Patent Publication Number: US-2013228940-A1

Title: Spray Device to be Mounted on an Electric Vehicle

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No.10-2010-0111029, filed on Nov. 9, 2010 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a spray device to be mounted on an electric vehicle, and more particularly, to a spray device which is mounted on as trailer car (T-car) in a commercial or novel electric vehicle in order to spray water while the electric vehicle is driving, so that the water collects pollutants floating in an underground tunnel as well line dust created during operation of a train and sinks the pollutants and fine dust to the road, thereby significantly improving the quality of air inside the tunnel. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     At present, the actual state of air pollution in underground tunnels and underground stations has reached a severe level. in order to overcome this, organizations which run the subway are temporarily decreasing the concentration of fine dust at platforms of underground stations by constructing screen doors on the platforms. However, the level of pollution inside the tunnels is rather increasing. According to the characteristic of the fine dust of flowing from a high-concentration area to a low-concentration area, the fine dust is absorbed into passenger cars of an electric train which is being operated or enters the platforms of the stations, thereby threatening the health of passengers. 
     In addition, several types of water spraying equipment have been developed in order to improve the air environment inside the subway tunnels. However, it is impossible to input a spraying Vehicle mounted with expensive spray equipment to underground main lines because of frequent operation of electric vehicles at their service times. Therefore, the spraying equipment is useless even though it employs advanced technology. Since spraying work must be carried out when the subway is not in service, the distance at which the spraying is carried out must be limited compared to the total extension distance of lines. Therefore, the use of the spray equipment is not effective considering its expensive purchase price. 
     In addition, ground rails in the daytime having the greatest amount of sunshine in the summer undergo a significant rise in temperature since the urban heat island phenomenon is intensified due to a variety of ground constructions, such as soundproofing walls, and radiation heat. If the rails are not cooled down, they may be subjected to bucking, i.e. they may come off upward or warp to the side, thereby consequently leading to an accident of derailment of a train. 
     For reference, the provision of Article 40 of the Regulations of High-Speed Railway Operation requires careful driving (230 km/h) when the rail temperature is close to 55° C. (at an air temperature of 32° C.), slow driving (70 km/h) when the rail temperature is close to 60° C., and service pending or stop when the rail temperature is 64° C. or higher. 
     Since the rails are made of steel that is sensitive to temperature as described above, they elastically respond to heat and easily expand at a high temperature of 50° C. or higher. Therefore, there is a risk of accidents such as derailment at a curved section. In addition, the use of continuous welded rails (CWRs), joints of which are welded to each other to a length typically ranging from 1000 m to 2000 m, is increasing in order to provide a comfortable service, thereby also increasing the length of the rails that expand. Accordingly, a technology that can prevent rail bucking in the summer is required. 
     In order to overcome these problems, Korean Patent Application No. 2008-0028193 (titled “THE SPRINKLER SYSTEM WHICH AFFIXES IN THE ELECTROMOTIVE CAR) by the applicant was disclosed and patented. 
     The previously filed patent is configured such that water can be sprayed to the road of an underground tunnel or to ground rails during the hot season of summer. However, a trainman is required to operate the spray device after manipulating a spray switch in order to spray water to the ground rails. Therefore, the trainman may become careless about his own task pertaining to safe driving of the train. In addition, it is required that cars furnished to one electric vehicle, ranging from a trailer car (T-car) on which the spray device is mounted to a switch inside a front or rear locomotive, be connected via control wires. Therefore, during a shunting operation (an operation of newly adding a passenger/carriage car to a train or changing a passenger/carriage car in a train) or when cars furnished to one vehicle are to be separated from or coupled to each other, it is also required to necessarily separate or couple the control wires. 
     Furthermore, since a water supply port is disposed at one side of the spray device, it is difficult to supply water to an electric vehicle at a platform of a specific subway station when the electric vehicle is being stored at the subway station for the first service in the next day after finished operation. 
     DISCLOSURE 
     Technical Problem 
     The present invention has been made to solve the foregoing problems with the prior art, and therefore an object of the present invention is to provide a spray device mounted on an electric vehicle, which can detect a temperature around rails in real time using a sensor while the electric vehicle is driving, and when the detected temperature is equal to or higher than a set temperature, automatically operate to concentrically spray water to the surface of the rails through spray nozzles, which are directly above the rails, thereby cooling down the temperature of the rails. It is therefore possible to prevent an accident of derailment of a train which would otherwise be caused by bucking in which the rails come off upward or warp to the side. In addition, the spray device according to the invention can be widely applied to not only urban subway systems, but also regional railway lines, industrial railway lines, high-speed railway lines and the like, in which rails are watered by mobilizing manpower at every section when the temperature around rails is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a spray device mounted on an electric vehicle, which atomizes and sprays water so that fine water particles can collect fine dust and harmful matters floating in the air and sink the fine dust and harmful matters to the road, thereby significantly improving the quality of air inside a subway tunnel. In addition, water particles which are finely atomized can obtain a cooling effect due to the heat of evaporation, thereby improving the condition of air inside the subway tunnel in the summer. 
     Technical Solution 
     According to an aspect of the present invention, provided is a spray device mounted on a trailer car (T-car) in a commercial or novel electric vehicle. Pressurized water is supplied to distribution pipes at a discharge side using a compression motor and a pump, and is atomized and sprayed through spray nozzles coupled to the distribution pipes. 
     Also provided is a spray device mounted on a trailer car (T-car) in a commercial or novel electric vehicle. The spray device includes, preferably, a sensor and a control panel, such that water can be automatically sprayed to the road of a subway tunnel while a train is driving. 
     Furthermore, according to the invention, a water supply port is disposed at one side of a doorway of the trailer car (T-car) on which the spray device is mounted, such that the water supply tank can be supplied with water using a water supply gun at a platform of a subway station when the electric vehicle is staying at a specific station for the first service in the next day. In addition, vertical partition plates are provided inside the water supply tank in order to minimize the water inside the water supply tank sloshing back and forth and to the left and right when the electric vehicle suddenly brakes due to as sudden stop or an unexpected situation during driving. 
     Advantageous Effects 
     According to the invention, it is possible to prevent an accident of derailment of a train which would otherwise be caused by bucking in which the rails come off upward or warp to the side. In addition, the invention can be widely applied to not only urban subway systems, but also regional railway lines, industrial railway lines, high-speed railway lines and the like, in which rails are watered by mobilizing manpower at every section when the temperature around rails is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature. 
     In addition, water is atomized and sprayed so that line water particles can collect fine dust and harmful matters floating in the air and sink the fine dust and harmful matters to the road, thereby significantly improving the quality of air inside a subway tunnel. In addition, water particles which are finely atomized can obtain a cooling effect due to the heat of evaporation, thereby improving the condition of air inside the subway tunnel. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of a typical trailer car (T-car) in an electric vehicle; 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the typical trailer car (T-car) in the electric vehicle on which a spray device according to the invention is mounted; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an outer housing of the spray device according to the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a water supply tank of the spray device according to the invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a detailed perspective view of the spray device according to the invention; and 
         FIG. 6  is a use state view of the spray device according to the invention. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE 
     Reference will now be made in detail to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. 
       FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of a typical trailer car (T-car) in an electric vehicle. 
     As shown in the figure, the trailer car (T-car) in the electric vehicle  100  has a marginal space between the underside thereof and rails  110 , since neither a power unit nor a control with is disposed on the underside. 
       FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the typical trailer car (T-car) in the electric vehicle on which a spray device according to the invention is mounted. 
     As shown in the figure, the spray device  120  according to the invention can be mounted on the underside of the trailer car (T-car) having the marginal space in the electric vehicle  100  such that it has a variety of shapes. The spray device  120  is mounted on a new electric vehicle at the stage of fabricating the electric vehicle. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an outer housing of the spray device according to the invention. 
     As shown in the figure, in order to protect a compression motor  150  and a pump  160 , which create pressurized water from water, and other components shown in  FIG. 5 , these components are disposed inside one side of the spray device  120 , which is partitioned using a gate  380 . Grill boards  390 ,  391  and  392  each of which includes a grill and a closed surface are provided on both sections of the gate  380  and on a side of the spray device  120 . 
     In order to block external air, the outer housing of the spray device  120  is covered with a heat-retaining insulation material  500 . Heat-generating elements  490  are disposed along distribution pipes  320  and  330  outside the distribution pipes  320  and  330 . The distribution pipes  320  and  330  and the heat-generating elements  490  are wrapped in the heat-retaining insulation material  500  and a heat-retaining insulation material cover  510 . 
     Accordingly, the invention can be put into practice in order to improve the quality of an in an underground tunnel throughout the year irrespective of temperature. 
     In addition, a water supply port  210  disposed in one surface of the spray device  120  has a water supply port cover  240 . The water supply port cover  240  has a hollow portion which extends from the central portion of the contact surface which closely adjoins the water support port  210  to the downward protruding end such that the water can be discharged to the outside when the supplied water reaches or exceeds a high-water level. Consequently, the water supply tank  130  slays under the atmospheric pressure. One side of the water supply port cover  240  is coupled to the water supply tank  130  via a hinge, and the other side of the water supply port cover  240  forms a latch, which is fixedly fastened to a latch hole of the spray device  120 . 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the water supply tank of the spray device according to the invention. 
     The water supply ports  210  and  220  are formed at one side of and the upper portion of the spray device  120 . The water supply port  220  formed in the upper portion of the spray device  120  is configured such that it can be connected to a water supply port  230  which is formed at one side of a doorway of the trailer car (T-car) on which the spray device  120  is mounted. The water supply port  210  formed in one side of the spray device  120  is provided with the water supply port cover  240 , which has a hollow portion which extends from the central portion of the contact surface which closely adjoins the water support port  210  to the downward protruding end. One side of the water supply port cover  240  is coupled to the spray device  120  via the hinge, and the other side of the water supply port cover  240  is fixedly fastened to the latch hole of the spray device  120  via the latch. 
     A level sensor  190  for detecting the level of the water inside the water supply tank  130  is provided in the upper portion of the spray device  120 . The compression motor  150  and the pump  160  operate when the level sensor  190  detects a water level that does not exceed the low-water level. When the water supplied to the water supply tank  130  caches or exceeds the high-water level, a buzzer (not shown) operates. 
     In addition, a drain valve  480  is disposed in the central portion of the bottom of the water supply tank  130 . 
     In addition, vertical partition plates  140  are provided in the lateral and longitudinal directions inside the water supply tank  130  in order to minimize the water inside the water supply tank  130  sloshing back and forth and to the left and right when the electric vehicle  100  suddenly brakes due to a sudden stop or an unexpected situation during driving. The upper and lower ends of the partition plates  140  are perforated at a plurality of positions in order to facilitate the movement of the air and water. 
       FIG. 5  is a detailed perspective view of the spray device according to the invention. 
     The spray device  120  has a control and  170  which receives signals from the water supply tank  130  which stores the water therein, the compression motor  150  and the pump  160  which supply the pressurized water, and a variety of sensors, and controls the compression motor  150  and the pump  160 . When spraying conditions are satisfied, by the control panel  170 , automatic valves  250  and  260  are opened and, at the same time, the compression motor  150  and the pump  160  start operating, thereby supplying the pressurized water to spray nozzles  270  and  280 , which in turn atomize and spray the water. 
     The spraying conditions under which the spray device  120  operates on the road of the subway tunnel indicate situations in which a sensor (not shown) for detecting the operation of the electric vehicle and a sensor (not shown) for detecting an underground tunnel structure detect their targets and the level sensor  190  detects that the level of the water stays equal to or higher than the low-water level. When the spraying conditions are satisfied, the automatic valve  250  is opened and the compression motor  150  and the pump  160  operate, so that the pressurized water is sprayed to the road and the both sides of the underground tunnel through the spray nozzles  270 . 
     At this time, the level sensor  190  sends a water level state signal about the supply tank  130  to a control unit (not shown) which is disposed on the control unit  170 . When the water level of the water supply tank  130  is equal to or higher than the low-water level, the control unit (not shown) determines that some of the spraying conditions for the operation of the spray device  120  are satisfied. 
     According to the above-described spraying conditions, when the water level of the water in the water supply tank  130  is equal to or lower than the low-water level of the level sensor  190  during the operation of the spray device  120 , or when the electric vehicle has stopped at a subway station or in a subway tunnel, the control panel  170  switches off power to the automatic valve  250  and the compression motor  150  so that the spray device  120  stops operating. 
     In addition, the spraying conditions under which the splay device  120  operates on the ground rails in the summer require that the temperature around the rail detected by the temperature sensor  310  protruding from the underside of the spray device  120  is equal to or higher than a set temperature and that the water level detected by the level sensor  190  stays equal to or higher than the low-water level. When these spraying conditions are satisfied, the spray device  120  operates to concentrically spray the water to the surface of the rails. 
     Even though the spray device  120  is operating under the spraying conditions, if the water level of the water supply tank  130  is equal to or lower than the low-water level of the level sensor  190  or the temperature sensor  310  does not operate, the control panel  170  switches off power to the automatic valve  260  and the compression motor  150 , thereby stopping the operation of the spray device  120 . 
     The distribution pipes  320  and  330  are divided into a distribution pipe for spraying the water to the road in the subway tunnel and a distribution pipe for spraying the water to the surface of the ground rails. A branch valve  450  and an automatic valve  250  are coupled to the distribution pipe  320  for spraying the water to the upper surface of the road and both sides of the subway tunnel, the spray nozzles  270  are coupled to the inclined surface of the distribution pipe  320 , and a selection valve  470  is provided at a predetermined point of the distribution pipe  320 . 
     In addition, a branch valve  460  and an automatic valve  260  are coupled to the distribution pipe  330  for spraying the water to the surface of the ground rails, and the spray nozzles  280  are coupled to one surface of the distribution pipe  330 . 
     In addition, a suction pipe  410  connected to the pump  160  is provided with a suction valve  420 , and a discharge pipe  440  connected to the pump  160  is provided with a pressure adjustment valve  300 , a discharge valve  430 , a check valve  290 , strainer  350  and a drain valve  360 . 
     Here, the pressure adjustment valve  300  disposed in the discharge pipe  440  is configured such that it can adjust the pressure of the pressurized water supplied by the compression motor  150  and the pump  160  to a suitable pressure so that the pressurized water can collect fine dust floating in a wide range on the road of the tunnel when sprayed through the spray nozzles  270  and  280 . 
     It is preferred that the water supply port  230  disposed at one side of a doorway of the trailer car (T-car) in the electric vehicle  100  be connected to the water supply port  220  at the upper side of the spray device  120  via a hollow guide pipe such that it can be easily supplied with water via a water supply gun  530  at a platform A in the subway station shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     When the water is supplied at the subway station platform A, the level sensor  190  and the control unit (not shown) interwork with each other, so that the buzzer (not shown) operates when the level of the supplied water inside the water supply tank  130  becomes equal to or higher than the high-water level. When the supplied water exceeds the high-water level, an excessive amount of the water is discharged to the outside via a hole in the water supply port cover  240 . The drain valve  480  is disposed in the central portion of the bottom of the water supply tank  130 . 
     In addition, a water level window (not shown) which indicates the amount of water inside the water supply tank  130  is disposed in one side of the spray device  120 . 
     In addition, a heater unit  340  is provided for use during cold winters. With the heater unit  340 , the water can be sprayed to the upper surface of the road and the both sides of the subway tunnel throughout the year. The heater unit  340  operates when the temperature of the external air is equal to or lower than a set temperature, and the level of the water detected by the level sensor  190  stays equal to or higher than the low-water level. 
     Reference numeral  400 , which has not been referred to, is a lock bracket which is used for closing the doorway. 
       FIG. 6  is a use state view of the spray device according to the invention, in which the water is supplied to the water supply tank  130  at a platform A of a subway station. 
     When the electric vehicle  100  is staying at a specific station for the first service in the next day, the water supply tank  130  is supplied with water via the water supply port  230  disposed at one side of a doorway of the trailer car (T-car), which is a part of the electric vehicle and on which the spray device  120  is mounted, using the water supply gun  530  at the platform A of the subway station. 
     With respect to reference numerals which have not been described,  520  indicates a pantograph which receives power from an overhead wire  540  for the electric vehicle,  540  indicates the overhead wire,  550  indicates insulators of the overhead wire, and B indicates the ceiling. 
     The foregoing embodiments of the invention have been presented for the purposes of illustration. They are not intended to limit the technical concept or scope of the invention. It should be understood that all changes and variations that a person having ordinary skill in the art can easily devise fall within the scope of the invention. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     The invention can be widely applied to not only urban subway systems, but also regional railway lines, industrial railway lines, high-speed railway lines and the like, in which rails are watered by mobilizing manpower at every section when the temperature around rails is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature.