Heat dissipation and thermal indication for wheel set assembly

• US 6,373,394 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2000
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ming Zhang
• Original Assignee: Ming Zhang
• Inventors: Zhang, Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANG, SON M
• Application Number:
  US09/645,185
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 340/907, 340/682, 340/449, 340/588, 340/589, 340/584, 374/135, 246/169.A, 384/476, 384/900, 384/488, 384/624, 384/317
• US Class Current: 340/584
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 9/04 Detectors for indicating the overheating of axle bearings and the like, e.g. associated with the brake system for applying the brakes in case of a fault
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 384/90 Cooling or heating

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for constant and rapid heat dissipation and thermal indication for railway wheel set assemblies. The method comprises assembling a vehicle wheel set by mounting bearings and wheels on an axle with interference fit and mounting bearing adapter onto bearings. Heat pipes are embedded within the said vehicle wheel set. The heat pipes provide heat sinks for the vehicle wheel set assembly causing a fluid within the heat pipe to vaporize on sections of heat pipe more adjacent to the bearing assemblies and to condense on other sections of heat pipes more adjacent to the heat dissipation areas. The heat dissipation area can be either the surfaces of the wheel set assembly or the surfaces of additional cooling fins mounted on the wheel set assembly. The embedment of heat pipes within the wheel set assembly thus enables constant cooling for bearing assembly. The heat is transferred within the heat pipes from the bearing assemblies to the heat dissipation areas, then to the atmosphere. Meanwhile, the rises of temperature in the thermal indication areas that are included in the heat dissipation areas and are monitored by either wayside hot box detectors or onboard thermal sensors, provide precise thermal indications of the interior running conditions of the bearing assemblies.

Claims

1. An apparatus for heat dissipation and/or thermal indication of a vehicle wheel set assembly, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a vehicle wheel set assembly including bearings and wheels mounted on an axle with interference fit, bearing adapters mounted onto said bearing assemblies;

(b) heat dissipation areas on the surfaces of the said vehicle wheel set assembly or on the surfaces of additional heat dissipation components mounted to the said vehicle wheel set assembly;

(c) thermal indication areas monitored by either wayside detectors or on board sensors, the said thermal indication areas being included within the said heat dissipation areas;

(d) heat pipe means embedded in the said vehicle wheel set assembly, the said heat pipe means providing

(1) heat sinks for the said vehicle wheel set assembly causing a fluid inside the said heat pipe means to vaporize on the sections of the said heat pipe means adjacent to the said bearing assemblies and to condense on other sections of the said heat pipe means adjacent to the said heat dissipation areas to transfer heat from the said bearing assemblies to the said heat dissipation areas for dispersion from the said heat dissipation areas into the atmosphere;

(2) thermal indications of the said vehicle wheel set assembly by changes of temperatures in the said thermal indication areas as a result of the aforesaid heat transfer from the said bearing assemblies to the said thermal indication areas by the said heat pipe means.

2. The apparatus in claim 1, wherein the vehicle wheel set assembly is equipped with either inboard bearings, outboard bearings or suspension bearings and the said vehicle wheel set assembly is one of the following types:

freight car wheel set assembly, passenger or transit car wheel set assembly and locomotive traction motor wheel set assembly.

3. The apparatus in claim 1, wherein the said heat pipe means are embedded in one or a combination of following locations within the said vehicle wheel set assembly including:

center of the solid axle, inner bore of the hollow axle, enlarged cap screw holes at the end of the axle, additional holes at the end of the axle, and holes in the bearing adapter.

4. The apparatus in claim 1, wherein the said additional heat dissipation components are cooling fins mounted at the end of the axle, cooling fins mounted on the axle end caps, cooling fins mounted on the cap screws, or cooling fins mounted on the sides of bearing adapters.

5. A method of heat dissipation and/or thermal indication for a vehicle wheel set assembly, said method in combination comprising:

(a) assembling a vehicle wheel set by mounting bearing assemblies and wheels on an axle with interference fit and mounting bearing adapters onto the said bearings assemblies;

(b) selecting heat dissipation areas on the surfaces of the said vehicle wheel set assembly or mounting additional heat dissipation components;

(c) including within the said heat dissipation areas thermal indication areas that are monitored by either wayside detectors or onboard sensors;

(d) embedding within the said vehicle wheel set heat pipe means providing

(1) heat sinks for the said vehicle wheel set assembly causing a fluid inside the said heat pipe means to vaporize on the sections of the said heat pipe means adjacent to the said bearing assemblies of the said vehicle wheel set assembly and to condense on other sections of the said heat pipe means adjacent to said heat dissipation areas to transfer heat from the said bearing assemblies to said heat dissipation areas for dispersion from the said heat dissipation areas into the atmosphere;

(2) thermal indications of the said vehicle wheel set assembly by changes of temperature in the said thermal indication areas as a result of the aforesaid heat transfer from the said bearing assemblies to the said thermal indication areas by the said heat pipe means.