Method and device for controlling the supply of a pressure medium on rail vehicles (compressor management)

Method according to one of the preceding claims,

• characterized in that, for defining the priority sequence of the compressors (5a to 5c), these are switched on at different individual lower limit pressures and are switched off at different individual upper maximal pressures, as a result of the smallest lowest limit pressure, the compressor (5a) with the highest priority being switched on last, and the compressors (5b to 5c) which follow with respect to their priority being switched on earlier offset by one next higher differential pressure value respectively.

Method according to one of the preceding claims,

• characterized in that the controlling of the pressure medium supply within the train formation takes place in a centralized manner from a higher ranking control unit or, in a decentralized manner, by a control unit (6a to 6c) assigned to each compressor (5a to 5c).

Method according to one of the preceding claims,

• characterized in that the actual pressure medium demand of the train formation is determined by means of the pressure in a common main air reservoir pipe (3) which is looped through all rail vehicle vehicles (1a to 1c).

Method according to one of the preceding claims,

• characterized in that a fixed priority sequence of the compressors (5a to 5c) is defined in an unchangeable manner after the assembling of the rail vehicles (1a to 1c) to a train formation.

Device for controlling the supply of a pressure medium on rail vehicles, which are mutually coupled mechanically and with respect to the pressure medium within a train formation, and the pressure medium supply takes place by way of a common main air reservoir pipe (3) extending through all rail vehicles (1a to 1c), which main air reservoir pipe 3 is connected at the coupling points of the rail vehicles (1a to 1c) by way of pressure medium couplings (4a, 4b) in sections, and is fed with a pressure medium by way of several compressors (5a to 5c), an assigned compressor (5a to 5c) being provided essentially in each rail vehicle (1a to 1c),

• characterized in that devices are provided for defining a priority sequence for the compressors (5a to 5c) based on the total number of compressors (5a to 5c) available in the train formation, as a function of the actual pressure medium demand, switching devices actuating only that number compressors (5a to 5c) according to the sequence of their priority, which are required for covering the actual pressure medium demand.