Station building power supply device and charged-state detection method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10889206-B2
Application number	US-201616313528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 4, 2016
Priority date	Jul 4, 2016
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

A station building power supply device includes a circuit breaker to disconnect a connection with a train side, a circuit breaker to disconnect a connection with the station load side, a power converter disposed between the circuit breaker and the circuit breaker to convert the regenerative power into the AC power, a housing that houses the circuit breaker, the power converter, and the circuit breaker, a voltage sensor that detects a charged state of the housing, and a control unit that controls operations of the circuit breaker, of the power converter, and of the circuit breaker based on a detection result from the voltage sensor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A station building power supplier that converts regenerative power generated by a regenerative brake of a direct current (DC)-fed train, into alternating current (AC) power, and supplies the AC power to a station load side, the station building power supplier comprising:
a first circuit breaker to disconnect a connection with the DC-fed train side;
a second circuit breaker to disconnect a connection with the station load side;
a power converter disposed between the first circuit breaker and the second circuit breaker to convert the regenerative power into the AC power;
a housing grounded, to house the power converter; and
a charged-state detector connected between a railway track on which the DC-fed train runs and the housing to detect a charged state of the housing, the railway track grounded at a location different from a ground location of the housing.

2. The station building power supplier according to claim 1 , wherein the charged-state detector detects a charge status of the housing during operations of the station building power supplier.

3. The station building power supplier according to claim 1 , comprising:
a controller to control operations of the first circuit breaker, of the power converter, and of the second circuit breaker based on a detection result from the charged-state detector.

4. The station building power supplier according to claim 3 , wherein the controller controls the operations of the first circuit breaker, of the power converter, and of the second circuit breaker based on the detection result from the charged-state detector following a determination that the housing is in a charged state.

5. The station building power supplier according to claim 4 ,
wherein
the charged-state detector includes a voltage sensor to detect a voltage value between the housing and a railway track on which the DC-fed train runs, and
in a case in which the voltage value detected in the charged-state detector is greater than a voltage threshold, and a predetermined time period has elapsed since the voltage value has continuously exceeded the voltage threshold, the controller determines that the housing is in a charged state.

6. The station building power supplier according to claim 5 , comprising:
a monitor to display a charge status of the housing,
wherein
the voltage threshold is used as a first voltage threshold, and a voltage threshold lower than the first voltage threshold is used as a second voltage threshold, and
in a case in which the voltage value detected in the charged-state detector is less than or equal to the first voltage threshold, but is greater than the second voltage threshold, and a predetermined time period has elapsed since the voltage value has continuously exceeded the second voltage threshold, the controller determines that the housing may afterward change to a charged state, and causes the monitor to indicate that the housing may afterward change to a charged state.

7. The station building power supplier according to claim 4 ,
wherein
the charged-state detector includes a current relay to turn on when a current flowing between the housing and a railway track on which the DC-fed train runs exceeds a current threshold, and
in a case in which a predetermined time period has elapsed since the current relay has continuously turned on in the charged-state detector, the controller determines that the housing is in a charged state.

8. The station building power supplier according to claim 4 ,
wherein
the charged-state detector includes a current sensor to detect a current value of a current flowing between the housing and a railway track on which the DC-fed train runs, and
in a case in which the current value detected in the charged-state detector is greater than a current threshold, and a predetermined time period has elapsed since the current value has continuously exceeded the current threshold, the controller determines that the housing is in a charged state.

9. The station building power supplier according to claim 8 , comprising:
a monitor to display a charge status of the housing,
wherein
the current threshold is used as a first current threshold, and a current threshold lower than the first current threshold is used as a second current threshold, and
in a case in which the current value detected in the charged-state detector is less than or equal to the first current threshold, but is greater than the second current threshold, and at least a predetermined time period has elapsed since the current value has continuously exceeded the second current threshold, the controller determines that the housing may afterward change to a charged state, and causes the monitor to indicate that the housing may afterward change to a charged state.

10. The station building power supplier according to claim 4 , wherein following the determination that the housing is in a charged state, the controller disconnects the connection with the DC-fed train side by means of the first circuit breaker, disconnects the connection with the station load side by means of the second circuit breaker, and stops an operation of the power converter.

11. The station building power supplier according to claim 4 , comprising:
a monitor to display a charge status of the housing,
wherein
following the determination that the housing is in a charged state, the controller causes the monitor to indicate that the housing is in a charged state.

12. The station building power supplier according to claim 1 , wherein the first circuit breaker and the second circuit breaker are housed in the housing.

13. A charged-state detection method in a station building power supplier including a first circuit breaker to disconnect a connection with a direct current (DC)-fed train side, a second circuit breaker to disconnect a connection with a station load side, a power converter disposed between the first circuit breaker and the second circuit breaker to convert regenerative power into alternating current (AC) power, and a housing grounded, to house the power converter, the method comprising:
detecting a charged state of the housing by a charged-state detector connected between a railway track on which the DC-fed train runs and the housing, the railway track grounded at a location different from a ground location of the housing.

14. The charged-state detection method according to claim 13 , wherein in the detecting, a charge status of the housing during operations of the station building power supplier is detected.

15. The charged-state detection method according to claim 13 , comprising:
performed by a controller, disconnecting the connection with a DC-fed train side by means of the first circuit breaker, disconnecting the connection with the station load side by means of the second circuit breaker, and stopping an operation of the power converter in a case in which the controller determines that the housing is in a charged state based on a detection result from the charged-state detector.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Takeoka Toshiaki
• Matsumoto Shinichi

Classifications

• B60M1/12

  Trolley lines; Accessories therefor · CPC title

• G01R19/16571

  comparing AC or DC current with one threshold, e.g. load current, over-current, surge current or fault current (G01R19/16514, G01R19/16519, G01R19/16528, G01R19/16533, G01R19/1659 take precedence; measuring currents by using elements sensitive to the magnetic field generated G01R15/14; measuring earth resistance G01R27/18; testing for leakage or short circuits in electrical apparatus G01R31/52) · CPC title

• B60M3/06 Primary

  Arrangements for consuming regenerative power · CPC title

• G01R19/16576

  comparing DC or AC voltage with one threshold (G01R19/16514, G01R19/16519, G01R19/16528, G01R19/16533 and G01R19/1659 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60M5/00

  Arrangements along running rails or at joints thereof for current conduction or insulation, e.g. safety devices for reducing earth currents (insulating rail joints E01B11/54; conductive connections between rails in general H01R3/00, H01R4/00, H01R4/70) · CPC title