Transport rail system with weighing means comprising a sensor for measuring a change of a magnetic property

• US 9,581,487 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2014
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayern Engineering GmbH & Co., KG
• Original Assignee: Bayern Engineering GmbH & Co., KG
• Inventors: Warzecha, Volker, Kuehbandner, Erich
• Primary Examiner(s): GIBSON, RANDY W
• Application Number:
  US14/782,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20160069733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/047 using electrical weight-sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/06 on overhead rails
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/12 having electrical weight-sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 3/15 measuring variations of magnetic properties
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 7/00 Weighing apparatus wherein the balancing is effected by magnetic, electromagnetic, or electrostatic action, or by means not provided for in the preceding groups
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/125 by using magnetostrictive means magnetostrictive sensors H10N35/101
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/127 by using inductive means G01L1/122, G01L1/125 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/22 using resistance strain gauges

Abstract

Transport rail system capable of detecting a weight of a rail vehicle, includes one or more rails, and one or more sensors for measuring a magnetic property. At least one of the sensors is adapted to measure a change of a magnetic property in order to determine a weight bearing on one or more of the rails, the change of the magnetic property being caused by stress exerted on the rail by the weight, and one or more of the sensors are adapted to measure the change of a magnetic property of the rail itself and/or that one or more of the sensors are adapted to measure the change of a magnetic property of a supporting structure of the rail.

Claims

1. Transport rail system capable of detecting a weight of a rail vehicle, comprising:

one or more rails, and

at least one sensor for measuring a magnetic property,

wherein the at least one sensor is adapted to measure a change of a magnetic property in order to determine a weight bearing on one or more of the rails, the change of the magnetic property being caused by stress exerted on the rail by said weight,

wherein the at least one sensor is adapted to measure the change of a magnetic property of the rail itself and/or that the at least one sensor is adapted to measure the change of a magnetic property of a supporting structure of the rail, and

wherein a physical effect underlying the change of the magnetic property to be measured by the at least one sensor is an inverse magnetostrictive effect.

2. Transport rail system according to claim 1, wherein the at lease one sensor comprises at least two sensors adapted to measure the change of the magnetic property.

3. Transport rail system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least two sensors adapted to measure the change of the magnetic property of the rail or the supporting structure of the rail,

wherein the at least two sensors are mounted in a way to measure the change of the magnetic property in different measurement directions, the measurement directions having an angle between each other.

4. Transport rail system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one measurement arrangement for measuring the magnetic property, the measurement arrangement having a surface of a coil or an integral pole core being in direct mechanical contact with the one or more rails or the supporting structure in which the magnetic property to be measured changes.

5. Transport rail system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one measurement arrangement for measuring the magnetic property, the measurement arrangement having an air gap between the measurement arrangement and the one or more rails or the supporting structure in which the magnetic property to be measured changes.

6. Transport rail system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more rails have the supporting structure and the at least one sensor is adapted to measure the change of the magnetic property of the supporting structure of the rail caused by the stress exerted on the rail by said weight.

7. Transport rail system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more rails are mounted with the at least one sensor adapted to measure the change of the magnetic field property of the rail caused by the stress exerted on the rail by said weight.

8. Transport rail system according to claim 7, wherein the at least one sensor adapted to measure the change of the magnetic property caused by the stress exerted on the rail is arranged on the rail in an intermediate position between two supporting points of the supporting structure of the rail.

9. Transport rail system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more rails comprise at least two rails arranged in parallel to each other.

10. Transport rail system according to claim 1, wherein the transport rail system is a monorail system.

11. Transport rail system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more rails or the supporting structure in which the magnetic property changes due to the exerted stress comprises a ferromagnetic steel.

12. Transport rail system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more rails is permanently magnetized.

13. Transport rail system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor for measuring the magnetic property of the transport rail system is removably mounted to the one or more rails or the supporting structure.

14. Transport rail system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least two sensors,

wherein one of the at least two sensors is detachably attached to a first surface of the one or more rails, and another of the at least two sensors is detachably attached to a second surface of the one or more rails orthogonal to the first surface.

15. Transport rail system according to claim 14, wherein the at least two sensors each comprises

a housing including a permanent magnet to attach to the one or more rails,

an iron core housed in the housing and having a main body portion and three poles extending in parallel from the main body portion toward the one or more rails to form an E-shape,

one excitation coil wound around a central pole of the three poles for inducing a magnetic field into the one or more rails, and

two measurement coils each wound around the other poles of the three poles for picking up the magnetic field permeating the one or more rails.

16. Transport rail system according to claim 15, wherein the at least two sensors each further comprises an air gap between the three poles of the iron core and the one or more rails to not directly contact the one or more rails.

17. Transport rail system capable of detecting a weight of a rail vehicle, comprising:

one or more rails, and

at least two sensors for measuring a magnetic property,

wherein the at least two sensors are adapted to measure a change of a magnetic property in order to determine a weight bearing on one or more of the rails, the change of the magnetic property being caused by stress exerted on the rail by said weight,

wherein the at least two sensors are adapted to measure the change of a magnetic property of the rail itself and/or that the at least two sensors are adapted to measure the change of a magnetic property of a supporting structure of the rail, and

wherein the at least two sensors are mounted in a way to measure the change of the magnetic property in different measurement directions, the measurement directions having an angle between each other.

18. Transport rail system capable of detecting a weight of a rail vehicle, comprising:

one or more rails, and

at least one sensor for measuring a magnetic property,

wherein the at least one sensor is adapted to measure a change of a magnetic property in order to determine a weight bearing on one or more of the rails, the change of the magnetic property being caused by stress exerted on the rail by said weight,

wherein the at least one sensor is adapted to measure the change of a magnetic property of the rail itself and/or that the at least one sensor is adapted to measure the change of a magnetic property of a supporting structure of the rail, and

wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one measurement arrangement for measuring the magnetic property, the measurement arrangement having an air gap between the measurement arrangement and the one or more rails or the supporting structure in which the magnetic property to be measured changes.

19. Transport rail system capable of detecting a weight of a rail vehicle, comprising:

one or more rails, and

at least one sensor for measuring a magnetic property,

wherein the at least one sensor is adapted to measure a change of a magnetic property in order to determine a weight bearing on one or more of the rails, the change of the magnetic property being caused by stress exerted on the rail by said weight,

wherein the at least one sensor is adapted to measure the change of a magnetic property of the rail itself and/or that the at least one sensor is adapted to measure the change of a magnetic property of a supporting structure of the rail, and

wherein the one or more rails is permanently magnetized.

20. Transport rail system capable of detecting a weight of a rail vehicle, comprising:

one or more rails, and

at least two sensors for measuring a magnetic property,

wherein the at least two sensors are adapted to measure a change of a magnetic property in order to determine a weight bearing on one or more of the rails, the change of the magnetic property being caused by stress exerted on the rail by said weight,

wherein the at least two sensors are adapted to measure the change of a magnetic property of the rail itself and/or that the at least two sensors are adapted to measure the change of a magnetic property of a supporting structure of the rail, and

wherein one of the at least two sensors is detachably attached to a first surface of the one or more rails, and another of the at least two sensors is detachably attached to a second surface of the one or more rails orthogonal to the first surface.

21. Transport rail system according to claim 20, wherein the at least two sensors each comprises

a housing including a permanent magnet to attach to the one or more rails,

an iron core housed in the housing and having a main body portion and three poles extending in parallel from the main body portion toward the one or more rails to form an E-shape,

one excitation coil wound around a central pole of the three poles for inducing a magnetic field into the one or more rails, and

two measurement coils each wound around the other poles of the three poles for picking up the magnetic field permeating the one or more rails.

22. Transport rail system according to claim 21, wherein the at least two sensors each further comprises an air gap between the three poles of the iron core and the one or more rails to not directly contact the one or more rails.