Method of Controlling a Rail Transport System for Conveying Bulk Materials

• US 20080154451A1
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rail-Veyor Technologies Global, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rail-Veyor Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Dibble, Merton F., Capers, Joe
• Granted Patent: US 8,140,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/20
• CPC Class Codes: B61B 13/127 the propulsion device consisting of stationary driving wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 13/62 characterised by the use of electric means, e.g. use of a tachometric dynamo, use of a transducer converting an electric value into a displacement electric motor control H02P

Abstract

A train is driven by drive stations positioned along a track for frictionally contacting side plates on the train. The drive speed is controlled in response to sensors located at each drive station sensing a position of a wheel and a side plate for confirming a presence of the train. A start command is transmitted from the drive station driving the train to a second drive station downstream when a lead car is within a preselected distance from the second drive station. The drive station at the second drive station is quickly accelerated to a target speed for synchronizing the first drive station with the second drive station. After receiving the train, the second drive station then transmits a stop command to the first drive station for fast decelerating the drive station to a stop.

Claims

1. A method of controlling movement of a train along a track, wherein the train is driven by a plurality of drive stations positioned along the track, and wherein the train includes a lead car and a rear car, each car having wheels for rolling along the track and each car having a side plate thereon, each of the plurality of drive stations having a drive tire positioned for making frictional contact with the side plates at preselected intervals for moving the train along the track, the method comprising:

providing first and second sensors at each of the plurality of drive stations;

positioning the first sensor for sensing a position of each car rolling along the track at the drive station;

positioning the second sensor for sensing a presence of the side plate;

operating a first drive station of the plurality of driver stations for moving the train along the track at a preselected speed;

sensing at least one of the lead car and the rear car;

the first drive station accelerating the train to a target speed and driving the train at the target speed toward a second drive station of the plurality of drive stations;

sensing each car as each car of the train passes the first sensor for determining a position of the train relative to the first drive station;

sensing a leading edge of a first side plate carried by the lead car, wherein the leading edge sensing provides a signal confirming the train is present;

transmitting a fast acceleration command signal to the second drive station when the lead car is within a preselected distance from the second drive station, wherein the start signal is initiated based on a train length and a presence thereof resulting from signals from the first and second sensors;

fast accelerating the drive tire at the second drive station to the target speed for synchronizing the first drive station with the second drive station;

receiving the train at the second drive station for continuing to drive the train;

sensing each car of the train as each car passes the first sensor at the second drive station for determining a position of the train relative to the second drive station;

sensing the leading edge of the first side plate by the second sensor at the second drive station for confirming a presence of the train; and

transmitting a stop command to the first drive station for fast decelerating the drive tire of the first drive station to a stop.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the target speed comprises one of a load speed, a travel speed, and an unload speed.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the train comprises the train driven by the drive stations at:

a first speed at which the train is loaded;

an acceleration to a second speed for movement of the loaded train downstream for unloading;

a deceleration of the loaded train to a third speed for an unloading thereof;

an acceleration of the unloaded train to the second speed; and

a deceleration of the train to the first speed for again loading the train.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises a sensor pair including an upstream sensor and a downstream sensor mounted in a plane generally parallel to the track in such a manner so as to allow the sensor pair to provide quadrature detection in counting wheels of each car of the train as the wheels pass the drive station.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein sensing each car comprises sensing wheels within the train for providing a wheel count, and wherein the wheel count is used in determining the train position.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a gap exists between a trailing edge of a first side plate on one car and a leading edge of a second side plate on an adjacent car, and wherein the gap produces a disruption in a sensing signal provided by the second sensor, the method further comprising the second sensor correcting from the disruption using a debounce circuit for determining that the second side plate is present.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein a first wheel carried by the lead car is forward a leading edge of the side plate carried by the lead car, thus the sensing of the first wheel by the drive stations occurs before the sensing of the leading edge of the side plate.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of drive stations comprises communications means operable with the first and second sensors for transmitting sensor data to adjacent drive stations, and wherein each drive station is responsive to the communications means for controlling the speed of the drive tire.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second sensors for each of the plurality of drive stations communicates with a central controller, and wherein the central controller monitors operations for each of the drive stations by providing at least one of drive tire speed, train location along the track, and speed of the train.

10. A method of controlling movement of a train along a track, wherein each train includes a lead car and a rear, each car having wheels for rolling along the track and each car having a side plate, and wherein each of the plurality of drive stations includes a drive element positioned for making frictional contact with the side plates at preselected intervals along the track for moving the train along the track, the method comprising:

providing a sensor pair including an upstream sensor and a downstream sensor mounted in a plane generally parallel to the track in such a manner so as to allow the sensor pair to provide quadrature detection in counting of wheels of the trains as the wheels pass the drive station;

operating a first drive station of the plurality of driver stations for moving a the train along the track at a preselected speed;

sensing the wheels of the train as the train passes the first drive station;

the first drive station accelerating the train to a target speed and driving the train at the target speed toward a second drive station of the plurality of drive stations;

sensing each wheel of the train passing the sensor pair for determining a position and direction of movement of the train relative to the first drive station;

transmitting a start command signal to the second drive station when the lead car is within a preselected distance from the second drive station, wherein the start command signal is initiated based on a train length;

accelerating the drive element of the second drive station to the target speed for synchronizing a speed of the drive element of the first drive station with a speed of the drive element of the second drive station;

receiving the train at the second drive station for continuing to drive the train;

sensing each wheel of the train passing the second drive station for again determining a position and direction of travel of the train relative to the second drive station; and

responsive to the second drive station driving the train, transmitting a stop command to the first drive station for bringing the drive element of the first drive station to a stop.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

positioning a second sensor for sensing the side plate; and

sensing the side plate by the second sensor at the first drive station for confirming a presence of the train, wherein transmitting the start command signal to the second drive station is further based on confirmation that the train is present resulting from a signal from the second sensor.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein a gap exists between a trailing edge of a first side plate on one car and a leading edge of a second side plate on an adjacent car, and wherein the gap produces a disruption in a sensing signal provided by the second sensor, the method further comprising the second sensor correcting from the disruption using a debounce circuit for determining that the second side plate is present.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the target speed comprises one of a load speed, a travel speed, and an unload speed.

14. The method according claim 10, wherein the sensor pair provides quadrature detection in the counting of the wheels of the train as the wheels pass the drive station and information for determining a direction of movement of the train.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein sensing the wheels within the train provides a wheel count, and wherein the wheel count is used in determining a train length for initiating the start command to the second drive station.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of drive stations comprises communications means operable with the sensor pair for transmitting sensor signal data to adjacent drive stations, and wherein each drive station is responsive to the communications means for controlling the speed of the drive tire.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein the sensor pair communicates with a central controller, and wherein the central controller monitors operations for each of each drive station by providing at least one of drive tire speed, train location along the track, and speed of the train.

18. A train system comprising:

a track having parallel rails;

a train having a first car including forward and rear wheel pairs operable on the track for providing a free wheeling movement to the first car,

the train having at least a second car including a forward pivotal connection to the first car, the second car having only a rear wheel pair operable on the track for providing a free wheeling movement thereto, wherein each of the first and second cars have a side plate affixed thereto;

multiple drive stations each having a variable frequency drive (VFD) including a drive tire for frictionally contacting the side plate and imparting a driven movement to each car and thus the train;

each of the plurality of drive stations including a first sensor positioned for sensing the first and second cars, wherein the sensing provides an indication of a position and speed of the train;

each of the plurality of drive stations including a second sensor positioned for sensing the side plate, wherein the sensing of the side plate confirms a presence of the train; and

each of the plurality of drive stations further comprising a controller operable with the sensors, the controller processing signals received from the sensors and transmitting a command signal regarding speed and presence of the train from one drive station to a second drive station.

19. The train system according to claim 18, wherein adjacent drive stations are spaced along the track a distance equal to an effective length of the train, thus at least one drive station has contact with the train.

20. The train according to claim 18, wherein the first sensor comprises a sensor pair including upstream and downstream sensors sensing wheels of each car, and wherein the sensor pair is positioned proximate the track and below the second sensor.

21. The train according to claim 18, wherein a trailing edge of the side plate carried by the first car includes an offset portion mating with an offset portion on a leading edge of the second car, thus allowing continuous contact by the drive tire between cars during operation yet allows for rotation of adjacent cars during dumping and other transport variables.

22. The train system according to claim 18, further comprising a control center remotely located from at least one of the first and second drive stations, and wherein each of the first and second drive stations communications with the control center for providing status information thereto.

23. The train system according to claim 18, further comprising a plurality of trains, wherein the train comprises a first train, and wherein a second train has a length substantially equal to the first train, the train system further comprising at least three drive stations in communication with each other for driving the first and second trains.

24. The train system according to claim 18, wherein the first car and at least the second car comprise:

a lead car having a trough, opposing front end plates having a reduced distance therebetween for smooth entrance into opposing drive tire of the drive station;

a rear car having a trough with opposing rear end plates at a reduced distance therebetween at the rear of the car to reduce shock when train exits the opposing drive tire of the drive station;

an intermediate car coupled to the lead car and the rear car by the clevis type coupling whereby the troughs of the cars are aligned to produce an overall open trough with gaps between cars; and

a flexible flap extending over the gap between the cars.

25. The train system according to claim 18, wherein the drive stations comprise one or more pairs of electric drive motors mounted adjacent to the train with drives means for providing controllable frictional contact with the side plates whereby the train can be moved forward and backward, and

A/C inverters and controller connected to every pair of drive motors such that the motors may be synchronized through a modifying of at least one of voltage and frequency thereto.