Trip Optimization System and Method for a Vehicle

• US 20070233364A1
• Filed: 02/06/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kumar, Ajith Kuttannair
• Granted Patent: US 7,974,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/200
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0058 On-board optimisation of vehicle or vehicle train operation
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0072 On-board train data handling
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/009 On-board display devices
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/021 Measuring and recording of train speed
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/006 On-board optimisation of vehicle or vehicle train operation track-side optimisation of operation B61L27/16

Abstract

A system for operating a vehicle including an engine operating on at least one type of fuel is provided. The system includes a locator element to determine a location of the vehicle, a characterization element to provide information about a terrain of the vehicle, a database to store characteristic information for each type of fuel, and a processor operable to receive information from the locator element, the characterization element, and the database. An algorithm is embodied within the processor with access to the information for creating a trip plan that optimizes performance of the vehicle in accordance with one or more operational criteria for the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for operating at least one vehicle, each vehicle including an engine operating on at least one type of fuel, the system comprising:

a database for storing characteristic information for each of said at least one type of fuel;

a processor operable to receive information from said database; and

an algorithm embodied within the processor having access to the information from said database of each of said at least one type of fuel to create a trip plan that optimizes performance of the at least one vehicle in accordance with one or more operational criteria for said at least one vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a locator element to determine a location of the vehicle;

a characterization element to provide information about a terrain of said at least one vehicle;

wherein said processor is operable to receive information from said database, locator element and said characterization element;

and wherein said algorithm embodied within said processor has access to said information from said database, locator element and said characterization element to create a trip plan that optimizes performance of the at least one vehicle in accordance with one or more operational criteria for said at least one vehicle.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said vehicle comprises one of a train having one or more locomotive consists, an off-highway vehicle (OHV) and a marine vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said characteristic information for each of said at least one type of fuel for each vehicle comprises at least one of fuel efficiency, emission efficiency, respective tank volume, cost availability, and location availability.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said algorithm creates a trip plan for minimizing the total fuel consumed of said at least one type of fuel of said at least one vehicle.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said trip plain minimizes the total fuel consumed of said at least one type of fuel in accordance with an operational criteria of said at least one vehicle comprising at least one emission rate limit.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said minimizing the total fuel consumed of said at least one type of fuel comprises minimizing a weighted sum having weighted coefficients of each respective fuel consumed of said at least one type of fuel;

and wherein said algorithm determines each respective weighted coefficient for said trip plan that minimizes the total fuel consumed of each of said at least one type of fuel of said at least one vehicle.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each of said at least one weighted coefficient for each of said at least one respective type of fuel depends on at least one of an emission rate, cost availability, fuel reliability, respective fuel tank volume, and location availability of each respective type of fuel.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said at least one weighted coefficient for a particular trip and said at least one vehicle is stored in said database for subsequent retrieval when said at least one vehicle re-commences said trip.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said trip comprises a plurality of segments, and wherein said at least one weight coefficient in each respective segment varies with the segment length.

11. The system of claim 4, wherein said algorithm creates a trip plan for minimizing the total emission output of said at least one type of fuel of said at least one vehicle.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said trip plain minimizes the total emission output of each of said at least one type of fuel in accordance with an operational criteria of said at least one vehicle comprising at least one fuel mileage rate limit.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said minimizing the total emission output of said at least one type of fuel comprises minimizing a weighted sum having weighted coefficients of each respective emission output for each fuel of said at least one type of fuel;

and wherein said algorithm determines each respective weighted coefficient for said trip plan that minimizes the total emission output of each of said at least one type of fuel of said at least one vehicle.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each of said at least one weighted coefficient for each of said at least one respective type of fuel depend on at least one of a fuel efficiency, cost availability, fuel reliability, respective fuel tank volume, and location availability of each respective type of fuel.

15. The system of claim 2, wherein said at least one type of fuel comprises at least one diesel-based fuel and at least one alternate fuel.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said at least one alternate fuel comprises one of biodiesel, palm oil, and rape seed oil.

17. The system of claim 2 further comprising an input device in communication with the processor for transferring said characteristic information of said at least one type of fuel to the processor, said characteristic information comprising at least one of fuel efficiency, emission efficiency, respective tank volume, cost availability, location availability.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the input device comprises said characteristic information of said at least one fuel type provided by at least one of a remote location, a roadside device, and a user.

19. The system of claim 2 further comprises a user interface element connected to the processor.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the user interface element selectively displays the volume of each respective at least one of type of fuel already used during the trip and the future anticipated mileage remaining for each respective at least one type of fuel.

21. The system of claim 2 further comprising a controller element for autonomously directing the train to follow the trip plan.

22. The system of claim 2 wherein an operator directs the train to follow the trip plan.

23. The system of claim 2 wherein the algorithm autonomously updates the trip plan as the train progresses on a trip.

24. A method for operating at least one vehicle, each vehicle including an engine operating on at least one type of fuel, the method comprising:

a) determining the location of the vehicle;

b) providing information about a terrain of said at least one vehicle;

c) storing characteristic information for each of said at least one type of fuel;

d) creating a trip plan based upon said information about the terrain and said characteristic information for each type of fuel that optimizes performance of the at least one vehicle in accordance with one or more operational criteria for said at least one vehicle.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said vehicle comprises one of a train having one or more locomotive consists, an off-highway vehicle (OHV) and a marine vehicle.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said characteristic information for each of said at least one type of fuel for each vehicle comprises at least one of fuel efficiency, emission efficiency, respective tank volume, cost availability, and location availability.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said creating a trip plan comprises minimizing the total fuel consumed of said at least one type of fuel of said at least one vehicle.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said minimizing the total fuel consumed of said at least one type of fuel comprises minimizing a weighted sum having weighted coefficients of each respective fuel consumed of said at least one type of fuel.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising determining said respective weighted coefficient for said trip plan that minimizes the total fuel consumed of each of said at least one type of fuel of said at least one vehicle.

30. Computer readable media containing program instructions for a method for operating at least one vehicle, each vehicle including an engine operating on at least one type of fuel, said method comprising determining the location of the vehicle, providing information about a terrain of said at least one vehicle, storing characteristic information for each of said at least one type of fuel, the computer readable media comprising:

a computer program code for creating a trip plan that optimizes performance of the at least one vehicle in accordance with one or more operational criteria of said at least one type of fuel for said at least one vehicle.