TECHNICAL FIELD

The present teaching relates to a transportation device comprising at least one vehicle, which is coupled to a driven cable of the transportation device, for transporting the vehicle between a first station and a second station, whereby at least one generator being provided on the vehicle, which generates electrical energy while the vehicle is moving in order to supply power to electrical loads of the vehicle. Furthermore, the present teaching relates to a method for operating such a transportation device.

BACKGROUND

Transportation devices for transporting passengers or objects are known, in which a vehicle of the transportation device does not have its own drive. In this case, the vehicle is driven by an external stationary drive. These are often designed as cable-drawn transportation devices, in which the vehicle is permanently clamped or coupled to a circulating cable and is moved together with the cable. Examples of such transportation devices are funiculars, aerial tramways (aerial cableways) or cable railways (often also referred to as People Movers or Cable Liners). Such systems can comprise one or more tracks and one or more vehicles can be moved at the same time (also on a single route). The vehicles are moved between two stations in either circulation movement or reversible movement.

A number of electrical loads are arranged on vehicles of modern transportation devices, in particular in devices for transporting passengers. A vehicle must therefore comprise an electrical energy supply in order to supply electrical energy to the electrical loads. In the stations in which the vehicles are generally at a standstill or only move very slowly, the electrical energy can be externally supplied very easily, for example by means of busbars or overhead wires, by means of closed electrical contacts, but also wirelessly, for example inductively. Such transportation devices are, however, stretch for long distances, and therefore it is often difficult in practice to ensure that the vehicles are supplied with energy over this distance.

Efficient electrical energy stores on the vehicle are conceivable for this purpose. However, these would have to be adequately dimensioned, which leads to large, heavy energy stores. Likewise, it is difficult to charge such energy stores in the stations, since this would require very high electrical currents and power.

In order to supply energy to a vehicle of a transportation device of this type, busbars or overhead wires are therefore often also provided along the entire travel distance of the vehicle. The vehicle is in contact with the busbar or overhead wire by means of a suitable current collector via which it receives the necessary electrical energy. Energy stores could therefore be completely omitted from the vehicle, or only small energy stores would have to be provided for supplying the vehicle with emergency power if faults occur. Such busbars or overhead wires are, however, complex to install and also require regular maintenance due to the high degree of wear between the busbars or overhead wires and the current collector. Having said that, in busbars or overhead wires there is also always the risk of the current collector derailing and of electric shocks or ground faults, and therefore such designs are also susceptible to faults and place high demands on the operational safety.

It is also known to arrange a generator on a vehicle of such transportation devices, which generator is operatively connected to a wheel of the vehicle in order to generate electric current by means of the movement of the wheel. Examples of this can be found in EP 1 992 539 B1 or EP 2 623 389 B1. Although this increases the effort for the vehicle, said vehicle can therefore generate the electrical energy required for its electrical loads itself. In this case, an electrical energy store for supplying the electrical loads with power can be omitted from the vehicle, or only a small energy store needs to be provided in order to supply the vehicle with power in an emergency. This solution is particularly suitable for transportation devices in which the vehicle is continuously moved over long travel distances, i.e. for example as in an aerial cableway or funicular, which allows for a continuous supply of electrical energy. If the vehicle stops frequently or in the event of shorter travel distances, as is often the case in funiculars, this solution is, however, not necessarily suitable since the generator on the vehicle can, of course, only generate electrical energy when the vehicle is moving.

SUMMARY

One object of the present teaching is therefore to provide a transportation device and a method for operating a transportation device, which always ensures that a sufficient amount of electrical energy is supplied to a vehicle of the transportation device by means of simple technical means.

This object is achieved for the method by the electrical loads of the vehicle being supplied with power outside the first station by an electrical energy store of the vehicle or by both an electrical energy store and the generator during a first movement phase, in which the vehicle is accelerated to a limit speed out of the station, or, conversely, is decelerated from a limit speed into the station, and, in a subsequent second movement phase when said vehicle moves at a speed that is greater than the limit speed, the vehicle is supplied with electrical energy by the generator. The transportation device is characterized in that an electrical energy store is provided on the vehicle and the electrical energy store or the electrical energy store together with the generator supplies the electrical loads of the vehicle with electrical energy when the vehicle is accelerated to a limit speed out of the station or, conversely, is decelerated from a limit speed into a station, and the generator supplies electrical energy to the electrical loads of the vehicle when said vehicle moves at a speed that is greater than the limit speed.

Busbars or overhead wires, which used to be customary and are susceptible to faults, for supplying energy to a vehicle of the transportation device outside of the stations can therefore be omitted. However, it is equally not necessary to provide large electrical energy stores to ensure energy supply between the stations. The generator on the vehicle is used for this. An electrical energy store is provided on the vehicle in order to close the supply gaps that exist with a generator, by means of which the loads are supplied with electrical energy until the generator can take over by itself. This energy store can therefore be designed smaller, since it is not required during the entire time the vehicle is moving.

A generator that can be used in both directions is preferably used, since the transportation device can therefore be operated in reversible movement.

If the electrical energy store on the vehicle is charged in the first station by a charging device that is supplied with electricity by the station, the generator can be designed smaller, since it does not have to take over charging the energy store, or at least only has to take over charging said store to a lesser extent. Due to the innately smaller energy store, less power is therefore also required for charging the electrical energy store, which also simplifies the charging device in the station.

In order to be able to use excess electrical energy from the generator, the electrical energy store on the vehicle is advantageously charged by the generator during the second movement phase.

The strain on the energy store can be reduced if at least one electrical load of the vehicle is switched off, either fully or in part, whilst the vehicle makes a stop in a station and/or during the first movement phase.

If at least one electrical load of the vehicle is only supplied with electrical energy by means of the generator, in particular loads, the brief cut-out of which can be tolerated, and preferably loads having a very high energy requirement, can only be supplied with power by means of the generator in order to reduce the strain placed on the energy store.

If at least two vehicles, which are coupled to one another, are moved, at least one load of one of the two vehicles is advantageously supplied with electrical energy by the other vehicle if the energy supply to one vehicle cuts out. This can maintain the operation of the transportation device, at least to a limited extent, if a fault occurs on the vehicle, in particular in the energy store or the generator.

