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Powered transmitter for railroad car applications

  • US 20090254277A1
  • Filed: 04/02/2008
  • Published: 10/08/2009
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
  • Status: Abandoned Application
First Claim
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1. A solar powered data reporting system adapted to be mounted on a railroad car for periodic digital data burst transmission of position status information from said railroad car to a remote monitoring unit using satellite transmission, the data reporting system comprising:

  • a portable transceiver adapted to transmit bursts of digital data delivered to a satellite system;

    a portable global positioning sensor monitoring the location of said railroad car, said portable global positioning sensor being in operative communication with said portable transceiver for the transmittal of location data to said satellite system;

    a remote monitoring unit adapted to download said location data from said satellite system; and

    a solar power collection and storage system operatively connected to said portable transceiver, said power collection and storage system including at least one solar cell adapted to charge at least one rechargeable battery and a bank of ultracapacitors, said bank of ultracapacitors being arranged in parallel with said at least one rechargeable battery, said bank of ultracapacitors being free from balancing resistors, said bank of ultracapacitors having an equivalent series resistance less than said at least one rechargeable battery such that power demands for said portable transceiver are drawn preferentially from said ultracapacitors relative to said at least one rechargeable battery.

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