RAIL CAR BRAKING REGENERATION AND PROPULSION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20080000381A1
• Filed: 05/24/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ISE Incorporated (ISE Group of Companies), Paul Everett Kaufmann
• Original Assignee: ISE Incorporated (ISE Group of Companies), Paul Everett Kaufmann
• Inventors: Kaufman, Paul, Bartley, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US11/420,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20080000381A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 105/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/22 Dynamic electric resistor braking, combined with dynamic electric regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 1/10 by utilising wheel movement for accumulating energy, e.g. driving air compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/662 characterised by specified functions of the control system components
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 7/04 Locomotives or motor railcars with two or more different kinds or types of engines, e.g. steam and IC engines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance

Abstract

A braking regeneration and propulsion system for a passive rail car including an axle with wheels includes a gear box to be operatively coupled to the axle; a motor/generator operatively coupled to the gear box; an energy storage for storing captured energy and supplying energy; and a control computer to assist deceleration of the passive rail car by causing the axle to drive the motor/generator via the gear box and supply energy to the energy storage system during deceleration, and, assist acceleration of the passive rail car by causing the motor/generator to draw energy from the energy storage system and drive the wheels via the gear box and axle during acceleration.

Claims

1. A braking regeneration and propulsion system for a passive rail car including an axle with wheels, the passive rail car primarily propelled by a separate driving locomotive, comprising:

a motor/generator operatively coupled to the axle;

an energy storage for storing captured energy and supplying energy; and

a control computer to assist deceleration of the passive rail car by causing the axle to drive the motor/generator via the gear box and supply energy to the energy storage system during deceleration, and, assist acceleration of the passive rail car by causing the motor/generator to draw energy from the energy storage system and drive the wheels via the gear box and axle during acceleration.

2. The braking regeneration and propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the rail car braking regeneration and propulsion system is axle-mounted.

3. The braking regeneration and propulsion system of claim 1, further including an inverter between the motor/generator and the energy storage.

4. The braking regeneration and propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the control computer is configured to prevent lurching of the passive rail car.

5. The braking regeneration and propulsion system of claim 1, wherein passive rail car is one of many passive rail cars primarily propelled by a separate driving locomotive, the braking regeneration and propulsion system is one of many braking regeneration and propulsion systems for the passive rail cars, the control computer is one of many control computers, and the control computers are configured to control the braking regeneration and propulsion systems to prevent lurching of the passive rail cars.

6. The braking regeneration and propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the passive rail car is at least one of a commuter cab car, a commuter trailer car, a flat car, a tank car, a box car, a bulk materials car, a container car, a specialty car, and a caboose.

7. The braking regeneration and propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the passive rail car includes more than one truck, each truck includes more than one axle with wheels and a separate braking regeneration and propulsion system for the truck, and each axle includes a separate gear box and a separate motor/generator.

8. The braking regeneration and propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the braking regeneration and propulsion system includes a braking resistor to dissipate excess energy generated by the braking regeneration and propulsion system.

9. The braking regeneration and propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the passive rail car includes multiple axles, and only one of the axles includes the braking regeneration and propulsion system.

10. The rail car braking regeneration and propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the motor/generator is a hydraulic motor/pump, and the energy storage is a hydraulic accumulator.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the rail car braking regeneration and propulsion system is axle-mounted.

12. The braking regeneration and propulsion system of claim 10, further including a hydraulic controller between the motor/pump and the energy storage.

13. The braking regeneration and propulsion system of claim 10, wherein the control computer is configured to prevent lurching of the passive rail car.

14. The braking regeneration and propulsion system of claim 10, wherein passive rail car is one of many passive rail cars primarily propelled by a separate driving locomotive, the braking regeneration and propulsion system is one of many braking regeneration and propulsion systems for the passive rail cars, the control computer is one of many control computers, and the control computers are configured to control the braking regeneration and propulsion systems to prevent lurching of the passive rail cars.

15. The braking regeneration and propulsion system of claim 10, wherein the passive rail car is at least one of a commuter car, a flat car, a tank car, a box car, a bulk materials car, a container car, a specialty car, and a caboose.

16. The braking regeneration and propulsion system of claim 10, wherein the passive rail car includes more than one truck, each truck includes more than one axle with wheels and a separate braking regeneration and propulsion system for the truck, and each axle includes a separate gear box and a separate motor/generator.

17. The braking regeneration and propulsion system of claim 10, wherein the braking regeneration and propulsion system includes a hydraulic brake retarder to dissipate excess energy generated by the braking regeneration and propulsion system.

18. The braking regeneration and propulsion system of claim 10, wherein the passive rail car includes multiple axles, and only one of the axles includes the braking regeneration and propulsion system.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy storage is one or more of a battery, ultracapacitor, and flywheel.

41. The system of claim 1, wherein the control computer transfers power from the driving locomotive by using the locomotive to turn the wheels/axles of the passive rail car.

42. The system of claim 10, wherein the control computer transfers power from the driving locomotive by using the locomotive to turn the wheels/axles of the passive rail car.

45. The braking regeneration and propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the motor/generator is integrated into one or more of the wheels.

20. A method of using a braking regeneration and propulsion system with a passive rail car including an axle with wheels, the passive rail car primarily propelled by a separate driving rail car, comprising:

providing a braking regeneration and propulsion system including;

a motor/generator operatively coupled to the axle;

an energy storage for storing captured energy and supplying energy; and

a control computer to assist deceleration of the passive rail car by causing the axle to drive the motor/generator via the gear box and supply energy to the energy storage system, and, assist acceleration of the passive rail car by causing the motor/generator to draw energy from the energy storage system and drive the wheels via the gear box and axle;

assisting deceleration of the passive rail car by causing the axle to drive the motor/generator via the gear box and supply energy to the energy storage system;

assisting acceleration of the passive rail car by causing the motor/generator to draw energy from the energy storage system and drive the wheels via the gear box and axle.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the braking regeneration and propulsion system is axle-mounted.

22. The method of claim 20, further including an inverter between the motor/generator and the energy storage.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the control computer is configured to prevent lurching of the passive rail car.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein passive rail car is one of many passive rail cars primarily propelled by a separate driving locomotive, the braking regeneration and propulsion system is one of many braking regeneration and propulsion systems for the passive rail cars, the control computer is one of many control computers, and the control computers are configured to control the braking regeneration and propulsion systems to prevent lurching of the passive rail cars.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the passive rail car is at least one of a commuter cab car, a commuter trailer car, a flat car, a tank car, a box car, a bulk materials car, a container car, a specialty car, and a caboose.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the passive rail car includes more than one truck, each truck includes more than one axle with wheels and a separate braking regeneration and propulsion system for the truck, and each axle includes a separate gear box and a separate motor/generator.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the braking regeneration and propulsion system includes a braking resistor to dissipate excess energy generated by the braking regeneration and propulsion system.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the passive rail car includes multiple axles, and only one of the axles includes the braking regeneration and propulsion system.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein during acceleration the motor/generator operates for no more than 60 seconds at a power level no less than 282 kW before exhausting stored energy.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein during acceleration the motor/generator operates for more than 60 seconds at less than a 282 kW power level before exhausting stored energy.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein the motor/generator is a hydraulic motor/pump, and the energy storage is a hydraulic accumulator.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the rail car braking regeneration and propulsion system is axle-mounted.

33. The method of claim 31, further including a hydraulic controller between the motor/pump and the energy storage.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the control computer is configured to prevent lurching of the passive rail car.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein passive rail car is one of many passive rail cars primarily propelled by a separate driving locomotive, the braking regeneration and propulsion system is one of many braking regeneration and propulsion systems for the passive rail cars, the control computer is one of many control computers, and the control computers are configured to control the braking regeneration and propulsion systems to prevent lurching of the passive rail cars.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the passive rail car is at least one of a commuter car, a flat car, a tank car, a box car, a bulk materials car, a container car, a specialty car, and a caboose.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the passive rail car includes more than one truck, each truck includes more than one axle with wheels and a separate braking regeneration and propulsion system for the truck, and each axle includes a separate gear box and a separate motor/generator.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein the braking regeneration and propulsion system includes a hydraulic brake retarder to dissipate excess energy generated by the braking regeneration and propulsion system.

39. The method of claim 31, wherein the passive rail car includes multiple axles, and only one of the axles includes the braking regeneration and propulsion system.

40. The method of claim 31, wherein the energy storage is a hydraulic accumulator.

43. The method of claim 20, wherein the control computer transfers power from the driving locomotive by using the locomotive to turn the wheels/axles of the passive rail car.

44. The method of claim 31, wherein the control computer transfers power from the driving locomotive by using the locomotive to turn the wheels/axles of the passive rail car.

46. The method of claim 20, wherein the motor/generator is integrated into one or more of the wheels.