METHOD FOR ACHIEVING AND MAINTAINING DESIRED SPEED ON A GUIDEWAY SYSTEM

• US 20030173172A1
• Filed: 03/13/2002
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Miller, John Michael, Stephan, Craig Hammann, Anderson, Richard David, Davis, Lloyd Craig
• Granted Patent: US 6,619,212 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 191/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 13/006 Electric propulsion adapted for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/03 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/005 for control of propulsion for vehicles propelled by linear motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60M 7/00 Power lines or rails specially adapted for electrically-propelled vehicles of special types, e.g. suspension tramway, ropeway, underground railway
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility

Abstract

A method is provided for controlling operation of a vehicle on a guideway system, wherein the vehicle includes a first element of a linear induction motor and an alternate power source, and the guideway system has an acceleration section including a second element of the linear induction motor, and a computer control system. The method includes utilizing the second element in cooperation with the first element so as to accelerate the vehicle on the acceleration section of the guideway system, and providing speed instructions to the vehicle using the computer control system so as to cause the vehicle to use the alternate power source to maintain a desired cruising speed on a main section of the guideway system.

Claims

1. A method for controlling operation of a vehicle on a guideway system, wherein the vehicle includes a first element of a linear induction motor and an alternate power source, and the guideway system has an acceleration section including a second element of the linear induction motor, and a computer control system, the method comprising:

utilizing the second element in cooperation with the first element so as to accelerate the vehicle on the acceleration section of the guideway system; and

providing speed instructions to the vehicle using the computer control system so as to cause the vehicle to use the alternate power source to maintain a desired cruising speed on a main section of the guideway system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing speed instructions includes instructing the vehicle to maintain the desired cruising speed at at least 240 kilometers per hour.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing acceleration instructions to the vehicle using the computer control system so as to cause the vehicle to accelerate on the acceleration section of the guideway system using the alternate power source.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first element is an active primary element, and the second element is a reactive secondary element.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first element is a reactive secondary element, and the second element is an active primary element.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically sensing the main section of the guideway system for the presence of a suitable gap in traffic flow for receiving the vehicle from the acceleration section.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising providing guidance instructions to the vehicle from the computer control system so as to route the vehicle to an aborted merge deceleration section of the guideway system if a suitable gap is not present.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising allowing the vehicle to travel to an aborted merge deceleration section of the guideway system if a suitable gap is not present.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising decelerating the vehicle on the aborted merge deceleration section using a linear induction motor element of the aborted merge deceleration section.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising converting kinetic energy from the vehicle to electrical energy, and supplying the electrical energy to the second element of the acceleration section.

11. The method of claim 6 further comprising automatically providing guidance instructions from the computer control system to a computer of the vehicle so as to route the vehicle to the main section of the guideway system if a suitable gap is present.

12. A method for achieving and maintaining a desired cruising speed for a vehicle on a guideway system, wherein the vehicle includes a reactive secondary element of a linear induction motor and an internal combustion engine, and the guideway system has an acceleration section including an active primary element of the linear induction motor, a main section extending from the acceleration section, and a computer control system, the method comprising:

sensing the main section of the guideway system for the presence of a suitable gap in traffic flow for receiving the vehicle from the acceleration section;

automatically determining when to begin acceleration of the vehicle so that the vehicle will reach a merge point on the main section at the same time as the gap in traffic flow;

providing acceleration instructions from the computer control system to the vehicle so as to cause the vehicle to accelerate on the acceleration section of the guideway system using the engine;

energizing the primary element of the linear induction motor so as to further accelerate the vehicle on the acceleration section, thereby approximately achieving the desired cruising speed for the vehicle;

sensing the main section of the guideway system to verify the presence the gap in traffic flow after acceleration of the vehicle has begun but before the vehicle reaches the main section;

providing guidance instructions to the vehicle using the computer control system so as to route the vehicle to the merge point on the main section if the vehicle will reach the merge point at the same time as the gap in traffic flow; and

providing speed instructions to the vehicle using the computer control system so as to cause the vehicle to use the engine to maintain the desired cruising speed on the main section of the guideway system.