for arrangement on a rail vehicle (400) and has at least one guide device (74, 76, 174, 176, 274, 276, 410, 412, 414, 416) which is designed to guide leaves (16) away from the wheel-rail contact (18, 84, 86). A rail vehicle (400) has such a device (20, 120, 220, 420). A further device (320) for reducing the entry of leaves (16) into a wheel-rail contact of a rail transport system is designed for arrangement on a track (300) and has at least one guiding device (310, 312) which is designed to guide leaves (16) away from a wheel-rail contact (18, 84, 86).A further device (320) for reducing the entry of leaves (16) into a wheel-rail contact of a rail transport system is designed for arrangement on a track (300) and has at least one collection device for receiving leaves (16). A system for preventing the entry of leaves into a rail transport system has at least one of the devices (20, 120, 220, 420) for arrangement on a rail vehicle and/or such a rail vehicle (400) as well as one of the devices (320) for arrangement on a track (300).