CONTROL OF THROTTLE AND BRAKING ACTIONS AT INDIVIDUAL DISTRIBUTED POWER LOCOMOTIVES IN A RAILROAD TRAIN

• US 20100235022A1
• Filed: 03/14/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Moffitt, Robert, Siddappa, Chandrashekar
• Granted Patent: US 8,239,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/20
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/12 Control gear; Arrangements for controlling locomotives from remote points in the train or when operating in multiple units control from points outside the train B61L3/00; fluid-actuated telemotors, servomotors F15B; control devices in general G05
• 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 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 3/006 On-board optimisation of vehicle or vehicle train operation track-side optimisation of operation B61L27/16

Abstract

A method for controlling first (14/12A) and second (12B) locomotives of a railroad train (8), the first (14/12A) and the second (12B) locomotives separated by at least one railcar (20). The method comprises determining a location of the first locomotive (14/12A) and a location of the second locomotive (12B), determining an operating condition of the first locomotive (14/12A) and an operating condition of the second locomotive (12B), determining a first control aspect of the first locomotive (14/12A) responsive to the operating condition and the location of the first locomotive (14/12A), determining a second control aspect of the second locomotive (12B) responsive to the operating condition and the location of the second locomotive (12B), and controlling the first (14/12A) and the second (12B) locomotives according to the first control aspect and the second control aspect, respectively.

Claims

1. A method for controlling first and second locomotives of a railroad train, the first and the second locomotives separated by at least one railcar, the method comprising:

determining a location of the first locomotive and a location of the second locomotive;

determining an operating condition of the first locomotive and an operating condition of the second locomotive;

determining a first control aspect of the first locomotive responsive to the operating condition and the location of the first locomotive;

determining a second control aspect of the second locomotive responsive to the operating condition and the location of the second locomotive; and

controlling the first and the second locomotives according to the first control aspect and the second control aspect, respectively.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first control aspect is communicated to the second locomotive over a communications channel for use in determining the second control aspect and the second control aspect is communicated to the first locomotive over the communications channel for use in determining the first control aspect, said communications channel linking the first and second locomotives.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a communications channel between a lead locomotive of the railroad train and the first and the second locomotives, and wherein the steps of determining the first control aspect and determining the second control aspect are executed on the lead locomotive, the method further comprising communicating the first control aspect from the lead locomotive to the first locomotive over the communications channel and communicating the second control aspect from the lead locomotive to the second locomotive over the communications channel.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first control aspect is different from the second control aspect.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the location of the first locomotives further comprises determining a product of a speed of the first locomotive and time elapsed since beginning a current train run, and determining the location of the second locomotive further comprises determining a product of a speed of the second locomotive and time elapsed since beginning the current train run, or consulting a first GPS receiver in the first locomotive for determining the location of the first locomotive and consulting a second GPS receiver in the second locomotive for determining the location of the second locomotive, or the first locomotive receiving a first signal from a wayside device and wherein the location of the first locomotive is determined from the first signal, and the second locomotive receiving a second signal from the wayside device and wherein the location of the second locomotive is determined from the second signal.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating condition of the first and the second locomotives comprises a terrain over a route of the railroad train, and wherein the method further comprises consulting a track terrain database and responsive to the location of the first locomotive determining the terrain at the location of the first locomotive and responsive to the location of the second locomotive determining the terrain at the location of the second locomotive.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the terrain comprises an upgrade or a downgrade.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating condition comprises for each of the first and second locomotives an axle load of an axle of the locomotive, a rail gradient of rails on which the train is traveling, a terrain over which the train is traveling, a condition of the rails, a time of day, speed restrictions, fuel consumption, emissions, and weather conditions.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and the second control aspects comprise application of traction action or braking action and a magnitude of the traction action or braking action.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a signal from a lead locomotive of the railroad train to each one of the first and the second locomotives to initiate operation according to the method.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first locomotive comprises a first locomotive consist further comprising a first plurality of locomotives connected with no intervening railcars, the method further comprising communicating the first control aspect to a lead locomotive of the first locomotive consist and further communicating the first control aspect to each other locomotive of the first locomotive consist through a first interconnecting conductor, and wherein the second locomotive comprises a second locomotive consist further comprising a second plurality of locomotives connected with no intervening railcars, the method further comprising communicating the second control aspect to a lead locomotive of the second locomotive consist and further communicating the second control aspect to each other locomotive of the second locomotive consist through a second interconnecting conductor.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first locomotive comprises a lead locomotive and the second locomotive comprises a remote locomotive or a remote locomotive consist.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the first locomotive comprises a plurality of spaced-apart locomotives in a front locomotive group, and wherein the second locomotive comprises a plurality of spaced-apart locomotives in a back locomotive group, and wherein all locomotives of the front locomotive group are controlled according to the first control aspect and all locomotives of the back locomotive group are controlled according to the second control aspect.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising a step of determining a location of the front locomotive group responsive to the location of each locomotive of the front locomotive group, and further comprising a step of determining a location of the back locomotive group responsive to the location of each locomotive of the back locomotive group.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the first control aspect comprises applying the operating condition of the first locomotive and the location of the first locomotive to a first equation and/or a first algorithm, and the step of determining the second control aspect comprises applying the operating condition of the second locomotive and the location of the second locomotive to a second equation and/or a second algorithm.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the first control aspect comprises consulting a look-up table using the operating condition of the first locomotive and the location of the first locomotive as indices into the look-up table, and wherein the step of determining the second control aspect comprises consulting a look-up table using the operating condition of the second locomotive and the location of the second locomotive as indices into the look-up table.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining whether the first control aspect or the second control aspect violates a safety interlock condition.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the railroad train further comprises a third locomotive separated from both the first and the second locomotives by at least one railcar, the method further comprising, determining a location and an operating condition of the third locomotive, determining a third control aspect of the third locomotive responsive to the location and operating condition of the third locomotive, and controlling the third locomotive according to the third control aspect.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the second locomotive comprises a plurality of spaced-apart locomotives in a back locomotive group, each one of the plurality of locomotives in the back locomotive group comprising a back subgroup, and wherein the step of determining the location of the second locomotive comprises determining a location of each one of the plurality of back subgroups, each back sub-group controlled according to a control aspect.

20. A method for controlling a plurality of spaced-apart locomotives of a railroad train, the method comprising, for each locomotive:

determining a location of the locomotive;

determining an operating condition of the locomotive;

determining a control aspect of the locomotive responsive to the operating condition and the location of the locomotive; and

controlling the locomotive according to the control aspect.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein for each locomotive, the step of determining the location of the locomotive further comprises determining a product of a speed of the locomotive and time elapsed since beginning a current train run, wherein the product determines the location of the locomotive.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein for each locomotive, the operating condition comprises a terrain at the location of the locomotive, and wherein the method further comprises consulting a track terrain database and responsive to the location of the locomotive determining the terrain at the location of the locomotive.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein for each locomotive, the operating condition comprises an axle load of an axle of the locomotive, a rail gradient of rails on which the train is traveling, a condition of the rails, a time of day, speed restrictions, fuel consumption, emissions, and weather conditions.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein for each locomotive, the control aspect comprises application of traction action or braking action and a magnitude of the traction action or braking action.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein one of the plurality of locomotives comprises a lead locomotive.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein for each locomotive, the step of determining the control aspect comprises consulting a look-up table using the operating condition of the locomotive and the location of the locomotive as indices into the look-up table, or employing an equation and/or algorithm responsive to the operating condition and the location of the locomotive.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein for each locomotive, the control aspect comprises a magnitude of a tractive effort or a magnitude of a dynamic braking effort.

28. A computer program product for controlling first and second locomotives of a railroad train, the first and the second locomotives separated by one or more railcars, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code modules embodied in the medium and for execution by a computer, the computer readable program code modules comprising;

a first code module for determining a location of the first locomotive and a location of the second locomotive;

a second code module for determining an operating condition of the first locomotive and an operating condition of the second locomotive;

a third code module for determining a first control aspect of the first locomotive responsive to the operating condition and the location of the first locomotive;

a fourth code module for determining a second control aspect of the second locomotive responsive to the operating condition and the location of the second locomotive; and

a fifth code module for controlling the first and the second locomotives according to the first control aspect and the second control aspect, respectively.

29. A method for controlling a lead locomotive and a remote locomotive of a railroad train, the lead and the remote locomotives separated by one or more railcars, the method comprising:

determining a drawbar force at a rear end of the lead locomotive to determine when the lead locomotive has crested the hill;

determining at least one of a speed and an acceleration of the lead locomotive, subsequent to the lead locomotive cresting the hill;

selecting a maximum train speed; and

controlling the lead locomotive to maintain the speed of the lead locomotive below the maximum train speed after the lead locomotive has crested the hill.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the step of controlling further comprises applying dynamic brakes on the lead locomotive or throttling down the lead locomotive further responsive to a number of railcars that have crested the hill or to the drawbar force at the rear end of the lead locomotive.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprising determining a respective drawbar force at the front end and the rear end of the remote locomotive, and wherein the step of controlling further comprises controlling the lead locomotive responsive to the front end drawbar force of the remote locomotive and the respective rear end drawbar force of each of the lead locomotive and the remote locomotive.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising controlling the remote locomotive responsive to the drawbar force at the front end and the rear end of the remote locomotive.

33. The method of claim 29 further comprising determining an actual drawbar force at a rear end and a front end of the remote locomotive and determining an expected drawbar force at a rear end of the lead locomotive and respective expected drawbar forces at the rear end and the front end of the remote locomotive, the expected drawbar forces responsive to at least one of a determined hill gradient and a train configuration, wherein the step of controlling is further responsive to the expected drawbar forces and the actual drawbar forces.

34. The method of claim 29 further comprising activating an alert when the step of controlling cannot maintain the speed below the maximum train speed.

35. The method of claim 29 further comprising determining a respective drawbar force at the front end and the rear end of the remote locomotive to determine when the remote locomotive has crested the hill.

36. The method of claim 29 further comprising using a GPS apparatus or a wayside transponder to determine when the lead locomotive or the remote locomotive has crested the hill.

37. A method for controlling a lead locomotive and a mid-train locomotive of a railroad train as each locomotive traverses a gradient, the mid-train remote locomotive and the lead locomotive separated by one or more railcars, the method comprising:

determining a force exerted on a rear drawbar of the lead locomotive;

determining a force exerted on a front drawbar and a force exerted on a rear drawbar of the mid-train locomotive;

controlling the lead locomotive and the mid-train locomotive responsive to the determined drawbar forces.

38. The method of claim 37 further comprising selecting a maximum train speed, and wherein the step of controlling further comprises controlling at least one of the lead locomotive and the mid-train remote locomotive to maintain a speed of the lead locomotive at or below the maximum train speed.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein the step of determining the force on the rear drawbar of the lead locomotive comprises determining at least one of a direction and a magnitude of the force on the rear drawbar of the lead locomotive and the step of determining the force on the front and the rear drawbar of the mid-train locomotive comprises determining at least one of a direction and a magnitude of the force on the front drawbar of the mid-train locomotive and determining at least one of a direction and a magnitude of the force on the rear drawbar of the mid-train locomotive.

40. A method for controlling a train, said method comprising:

automatically controlling a first locomotive group in the train according to a first control aspect, said first control aspect based on one or more operating conditions associated with the first locomotive group; and

automatically controlling a second locomotive group in the train according to a second control aspect, said second control aspect different than the first control aspect and based on one or more operating conditions associated with the second locomotive group, wherein the second locomotive group is remote from the first locomotive group.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the operating condition comprises for each of the first and second locomotive groups an axle load of an axle of the locomotive, a rail gradient of rails on which the train is traveling, a terrain over which the train is traveling, a condition of the rails, a time of day, speed restrictions, fuel consumption, emissions, and weather conditions.

42. The method of claim 40 wherein the first and the second control aspects comprise application of traction action or braking action and a magnitude of the traction action or braking action.