Brake Pipe Charge Monitor System and Method

• US 20110095880A1
• Filed: 10/22/2010
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wabtec Corporation (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Wabtec Corporation (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Gaughan, Edward W.
• Application Number:
  US12/910,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20110095880A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/453
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/228 for railway vehicles

Abstract

A method for establishing a predicted brake pipe pressure gradient is disclosed and generally includes installing an end-of-train unit on a railcar of an active train for sensing brake pipe pressure; installing a head-end-unit on a locomotive in the active train; transmitting brake pipe pressure data from the end-of-train unit to the head-end-unit; calculating predictive brake pipe pressure gradient between a first end of the brake pipe at the locomotive and a second end at the railcar; and displaying the predictive brake pipe pressure gradient for an observer in the locomotive.

Claims

1. A method of predicting a natural pressure gradient for a railroad train brake pipe extending from a head end device to an end of train device, the method comprising:

inputting brake pipe threshold values for a train;

initially charging the brake pipe from the head end unit;

reporting end of train brake pipe data;

determining pressure gradient by comparing end of train brake pipe data to threshold values after a set period; and

alerting when the train'"'"'s predicted brake pipe pressure gradient is not compliant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said set period is when either the car with the end of train device reaches a first pressure level or after a time duration.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising developing said brake pipe threshold values from reported measurements of a reference train comprising final natural gradient, air flow measurements, and rate of brake pipe pressure increase measurements.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said reference train operates with the same configuration as the operating train.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said end of train device comprises an air flow sensor or a rate of brake pipe pressure sensor.

6. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein a train is compliant if the predicted brake pipe pressure gradient is more than 15 psi.

7. The method according to claim 3, further comprising monitoring and reporting to the head end device the rate of increase in brake pipe pressure at the end of train device.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the train will be compliant if the rate of increase is greater than the threshold value.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein threshold rate of increase is 0.7 psi/minute.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising monitoring and reporting to the head end device the air flow at the end of train device.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the train will be compliant if the air flow rate is less than a threshold rate.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the threshold air flow rate is less than 70 SCFM.

13. The method according to claim 6, wherein the train is compliant if the air flow rate is less than the threshold or the rate of increase is greater than the threshold.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the end of train device is on the last car of the train.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein alerting comprises one of:

sending an email, sending an SMS message;

sending a voice message;

providing an audible signal;

providing a display of the determined pressure gradient results; and

providing data displayable in a handheld computerized device or cellular telephone.

16. A brake pipe gradient predicting apparatus including a train having a natural pressure gradient for a train brake pipe, a head end device, an end of train device with brake sensing, the gradient predicting comprising software which:

receives brake pipe threshold values for a train;

charges the brake pipe from the head end unit;

reports end of train device data on the brake pipe;

determines pressure gradient by comparing end of train data to threshold values when the car with the end of train device reaches a first pressure level; and

alerts when the train'"'"'s predicted gradient is not compliant.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising developing said brake pipe threshold values from reported measurements of a reference train comprising final natural gradient, air flow measurements, and rate of brake pipe pressure increase measurements.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein a train is compliant if the predicted brake pipe pressure predicted gradient is more than 15 psi.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the train is compliant if the air flow rate is less than the threshold or the rate of increase is greater than the threshold.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein alerting comprises one of:

sending an email, sending an SMS message, sending a voice message, providing an audible signal, providing a display of the determined pressure gradient results, providing data displayable in a handheld computerized device or cellular telephone.

21. A brake pipe gradient predicting system including a train having a natural pressure gradient between a locomotive and a last car, said train locomotive having a head end device and a last car having an end of train device with brake sensing and transmitting, the gradient predicting system comprising:

means for inputting brake pipe threshold values for a train comprising stored threshold values for a reference train having configurations relevant to the active train;

means for reporting end of train device data on the brake pipe;

means for determining pressure gradient by comparing end of train data to threshold values when the car with the end of train device reaches a first pressure level; and

alerting means for notifying an operator when the train'"'"'s predicted gradient will not be compliant.