EP3661829B1 - Method for determining an actuating force of a railway switch assembly on the basis of sound emission measurements and railway switch system - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for analyzing a point drive of a rail switch. The invention also relates to a point drive system with a measuring system for carrying out such a method and with a point drive for adjusting switch blades of a rail switch.

To switch points, manually or electrically operated point machines are used as the most important railway infrastructure elements. The required actuating force acting on an actuating rod is implemented with the aid of an adjustable actuating force coupling. The actuating force set at the factory can change over the service life of the point machine, which is up to 25 years. The actuating force can decrease in the course of the service life of the point machine. Since the actuating force is safety-relevant for the operation of the switch and the point drive, the actuating force must be controlled or checked by measurements.

Until now, the actuating force of point machines had to be checked regularly. Maintenance of a point machine must be organized and carried out for this. The actuating force is measured on site with a measuring device and a force measuring bolt. Depending on the measurement result, the actuating force coupling is readjusted or the entire point drive is replaced.

From the article " System-dependent point inspection with force measurements in the course of time - Growing need for system-dependent point inspection including force measurement ", Author: Jens Neuwohner, Signal + Draht, Vol. 109, No. 6, June 12, 2017 (2017-06-12), pages 26-30 are a generic process for analyzing a point drive of a rail switch and a generic point drive system are known.

Furthermore, from the publication DE 20 2015 100566 U1 the measurement of the impact force of a switch by means of a measuring sensor and a device suitable for this are known.

The object of the invention is to propose a method for determining an actuating force of a point drive in which a direct intervention in an operation of the point drive is avoided.

The object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims 1 and 10. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the respective dependent subclaims.

According to one aspect of the invention, a method for analyzing a switch drive of a rail switch is provided. According to the invention, at least one sensor is provided for measuring sound waves. The sensor can be arranged on an outer housing or in the outer housing of the point machine. Measurement signals from the at least one sensor are then recorded during an actuating mode of the point drive. The measurement signals can be amplified. Based on the recorded measurement signals of the at least one sensor, an actuating force of an actuating force coupling of the point drive is determined.

A piezoelectric sensor can be used as a sensor, for example, which can measure the sound waves and vibrations generated during operation of the switch drive. In particular, a surface acoustic wave sensor can be used as the at least one sensor. Such sensors can be made inexpensive and robust against external influences, so that they can be used in the field of rail vehicles and rail networks. The components of the point machine The generated vibrations and sound waves can propagate via fastening elements and the outer housing and be measured there.

In particular, the vibrations of a point drive motor, the mechanical travel elements (e.g. adjusting slide, ball screw spindle), the actuating force coupling and shafts and bearings can be measured. The at least one sensor can be calibrated based on measurement signals from a defined number of changeover processes, which are also referred to as adjusting operations in the following. A calibration can preferably be dependent on a defined target actuating force of the actuating force coupling and on the components used in the point drive.

An inadequately maintained actuating force coupling is more difficult to move than an optimally functioning actuating force coupling. As a result, the point drive motor must be operated at a higher speed in order to generate the necessary torque for the stiff actuating force coupling.

The vibrations generated by the point drive motor are dependent on its speed according to a known motor curve of the point drive motor. Based on the determined measurement signals of the at least one sensor, a degree of loading of the point drive motor and thus also of the actuating force coupling can be determined. In particular, the determined measurement signals of the at least one sensor can be used to detect deviations from a normal setting mode at an early stage.

The method can be used to carry out a contactless check of a current actuating force of the actuating force coupling of the point drive. A manually performed check of the actuating force coupling, which also represents a direct intervention in the operation of the point drive, can thus be avoided. Furthermore, through the procedure Feedback deviations are minimized when determining the actuating force of the actuating force coupling.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the method, the at least one sensor is detachably arranged on an outside of the outer housing of the point machine. Because the at least one sensor is attached externally, no changes to the outer housing and thus to existing safety evidence of the point machine are required. The actuating force can thus be measured without the need to change the design of the existing point machine. Thus, switch drives that have already been put into operation can also be checked or retrofitted according to the method according to the invention.

A technically simple attachment of the at least one sensor to the outer housing of the point drive enables implementation for any electromechanical point drive motors with actuating force clutches. For example, the at least one sensor can be detachably arranged on the outer housing via at least one magnet, a belt or clamp encompassing the outer housing, or via a clamp connection. Alternatively or additionally, the at least one sensor can be temporarily or permanently glued to the outer housing.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the method, stored measurement signals of several changeover processes (setting operations) of the point drive are compared with one another in order to determine a maintenance requirement for the setting force coupling. By comparing several measurements carried out at different times by the at least one sensor, a tendency or a deviation in the setting mode can be detected. A deviation in the vibration or sound characteristics of the actuating mode can be an indication of a technical defect or a future technical defect. This means that causes for possible defects can be determined and eliminated at an early stage, which means costs for one Failure of the point machine or replacement of several components can be avoided.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the method, a maintenance requirement of the actuating force clutch is determined when the actuating force determined is below a minimum setpoint value. An actuating force of the actuating force clutch can be calculated based on the measurement signals determined by the at least one sensor and a corresponding calibration of the at least one sensor.

A maintenance requirement can be signaled when the calculated actuating force exceeds or falls below a defined target value. For example, a need for maintenance can be signaled if the target force falls below the target value by a factor of 1.2.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the method, stored measurement signals from a number of actuating operations of the point drive are used to determine a state of wear of the actuating force clutch. Based on a number of monitored or checked actuating operations of the point machine, a tendency with regard to the vibration characteristics of the point machine can be measured. In this way, event-related, optimized maintenance can be implemented independently of the components of the point machine. Maintenance costs can thus be reduced and the availability of the point machine can be increased.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the method, stored measurement signals of several changeover processes (setting operations) of the point drive are used to create a state prognosis of the setting force clutch. Based on the measurement signals, models of the point machine and the wearing parts, such as the actuating force coupling, can be created. In this way, a predictive condition forecast can be created, which statements about a maintenance effort or a valid condition for a customer or a service provider. In this way, in particular, continuous actuating force monitoring can be implemented.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the method, a future maintenance time is determined based on the state prognosis that has been made for the actuating force clutch. A trend or a change in the actuating force can be detected on the basis of time-shifted measurement signals. From this, a point in time can be estimated when maintenance of the point machine may be advantageous or necessary. Existing service models can thus be checked or adapted by means of fact-based data analysis of the monitored point machine.

In particular, the information determined about the monitored point machine can be combined with other diagnostic data, such as from the Sidis W compact program, and used to optimize existing diagnostic programs. A more precise risk, condition and availability assessment of the point machines examined can thus be carried out.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the method, the measurement signals of the at least one acoustic sensor are recorded continuously or discretely over time. This enables long-term monitoring of point machines to be implemented. Based on the data or information determined by the long-term monitoring, precise performance data of actuating force clutches depending on different environmental influences and
operational intensity of use can be obtained. These data can be used for further development and design improvements of point machines.

According to a further exemplary embodiment of the method, the measurement signals of the at least one sensor are stored and made available on an external server unit. This enables the determined measurement signals or the ones calculated from them Actuating forces from different actuating force couplings can be centrally collected and evaluated.

In particular, the at least one sensor can be coupled to evaluation electronics which can transmit the determined measurement signals directly to the external server unit. This enables a spatially independent evaluation of the measurement signals from the at least one sensor.

According to a further aspect of the invention, a point drive system with a measuring system for carrying out the method according to the invention and with a point drive for adjusting at least two switch tongues of a rail switch is provided. The point drive has a point drive motor for directly or indirectly driving an adjusting slide, which is operatively connected to at least one point tongue, via an actuating force coupling. Furthermore, the point drive has drive electronics for controlling and regulating the point drive motor, at least the point drive motor and the actuating force coupling being arranged in an outer housing of the point drive. According to the invention, at least one sensor for measuring sound waves can be attached to the outer housing and can be evaluated by measuring electronics, with an actuating force of the actuating force clutch being able to be measured during an actuating operation of the point machine using measurement signals from the at least one sensor.

The measuring system can in particular have at least one sensor which can be attached to any surface in or on the switch machine. The at least one sensor is connected to measurement electronics, wherein the measurement electronics can at least preamplify and record the measurement signals of the at least one sensor.

The measuring electronics can be connected to a transmitting and receiving device so that the recorded measuring signals of the at least one sensor can be transmitted to an external server unit. Alternatively, the measuring electronics store the recorded measurement signals of the at least one sensor on a storage medium, such as a memory card, hard drive or cloud.

The measuring system can be designed as a portable system for the targeted checking of defined point machines or as a retrofit solution for permanent integration in a point machine. The measuring system can be coupled to the drive electronics of the point drive motor so that measuring signals are only recorded in a targeted manner during actuating operations.

The at least one sensor can preferably be arranged on the outer housing. The at least one sensor can be designed to be protected from environmental influences in a sensor housing, so that the at least one sensor can also be mounted or arranged on an outside of the outer housing of the point machine. As a result, the outer housing does not have to be opened to carry out measurements, nor has to be interrupted in its actuating mode.

By means of the switch drive system, a measuring system can thus be positioned and operated without direct intervention in an actuating mode of a switch drive.

The measurement signals can preferably be amplitudes of vibrations and sound waves that vary over time, which can travel to the at least one sensor via fastenings and mountings of components in the outer housing of the point machine and can be registered there.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the switch drive system, the at least one sensor is a surface acoustic wave sensor. The at least one sensor can preferably be a sensor based on the piezo effect. The vibrations and sound waves arriving at the at least one sensor can mechanically excite a piezoelectric substrate of the at least one sensor, as a result of which voltage pulses corresponding to the excitation can be generated and evaluated. In particular, the vibrations and sound waves can be surface acoustic waves which can propagate on material surfaces.

FIG 1

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Weichenantriebssystems gemäß einem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel,

FIG 2

ein schematisches Ablaufdiagramm eines Verfahrens zum Analysieren eines Weichenantriebs gemäß einem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel.

The above-described properties, features and advantages of this invention and the manner in which they are achieved will become more clearly and more clearly understood through the explanation of the following highly simplified schematic representations of preferred exemplary embodiments. Show here

FIG 1

a perspective view of a point drive system according to a first embodiment,

FIG 2

a schematic flow diagram of a method for analyzing a point drive according to a first embodiment.

In the figures, the same structural elements have the same reference numbers in each case.

the FIG 1 shows a perspective view of a point drive system 1 according to a first embodiment. The point drive system 1 here consists of a point drive 2 and a measuring system 4 arranged on the point drive 2.

The point machine 2 has an outer housing 6 which is open to illustrate the components. The point drive 2 has a point drive motor 8. The point drive motor 8 is an electric motor and drives an adjusting slide 10 connected to an adjusting rod.

The point drive motor 8 drives the adjusting slide 10 indirectly via a gear (not shown) and via a Adjusting force coupling 12, which is mounted on a ball screw spindle, on.

By means of the actuating force coupling 12, a defined actuating force can be applied to the actuating slide 10. The actuating force coupling 12 can in particular prevent damage to the point drive motor 8 and the gearbox if the actuating slide 10 connected to the actuating rod is blocked during a changeover process.

The point drive motor 8 is controlled by drive electronics 14 when a signal for performing an actuating operation, for example from an actuating part of an interlocking, is received.

According to the exemplary embodiment, the adjusting slide 10 is operatively connected to a switch tongue 16 via the adjusting rod and can deflect (move) the switch tongue 16 transversely to a rail direction S of the rail 18.

The measuring system 4 consists of a sensor 20 and measuring electronics 22. The sensor 20 is a SAW (Surface Acoustic Wafes) sensor 20 and is positioned on an outer surface of the outer housing 6 of the point machine 2 with the aid of a magnet (not shown).

The sensor 20 is coupled to the measuring electronics 22 so that the measuring signals determined by the sensor 20 can be recorded and processed by the measuring electronics 22.

In the FIG 2 is a schematic flow diagram of a method 30 for analyzing a point machine 2 according to a first embodiment.

In a first step 31, the sensor 20 is arranged on or in the outer housing 6 of the point machine 2. The at least one sensor 20 is then connected 32 to the measuring electronics 22.

The measurement signals of the at least one sensor 20 are received by the measurement electronics 22 and, after amplification and filtering, are stored 33.

In a further step, an actuating force of the actuating force clutch 12 is determined or calculated 34 based on the recorded measurement signals. This can in particular be implemented by previously calibrating the at least one sensor 20 and the measuring electronics 22.

Although the invention has been illustrated and described in more detail by the preferred exemplary embodiments, the invention is not restricted by the disclosed examples and other variations can be derived therefrom by the person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the invention defined in the following claims.

Reference number

1

Point drive system

2

Point machine

4th

Measuring system

6th

Outer casing

8th

Point drive motor

10

Control slide connected to the control rod

12th

Actuating force coupling

14th

Drive electronics

16

Switch tongue

18th

rail

20th

sensor

22nd

Measurement electronics

30th

procedure

31

Arranging the at least one sensor

32

Connect the at least one sensor to measurement electronics

33

Receiving and storing measurement signals

34

Determining an actuating force

S.

Rail direction

Claims (11)

1. Method (30) for analysing a points drive (2) of a set of rail points,
   characterised in that

   - at least one sensor (20) for measuring sound waves is provided,

   - measurement signals of the at least one sensor (20) are recorded (33) during an actuating operation of the points drive (2),

   - on the basis of the recorded measurement signals of the at least one sensor (20), an actuating force of an actuating force coupling (12) of the points drive (2) is determined (34) .
2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor (20) is releasably arranged (31) on an outer side of the external housing (6) of the points drive (2).
3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein stored measurement signals of a plurality of actuating operations of the points drive (2) are compared with one another for determining a servicing requirement of the actuating force coupling (12).
4. Method according to claim 3, wherein a servicing requirement of the actuating force coupling (12) is determined in the event that a minimum target value of the determined actuating force is undershot.
5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein stored measurement signals of a plurality of actuating operations of the points drive (2) are used for determining a wear condition of the actuating force coupling (12).
6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein stored measurement signals of a plurality of actuating operations of the points drive (2) are used for generating a condition prediction of the actuating force coupling (12).
7. Method according to claim 6, wherein on the basis of the generated condition prediction of the actuating force coupling (12), a future servicing time point is determined.
8. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the measurement signals of the at least one sensor (20) are continuously or temporally discretely recorded.
9. Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the measurement signals of the at least one sensor (20) are stored and provided on an external server unit.
10. Points drive system (1) having a measuring system (4) for carrying out the method (30) according to one of the preceding claims and having a points drive (2) for displacing at least two points blades (16) of a set of rail points, having a points drive motor (8) for direct or indirect driving of an actuating rod (10) which is actively connected to at least one points blade (16), via an actuating force coupling (12), and having a drive electronics system (14) for controlling and regulating the points drive motor (8), wherein at least the points drive motor (8) and the actuating force coupling (12) are arranged in an external housing (6) of the points drive (2),
    characterised in that
    at least one sensor (20) for measuring sound waves is mountable on the external housing (6) and is evaluable by a measuring electronics system (22), wherein on the basis of measurement signals of the at least one sensor (20), an actuating force of the actuating force coupling (12) is measurable during an actuating operation of the points drive (2) .
11. Points drive system according to claim 10, wherein the least one sensor (20) is a surface wave sensor.

Images