TRIP OPTIMIZER METHOD, SYSTEM AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE CODE FOR OPERATING A RAILROAD TRAIN TO MINIMIZE WHEEL AND TRACK WEAR

• US 20100023190A1
• Filed: 10/04/2009
• Published: 01/28/2010
• 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, SHAFFER, GLENN ROBERT, McKAY, DAVID LOWELL, DAUM, WOLFGANG, HOUPT, PAUL KENNETH, NOFFSINGER, JOSEPH FORREST
• Granted Patent: US 9,233,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/20
• CPC Class Codes: B61F 3/06 with three or more axles
• CPC Class Codes: B61K 3/02 Apparatus therefor combined with vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0058 On-board optimisation of vehicle or vehicle train operation
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/042 Track changes detection
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/026 Relative localisation, e.g. using odometer
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/16 Trackside optimisation of vehicle or train operation
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/40 Handling position reports or trackside vehicle data
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/53 for trackside elements or systems, e.g. trackside supervision of trackside control system conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/006 On-board optimisation of vehicle or vehicle train operation track-side optimisation of operation B61L27/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/021 in which a variable is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance

Abstract

A system for controlling a railroad train over a segment of track. The system comprises a first element for determining a location of the train on the segment of track; a second element for providing track characterization information for the segment of track; the track characterization information related to physical conditions of the segment of track; and a processor for controlling applied tractive forces and braking forces of the train responsive to the location of the train and the track characterization information to reduce at least one of wheel wear and/or track wear during operation of the train over the segment of track.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a railroad train over a segment of track, the system comprising:

a first element for determining a location of the train on the segment of track;

a second element for providing track characterization information for the segment of track, the track characterization information related to physical conditions of the segment of track; and

a processor for controlling applied tractive forces and braking forces of the train responsive to the location of the train and the track characterization information to reduce at least one of wheel wear and/or track wear during operation of the train over the segment of track.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor controls application of tractive forces and braking forces to reduce forces exerted by the track and wheels of the train.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the forces comprise in-train longitudinal forces, and lateral/vertical wheel-rail interface forces.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor controls application of tractive forces and braking forces by at least one of reducing acceleration, reducing speed, and increasing deceleration as the train approaches or while the train traverses at least one of a track curve and a track switch, and wherein an amount of reduction or increase is responsive to the track characterization information and train-dependent parameters.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the train-dependent parameters comprise rolling wheel geometry, truck design, and number of axles per a railcar of the railroad train.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor controls the applied tractive and braking forces such that a cant deficiency parameter is positive.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor controls the applied tractive and braking forces such that a cant deficiency parameter is between about −

300 mm and about 300 mm.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the first element determines the location responsive to a time from a beginning of a trip and a speed since the beginning of the trip.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the first element comprises a global positioning system receiver or a receiver responsive to a location signal originating from wayside equipment.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the track characterization information comprises effective track grade, actual track grade, super-elevation, track elevation, location of track curves, degree of curvature, curve length, curve radius, location of track switches, degree of divergence of track rails at a track switch, coefficient of friction between the rail and a wheel of a train, track stability relative to movement of track ballast, rail warping, track humping, track altitude, track age, rail type, rail hardness, allowed speed, current weather conditions, track damage, track wear, track speed restrictions, track condition, wheel condition, wheel wear infrastructure wear, switch frog casting wear, rail impact fracture resistance, cast diamond wear and fractures, drawbridge mitre wear, track gauge, cant deficiency, and/or traffic patterns.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a communications element for providing the track characterization information from off-board the train to the second element on-board the train.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the communications element comprises a wayside communications element for providing the track characterization information.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor controls application of tractive and braking forces to reduce at least one of wheel and track wear while maintaining other selected mission performance components as hard constraints.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the mission performance components comprise weighted mission performance components, and wherein a weight assigned to a mission performance component indicates a relative significance of the weighted mission performance component compared with other mission performance components.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the mission performance components comprise a weighted cant deficiency, and wherein curve sections in the segment of track are assigned a weighted cant deficiency.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the selected other mission performance components that are maximized, minimized, or serve as a hard constraint are responsive to one or more of a class of service, a fuel price, train conditions, mission objective components, and track characterization information.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor controls the applied tractive and braking forces to reduce at least one of wheel and track wear while selected other mission performance components are maximized, minimized, or serve as a hard constraint.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor controls applied tractive and braking forces by treating at least one of wheel wear and track wear as a constraint and treating the remaining mission performance components as optimizing variables.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the mission performance components that are treated as constraints and the mission performance components that are treated as optimizing variables are responsive to a specific segment of track.

20. The system of claim 1 further comprising a third element for determining an amount of track wear or an amount of wheel wear, wherein the processor is further responsive to the third element for controlling application of tractive forces and braking forces to limit additional track wear or wheel wear.

21. The system of claim 1 further comprising a feedback element for providing train operating parameters, the processor responsive to the location of the train, the track characterization information, and the feedback element.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the track characterization information comprises a wheel dimension or a rail dimension, and wherein the processor reduces the train speed responsive to a wheel dimension or a rail dimension below a predetermined threshold.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the second element comprises a database for storing the track characterization information.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor reduces train speed prior to entering a track curve or a track switch, and wherein a magnitude of train speed reduction is responsive to the track characterization information.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor controls the train while in a buff condition or while in a draught condition as the train traverses a track curve or a track switch to limit in-train forces.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein the train comprises a lead locomotive and one or more remote locomotives, and wherein the processor controls the lead locomotive and controls the one or more remote locomotives independently from control of the lead locomotive.

27. A system for determining a trip plan for a railroad train traversing a segment of track, the system comprising:

a first element for determining a location of the train on the segment of track;

a second element for providing track characterization information for the track segment, the track characterization information related to physical conditions of the track; and

a processor for determining the trip plan responsive to train location, the track characterization information, and a relative priority among train speed, wheel wear, and track wear, wherein the train is controlled according to the trip plan automatically and/or is controlled by a train operator.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the processor develops an updated trip plan responsive to updated track characterization information supplied to the second element during or prior to traversal of the train over the segment of track.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the processor determines in-train forces responsive to the trip plan and develops an updated trip plan responsive thereto and further responsive to train location, the track characterization information, and a relative priority among the train speed, wheel wear, and track wear.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein the processor determines the trip plan such that a cant deficiency parameter is about zero.

31. A system for controlling a railroad train over a segment of track, the railroad train comprising a head-end locomotive and a distributed power locomotive, the system comprising:

a first element for determining a location of at least one of the head-end locomotive and the distributed power locomotive on the segment of track;

a second element for providing track characterization information for the segment of track, the track characterization information related to physical conditions of the track; and

a processor for controlling at least one of the head-end locomotive responsive to the location of the head-end locomotive and the track characterization information and the distributed power locomotive responsive to the location of the distributed power locomotive and the track characterization information to limit at least one of wheel wear and track wear during operation of the train over the segment of track.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the processor controls the head-end locomotive and the distributed power locomotive according to a first control scheme or controls the head-end locomotive according to a second control scheme and the distributed power locomotive according to a third control scheme, wherein the first, second, and third control schemes comprise application of tractive forces and application of braking forces.

33. A method for operating a train over a segment of track, the method comprising:

determining a location of the train on the segment of track;

providing track characterization information for the segment of track, the track characterization information related to a physical condition of the track; and

controlling applied tractive forces and braking forces responsive to the location of the train and the track characterization information to reduce at least one of wheel wear and/or track wear during operation of the train over the segment of track.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the step of controlling reduces at least one of wheel wear and track wear by reducing at least one of acceleration, reducing speed, and increasing deceleration.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the step of controlling further comprises controlling the applied tractive and braking forces such that a cant deficiency is about zero.

36. A computer program product for controlling a railroad train over a segment of track, the program product configured for execution by a processor, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium for storing computer readable software modules, the computer readable software modules comprising;

a. a first software module for determining a location of the train on the segment of track when executed by the processor;

b. a second software module for acquiring track characterization information for the track segment, when executed by the processor, the track characterization information related to physical conditions of the track; and

c. a third software module for controlling applied tractive forces and braking forces responsive to the location of the train and the track characterization information by at least one of reducing acceleration, reducing speed, and increasing deceleration, for reducing wheel wear and/or track wear, when executed by the processor.