System and Method for Verifying the Availability of a Level of a Braking System in a Powered System

• US 20090271083A1
• Filed: 08/12/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kumar, Ajith Kuttannair
• Granted Patent: US 8,078,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/665 the systems being specially adapted for transferring two or more command signals, e.g. railway systems B60T13/662 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/228 for railway vehicles

Abstract

A verification system is provided for verifying the availability of a first level of a braking system in a powered system. The powered system travels along a route. The verification system includes a controller coupled to an engine and a braking system of the powered system. The controller is configured to predetermine one of an activation level of the engine and/or an activation level of the braking system at a plurality of incremental locations along the route. The controller is further configured to activate the first level of the braking system at an incremental location having a predetermined activation level of the braking system which is lower than the first level of the braking system. A method is also provided for verifying the availability of the first level of a braking system in a powered system.

Claims

1. A verification system for verifying availability of a first level of a braking system in a powered system, said powered system traveling along a route, said verification system comprising:

a controller coupled to an engine and a braking system of the powered system;

said controller being configured to predetermine one of an activation level of the engine and/or an activation level of the braking system at a plurality of incremental locations along the route; and

said controller being configured to activate the first level of the braking system at an incremental location having a predetermined activation level of the braking system, said predetermined activation level being lower than the first level.

2. The verification system of claim 1, wherein said powered system is one of an off-highway vehicle, a transport vehicle, or a rail vehicle.

3. The verification system of claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to verify the first level of the braking system upon activating the first level of the braking system at the incremental location.

4. The verification system of claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to switch between a motoring mode to selectively activate the engine and a braking mode to selectively activate the braking system.

5. The verification system of claim 1, wherein said controller is configured to verify the availability of the first level of a braking system in a powered system;

and said powered system is a locomotive consist including a lead locomotive and a trail locomotive configured to travel along a railroad.

6. The verification system of claim 5, wherein the controller is coupled to a respective engine and a respective braking system of the lead locomotive and the trail locomotive, said controller being configured to switch between a motoring mode to selectively activate the respective engine and a braking mode to selectively activate the respective braking system;

and said controller being configured to activate the first level of one of the trail and lead locomotive braking systems and to deactivate one of the lead and trail locomotive braking systems at a first incremental location along the railroad having a first predetermined activation level of the respective braking system, said first predetermined activation level being lower than said first level.

7. The verification system of claim 6, wherein said controller is configured to activate the first level of one of the lead and trail locomotive braking systems and to deactivate one of the trail and lead locomotive braking systems at a second incremental location along the railroad, subsequent to the first incremental location, having a second predetermined activation level of the respective braking system, said second predetermined activation level being lower than the first level of one of the lead and trail locomotive braking systems.

8. The verification system of claim 6, wherein said controller is configured to activate the first level of one of the trail and lead locomotive braking systems over a time period such that a handling of the locomotive consist is maintained within designated conditions.

9. The verification system of claim 6, wherein said first level of one of the trail and lead locomotive braking systems is activated for a momentary time period such that a disparity between said total braking level and said total predetermined braking level during said momentary time period reduces a speed of the locomotive consist by less than a speed threshold compared to a predetermined speed subsequent to said first incremental location.

10. The verification system of claim 7, wherein subsequent to the first and second incremental location in an adjustment region along the railroad, said controller is configured to selectively adjust one of the activation level of the respective engine and the activation level of the respective braking system such that the speed of the locomotive consist approaches a predetermined speed of the locomotive consist along the route.

11. The verification system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to activate the first level of one of the trail and lead locomotive braking systems for a momentary time period;

said controller is coupled to a sensor configured to measure a parameter of a component of the braking system during the activation of the braking system; and

said controller is configured to verify the first level of one of the trail and lead locomotive braking systems at the first incremental location based upon whether the component parameter received from the sensor varies by a predetermined threshold during the momentary time period.

12. The verification system of claim 11, wherein said controller is configured to activate and verify the first level of one of the trail and lead locomotive braking systems on one of a single instance and/or a random basis as the locomotive consist travels along the railroad.

13. The verification system of claim 11, wherein said predetermined threshold is based on a secondary parameter of the locomotive consist at the first incremental location, said predetermined threshold being stored in a memory of the controller.

14. The verification system of claim 5, wherein the controller is coupled to a respective engine and a respective braking system of the lead locomotive and the trail locomotive, said controller being configured to switch between a motoring mode to selectively activate the respective engine and a braking mode to selectively activate the respective braking system;

and said controller being configured to activate the first level of one of the trail and lead locomotive braking systems and to maintain the predetermined activation level of one of the lead and trail locomotive braking systems at a first incremental location having a predetermined activation level of the respective braking system being lower than the first level of one of the trail and lead locomotive braking systems.

15. The verification system of claim 14, wherein a total braking level defined by the sum of said first level of one of the trail and lead locomotive braking systems and said maintained predetermined level of one of the lead and trail locomotive braking systems at the first incremental location approximately equals a total predetermined braking level defined by the sum of the lead locomotive braking system and the trail locomotive braking system at the first incremental location.

16. The verification system of claim 1, wherein the first level is a high level of one of the braking system, said high level being a maximum operating level of the braking system;

said controller is configured to verify the availability of the high level of the braking system at the plurality of incremental locations along the route.

17. A verification system for verifying the availability of a first level of a braking system in a powered system, said powered system traveling along a route, said system comprising:

a controller coupled to an engine and a braking system of the powered system;

said controller being configured to predetermine one of an activation level of the engine and an activation level of the braking system at a plurality of incremental locations along the route;

said controller being configured to activate the first level of the braking system at an incremental location having a predetermined activation level of the engine, said predetermined activation level being lower than said first level.

18. The verification system of claim 17, wherein said powered system is one of an off-highway vehicle, a transport vehicle, or a rail vehicle.

19. The verification system of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to verify the availability of the first level of a braking system in a powered system;

and said powered system is a locomotive consist including a lead locomotive and a trail locomotive configured to travel along a railroad.

20. The verification system of claim 19, wherein the controller is coupled to a respective engine and a respective braking system of the lead locomotive and the trail locomotive, said controller being configured to switch between a motoring mode to selectively activate the respective engine and a braking mode to selectively activate the respective braking system;

and said controller being configured to activate the first level of one of the trail and lead locomotive braking systems and to deactivate one of the lead and trail locomotive braking systems at a first incremental location having a predetermined low activation level of the respective engine.

21. The verification system of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to activate the first level of one of the trail and lead locomotive braking systems for a momentary time period;

said controller is coupled to a sensor configured to measure a parameter of a component of the braking system during the activation of the braking system; and

said controller is configured to verify the first level of one of the lead and trail locomotive braking systems at the first incremental location based upon whether the component parameter received from the sensor varies by a predetermined threshold during the momentary time period.

22. A method for verifying the availability of a first level of a braking system in a powered system, said powered system including an engine and a braking system, said powered system traveling along a route, said method comprising:

predetermining one of an activation level of the engine and/or an activation level of the braking system at a plurality of incremental locations along the route;

determining a second location along the route having a second predetermined activation level of the braking system;

activating the first level of the braking system at a first location having a first predetermined activation level of the braking system, said first predetermined activation level being lower than said first level and said second predetermined activation level, said first location positioned prior to the second location; and

verifying the activation of the first level of the braking system at the first location.