METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A POWERED SYSTEM

• US 20110106401A1
• Filed: 01/05/2011
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kumar, Ajith Kuttannair, Daum, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 8,534,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/102
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0058 On-board optimisation of vehicle or vehicle train operation
• 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: F02D 2041/1417 Kalman filter
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/604 Engine control mode selected by driver, e.g. to manually start particle filter regeneration or to select driving style
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/701 Information about vehicle position, e.g. from navigation system or GPS signal
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/06 peculiar to engines driving electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0025 Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

A method is provided for controlling a powered system including an engine operating on a plurality of fuel types. The method includes generating operational input signals from operational input devices, and generating a respective configuration signal indicative of a particular location of the powered system along a predetermined course comprising a mission. Additionally, based on the operational input signals, the configuration signal, and a respective engine emission profile for each of said configuration signal, the method includes generating control signals to a plurality of end use devices of the powered system to limit one or more of the total engine emissions of the fuel types, the total fuel efficiency of the fuel types, the total output power of the engine, a time of arrival of the powered system along the predetermined course, and/or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a powered system including an engine operating on a plurality of fuel types, said method comprising:

generating operational input signals from operational input devices;

generating a respective configuration signal indicative of a particular location of the powered system along a predetermined course comprising a mission; and

based on the operational input signals, the configuration signal, and a respective engine emission profile for each of said configuration signal, generating control signals to a plurality of end use devices of the powered system to limit at least one of the total engine emissions of said plurality of fuel types, the total fuel efficiency of said plurality of fuel types, the total output power of said engine, a time of arrival of said powered system along said predetermined course, and a combination thereof;

wherein the end use devices include at least one fuel delivery system for the plurality of fuel types.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein said limiting of the total fuel efficiency of said plurality of fuel types and the total power output of said engine is performed while maintaining said engine emissions at a constant level;

and wherein said limiting of the time of arrival for said powered system along said predetermined course is performed while maintaining said engine emissions and said fuel efficiency at constant levels.

3. The method according to claim 1,

wherein said operational input devices include sensors for a respective fuel tank for said plurality of fuel types on the powered system;

wherein said plurality of end use devices using said respective fuel tank for said plurality of fuel types is controlled by a processor for controlling said engine emissions to correspond to at least one engine emission profile;

and wherein said generating a respective configuration signal includes generating a respective configuration signal from a configuration input device in communication with the processor.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said total engine emissions of said plurality of fuel types is a weighted sum having weighted coefficients of each respective engine emission of each respective fuel type.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said generating control signals comprises determining said weighted coefficients of each respective engine emission of each respective fuel type.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said weighted coefficients for each respective fuel type are based upon each respective engine emission profile at each particular location and said operational input signals indicative of the availability of each fuel type, such that said total engine emissions are limited to said stored engine emission profile for each configuration signal and particular location.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein said configuration input device is a position determining device.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said position determining device is one of an automatic device including a GPS device, at least one wayside device including a transponder, an axle counter, an axle speed sensor, a wireless system including a radio transmitter, leaky coax, a slotted waveguide, and Doppler radar, at least one imaging device for performing image recognition on at least one of a mile marker and a landmark along said predetermined course, and at least one operator for manually recognizing at least one of a mile marker and landmark along said predetermined course comprising said mission.

9. The method according to claim 7,

wherein said powered system is transported to a geographic location for operating within said particular geographical region;

wherein said position determining device is a manual device including an operator panel for manually inputting a particular configuration signal upon the powered system entering said particular geographic region to adapt said powered system during at least one of a manufacturing time, a shipping time, a configuration time, and a subsequent time upon arriving at said particular geographical region including generating said control signals for operating a particular mission within said geographic region.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein for stationary applications, upon commissioning equipment including said powered system to a particular geographic location, said generating a respective configuration signal includes generating a configuration signal indicative of said particular geographic location during at least one of a manufacturing time of said powered system, a shipping time to said geographic location, a configuration time at said geographic location, and a subsequent time after said configuration, to self-configure said equipment for at least one of a particular engine emissions profile, and an engine emissions profile while maintaining a constant engine emission, upon arrival at said destination location.

11. The method according to claim 3, wherein said operational input signals comprise flowrate signals indicative of the fuel volume of each respective fuel type remaining in each fuel tank.

12. The method according to claim 3, wherein said powered system travels between a first location and a second location along said predetermined course comprising said mission;

wherein upon reaching said first location, said processor is responsive to a first configuration signal for generating a first set of control signals including a first set of valve signals to said fuel tanks to limit said total engine emissions of said plurality of fuel types to a first stored engine emission profile;

and wherein upon reaching said second location, said processor is responsive to a second configuration signal for generating a second set of control signals including a second set of valve signals to said fuel tanks to limit total engine emissions of said plurality of fuel types to a second stored emission profile.

13. Computer readable media containing program instructions for controlling a powered system including an engine operating on a plurality of fuel types, comprising:

a computer program code for generating operational input signals from operational input devices;

a computer program code for generating a respective configuration signal indicative of a particular location of the powered system along a predetermined course comprising a mission; and

based on the operational input signals, the configuration signal, and a respective engine emission profile for each of said configuration signal, a computer program code for generating control signals to a plurality of end use devices of the powered system to limit at least one of the total engine emissions of said plurality of fuel types, the total fuel efficiency of said plurality of fuel types, the total output power of said engine, a time of arrival of said powered system along said predetermined course, and a combination thereof.

14. The computer readable media containing program instructions of claim 13, wherein the powered system comprises one of an off-highway vehicle, a locomotive and a marine vehicle, and wherein the predetermined course comprises one of a track and a predetermined marine trip.