METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DE-ICING OF TRAINS

METHODE ET DISPOSITIF DE DEGIVRAGE DES TRAINS

English Abstract

Method and device for de-icing of trains in which a treatment medium is sprayed against the underside of units in the train such as locomotive and carriages in order to remove ice which has been built up in the base frames of the units. As treatment medium heated glycol is used.

French Abstract

Une méthode et un dispositif de dégivrage des trains dans lequel un composé de traitement est vaporisé sur la surface inférieure des unités du train, telles que les locomotives et wagons, pour retirer le givre accumulé sur les châssis de base des unités. Le glycol chauffé est un composé de traitement utilisé.

Claims

4

CLAIMS:

1. A method for de-icing a train having an underside portion,
comprising the steps of:
a) heating a treatment medium;
b) spraying the treatment medium only upwardly and not
downwardly against the underside portion of the train so as to
form a sprayed treatment medium; and
c) collecting the sprayed treatment medium for reuse so as to
form a collected treatment medium.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the treatment
medium comprises glycol.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of
collecting the sprayed treatment medium is followed by the step
of cleaning the collected treatment medium.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the treatment
medium comprises polypropylenglycol.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of
collecting the treatment medium further comprises collecting the
treatment medium in a collection tank below the train.
6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said step of
collecting the treatment medium in a collection tank below the


5

train further comprises collecting the treatment medium in a
plurality of collecting tanks.
7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said step of
collecting the treatment medium in a collection tank below the
train further comprises the step of evaporating water contained
in the collected treatment medium.
8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of
heating a treatment medium further comprises heating the
treatment medium to a temperature in an order of 90 degrees C.
9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of
collecting the sprayed treatment medium comprises collecting the
sprayed treatment medium dripping from the underside portion of
the train.
10. An apparatus for de-icing a train on a track, wherein the
train has an underside, and wherein the track has sides, said
apparatus comprising:
a) a heater for heating a de-icing medium;
b) a sprayer arrangement for spraying the underside of the
train with the de-icing medium so as to form a sprayed de-icing
medium, with said sprayer arrangement disposed proximate to the
track and directed only upwardly and not downwardly;
c) at least one collection tank for collecting the sprayed de-


6

icing medium so as to form a collected de-icing medium, with
said at least one collection tank disposed proximate to the
track; and
d) re-circulating connections connecting said at least one
collection tank, said heater, and said sprayer arrangement for
re-circulating the collected de-icing medium.
11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the de-icing
medium comprises glycol.
12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the de-icing
medium comprises polypropylenglycol.
13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a
plurality of collection tanks, with said plurality of collection
tanks disposed proximate to the sides of the track.
14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a
cleaner connected to said re-circulating connections for
cleaning the collected de-icing medium.
15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a
collection tank disposed between the sides of the track.
16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a
collection tank disposed alongside and disposed outwardly
relative to the track.


7

17. A method for de-icing a train having an underside portion,
comprising the steps of:
a) heating a treatment medium;
b) spraying the treatment medium against the underside portion
of the train so as to form a sprayed treatment medium, with the
sprayed treatment medium directed only in an upward direction
and not in a downward direction;
c) collecting the sprayed treatment medium so as form a
collected treatment medium; and
d) re-circulating the collected treatment medium for reuse.
18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the treatment
medium comprises glycol.
19. An apparatus for de-icing a train on a track, wherein the
train has an underside, said apparatus comprising:
a) a heater for heating a de-icing medium;
b) a sprayer arrangement for spraying the underside of the
train with the de-icing medium so as to form a sprayed de-icing
medium, with said sprayer arrangement disposed proximate to the
track, and with said sprayer arrangement disposed only upwardly
and not downwardly to direct a spray only in an upward direction
and not in a downward direction;
c) at least one collection tank for collecting the sprayed de-
icing medium so as to form a collected de-icing medium, with


8

said at least one collection tank disposed proximate to the
track; and
d) re-circulating connections connecting said at least one
collection tank, said heater, and said sprayer arrangement for
re-circulating the collected de-icing medium.
20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, further comprises:
e) a control unit connected to said heater and said re-
circulating connections; and
f) a leakage sensor connected to said control unit.

Description

CA 02540403 2006-03-20
1
Method and device for de-icing of trains

The present invention relates to a method and device for
de-icing of trains, wherein a medium is sprayed against the
underside of the units in the train such as locomotive and
carriages in order to remove ice which has been built up on
the base frames of the units.
When trains are run during wintry conditions
disturbances are often seen due to formation of ice around the
brakes and bogie. With conventional de-icing systems it is
today a constant problem with trains which have to be removed
from service due to ice formation.
On a standard size train it takes about 10 hours to
remove the ice which requires enormous quantities of energy
with blowing hot air. In this conventional de-icing moisture
always remains on all parts under the train. When the train
thereafter runs out in degrees below freezing point ice

crystals are formed immediately under the entire train. These
have a pointed and spiny form in its structure which means
that the snow immediately clings to them and starts to build
up the ice. This combination with heated brakes and quick
cooling means that the train quickly builds up the ice again.
The object of the invention is to provide a de-icing
system in which the drawbacks of the conventional de-icing are
eliminated.
This object is achieved in that the method and the
device are characterized according to the following claims.
The invention will in the following be described in

connection with an embodiment of a device for de-icing of
trains shown in the drawings.
Figure 1 is schematically a flow chart of the device.
Figure 2 is a cross section through collecting tanks in
the device and arranged on a track.


CA 02540403 2006-03-20
2
The device illustrated in Figure 1 and 2 comprises a
collecting tank 3 designed to be arranged between the rails 2
in the de-icing area of a railway track and a collecting tank
1 to the left and a collecting tank 4 to the right of the
rails 2. The tanks 1, 3 and 4 thereby have a length of e.g. 15
meters and are bolted to the sleepers S of the track by means
of wood screws. The tank 1 has a width such as it lies between
and with suitable space to the rails, while the tanks 3 and 4
also lie with a space to the rails and have a width such as to
extend outside of the outer side of the train carriages. At
the ends of the collecting tanks 1, 3 and 4 are connections 6a
for the supply and 6b for the evacuation of a de-icing medium
to and from the tanks.
According to the invention the de-icing medium is a hot
glycol which is sprayed on the under sides of the train
carriages via a number of nozzles or mouthpieces arranged on
the edges of the tanks 1, 3 and 4 e.g. 30 nozzles on the
length 15 meters. The glycol is stored in a tank 7 from which
it is delivered to an oil pan or electric pan 8 for heating to
approximately 90 . From the tank 7 the glycol is pumped via
pumps 9, 10 to the connections 6a and nozzles (not shown) of
the tanks 1, 3 and 4 in a continuous flow of glycol which is
ejected from the tanks 1, 3 and 4. The heated tanks melt the
falling ice on the way towards the connections 6b of the
tanks. The evacuated glycol is supplied to a recirculation
system 12 which cleans it in order to be used again in the
device via a return pump 11 which returns the glycol to the
tank 7. A power supply unit 13 is coupled to the pumps 9-11
and a control module controls the function of the pan 8, the
pumps 9-11 and the recirculation system 12.

The glycol used is propylenglycol which is not
inflammable, poisonous or lengthy noxious to the environment.
By using propylenglycol there is no formation of ice crystals
under the train but instead one gets a slightly remoistured


CA 02540403 2006-03-20
3

and somewhat "sticky" surface in which the snow does not
easily adhere and this means that ice formation beneath the
train is prevented in a very efficient way. Another very big
advantage is the time factor. With present de-icing plants it
can today take nearly 10 hours to de-ice a train with enormous
consumption of energy. In the plant according to the invention
the train runs in about 10 minutes above the plant with a
speed of about 25 meters per minute and with very low
consumption of energy.

If the plant (device) is used regularly in a preventive
purpose on trains free from ice which shall run in areas with
much snow this will prevent formation of ice in a very

,efficient way. With the system according to the invention it
will thus be possible to run the trains during winter time
without operation disturbances due to formation of ice around
breaks and bogie. The plant shown may be placed anywhere along
the track outdoors, it requires only support of current and is
for the rest entirely self supporting and automatic.

Representative Drawing