Vehicle Brake Control Device And Vehicle Brake Control Method
Abstract:
A brake control unit (11) comprises: a required brake force calculation unit (21) that calculates a required brake force which is the brake force generated by a mechanical brake device in order to achieve the deceleration indicated by brake commands; an initial speed acquisition unit (22) that acquires an initial speed; a target pressing force calculation unit (23) that calculates a target pressing force which is the force for pressing a brake shoe against a wheel in order to achieve the required brake force; and a target pressure calculation unit (26) that calculates a target pressure indicating the pressure of fluid in a brake cylinder necessary for achieving the target pressing force, and performs feedback control to adjust the target pressure on the basis of the feedback signal acquired from a pressure sensor (15).
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Notices, Deadlines & Correspondence
c/o Mitsubishi Electric Corporation,
7-3, Marunouchi 2-chome,
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
1008310
2. ONODERA Shumpei
c/o Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, 7-3, Marunouchi 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
1008310
3. OKAHARA Takuya
c/o Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, 7-3, Marunouchi 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
1008310
Specification
FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
[See section 10, Rule 13]
VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL DEVICE AND VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL METHOD;
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION, A CORPORATION ORGANISED AND
EXISTING UNDER THE LAWS OF JAPAN, WHOSE ADDRESS IS 7-3,
MARUNOUCHI 2-CHOME, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO 1008310, JAPAN
THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATION PARTICULARLY DESCRIBES THE
INVENTION AND THE MANNER IN WHICH IT IS TO BE PERFORMED
DESCRIPTION
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle brake control device and a vehicle
brake control method.
5 Background Art
[0002] A brake control device mounted on a rail vehicle, in order to obtain a target
deceleration indicated by a brake command, compresses fluid supplied from a fluid
source to supply the compressed fluid to a brake cylinder included in a mechanical brake
apparatus. An example of this type of a brake control device is disclosed in Patent
Literature 1. The rail vehicle brake control device disclosed in Patent Literature 1
calculates a necessary braking force from a brake command, compresses a fluid supplied
from a fluid source up to a pressure for obtaining the necessary braking force, and
supplies the compressed fluid to a brake cylinder included in a mechanical brake
apparatus. The compressed fluid is supplied to the brake cylinder, thereby pressing a
brake shoe against a wheel, so that a braking force is obtained.
Citation List
Patent Literature
[0003] Patent Literature 1: Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication
No. 2003-291797
Summary of Invention
Technical Problem
[0004] As described above, the brake force is obtained by pressing the brake shoe
against the wheel. The braking force is expressed as the product of (i) a friction
coefficient of a contact surface between the brake shoe and the wheel and (ii) a pressing
force that is a force of pressing the brake shoe against the wheel. The braking force
obtained from the same brake command sometimes varies due to a change in the friction
coefficient that depends on, for example, a speed of a vehicle at the start of braking, the
magnitude of pressing force, and the like. As a result, variation sometimes occurs in the
stop position of the vehicle so that the stop position differs from a target position.
[0005] In consideration of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is
to provide a vehicle brake control device and a vehicle brake control method for
suppressing the variance in the braking force obtained from the same 5 brake command.
Solution to Problem
[0006] In order to attain the aforementioned objective, a vehicle brake control
device according to the present disclosure is a vehicle brake control device that controls a
mechanical brake apparatus that (i) includes a brake cylinder and a friction member to
operate in accordance with a pressure of a fluid inside the brake cylinder and (ii) causes
generation of a braking force by pressing the friction member against a rotatable body
that rotates when a vehicle travels. The vehicle brake control device includes a
necessary braking force calculator, an initial speed acquirer, a target pressing force
calculator, a target pressure calculator, and an outputter. The necessary braking force
calculator acquires a brake command indicating a target deceleration of the vehicle and
calculates a necessary braking force that is a braking force necessary for obtaining the
target deceleration. The initial speed acquirer acquires a speed of the vehicle in
response to acquisition of the brake command by the necessary braking force calculator.
Using, as a friction coefficient of a contact surface between the friction member and the
rotatable body, an average friction coefficient that varies depending on (i) an initial speed
that is the speed of the vehicle acquired by the initial speed acquirer and (ii) a pressing
force that is a force for pressing the friction member against the rotatable body, the target
pressing force calculator calculates, from the average friction coefficient and the
necessary braking force, a target pressing force that is a force for pressing the friction
member against the rotatable body in order to obtain the necessary braking force. The
target pressure calculator calculates a target pressure indicating a pressure of the fluid
inside the brake cylinder that is necessary for obtaining the target pressing force. The
outputter compresses, in accordance with the target pressure, fluid supplied from a fluid
source to supply the compressed fluid to the mechanical brake apparatus.
Advantageous Effects of Invention
[0007] According to the present disclosure, from (i) the average friction coefficient
varying depending on the initial speed and the pressing force that is the 5 force for pressing
the friction member against the rotatable body, and (ii) the necessary braking force, the
target pressing force is calculated that is the force for pressing the friction member against
rotatable body in order to obtain the necessary braking force. Additionally, the fluid is
compressed in accordance with the target pressure indicating the pressure of the fluid
inside the brake cylinder that is necessary for obtaining the target pressing force, and then
the compressed fluid is supplied to the mechanical brake apparatus. As a result, a
vehicle brake control device and a vehicle brake control method can be provided that
suppress the variance in the braking force obtained from the same brake command.
Brief Description of Drawings
[0008] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle brake
system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle brake control
device according to the embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating one example of operation of brake control
performed by the vehicle brake control device according to the embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a view illustrating an example of an average friction coefficient table of
the embodiment for identifying an average friction coefficient from a speed of a vehicle
and a pressing force;
FIG. 5 is a view illustrating an example of a method of the embodiment for
calculating the average friction coefficient for each pressing force at an initial speed;
FIG. 6 is a view illustrating an example of a relational expression of the
embodiment for identifying a pressing force using the average friction coefficient as a
variable; and
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the
vehicle brake control device according to the embodiment.
Description 5 of Embodiments
[0009] A vehicle brake control device and a vehicle brake control method
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are described below in detail with
reference to drawings. Components that are the same or equivalent are assigned the
same reference signs throughout the drawings.
[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle brake system 1 mounted on a rail vehicle as an
example of a vehicle. The vehicle brake system 1 includes a brake setter 2 that outputs
a brake command in accordance with an operation of a driver, a variable load detector 3
that detects a weight of the vehicle, a speed sensor 4 that detects a speed of the vehicle, a
fluid source 5, a mechanical brake apparatus 6 that generates a braking force for the
vehicle, and a brake control device 10 that compresses, in accordance with a brake
command, a fluid supplied from the fluid source 5 and supplies the compressed fluid to
the mechanical brake apparatus 6. In FIG. 1, an electric signal is indicated by a solid
line, and a flow of the fluid is indicated by a dotted line.
[0011] The brake setter 2 includes a master controller provided in a cab and sends,
to the brake control device 10, a brake command corresponding to an operation of the
master controller by the driver. The brake command includes a brake notch indicating a
target deceleration of the vehicle. The variable load detector 3 is mounted on the
vehicle, detects the weight of the vehicle including the weights of passengers in the
vehicle, the weights of devices mounted on the vehicle, and the weight of luggage, and sends the detected value to the brake control device 10. The speed sensor 4 includes a
pulse generator (PG) attached to an axle and sends, to the brake control device 10, a
signal indicating a rotational frequency of the axle obtained from a pulse signal output by
the PG. The fluid source 5 supplies, to the brake control device 10, air as an example of
the fluid.
[0012] The brake control device 10 (i) compresses, based on the brake command
output by the brake setter 2, the detection value of the variable load detector 3, and the
detection value of the speed sensor 4, the fluid supplied from the fluid 5 source 5 and (ii)
supplies the compressed fluid to the mechanical brake apparatus 6. The mechanical
brake apparatus 6 includes a brake cylinder and a friction member that operates in
accordance with a pressure of the fluid inside the brake cylinder. When the pressure in
the brake cylinder is increased by supplying, to the brake cylinder, the air that is supplied
from the fluid source 5 and compressed by the brake control device 10, the friction
member is pressed against a rotatable body that rotates during traveling of the vehicle,
thereby generating a braking force. The mechanical brake apparatus 6 includes a brake
shoe as an example of the friction member. The brake shoe is pressed against a wheel
that is an example of the rotatable body, thereby generating the braking force. The
braking force is expressed as a product of (i) a pressing force that is a force for pressing
the brake shoe against the wheel and (ii) a friction coefficient of a contact surface
between the brake shoe and the wheel.
[0013] Although the details are described later, the brake control device 10
calculates a pressing force for obtaining the target deceleration indicated by the brake
command using, as the friction coefficient of the contact surface between the friction
member and the rotatable body, an average friction coefficient that changes depending on
(i) an initial speed that is a speed of the vehicle acquired in response to the acquisition of
the brake command and (ii) the pressing force. Additionally, the brake control device
10 (i) compresses the air supplied from the fluid source 5 in accordance with the pressure
of the fluid inside the brake cylinder that is necessary for obtaining the calculated
pressing force, and (ii) supplies the compressed air to the mechanical brake apparatus 6.
The brake control device 10 supplies, to the mechanical brake apparatus 6, the air
compressed based on the pressing force calculated as described above, thereby enabling
suppression of the variation in the brake force obtained from the same brake command.
[0014] The brake control device 10 includes (i) a brake controller 11 that calculates
a target pressure indicating the pressure of the brake cylinder necessary for obtaining the
target deceleration indicated by the brake command, (ii) an outputter 5 12 that compresses
the air supplied from the fluid source 5 in accordance with the target pressure to output
the compressed air to the mechanical brake apparatus 6, and (iii) a pressure sensor 15 that
detects the pressure of the air output by the outputter 12 to send a feedback signal to the
brake controller 11.
[0015] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the brake controller 11 includes (i) a necessary
braking force calculator 21 that calculates a necessary braking force that is a braking
force generated by the mechanical brake apparatus 6 in order to obtain the deceleration
indicated by the brake command, (ii) an initial speed acquirer 22 that acquires the initial
speed, (iii) a target pressing force calculator 23 that calculates a target pressing force that
is a force for pressing the brake shoe against the wheel to obtain the necessary braking
force, and (iv) a target pressure calculator 26 that calculates a target pressure indicating
the pressure of the fluid inside the brake cylinder that is necessary for obtaining the target
pressing force and performs feedback control to adjust the target pressure based on a
feedback signal acquired from the pressure sensor 15. The target pressing force
calculator 23 includes (i) an average friction coefficient calculator 24 that calculates an
average friction coefficient of the contact surface between the brake shoe and the wheel
for each pressing force at the initial speed, and (ii) an operator 25 that calculates the target
pressing force from the average friction coefficient calculated by the average friction
coefficient calculator 24 and the necessary braking force. The brake controller 11
having the above-described configuration (i) calculates the target pressure from the brake
command acquired from the brake setter 2, the detection value of the variable load
detector 3, and the signal indicating the rotational frequency of the axle acquired from the
speed sensor 4, and (ii) sends, to the outputter 12, an electrical command indicating the
target pressure.
[0016] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the outputter 12 includes (i) an electro-pneumatic
conversion valve 13 that converts the electrical command sent from the brake controller
11 into a pneumatic command and (ii) a relay valve 14 that compresses, 5 in accordance
with an output of the electro-pneumatic conversion valve 13, the air supplied from the
fluid source 5 and outputs the compressed air to the mechanical brake apparatus 6. The
electro-pneumatic conversion valve 13 adjusts, in accordance with the electrical
command sent from the brake controller 11, the pressure of the air supplied from the fluid
10 source 5 and outputs the pressure-adjusted air to the relay valve 14. The relay valve 14
(i) compresses, in accordance with the pressure of the air output by the electro-pneumatic
conversion valve 13, the air supplied from the fluid source 5 and (ii) supplies the
compressed air to the mechanical brake apparatus 6.
[0017] A summary of the operation of the brake control device 10 having the
above-described configuration is described with reference to FIG. 3. During a period in
which the brake command is not acquired (No in step S11), the necessary braking force
calculator 21 repeats a process of step S11. Upon acquiring the brake command (Yes in
step S11), the necessary braking force calculator 21 calculates the necessary braking force
from (i) the target deceleration indicated by the brake command and (ii) the detection
value of the variable load detector 3 (step S12). The initial speed acquirer 22 (i)
acquires, in response to the acquisition of the brake command by the necessary braking
force calculator 21, a pulse signal from the speed sensor 4 and (ii) calculates the initial
speed from the pulse signal (step S13). Using the average friction coefficient that
changes depending on the initial speed and the pressing force, the target pressing force
25 calculator 23 calculates, from the average friction coefficient and the necessary braking
force, the target pressing force that is the force for pressing the brake shoe against the
wheel in order to obtain the necessary braking force (step S14). The target pressure
calculator 26 (i) calculates the target pressure indicating the pressure of the fluid inside
the brake cylinder that is necessary for obtaining the pressing force calculated by the
target pressing force calculator 23 and (ii) adjusts the target pressure in accordance with
the feedback signal acquired from the pressure sensor 15 (step S15). The outputter 12
(i) compresses the air until the pressure of the air supplied from the fluid 5 source 5 reaches
the target pressure and (ii) supplies the compressed air to the mechanical brake apparatus
6 (step S16). When there is no change in the brake notch indicated by the brake
command (Yes in step S17), the processing returns to step S15 and the above-described
processes are repeated. Specifically, the following processes are repeated: the target
pressure is calculated using the target pressing force calculated in step S14; the target
pressure is adjusted in accordance with the feedback signal acquired from the pressure
sensor 15; the air supplied from the fluid source 5 is compressed until the pressure of the
air reaches the target pressure; and the compressed air to the mechanical brake apparatus
6 is supplied. A variable used for calculating the target pressure may be different from a
variable used for previously calculating the target pressure. In a case in which the same
brake command is not continuously acquired, that is, in a case in which the brake notch
indicated by the brake command is changed (No in step S17), the processing returns to
step S11 and the above-described processes are repeated.
[0018] The operation of each component of the brake control device 10 that
performs the above-described processing is described in detail. Upon acquiring the
brake command from the brake setter 2, the necessary braking force calculator 21
calculates the necessary braking force F1 from the below-described equation (1) based on
a target deceleration α indicated by the brake command and a weight W1 of the vehicle
detected by the variable load detector 3. The necessary braking force calculator 21
sends the necessary braking force F1 to the average friction coefficient calculator 24.
The below-described equation (1) represents the necessary braking force for each
mechanical brake apparatus 6 in a case in which the vehicle is supported by two bogies,
each of the bogies includes four wheels, and each of the wheels is provided with the
mechanical brake apparatus 6. Additionally, the necessary braking force calculator 21
sends the target deceleration α to the initial speed acquirer 22.
[0019] The initial speed acquirer 22 acquires the speed of the vehicle 5 in response to
the acquisition of the brake command by the necessary braking force calculator 21.
Specifically, the initial speed acquirer 22 detects a change in the target deceleration α
acquired from the necessary braking force calculator 21, that is, a change in the brake
command. Upon detecting the change in the brake command, the initial speed acquirer
22 calculates the speed of the vehicle from the pulse signal acquired from the speed
sensor 4. The initial speed acquirer 22 sends the calculated speed of the vehicle to the
average friction coefficient calculator 24. In the following description, the speed of the
vehicle calculated by the initial speed acquirer 22 is referred to as the initial speed Vint.
The change in the brake command includes (i) a case in which the brake command is
input from a state in which the brake command is not input and (ii) a case in which the
number of notches of the brake notch included in the brake command changes, that is, a
case in which the target deceleration α changes.
[0020] The average friction coefficient calculator 24 (i) calculates, from the average
friction coefficient of the contact surface between the friction member and the rotatable
body, an average friction coefficient for each pressing force at an initial speed, the
average friction coefficient of the contact surface between the friction member and the
rotatable body being predetermined for each pressing force at each of mutually-different
predetermined vehicle speeds, and (ii) sends the calculated average friction coefficient to
the operator 25. Specifically, the average friction coefficient calculator 24 stores an
average friction coefficient table for identifying the average friction coefficient from the
speed of the vehicle and the pressing force. The average friction coefficient table
illustrated in FIG. 4 is a table for identifying the average friction coefficient by combining
vehicle speeds V1, V2, ..., and Vk and pressing forces N1, N2, ..., and Nm. For example,
the average friction coefficient μ for the vehicle speed V1 and the pressing force N1 is μ11.
In the following description, the following relationships are assumed to be satisfied: V1 <
V2 < ...< Vk, and N1
Documents
Application Documents
#
Name
Date
1
202127002281-IntimationOfGrant14-08-2023.pdf
2023-08-14
1
202127002281-TRANSLATIOIN OF PRIOIRTY DOCUMENTS ETC. [18-01-2021(online)].pdf
2021-01-18
2
202127002281-PatentCertificate14-08-2023.pdf
2023-08-14
2
202127002281-STATEMENT OF UNDERTAKING (FORM 3) [18-01-2021(online)].pdf
2021-01-18
3
202127002281-REQUEST FOR EXAMINATION (FORM-18) [18-01-2021(online)].pdf
2021-01-18
3
202127002281-FORM-26 [24-04-2023(online)].pdf
2023-04-24
4
202127002281-Response to office action [25-11-2022(online)].pdf
2022-11-25
4
202127002281-PROOF OF RIGHT [18-01-2021(online)].pdf
2021-01-18
5
202127002281-Response to office action [20-05-2022(online)].pdf
2022-05-20
5
202127002281-POWER OF AUTHORITY [18-01-2021(online)].pdf
2021-01-18
6
202127002281-FORM 18 [18-01-2021(online)].pdf
2021-01-18
6
202127002281-CLAIMS [23-11-2021(online)].pdf
2021-11-23
7
202127002281-FORM 1 [18-01-2021(online)].pdf
2021-01-18
7
202127002281-DRAWING [23-11-2021(online)].pdf
2021-11-23
8
202127002281-FIGURE OF ABSTRACT [18-01-2021(online)].pdf