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DE-102024132583-A1 - Fiber optic monitoring device for monitoring adhesion conditions, as well as corresponding fiber optic monitoring system and method

DE102024132583A1DE 102024132583 A1DE102024132583 A1DE 102024132583A1DE-102024132583-A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fiber optic monitoring device (30) for monitoring adhesion conditions between at least one wheel (12) of a rail vehicle unit (11) of a rail vehicle (10) and a rail (20) traversed by the rail vehicle unit (11), comprising: at least one optical fiber (31) which runs at least along a section of the rail (20) in one direction of travel (x), at least one light coupling unit (32) configured to couple light into the at least one optical fiber (31), and at least one detection unit (32) optically connected to the at least one optical fiber (31), wherein which at least one optical fiber (31) is configured to change a property of light guided through the optical fiber (31) depending on a vibration acting on the optical fiber (31), and wherein which at least one detection unit (32) is configured to detect the changed property of the light. No more than 1500 characters (DE procedure)

Inventors

  • Ernst Hohmann

Assignees

  • KB INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GMBH & CO. KG

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241108

Claims (15)

  1. Fiber optic monitoring device (30) for monitoring adhesion conditions between at least one wheel (12) of a rail vehicle unit (11) of a rail vehicle (10) and a rail (20) traversed by the rail vehicle unit (11), comprising: at least one optical fiber (31) which at least along a section of the rail (20) in a direction of travel (x), at least one light coupling unit (32) configured to couple light into the at least one optical fiber (31), and at least one detection unit (32) optically connected to the at least one optical fiber (31), wherein the at least one optical fiber (31) is configured to change a property of light guided through the optical fiber (31) depending on a vibration acting on the optical fiber (31), and wherein the at least one detection unit (32) is configured to detect the changed property of the light.
  2. The fiber optic monitoring device (30) according to Claim 1 , wherein the at least one optical fiber (31) and the at least one detection unit (32) form a scattering-based, in particular Rayleigh scattering-based, fiber optic monitoring device (30).
  3. The fiber optic monitoring device (30) according to Claim 1 or 2 , wherein the at least one optical fiber (31) and the at least one detection unit (32) form a wavelength-based fiber optic monitoring device (30), wherein in particular the at least one optical fiber (31) has several distributed fiber Bragg gratings along the length of the optical fiber (31) along the rail (20), and the at least one detection unit (32) is configured to detect the wavelength shift of the light reflected at the respective fiber Bragg grating.
  4. The fiber optic monitoring device (30) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one optical fiber (31) and the at least one detection unit (32) form a phase-based fiber optic monitoring device (30).
  5. The fiber optic monitoring device (30) according to Claim 4 , wherein the at least one optical fiber (31) is configured as a fiber optic interferometer, in particular as a Fabry-Perot interferometer, and the at least one detection unit (32) is configured to detect the phase shift of the light reflected in the optical fiber (31).
  6. The fiber optic monitoring device (30) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the optical fiber (31) is configured to be arranged at least sectionally in the rail (20), on the rail (20) and/or in a rail bed at a predetermined distance from the rail (20), in particular below and/or laterally from the rail (20).
  7. The fiber optic monitoring device (30) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one detection unit (32) comprises the at least one light coupling unit (33).
  8. Fiber optic monitoring system (100) for monitoring adhesion conditions between at least one wheel (12) of a rail vehicle unit (11) and a rail (20) traversed by the rail vehicle unit (11), comprising: at least one fiber optic monitoring device (30) according to one of the preceding claims and at least one adhesion condition determination unit (50) configured to determine an adhesion value between the at least one wheel (12) and the rail (20) based on the data detected by the at least one detection unit (32).
  9. The fiber optic monitoring system (100) according to Claim 8 , wherein the fiber optic monitoring system (100) comprises at least one data processing unit (40) configured to process the data detected by the at least one detection unit (32) and to forward the processed data to the at least one liability condition determination unit (50).
  10. The fiber optic monitoring system (100) according to Claim 8 or 9 , wherein the fiber optic monitoring system (100) comprises a control device (14), wherein the at least one liability condition determination unit (50) is configured to transmit the determined liability value to the control device (14), and the control device (14) is configured to receive the determined liability value and compare it with at least one predetermined liability value, wherein the control device (14) is in particular at least one control device of a rail vehicle (10).
  11. The fiber optic monitoring system (100) according to Claim 10 , wherein the control device (14) is configured to control at least one brake unit (13) of a rail vehicle (10) or of the rail vehicle (10) according to Claim 11 to be targeted depending on the specific liability value.
  12. The fiber optic monitoring system (100) according to one of the Claims 8 until 11 , whereby at least one liability condition clause measuring unit (50) and/or at least one data processing unit (40) according to Claim 9 into at least one fiber optic detection unit (30) or the control device (14) according to Claim 11 is integrated.
  13. The fiber optic monitoring system (100) according to one of the Claims 8 until 12 , wherein the fiber optic system (100) has a trackside data processing unit configured to receive the liability values, in particular to store them and/or to transmit them directly or in further processed form to the rail vehicle (10) following the rail vehicle.
  14. Method for monitoring adhesion conditions between at least one wheel (12) of a rail vehicle unit (11) of a rail vehicle (10) and a rail (20) traversed by the rail vehicle unit (11), comprising the steps: Step 1 (S1): Detecting vibrations by means of a fiber optic monitoring device (30) according to one of the Claims 1 until 7 , and step 2 (S2): Determining a coefficient of adhesion between the at least one wheel (12) and the rail (20) based on the detected vibrations.
  15. The procedure according Claim 14 , further comprising a step 3 (S3) of controlling at least one brake unit of the rail vehicle (10) based on the determined liability value and/or the transmission of liability values or processed liability values to the rail vehicle (10) following rail vehicles.

Description

The present invention relates to a fiber optic monitoring device for monitoring adhesion conditions between a wheel of a rail vehicle unit of a rail vehicle and a rail traversed by the rail vehicle unit, a fiber optic monitoring system with such a fiber optic monitoring device, and a method for monitoring adhesion conditions between at least one wheel of a rail vehicle unit of a rail vehicle and a rail traversed by the rail vehicle unit. During acceleration and braking processes in rail vehicles, it is generally assumed that target adhesion conditions exist between the respective wheels and the rail being traveled on, towards which the drive and/or braking systems can be controlled. However, these adhesion conditions, which can be represented, for example, by a coefficient of friction, can deviate from the assumed conditions during actual operation for various reasons. Such deviations can be attributed to weather conditions such as rain and snow, the condition of the wheels, and/or the condition of the rail, and alter the maximum available adhesion and thus the ability to transmit driving or braking forces between the wheel and the rail. To account for potential differences between theoretical and actual liability conditions and to adjust the drive and/or brake control accordingly, liability conditions can be determined or estimated based on sensors installed on the rail vehicle. These sensors, for example, detect wheel speed to determine slippage. However, space constraints may make installing such sensors impossible or at least difficult. Furthermore, each rail vehicle component, especially each wheel, must be equipped with such sensors for comprehensive monitoring to enable localized surveillance. Due to their close proximity to the wheel, these sensors are also exposed to external influences that can negatively impact reliable detection or require the sensors to be protected against these influences at considerable expense. The object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for monitoring adhesion conditions between at least one wheel of a rail vehicle unit and a rail traversed by the rail vehicle unit. The problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous further developments are the subject matter of the dependent claims. According to the invention, a fiber optic monitoring device is provided for monitoring adhesion conditions between at least one wheel of a rail vehicle unit and a rail traversed by the rail vehicle unit. The fiber optic monitoring device comprises at least one optical fiber running along at least a section of the rail in one direction of travel, at least one light coupling unit configured to couple light into the at least one optical fiber, and at least one detection unit optically connected to the at least one optical fiber. The at least one optical fiber is configured to change a property of light guided through the optical fiber depending on a vibration acting on the optical fiber, and the at least one detection unit is configured to detect the changed property of the light. In this context, a rail vehicle is understood to be a vehicle consisting of one or more rail vehicle units. A rail vehicle unit can be, for example, a locomotive or a wagon. In the case of only one rail vehicle unit, the rail vehicle unit is equivalent to the rail vehicle. When several rail vehicle units are coupled together, the rail vehicle is formed from the multiple rail vehicle units, in which case it can also be referred to as a rail vehicle train or train consist. Each rail vehicle unit has several wheels by which the rail vehicle unit can be moved along a rail. Monitoring the adhesion conditions between at least one wheel of the rail vehicle unit and the rail is based on the detection of vibrations caused by the wheel traversing the rail. These vibrations represent the adhesion conditions, allowing for the determination or estimation of an adhesion value that reflects the current conditions. This adhesion value can be a coefficient of adhesion or friction, or a comparative value that can be expressed as an absolute or relative figure compared to a target value or other predetermined values. Fundamentally, mechanical vibrations are generated by the contact between the wheel and the rail during travel. These vibrations are transmitted to the rail, the track bed, and the surrounding environment. If the adhesion conditions on the rail deteriorate, for example due to moisture or contamination, the available adhesion—that is, the maximum transmissible tangential force in the contact between wheel and rail—also decreases. This results in high relative speeds in the frictional contact between wheel and rail, particularly during acceleration and braking. This so-called macroscopic slip influences the mechanical vibrations caused by the wheel-rail contact, which can be detected. Changes in the detected signals can be compared with predetermined adhesion conditions t