Railway HVAC Data Management for Precise Abnormality Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing railway vehicle air-conditioning management systems have limited precision in determining abnormal states due to a small number of data references, which hinders effective management and maintenance.

Innovation Solution

A method is introduced to collect and record air conditioning data from multiple railway vehicles, allowing for increased data references by performing special operations without passengers, thereby enhancing the determination of abnormal states through a comprehensive data management system.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If device monitoring data is analyzed based on a single railway vehicle, then the analysis system is simple to implement, but the number of reference data is small and determination precision is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveabnormality determination precisionVSAvoiddata management system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges monitoring data from multiple railway vehicles into a centralized management system. The management device collects device monitoring data from plurality of railway vehicles and performs unified analysis, increasing the number of reference data points while maintaining systematic control through structured data integration

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The management device serves multiple functions: collecting data from various vehicles, storing monitoring information, performing threshold crossing analysis, and generating comprehensive reports. This multi-functional approach enables precise abnormality determination across different vehicles while using a single unified system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Measurement precision

If data is collected during normal operation with passengers, then operational data is obtained, but environmental conditions and operation conditions vary making data comparison difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata comparabilityVSAvoiddata collection time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary data collection during special operations before normal service begins. By collecting device monitoring data during special operations when environmental conditions are controlled, the system prepares standardized reference data in advance, enabling accurate comparisons during normal operation without delaying service

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the operational parameters during data collection by performing special operations with specific controlled conditions. The system collects data when the vehicle is in a controlled state (no passengers, specific environmental conditions), creating standardized parameters that make data from different vehicles comparable

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3470290B1Air conditioning management system for railway vehicles, and railway vehicle air conditioning device
Publication Date: 2023.03.22 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP3470290B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3470290B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP3470290B1 patent drawingFigure 5(a)~5(d)

AI summary

A railway vehicle air conditioning management system according to the present invention includes a railway vehicle air-conditioning device installed in a railway vehicle, having a refrigerant circuit configured by including at least a compressor, a heat source side heat exchanger, a decompression device and a load side heat exchanger, and air-conditions an inside of the railway vehicle by circulating refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit, and a management device having a recording device in which vehicle air conditioning data including data showing operating states of the railway vehicle air-conditioning devices in a plurality of the railway vehicles are recorded, the railway vehicle air-conditioning device performs a special operation of operating in a pattern set in advance, in a state without humans in the railway vehicle, and the management device causes the recording device to record the vehicle air conditioning data including data showing the operating state in the special operation.