EP3141452A1 - System of train location along the railway of a rail network - Google Patents

Abstract

This system comprises, on the ground, mats (22) arranged one after the other along the track, each mat comprising a control circuit (26) and an emitter antenna (25) shaped to define a plurality of loops induction circuit (37) according to the direction of the track, the control circuit applying to the input of the transmitting antenna a power supply signal integrating an identifier of the carpet, and, on board each train traveling on the track, a reception antenna generating a reception signal correlated to the power supply signal of the transmitting antenna, and an on-board computer connected to the receiving antenna, able to extract from the reception signal the identifier of the mat in the same direction from which the receiving antenna is located and counting a number of induction loops detected since the last change of identifier, to determine the instantaneous position of the train.

Description

The subject of the invention is that of locating systems of trains along the tracks of a railway network, and more particularly locating systems forming part of an automatic train control architecture, also called ATC architecture, according to the acronym "Automatic Train Control"

In an ATC architecture, it is necessary to accurately and securely determine the instantaneous position of a train.

For this, it is known to have magnetic tags along the way, in known positions. Each tag is able to issue a telegram including a tag identifier. Each train running on the network is equipped with a reception antenna capable of picking up the telegrams transmitted by a beacon when the antenna is in the immediate vicinity of the beacon. An on-board computer, connected to the receiving antenna, then determines the instantaneous position of the train from the identifier of the beacon just detected and a map of the network associating beacon identifier and position on the network. . It is thus possible to accurately determine the position of the train when it is directly above a beacon.

To determine the instantaneous position of the train between two successive beacons, the train is equipped with different sensors allowing the on-board computer to determine a distance traveled since the last beacon crossed by the train.

The calculation of this distance traveled proves to be particularly complex.

For a train whose wheels are equipped with tires, which are liable to deform, in particular during a lateral acceleration of the train, the distance covered is not the simple unwinding of the circumference of the tire multiplied by the number of wheel revolutions counted since the last cross tag.

For a train running on rails, the slippage between the wheel and the rail, especially during longitudinal acceleration of the train, is again the distance traveled is not the simple unwinding of the circumference of the wheel by the number of wheel turns counted since the last cross tag.

It is thus necessary to equip the train with multiple sensors (sound wheels, accelerometers, speedometers, etc.) so that the onboard computer can determine, from the measurements made by these sensors and models describing the dynamics of the train. , the distance traveled since the last cross tag.

To this complex determination is added the fact that the determination of the instantaneous position of the train being a fundamental datum for the safety of the train, it must be determined in accordance with the safety integrity level (SIL) 4, known to those skilled in the art. To achieve such a level of security, a possible technique consists in redundant algorithms for determining the instantaneous position of the train.

All this makes the on-board computer of a train must have significant computing capabilities to be able to determine the instantaneous position of the train safely.

In some ATC architectures, in particular in the CBTC (Car Bill Train Control) architectures, this on-board calculation capability is used to request the on-board computer to perform other tasks, such as for example the calculation of the speed curve of the train.

More specifically, the computer on board the train is in communication with a computer on the ground, for example by means of a GSM infrastructure. The on-board computer periodically communicates the instantaneous position it has determined to the ground computer. From this information and other information related to other trains running on the network, the ground computer defines a movement authorization for the train, which has an end point that the train must not cross and for all sections of the track, from the current position of the train to this end point, maximum permissible speeds. This movement authorization is transmitted to the on-board computer, which from a detailed cartography of the line (mentioning the slope, the curvature etc. of each section of the track) and other information relating in particular to the train (mass, number of cars, etc.), calculates a speed profile for the train.

In an alternative embodiment, it is the ground computer which, once calculated the movement authorization, determines a speed profile for the train, then transmits it to the on-board computer.

Besides the complexity of determining the instantaneous position of a train and its consequences, another problem lies in the implantation of magnetic beacons along the track. To do this, a preliminary study makes it possible to draw up a layout plan for the beacons. However, it is not certain that the technician to implement the implementation of the tags in accordance with this plan correctly positions the tags. It is therefore necessary, after the implantation of the beacons, to qualify the route in order to record the exact position of each of the installed beacons. These deployment steps are time consuming and expensive.

It should be noted that any modification of the position of a beacon and more generally any modification of the railway leads to the updating of the cartography describing the line. In the case where each on-board computer authorized to run on the track stores a version of this map, it is then necessary to implement a procedure to ensure that the on-board computers of all the trains circulate with the updated version of the cartography.

Also known is an autopilot system for subways having a plurality of mats arranged one after the other between the rails son. Each carpet incorporates a plurality of transmitting antennas. An antenna is configured to form a succession of induction loops in the direction of the path, each loop having a longitudinal dimension which corresponds to a speed reference for the train traveling above this loop.

The switching of a controlled switch to apply a continuous supply current to one or the other of the emitting antennas of the mat makes it possible to select the speed reference profile with which it is desired to drive the train.

A train is equipped with a reception antenna and a regulation circuit making it possible to detect the scrolling of the induction loops of the supplied transmitting antenna and to regulate the speed of the train so that this scrolling is carried out at a rate regular.

The invention therefore aims to overcome the problems affecting the location systems implemented in ATC architectures.

• au sol, une pluralité de tapis disposés les uns à la suite des autres le long de la voie, chaque tapis comportant un circuit de contrôle et une antenne émettrice connectée au circuit de contrôle, l'antenne émettrice étant conformée pour définir, sur la totalité du tapis, une pluralité de boucles d'induction selon la direction de la voie, le circuit de contrôle étant propre à appliquer en entrée de l'antenne émettrice un signal d'alimentation en courant intégrant un identifiant dudit tapis ; et,
• à bord de chaque train autorisé à circuler sur la voie, une antenne de réception propre à générer un signal de réception corrélé au signal d'alimentation de l'antenne émettrice, et un calculateur de bord connecté à l'antenne de réception, propre à analyser le signal de réception de manière à en extraire l'identifiant du tapis à l'aplomb duquel ladite antenne de réception se situe et à comptabiliser un nombre de boucles d'induction détectées depuis le dernier changement d'identifiant, ledit identifiant et ledit nombre de boucles d'induction détectées permettant de déterminer la position instantanée du train.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a system for locating trains along the tracks of a railway network for an automatic train control architecture, comprising:

• on the ground, a plurality of mats arranged one after the other along the track, each mat comprising a control circuit and an emitter antenna connected to the control circuit, the transmitting antenna being shaped to define, on the whole carpet, a plurality of induction loops in the direction of the path, the control circuit being adapted to apply at the input of the transmitting antenna a power supply signal integrating an identifier of said carpet; and,
• on each train authorized to run on the track, a reception antenna capable of generating a reception signal correlated to the supply signal of the transmitting antenna, and an on-board computer connected to the receiving antenna, suitable for analyzing the reception signal in such a way as to extract the identifier of the carpet from which said receiving antenna is located and to count a number of induction loops detected since the last change of identifier, said identifier and said number induction loops detected to determine the instantaneous position of the train.

• le système comporte plusieurs circuits de contrôle correspondant à autant de tapis disposés successivement sont regroupés et connectés en série les uns aux autres et avec un calculateur de contrôle situé en bordure de la voie de manière à former un réseau de communication ;
• le calculateur de contrôle d'un groupe de tapis est propre à modifier l'identifiant (Id) mémorisé par le circuit de commande d'un tapis dudit groupe ;
• les dimensions longitudinales des boucles d'induction d'une antenne émettrice sont constantes sur la totalité de la longueur d'un tapis et, de préférence, constantes d'un tapis à l'autre de manière à ce que les tapis soient des tapis standards ;
• un circuit de contrôle d'un tapis est relié à une ligne d'alimentation en puissance électrique circulant le long du tapis, les lignes d'alimentation d'une pluralité de tapis successifs étant connectées entre elles et à une source de puissance électrique ;
• un tapis comporte une unique antenne émettrice ;
• le circuit de contrôle est propre à appliquer à l'antenne émettrice un courant comportant une porteuse et une modulation, la modulation correspondant à l'identifiant du tapis ; et
• le calculateur de bord d'un train stocke une cartographie du réseau associant une position à chaque boucle d'induction de chaque tapis.

According to particular embodiments, the system comprises one or more of the following characteristics, taken separately or in any technically possible combination:

• the system comprises several control circuits corresponding to as many successively arranged belts are grouped and connected in series with each other and with a control computer located at the edge of the path so as to form a communication network;
• the control computer of a group of mats is able to modify the identifier (Id) stored by the control circuit of a carpet of said group;
• the longitudinal dimensions of the induction loops of a transmitting antenna are constant over the entire length of a carpet and, preferably, constant from one carpet to another so that the carpets are standard carpets ;
• a circuit for controlling a belt is connected to a power supply line running along the belt, the supply lines of a plurality of successive belts being connected together and to a source of electrical power;
• a carpet has a single transmitting antenna;
• the control circuit is adapted to apply to the transmitting antenna a current comprising a carrier and a modulation, the modulation corresponding to the identifier of the carpet; and
• the on-board computer of a train stores a map of the network associating a position with each induction loop of each carpet.

• la figure 1 est une représentation schématique de l'architecture de contrôle automatique de la circulation d'un train le long d'une voie comportant le système de localisation des trains selon l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une représentation schématique, en vue de dessus, de la voie de la figure 1 équipée du système de localisation des trains selon l'invention ;
• la figure 3 est une représentation schématique en vue de dessus d'un tapis appartenant au système de localisation des trains selon l'invention ; et,
• la figure 4 est une représentation schématique d'un circuit de contrôle equipant le tapis de la figure 3.

The invention and its advantages will be better understood on reading the following detailed description of a particular embodiment given solely by way of nonlimiting example, this description being made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• the figure 1 is a schematic representation of the architecture of automatic control of the movement of a train along a track comprising the locating system of the trains according to the invention;
• the figure 2 is a schematic representation, in plan view, of the way of the figure 1 equipped with the locating system of the trains according to the invention;
• the figure 3 is a schematic representation in plan view of a carpet belonging to the locating system of the trains according to the invention; and,
• the figure 4 is a schematic representation of a control circuit equipping the carpet of the figure 3 .

On the figure 1 a train 1 runs along a railway line 2 of a rail network.

Track 2 consists of two rail wires 3 and 4 held by a plurality of cross members 5, as shown in FIG. figure 2 . Lane 2 extends in a direction D.

The automatic train control architecture 10 comprises a system for locating the trains 12 along the track comprising a ground component 20 and an onboard component 70.

In addition, the architecture 10 includes a radio communication infrastructure 14 for edge / ground communication and a set of computers 16 on the ground, suitable for controlling the movement of the train.

The automatic train control architecture 10 uses, for example, an ATO system for "Automatic Train Operation", coupled with an ATC / ATP system, for "Automatic Train Control / Automatic Train Protection".

The ground component 20 of the locating system of the trains 12 comprises a plurality of mats 22, arranged between the track wires 3 and 4, for example fixed to the crosspieces 5 of the track 2.

As shown on the figure 3 a belt 22 has a parallelepipedal shape, whose length L is much greater than the width I and the thickness e of the belt 22.

For example the length of a carpet 22 is of the order of a hundred meters, while the width and thickness of a carpet 22 are of the order of ten centimeters.

A belt 22 has an upstream end 33 and a downstream end 34 in the direction D of the track.

A belt 22 comprises, sandwiched between two layers of a rubbery protective material, a transmitting antenna 25, a control circuit 26, a feed line 28 and a network cable 29.

The antenna 25 is shaped to form, between its end terminals 34 and 36, a plurality of induction loops 37 arranged one after the other in the direction D of the channel, from the upstream end 33 to the downstream end 34 of the carpet 22.

The induction loops 37 are identical to each other. They have in particular an identical length L0.

As shown on the figure 4 , the control circuit 26 comprises a network card 41, a module 42 for supplying the circuit 26 with electrical power, a memory 43, comprising in particular an identifier Id of the circuit 26 and consequently of the corresponding mat 22, and a module 44 of generating a signal intended to be applied to the antenna 25.

The module 41 has an input port 45 and an output port 46. The input port 45 is connected to an input portion of the network cable 29. The distal end of this input portion of the network cable 29 being connected to a male network connector 55 located on the upstream end 33 of the belt 22.

The output port 46 of the module 41 is connected to an output portion of the network cable 29. The distal end of this output portion of the network cable 29 is connected to a female connector 56 provided on the downstream end 34 of the carpet 22 .

The power supply module 42 is connected by a first terminal 49 to the line 28 and a second terminal to a ground. Line 28 comprises a male connector 58 on the upstream end 33 of the belt 22 and a female connector 59 on the downstream end 34 of the belt 22.

The signal generation module 44 has two output terminals, 47 and 48, which are respectively connected to the terminals 35 and 36 of the antenna 25.

The module 44, powered by the module 42, is able to generate a current signal comprising a carrier and a modulation of this carrier. The modulation, which may be in frequency, in amplitude or in phase, depends on the identifier Id of the corresponding carpet.

In the present embodiment, the carrier, frequency F0, for example equal to about 200 kHz, is frequency-modulated according to the identifier Id stored in the memory 43. Thus, the signal transmitted by the antenna 25 integrates the identifier Id of the carpet 22.

Other embodiments are conceivable so that the signal emitted by the antenna 25 is specific to the belt 22 in question. For example, alternatively, the signal generated by the module 44 is an amplitude modulated signal.

The belts 22 are advantageously identical to each other so as to standardize the production, to simplify the supply to the site and implantation.

As shown on the figure 2 the mats 22 are arranged one after the other, so that the downstream end 34 of a belt is in contact with the upstream end 33 of the next carpet.

Two consecutive mats are connected to each other so as to associate the male and female connectors 55 and 56 of the network cables 29 of the two mats and the male and female connectors 58 and 59 of the feed lines 28 of the two mats.

N successive mats 22 are associated with each other so as to form a group of mats. The number of carpets per group may vary according to the section of the track concerned: long rectilinear section (between two stations), short rectilinear section (along a station platform), needle, etc.

The network cable 29 of each of the mats located at the end of a group of mats are connected not to the network cable of the neighboring carpet, but to a control computer 60 located at the edge of the track and dedicated to the control of the N mats 22. constituent parts of the group. Thus, the different control circuits 26 of the carpets of a group form, with the computer 60, a network 61.

Preferably, the topology of the network 61 is in a ring so as to offer greater reliability in the detection of a discontinuity in the system.

Thus, in the network 61, the various control circuits 26 are placed in series with each other, in a configuration called "DAISY CHAIN". In this configuration, a data message sent by the computer 60 on the network 91 is received on the input port of a first circuit 26. If the message is addressed to this first circuit 26, it processes it. On the other hand, if this message is not addressed to the first circuit 26, it re-emits it on its output port to the second circuit 26. The massage is thus propagated, step by step, until it reaches its recipient. This configuration makes it possible to dispense with a signal amplifier along the network 61, which can therefore be of large size.

The computer 60 is able to communicate with a circuit 26 so as to acquire an operating state of this circuit 26 and possibly, for example in the case of reconfiguration of the system 12, to assign to the circuit 26 a new identifier Id to be stored in its circuit. memory 43.

The feed lines 28 of the mats are connected in series and, for example at the end of a group of mats, to a power source 62, able to maintain the lines 28 at a reference potential.

It should be noted that the implementation of the ground component 20 of the system 12 is particularly simple, since it involves fixing the carpets on the track 2 and connect them successively. Network cables and possibly power cables should only be run under a rail wire than all N carpets. The deployment of the present location system can be considered on new routes as well as on existing ones.

On the onboard component side 70 of the locating system of the trains 12, the train 1 is provided with a receiving antenna 75 connected to an on-board computer 76.

The on-board computer 76 is connected to a radiocommunication module 77 able to communicate to access points 80 of the radiocommunication infrastructure 14.

The receiving antenna 75 is placed under the body of the train 1, for example at the front of the first car constituting the train 1. In a simple embodiment, the receiving antenna comprises a conductive loop.

When the transmitting antenna 25 is powered, each of the loops 37 creates a magnetic field directed substantially vertically. In one embodiment of the transmitting antenna 25, the conductor wire of the antenna is configured so that at the current time the magnetic field generated by a loop is directed upwards, the magnetic field generated by the two loops. neighbors will be directed down.

The flux of the magnetic field generated by the transmitting antenna 25 through the receiving antenna 75 induces a current between the terminals of the receiving antenna 75.

Since the dimensions of the receiving antenna 75 are similar to those of a loop 37, the current at the terminals of the receiving antenna 75 is maximum when the receiving antenna 75 is located exactly above a loop of the antenna. Issuer 25.

As the flux is reversed from one loop to the other of the transmitting antenna 25, the current at the terminals of the receiving antenna 75 changes sign when the receiving antenna 75 moves from one loop to the other of the transmitting antenna 25.

It should be noted that the range of the magnetic field generated being reduced, the distance between the antennas 25 and 75 should not exceed about 20 cm. This has the advantage that the locating system of trains 12 is very insensitive to interference. He also creates very few.

The signal generated at the output of the receiving antenna 75 thus corresponds to the signal applied to the transmitting antenna 45.

The computer 76 is able to extract from the signal at the output of the receiving antenna 75, the identifier Id of the carpet 22 at the base of which is located the receiving antenna 75.

The calculator 76 is able to count the number of induction loops of the transmitting antenna 25 above which the receiving antenna 75 has passed, since the last change of carpet identifier, that is to say since the passage of the receiving antenna 75 over a new carpet. This count is performed by determining the number of inversion of the sign of the current generated at the output of the receiving antenna 75.

From the carpet identifier Id 22 and the number of induction loops 37 crossed from the upstream end 33 of this belt 22, the computer 76 is able to determine the position of the receiving antenna 75 along the way, and therefore that of the train 1. To do this, the computer 76 includes a mapping of the network associating each loop 37 of each belt 22 of the system 12 a precise position along the track 2.

The accuracy of the positioning of the train 1 depends on the length L0 of each induction loop of the transmitting antenna 25 but also on the shape of the receiving antenna 75. Positioning accuracies of the order of a few centimeters can be reached. adapting the shape of the antennas 25, 75.

Once the computer 76 has determined the instantaneous position of the train, it transmits it to the ground computer 16 via the radiocommunication module 77 and the infrastructure 14.

On the ground, from this instantaneous position information of the train 1, the computer 16 is able to determine a route for the train 1, a movement authorization for the train 1 along this route, but also a speed profile for train 1 given this movement authorization.

To do this, the computer 16 uses different information especially related to the topology of the track: subdivision of the channel in section, state of occupation of each section, mission of the train, maximum speed allowed, gradients of the track, radius of curvature of the way, etc.

Once a speed profile calculated for the train 1, it is transmitted to the on-board computer 76 of the train 1 via the communication infrastructure 14 and the radiocommunication module 77. The computer 76 is then able to regulate the speed of the train. train 1 according to its instantaneous position and in accordance with the speed profile transmitted to it.

Thus, thanks to the ground component 20 of the locating system of the trains 12, the train 1 can easily determine its instantaneous position. It can therefore determine a speed setpoint at each instant, indicated by a speed profile which has been transmitted to it by the computer 16, the latter being able to determine a speed profile for the train 1 taking into account the position report emitted by the train. 1.

In the embodiment just described, the calculations making it possible to obtain a speed profile are no longer carried out on board the train, but by a computer on the ground. This is made possible since the speed profile can be simply expressed in the reference of the location mats used by the train to know precisely and at each moment its position, the mats constituting a sort of graduation of the track.

Thus, the on-board computer 76 of a train has reduced computing capacities compared with state-of-the-art computers, the computing capacities being deported to the ground.

Claims (8)

Locating system for trains (12) along tracks (2) of a railway network for an automatic train control architecture, comprising: - On the ground, a plurality of mats (22) arranged one after the other along the track, each mat comprising a control circuit (26) and an emitter antenna (25) connected to the control circuit, the transmitting antenna being shaped to define, over the entire carpet, a plurality of induction loops (37) in the direction (D) of the channel, the control circuit being adapted to apply at the input of the transmitting antenna a signal power supply integrating an identifier (Id) of said carpet; and, - on board each train (1) authorized to run on the track, a receiving antenna (75) capable of generating a reception signal correlated with the supply signal of the transmitting antenna, and an on-board computer (76) connected to the receiving antenna, capable of analyzing the reception signal in such a way as to extract the identifier of the mat directly above which said receiving antenna is located and to count a number of induction loops detected since the last change of identifier, said identifier and said number of induction loops detected to determine the instantaneous position of the train. A system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of control circuits (26) corresponding to as many successively arranged mats (22) are grouped and connected in series with each other and with a control computer (60) located at the edge of the track (2) to form a communication network (61). System according to claim 2, wherein the control computer (60) of a group of mats is adapted to modify the identifier (Id) stored by the control circuit (26) of a mat (22) of said group. System according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the longitudinal dimensions (L0) of the induction loops (37) of a transmitting antenna (25) are constant over the entire length (L) of a mat ( 22) and, preferably, constant from one carpet to another so that the carpets are standard carpets. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a control circuit (26) of a mat (22) is connected to a power supply line (28) of electric power flowing along the mat, the lines of feeding a plurality of successive belts being connected together and to an electric power source (62). A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a mat (22) has a single transmitting antenna (25). System according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the control circuit (26) is suitable for applying to the transmitting antenna (25) a current comprising a carrier and a modulation, the modulation corresponding to the identifier (Id) carpet (22). A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the on-board computer (76) of a train (1) stores a mapping of the network associating a position with each induction loop (37) of each carpet (22).

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