Electronic Railway Interlocking System Redundancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electronic railway interlocking equipment systems, particularly those with relay outputs, face challenges such as limited adaptability to changing requirements, high maintenance complexity, and insufficient remote control capabilities, leading to operational limitations and reduced railway traffic efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The electronic railway interlocking equipment system is reconfigured with a three-level structure comprising a commanding level, control level, and executive level, featuring redundant communication channels and components to ensure fault tolerance and adaptability, allowing for remote control and modification of functions without causing functional limitations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If relay interlocking equipment is used, then the system has simple circuit connections, but it cannot fulfil all required functions at current time and has limited adaptability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical relay-based interlocking system with an electronic computer-based system. The controlling computers execute interlocking logic through software programs rather than physical relay circuits, enabling flexible adaptation to changing requirements while maintaining system reliability. This substitution allows the system to fulfill modern functional requirements that relay equipment cannot satisfy.
2Adaptability or versatility
If electronic interlocking with relay outputs is used, then some drawbacks of relay interlocking are eliminated, but maintenance complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the interlocking system into distinct functional modules: controlling computers, controlled devices, and communication interfaces. Each module can be independently maintained and replaced. The controlling computers can be serviced without affecting the entire system, and backup computers are provided to minimize downtime during maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements backup controlling computers that replicate the functionality of active computers. These backup units can take over immediately when the active computer requires maintenance, ensuring continuous operation. The system maintains copies of interlocking programs and data for rapid restoration after maintenance.
3Reliability
If redundant safety architecture is used, then system reliability improves, but the number of active elements increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple control functions into integrated controlling computers that handle both interlocking logic and communication tasks. The backup computers share the same physical infrastructure (power supply, housing, communication interfaces) reducing the number of separate active elements while maintaining redundant safety through functional duplication of critical control logic.
Data Source
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AI summary
The control level (CONL) is connected by at least one external data link (EDLA, EDLB) to the executive level (EL), which contains at least one executive device (ED), which has three basic parts, being the control part (CP) made up for at least one control computer (CC), the executive part (EP) made up for at least one executive component (EC) and the supply part (SP) made up for at least one source (S). The control part (CP), executive part (EP) and supply part (SP) are mutually connected by at least one internal data link (IDLA, IDLB) for the executive device (ED).