System for recovery of compressed air released by air suspensions of at least one railway vehicle or train

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12589780-B2
Application number	US-202118005557-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2021
Priority date	Jul 14, 2020
Publication date	Mar 31, 2026
Grant date	Mar 31, 2026

Abstract

A system for recovery of compressed air released by air suspensions of at least one railway vehicle or train is described, comprising: a first compressor, a compressed air drying device, a first pipe, a first tank, a non-return valve, a limiting valve, a second tank, a second pipe, at least one pneumatic spring, and a first control device. The system for recovery further comprises a third pipe arranged to be connected to the pneumatic discharge port of the at least one leveling valve so as to receive compressed air discharged by the pneumatic spring, and a third tank arranged to be connected to the third pipe and to be supplied with compressed air provided by the third pipe.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A system for recovery of compressed air released by air suspensions of at least one railway vehicle or train, comprising:
a first compressor arranged to be supplied by atmospheric pressure and to generate compressed air; a compressed air drying device arranged to be supplied with compressed air provided by said first compressor; a first pipe arranged to be supplied with compressed air provided by said compressed air drying device; a first tank arranged to be supplied with compressed air provided by said first pipe; a non-return valve arranged to be supplied with compressed air provided by said first pipe; a pressure limiting valve arranged to be supplied with compressed air provided by said non-return valve; a second tank arranged to be supplied with compressed air provided by said pressure limiting valve; a second pipe arranged to be supplied with compressed air provided by said second tank; at least one leveling valve arranged to be supplied with compressed air provided by said second pipe; at least one pneumatic spring arranged to be supplied with compressed air provided by said leveling valve, wherein the pneumatic spring is arranged to be interposed between a bogie of at least one railway vehicle and a carriage of said at least one railway vehicle, wherein said at least one leveling valve includes a pneumatic discharge port arranged to discharge compressed air accumulated in said pneumatic spring; a first control device including a first pneumatic inlet connected to said first pipe, wherein said first control device is arranged to activate said first compressor by means of a first control signal when the pressure present in the first pipe is equal to or lower than a predetermined first minimum pressure value, and said first control device is arranged to deactivate said first compressor by means of said first control signal when the pressure present in the first pipe is equal to or greater than a predetermined first maximum pressure value; said system for recovery comprising: a third pipe arranged to be connected to said pneumatic discharge port of the at least one leveling valve, so as to receive the compressed air discharged by said pneumatic spring; and a third tank arranged to be connected to said third pipe and to be supplied with compressed air provided by said third pipe.

2 . The system for recovery of compressed air according to claim 1 , wherein said third tank includes a pneumatic outlet arranged to at least partially provide the compressed air in the third tank directly to at least one pneumatic user system of the at least one railway vehicle or train.

3 . The system for recovery of compressed air according to claim 2 , wherein the pneumatic outlet of said third tank is arranged to provide the compressed air in the third tank directly to the at least one pneumatic user system; or,
the pneumatic outlet of said third tank is arranged to provide the compressed air in the third tank to the at least one pneumatic user system through a pneumatic control device arranged to connect the pneumatic user system to the first pipe, if the pressure present in the third tank is lower than a predetermined value, which would be insufficient to correctly supply the pneumatic user system.

4 . The system for recovery of compressed air according to claim 1 , comprising a second compressor including:
a suction inlet arranged to be supplied with the compressed air provided by said third tank; and an outlet port arranged to supply compressed air to said second tank; wherein said system for recovery of compressed air comprises a second control device including a pneumatic inlet arranged to be connected to said third tank; wherein said second control device is arranged to activate said second compressor by means of a second control signal when the pressure present in said third tank is equal to or greater than a predetermined second maximum pressure value, and to deactivate said second compressor by means of said second control signal when the pressure present in said third tank is equal to or lower than a predetermined second minimum pressure value.

5 . The system for recovery of compressed air according to claim 1 , comprising a pneumatic switching device including:
a first suction port arranged to draw air from the atmosphere; and a second suction port arranged to be connected to said third pipe and to draw air from said third pipe; wherein said pneumatic switching device includes an outlet connected to a suction inlet of said first compressor; wherein said pneumatic switching device is arranged to be controlled by a third control signal generated by said first control device; wherein said third control signal is arranged to assume: a first state through which it controls the pneumatic switching device so as to connect the suction inlet of said first compressor to said first suction port to draw air from the atmosphere; a second state through which it controls said pneumatic switching device so as to connect the suction inlet of said first compressor to said second suction port to draw air from said third pipe; wherein the first control device includes a second pneumatic inlet arranged to be connected to said third pipe; wherein the first compressor has an initial operating state, the first control device being arranged to: a) when the pressure in the third pipe, or in the third tank, is equal to or greater than a second maximum pressure value, cause the third control signal to assume its second state so as to control the pneumatic switching device so as to connect the suction inlet of the first compressor to the third pipe through the second suction port, and bring the first compressor into a current operating state in which said first compressor is on, if said initial operating state of the first compressor was a state in which said first compressor was off or to leave the first compressor in a current operating state in which said first compressor is on, if said initial operating state of the first compressor was a state in which said first compressor was already on; b) when the pressure in the third pipe, or in the third tank, is equal to or lower than a second minimum pressure value, cause the third control signal to assume its first state so as to control the pneumatic switching device so as to connect the suction inlet of the first compressor to the atmosphere through the first suction port, and return the first compressor to a current operating state in which said first compressor is on, if said initial operating state of the first compressor was a state in which said first compressor was on or to return the first compressor into a current operating state in which said first compressor is off, if said initial operating state of the first compressor was a state in which said first compressor was off.

6 . The system for recovery of compressed air according to claim 5 , comprising a safety device, calibrated at a safety pressure value lower than or equal to a nominal minimum working pressure value of the at least one pneumatic spring;
the safety device being arranged to discharge the air accumulated in the third tank to the atmosphere when the pressure in the third tank exceeds the safety pressure value.

Assignees

• Faiveley Transport Italia Spa

Inventors

• Tione Roberto

Classifications

• Y02T30/00

  Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance · CPC title

• B61F5/10 Primary

  incorporating fluid springs · CPC title