Method and device for monitoring an electrical network in a rail vehicle, and rail vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10153633-B2
Application number	US-201515513791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2015
Priority date	Sep 24, 2014
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and to a method for monitoring an electrical network in a rail vehicle. The electrical network includes at least one converter, at least one drive motor, at least one first phase line for electrical connection of the at least one converter and the at least one drive motor. A magnitude of a current change of a first phase current is determined. A network error in a partial network on the machine side is detected if at least one criterion based on the current change is met. The criterion based on a current change is met when the magnitude of the current change of the first phase current is greater than a predetermined current change threshold.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for monitoring an electrical network in a rail vehicle, the electrical network comprising at least one power converter, at least one drive motor and at least one first phase line for electrically connecting the at least one power converter and the at least one drive motor, wherein
a level of current change of a first phase current is determined, a network error being detected if at least one criterion based on a current change is met, the criterion based on a current change being met if the level of current change of the first phase current is higher than a predetermined current change threshold, wherein
the network error being detected in a machine-side sub-network, wherein an error location in the machine-side sub-network is determined as a function of the level of current change, wherein the level of current change decreases as the distance between the error location in the machine-side sub-network and a determination point in which the current change to be determined occurs increases.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the current change of the first phase current is cyclically determined, the criterion based on a current change being met if the level of current change is higher than the predetermined current change threshold for at least a predetermined number of cycles.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein a level of the first phase current is determined, a network error being detected in the machine-side sub-network if a criterion based on a current value is additionally met, the criterion based on a current value being met if the level of the first phase current is higher than a predetermined current value threshold.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein an error location in the machine-side sub-network is determined when a network error is detected in the machine-side sub-network and an error location-dependent protective function is executed, a current flow in an erroneous network section being reduced and/or a speed of the drive motor being reduced.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein a speed of the drive motor is reduced and/or at least the first phase line is interrupted when a network error is detected in the machine-side sub-network.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the electrical network comprises three phase lines for electrically connecting the at least one power converter and the at least one drive motor, a level of current change of all phase currents being determined, a phase-specific network error being detected in the machine-side sub-network if the at least one criterion based on a current change is met for one of the phase lines.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a level of the first phase current is determined, a network error being detected in the machine-side sub-network if a criterion based on a current value is additionally met, the criterion based on a current value being met if the level of the first phase current is higher than a predetermined current value threshold.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein an error location in the machine-side sub-network is determined when a network error is detected in the machine-side sub-network and an error location-dependent protective function is executed, a current flow in an erroneous network section being reduced and/or a speed of the drive motor being reduced.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein a speed of the drive motor is reduced and/or at least the first phase line is interrupted when a network error is detected in the machine-side sub-network.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the electrical network comprises three phase lines for electrically connecting the at least one power converter and the at least one drive motor, a level of current change of all phase currents being determined, a phase-specific network error being detected in the machine-side sub-network if the at least one criterion based on a current change is met for one of the phase lines.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an error location in the machine-side sub-network is determined when a network error is detected in the machine-side sub-network and an error location-dependent protective function is executed, a current flow in an erroneous network section being reduced and/or a speed of the drive motor being reduced.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the electrical network comprises three phase lines for electrically connecting the at least one power converter and the at least one drive motor, a level of current change of all phase currents being determined, a phase-specific network error being detected in the machine-side sub-network if the at least one criterion based on a current change is met for one of the phase lines.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a speed of the drive motor is reduced and/or at least the first phase line is interrupted when a network error is detected in the machine-side sub-network.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the electrical network comprises three phase lines for electrically connecting the at least one power converter and the at least one drive motor, a level of current change of all phase currents being determined, a phase-specific network error being detected in the machine-side sub-network if the at least one criterion based on a current change is met for one of the phase lines.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical network comprises three phase lines for electrically connecting the at least one power converter and the at least one drive motor, a level of current change of all phase currents being determined, a phase-specific network error being detected in the machine-side sub-network if the at least one criterion based on a current change is met for one of the phase lines.

16. A device for monitoring an electrical network in a rail vehicle, the electrical network comprising at least one power converter, at least one drive motor and at least one first phase line for electrically connecting the at least one power converter and the at least one drive motor, the device comprising at least one evaluation device and at least one first means for determining a level of current change of a first phase current, wherein
a level of current change of the first phase current is determinable,
a network error being detectable by the evaluation device if at least one criterion based on a current change is met, the criterion based on a current change being met if the level of current change of the first phase current is higher than a predetermined current change threshold, wherein
the network error being detectable in a machine-side sub-network, an error location in the machine-side sub-network being determinable as a function of the level of current change, wherein the level of current change decreases as the distance between the error location in the machine-side sub-network and a determination point in which the current change to be determined occurs increases.

17. A rail vehicle comprising a device according to claim 16 .

Assignees

• Bombardier Transp Gmbh

Inventors

• Isepponi Gerhard

Classifications

• H02H3/44 Primary

  responsive to the rate of change of electrical quantities · CPC title

• H02H7/26

  Sectionalised protection of cable or line systems, e.g. for disconnecting a section on which a short-circuit, earth fault, or arc discharge has occured (locating faults in cables G01R31/08) · CPC title

• H02H3/027 Primary

  with automatic disconnection after a predetermined time (H02H3/033, H02H3/06 take precedence {; timing in overcurrent protection circuits H02H3/093; in undervoltage protection circuits H02H3/247; staggered disconnection H02H7/30}) · CPC title

• H02H7/1227

  responsive to abnormalities in the output circuit, e.g. short circuit · CPC title

• H02H7/0858

  by reversing, cycling or reducing the power supply to the motor · CPC title