Positioning system and method for maglev train

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12337884-B2
Application number	US-202218723484-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2022
Priority date	Mar 4, 2022
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

A positioning system and method for a maglev train, the positioning system comprising an onboard magnet mounted at the bottom of a train, two grating arrays laid on train tracks side by side in the traveling direction of the train, an optical pulse generation module and a data processing module. The data processing module performs first-stage train positioning according to drift conditions of the center wavelengths of the marking gratings, performs second-stage train positioning according to drift conditions of the center wavelengths of the first grating array, and performs third-stage train positioning according to drift conditions of the central wavelengths of the second grating array, so as to determine the track positions where the train arrives step by step.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for positioning a maglev train, comprising:
an on-board magnet arranged at a bottom of the train;
two grating arrays arranged in parallel on a train track in a traveling direction of the train, wherein each of the two grating arrays comprises a plurality of sets of magnetic induction gratings;
center wavelengths of the magnetic induction gratings in the same set within a first grating array of the two grating arrays are the same, and center wavelengths of the magnetic induction gratings in different sets within the first grating array are different;
center wavelengths of the magnetic induction gratings in the same set within a second grating array of the two grating arrays are different, and center wavelengths of magnetic induction gratings at the same arrangement position in different sets within the second grating array are the same;
a first magnetic induction grating of each set of magnetic induction gratings is configured as a marker grating; and
only one magnetic induction grating in the same grating array is affected by the on-board magnet at the same time instant;
an optical pulse generation module, configured to provide an optical pulse signal to the two grating arrays;
a data processing module, configured to perform primary positioning of the train based on a center wavelength shift of the marker grating, perform secondary positioning of the train based on a center wavelength shift of the first grating array, and perform tertiary positioning of the train based on a center wavelength shift of the second grating array, to progressively locate a track location where the train has traveled; and
wherein the data processing module is further configured to:
obtain a first to-be-detected signal returned by the first grating array;
obtain a second to-be-detected signal returned by the second grating array;
determine that the train travels to a track segment where a new set of magnetic induction gratings is located, when a signal indicating the center wavelength shift of the marker grating is detected in the second to-be-detected signal;
determine that the train travels to a track segment where a first set of magnetic induction gratings is located, when a signal indicating the center wavelength shift of any one of magnetic induction gratings in the first set of magnetic induction gratings is detected in the first to-be-detected signal, wherein the first set of magnetic induction gratings is any set of magnetic induction gratings in the first grating array; and
determine that the train travels to a track location where a target grating is located, when a signal indicating a center wavelength shift of the target grating in a second set of magnetic induction gratings in parallel with the first set of magnetic induction gratings is detected in the second to-be-detected signal, wherein the target grating is any one of magnetic induction gratings in the second set of magnetic induction gratings.

2. The system for positioning the maglev train according to claim 1 , wherein the optical pulse generation module comprises:
a first swept light source, configured to send a first optical pulse signal after receiving a trigger signal;
a second swept light source, configured to send a second optical pulse signal after receiving the trigger signal;
a first optical pulse amplifier, configured to amplify the first optical pulse signal to obtain a first amplified optical pulse signal;
a second optical pulse amplifier, configured to amplify the second optical pulse signal to obtain a second amplified optical pulse signal;
a first circulator, configured to provide the first amplified optical pulse signal to the first grating array; and
a second circulator, configured to provide the second amplified optical pulse signal to the second grating array.

3. The system for positioning the maglev train according to claim 2 , wherein the data processing module comprises:
a first photoelectric converter, configured to receive a first to-be-detected optical signal returned by the first grating array from the first circulator, and convert the first to-be-detected optical signal into a first to-be-detected electrical signal;
a second photoelectric converter, configured to receive a second to-be-detected optical signal returned by the second grating array from the second circulator, and convert the second to-be-detected optical signal into a second to-be-detected electrical signal;
a data collector, configured to combine and encode the first to-be-detected electrical signal and the second to-be-detected electrical signal to obtain an electrical encoding signal; and
a data processor, configured to decode the electrical encoding signal to obtain the first to-be-detected electrical signal and the second to-be-detected electrical signal, and perform a three-tier positioning of the train based on the center wavelength shifts of the magnetic induction gratings indicated by the first to-be-detected electrical signal and the second to-be-detected electrical signal.

4. The system for positioning the maglev train according to claim 1 , wherein the on-board magnet comprises a plurality of sub-magnets, and the plurality of sub-magnets are arranged in a Halbach array in the traveling direction of the train.

5. The system for positioning the maglev train according to claim 4 , wherein a spacing between adjacent magnetic induction gratings in each grating array is equal to a first preset spacing threshold; a spacing between adjacent sub-magnets in the on-board magnet in traveling direction of the train is equal to a second preset spacing threshold, and a total length of the on-board magnet is equal to the first preset spacing threshold; and
the data processing module is further configured to determine a distance that the train keeps on traveling from a current location of the train based on a center wavelength shift of a target grating after determining the target grating whose center wavelength is shifting within the second grating array and the current location based on a three-tier positioning of the train.

6. The system for positioning the maglev train according to claim 1 , wherein the first grating array is a grating array in O-band; the second grating array is a grating array in C-band.

7. The system for positioning the maglev train according to claim 1 , wherein the data processing module is further configured to:
determine a forward condition and a reverse condition of the train within a preset track distance based on the center wavelength shift of the second grating array.

8. The system for positioning the maglev train according to claim 1 , wherein the data processing module is further configured to:
determine a real-time running speed of the train based on a real-time location change and a running time of the train.

9. A method for positioning a maglev train, applied to a system for positioning the maglev train, wherein the system comprises:
an on-board magnet arranged at a bottom of the train;
two grating arrays arranged in parallel on a train track in a traveling direction of the train, wherein each of the two grating arrays comprises a plurality of sets of magnetic induction gratings;
center wavelengths of the magnetic induction gratings in the same set within a first grating array of the two grating arrays are the same, and center wavelengths of the magnetic induction gratings in different sets within the first grating array are different;
center wavelengths of the magnetic induction gratings in the same set within a second grating array of the two grating arrays are different, and center wavelengths of magnetic induction gratings at the same arrangement position in different sets within the second grati

Assignees

• Crrc Qingdao Sifang Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liu Xiankai
• Wu Donghua
• Fu Shanqiang
• Xiao Shi
• Tang Kaiyi
• Zhang Zhiqiang

Classifications

• B61B13/08 Primary

  Sliding or levitation systems (vehicles with air cushions between rails and vehicles B60V3/04) · CPC title

• B60L2200/26

  Rail vehicles · CPC title

• B60L13/06

  Means to sense or control vehicle position or attitude with respect to railway · CPC title

• G01P3/50

  for measuring linear speed (G01P3/56 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01P3/64

  Devices characterised by the determination of the time taken to traverse a fixed distance · CPC title