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EP-4735294-A1 - METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A PANTOGRAPH COMPRISING AN ELECTRIC ACTUATOR, PANTOGRAPH AND RAIL VEHICLE IMPLEMENTING SUCH A METHOD

EP4735294A1EP 4735294 A1EP4735294 A1EP 4735294A1EP-4735294-A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method (200) for controlling a pantograph (100), of the type comprising an articulated system (110) actuated by an electric actuator (130), which comprises the steps of: - (210) measuring a force representative of the pantograph/catenary contact force; - (220) determining an instantaneous position of the pantograph; - (230) determining a value of the pantograph weight compensating force, on the basis of the instantaneous lifting/lowering position of the pantograph and of a first set of data, combining data representative of the force that the weight of the pantograph exerts on the actuator and data of the lifting/lowering position of the pantograph; and - (260) controlling the electric actuator using a force feedback loop based on the force exerted by the bow relative to the catenary, in response to an instantaneous force setpoint, determined on the basis of the value of the pantograph weight compensating force and a value of the compensating force at the pantograph head, previously established.

Inventors

  • BLANCHET, GUILLAUME
  • LEFORT, Jérome
  • CAFFIER, Benjamin
  • GEOFFROY, PHILIPPE

Assignees

  • Faiveley Transport Tours

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240626

Claims (19)

  1. 1. Method (200) for controlling a pantograph (100) of a railway vehicle, the pantograph being of the type comprising a head comprising a bow (121), at least one force sensor (150) for measuring a force representative of the force exerted by the bow relative to a catenary (30), an articulated system (110) for raising and lowering the bow, and an electric actuator (130) capable of exerting a force on the articulated system to raise and lower the bow, the control method comprising the steps of: - (210) measure a force representative of the force exerted by the bow relative to the catenary; and - (220) determine an instantaneous position of rise/fall of the pantograph; and - (230) determining a value called the pantograph weight compensation force, from the instantaneous raising/lowering position of the pantograph and a first set of data, associating data representative of the force exerted on the actuator by the weight of the pantograph and data on the raising/lowering position of the pantograph; and - (260) controlling the electric actuator by a loop controlling the force exerted by the bow relative to the catenary, in response to an instantaneous force instruction, said instantaneous force instruction being determined from the so-called compensation force value of the weight of the pantograph and a so-called compensation force value at the head of the pantograph, established prior to step (260) of controlling the electric actuator.
  2. 2. The method (200) of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: - (240) determine an instantaneous forward speed of the railway vehicle; and - (250) determining a value called the compensation force at the head of the pantograph, from the instantaneous forward speed of the railway vehicle and a second set of data, associating data representative of the force to be exerted by the actuator to compensate for an aerodynamic load exerted on the pantograph and forward speed data of the railway vehicle.
  3. 3. Method (200) according to claim 2, in which the second data set is established from predefined aerodynamic load data according to the forward speed of the railway vehicle.
  4. 4. Method (200) according to claim 3, in which the second data set is also established from at least one piece of data external to the pantograph, relating to the implementation environment of the pantograph.
  5. 5. Method (200) according to claim 4, in which the data external to the pantograph comprises at least one of: - the position of the pantograph on the railway vehicle, - the type of catenary with which the bow is in contact, - a speed instruction for raising and/or lowering the pantograph, - the speed of travel of the railway vehicle, - the direction of travel of the railway vehicle, - wind speed in the pantograph environment, - the movement and/or speed of movement of the articulated system, - the instantaneous position of the pantograph raising/lowering, - the intensity of the current flowing between the catenary and the pantograph, - the presence of the railway vehicle in a tunnel, - coupling the railway vehicle into multiple units.
  6. 6. Method (200) according to claim 1, in which the so-called compensation force value at the head of the pantograph is a predefined constant force value.
  7. 7. Method (200) according to any one of claims 2 to 5, in which the first and/or the second data set is established prior to an execution of the method.
  8. 8. Method (200) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the first data set also associates data on the direction of rise/fall of the pantograph with the data representative of the force exerted on the actuator by the weight of the pantograph and with the data on the position of rise/fall of the pantograph, and in which the so-called compensation force value at the head of the pantograph is also determined from an instantaneous direction of rise/fall of the pantograph.
  9. 9. Method (200) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the instantaneous force setpoint is determined by the addition of the value called the pantograph weight compensation force and the so-called compensation force value at the head of the pantograph.
  10. 10. Method (200) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the instantaneous position of raising/lowering of the pantograph is determined from a position value provided by a position encoder of the actuator, and from a predetermined relationship between the position of the actuator and the position of the pantograph.
  11. 11. A method (200) according to any preceding claim, further comprising the step of comparing the measured force value with a predetermined maximum force value, and the method (200) comprising a step of emergency lowering of the pantograph which is performed by the method when the measured force value is greater than the predetermined maximum force value.
  12. 12. Method (200) according to any one of the preceding claims, the pantograph being of the type comprising a first and a second force sensor for measuring a force representative of the force exerted by the bow relative to a catenary, the step of measuring the force representative of the force exerted by the bow relative to the catenary comprising a measurement by the first sensor and a countermeasure by the second sensor.
  13. 13. Pantograph (100) comprising a bow (121), at least one force sensor (150) for measuring a force representative of the force exerted by the bow relative to a catenary (30), an articulated system (110) for raising and lowering the bow, a control module (160) of the pantograph, and an electric actuator (130) capable of exerting a force on the articulated system to raise and lower the bow, the control module (160) of the pantograph being configured to implement the control method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.
  14. 14. Pantograph (100) according to claim 13, further comprising a lifting spring (140) capable of exerting an elastic force on the articulated system (110) so as to allow or support the lifting of the bow (121), the lifting spring (140) and the electric actuator (130) being arranged according to a force association in parallel.
  15. 15. Pantograph (100) according to claim 14, wherein the step (260) of controlling the electric actuator, implemented by the control module, is a step of controlling a force directly exerted by the electric actuator (130) on the articulated system (110).
  16. 16. Pantograph (100) according to claim 13, further comprising a lifting spring (140) capable of exerting an elastic force on the articulated system (110) so as to allow or support the lifting of the bow (121), the lifting spring (140) and the electric actuator (130) being arranged according to a series force association.
  17. 17. Pantograph (100) according to claim 16, wherein the step (260) of controlling the electric actuator (130), implemented by the control module, is a step of controlling a position of one end of the raising spring (140).
  18. 18. A pantograph (100) according to claim 14, and any one of claims 16 and 17, taken in combination, comprising two lifting springs (140) and the electric actuator (130) which are arranged in a dual force association both in parallel and in series.
  19. 19. Railway vehicle comprising a pantograph (100) according to any one of claims 13 to 18.

Description

Description Title: Method for controlling a pantograph comprising an electric actuator, pantograph and railway vehicle implementing such a method TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION [1] The field of the invention is that of electric vehicles powered by catenaries, such as electric railway vehicles (trains) or urban passenger transport vehicles (tram, metro, etc.). [2] More specifically, the invention relates to a method for controlling a pantograph comprising an electric actuator, and a pantograph and a railway vehicle implementing such a method. [3] The invention finds applications in particular in the field of the electrical supply of trains equipped with articulated pantographs. STATE OF THE ART [4] The use of articulated pantographs to supply electricity to a vehicle is known from the prior art, via a catenary in contact with the pantograph. [5] Known articulated pantograph systems generally comprise an articulated system, or frame, allowing the raising and lowering of a bow mounted at one end of the articulated system, and intended to come into contact with a catenary. [6] In order to move the articulated system, the latter is generally equipped with an actuator which can be controlled to raise or lower the bow during the operation of the vehicle which is equipped with the pantograph. [7] The actuators used in prior art pantographs are primarily pneumatic actuators, of the type comprising a pneumatic cushion cooperating with the articulated system to cause deployment of the pantograph when the cushion is pressurized. [8] For example, known "CX Pantograph" type pantograph systems include a cam and sling system for applying torque to the lower arm of the articulated system when the cushion is under pressure. [9] In general, the descent of the pantograph is carried out by the purging of the cushion, the articulated system folding under the effect of gravity, possibly supported by the action of a return spring. [10] Other known systems involve lifting springs, adapted to deploy the pantograph by the force of a loaded lifting spring. [11] In such systems, electric actuators may be provided to drive the pantograph down, working against the action of the up spring. [12] The known systems have in common that the regulation of the force exerted by the bow relative to a catenary is particularly complex, even impossible in certain cases. [13] This results in unsatisfactory current capture, with significant complexity in terms of design and operation of such systems. [14] There is therefore a need for a pantograph which can regulate a force relative to a catenary in a more direct, simple and safe way. STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION [15] The present invention aims to remedy all or part of the drawbacks of the state of the art cited above. [16] To this end, the invention relates to a method for controlling a pantograph of a railway vehicle, the pantograph being of the type comprising a head comprising a bow, at least one force sensor for measuring a force representative of the force exerted by the bow relative to a catenary, an articulated system for raising and lowering the bow, and an electric actuator capable of exerting a force on the articulated system to raise and lower the bow, the control method comprising the steps of: [17] - measure a force representative of the force exerted by the bow relative to the catenary; and [18] - determine an instantaneous position of rise/fall of the pantograph; and [19] - determine a value called the pantograph weight compensation force, from the instantaneous position of the pantograph's rise/fall and a first set of data, associating data representative of the force exerted on the actuator by the weight of the pantograph and the pantograph up/down position data; and [20] - controlling the electric actuator by a loop controlling the force exerted by the bow relative to the catenary, in response to an instantaneous force instruction, said instantaneous force instruction being determined from the so-called compensation force value of the weight of the pantograph and a so-called compensation force value at the head of the pantograph, established prior to the step of controlling the electric actuator. [21] Thanks to these arrangements, unlike the known technique, it is possible to take advantage of the knowledge of the position of the pantograph (i.e. the extent to which it is deployed/retracted) to control the pantocatenary force. [22] This is made possible by the fact that the pantograph includes an electric actuator for raising/lowering the pantograph. It should be noted here that the pantograph does not include a pneumatic actuator, unlike the known technique. [23] It should be noted that it is this electric actuator which allows the pantograph to be raised and lowered for its activation or deactivation, and for the regulation of the panto-catenary force when it is in operation. [24] Controlling the catenary force as a function of the position of the pantograph is particularly advan