Device for applying at least one electrical pulse to at least one electrical coil of a track brake of a rail vehicle

Abstract

A device for supplying at least one electrical excitation coil with at least one electrical current pulse in order to alternatively permanent-magnetize or demagnetize at least one magnet segment containing hard magnetic material of a brake magnet of a track brake of a rail vehicle. The device has at least one long-term energy store and at least one magnetization circuit with a voltage transformer and having a switching device connected in an electrically conductive manner to the high-current energy store at one end and to the excitation coil at the other end, by means of which switching device current pulses to the excitation coil that are based on the electrical energy stored in the high-current energy store and that can be alternatively varied regarding the current flow direction can be switched according to the control signals controlled by a control device.

1 . A device for supplying at least one electrical current pulse to at least one electrical field coil for selectively permanently magnetizing or demagnetizing at least one magnet segment that contains a hard-magnetic material of a brake magnet of a rail vehicle with respect to the magnetic polarity, the device comprising:
 at least one long-term energy store which can be supplied with electrical energy by an on-board electrical system circuit of the rail vehicle, which on-board electrical system circuit at least temporarily is under an on-board electrical system voltage; and   at least one magnetization circuit, comprising a voltage converter for converting the on-board electrical system voltage, which is delivered by the long-term energy store, to a pre-specified magnetization voltage and for charging at least one high-current energy store with electrical energy under a magnetization voltage and also comprising a switching device which is electrically conductively connected to the high-current energy store at one end and to the field coil at the other end and by means of which current pulses, which are based on the electrical energy which is stored in the high-current energy store and can be selectively varied in respect of the direction of current flow, can be switched to the field coil depending on the control signals which are output by a control device.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the long-term energy store is an energy store which is associated with the rail vehicle and which provides electrical energy both for generating the at least one electrical pulse and also for at least one further function. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the long-term energy store is a separate energy store which is provided exclusively for supplying electrical energy to the device. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the long-term energy store is connected to the on-board electrical system circuit by means of a protective diode. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the switching device contains at least one interpole switch which can be controlled by the control device in an electrical manner or by means of a pressure medium. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the interpole switch is a 2-position switch with one current-direction position and one further current-direction position which is opposite to the former, in the form of a 3-position switch with one current-direction position, one further current-direction position which is opposite to the former and also with a neutral position, or in the form of a 4-quadrant actuator. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the high-current energy store contains at least one capacitor or one double-layer capacitor. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one circuit breaker is connected between the switching device and the high-current energy store, wherein the circuit breaker is controlled by the control device such that the switching device can be switched only in the no-load, no-power state. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the control device is an electronic controller. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the control device is formed such that the switching device is controlled only for a period of time in a current-conducting state in which at least one current pulse is switched to the field coil which is required to permanently magnetize or demagnetize the magnet segment, and in that the switching device is otherwise moved to a non-current-conducting state. 
     
     
         11 . A brake magnet of a rail vehicle, comprising at least one magnet segment which is composed of a hard-magnetic material and which can be selectively permanently magnetized or demagnetized by supplying current pulses to a field coil, wherein current pulses are supplied to the field coil by a device including at least one long-term energy store which can be supplied with electrical energy by an on-board electrical system circuit of the rail vehicle, which on-board electrical system circuit at least temporarily is under an on-board electrical system voltage, at least one magnetization circuit, comprising a voltage converter for converting the on-board electrical system voltage, which is delivered by the long-term energy store, to a pre-specified magnetization voltage and for charging at least one high-current energy store with electrical energy under a magnetization voltage and also comprising a switching device which is electrically conductively connected to the high-current energy store at one end and to the field coil at the other end and by means of which current pulses, which are based on the electrical energy which is stored in the high-current energy store and can be selectively varied in respect of the direction of current flow, can be switched to the field coil depending on the control signals which are output by a control device. 
     
     
         12 . The track brake of  claim 11 , wherein the track brake is a magnetic track brake which comes into frictional contact with a rail in a brake-application position. 
     
     
         13 . The track brake of  claim 11 , wherein the track brake is a linear or rotary eddy-current brake. 
     
     
         14 . A rail vehicle containing at least one track brake, the track brake including at least one long-term energy store which can be supplied with electrical energy by an on-board electrical system circuit of the rail vehicle, which on-board electrical system circuit at least temporarily is under an on-board electrical system voltage, at least one magnetization circuit, comprising a voltage converter for converting the on-board electrical system voltage, which is delivered by the long-term energy store, to a pre-specified magnetization voltage and for charging at least one high-current energy store with electrical energy under a magnetization voltage and also comprising a switching device which is electrically conductively connected to the high-current energy store at one end and to the field coil at the other end and by means of which current pulses, which are based on the electrical energy which is stored in the high-current energy store and can be selectively varied in respect of the direction of current flow, can be switched to the field coil depending on the control signals which are output by a control device, wherein the track brake device is arranged directly on a bogie of the rail vehicle.