Train Braking Control With Dynamic Run Curves for Low Deceleration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional train control systems fail to account for insufficient deceleration of a train due to conditions like snowfall, which can compromise the safe travel of nearby trains.
Innovation Solution
A train control system with on-board devices on individual trains and a ground control device that communicate to adjust emergency brake commands and run curves based on actual deceleration values, ensuring safe travel by predicting stop locations and adjusting control parameters for nearby trains.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional train control system uses a fixed safety buffer distance for travel control, then the control system is simple to operate, but it cannot account for insufficient deceleration due to environmental conditions like snowfall, compromising safety
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the safety buffer distance dynamic rather than fixed. The control device calculates and adjusts the safety buffer distance based on actual deceleration values measured from the train's movement. When deceleration is insufficient (e.g., due to snowfall), the system automatically increases the safety buffer distance to maintain safe travel control, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring the train's actual deceleration and using this information to adjust the safety buffer distance. The control device receives feedback on deceleration performance and modifies the safety buffer accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that adapts to changing conditions while maintaining safety.
2Reliability
If the train control system increases the safety buffer distance to account for insufficient deceleration, then safe travel control is improved, but the travel time and efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the safety buffer distance based on actual deceleration conditions rather than using a consistently large fixed buffer. When deceleration is normal, the safety buffer remains at its standard value, maintaining efficient travel. When deceleration is insufficient, the buffer is temporarily increased only for the affected train and distance, minimizing the impact on overall travel time while ensuring safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by adjusting the safety buffer distance locally for specific trains experiencing deceleration issues rather than increasing buffers for all trains system-wide. The control device calculates individual safety buffers based on each train's actual deceleration performance, allowing efficient travel for trains with normal deceleration while providing enhanced safety for those with insufficient deceleration.
3Reliability
If the train control system monitors and adjusts safety buffer based on actual deceleration values, then it can provide safe travel control for trains with insufficient deceleration, but the measurement and control precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from actual deceleration measurements to adjust safety buffers. The control device continuously monitors deceleration and uses this feedback to calculate appropriate safety buffer distances, ensuring that even small variations in deceleration performance are accounted for in the safety calculation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of safety buffer distance based on deceleration measurements. By establishing a relationship between deceleration values and safety buffer distances, the system translates measurement data into control parameters that directly affect safety, allowing the buffer to scale with the measured deceleration performance.
Data Source
AI summary
A first on-board device installed on a first train controls an emergency brake unit. When it is determined that an actual deceleration value is insufficient in comparison with a predetermined emergency brake reference deceleration value, the first on-board device predicts a first stop location based on the actual deceleration value, and sends, to a ground control device, a first signal indicating insufficient deceleration and a first stop location signal representing the first stop location predicted. The ground control device sends the first signal and the first stop location signal to a second on-board device of a second train traveling ahead of the first train. The second on-board device invalidates a preset first run curve, over a range from a second train location representing an on-track location of the second train to a stop limit location of the second train, and generates a second run curve to control the second train.