RAIL VEHICLE CONSIST SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20130018536A1
• Filed: 07/14/2011
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: COOPER, Jared, Peltz, David, Bremmer, Robert, Ballesty, Daniel, Bradshaw, Lindsey, Chen, Yi
• Granted Patent: US 8,655,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/20
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0058 On-board optimisation of vehicle or vehicle train operation
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0062 On-board target speed calculation or supervision

Abstract

A system, method and device for controlling a rail vehicle consist configured to traverse a rail system is provided. In one embodiment, the system may include a second module configured to receive environmental data from a first module having one or more sensors, wherein the environmental data is indicative of one or more environmental conditions for a portion of the rail system; wherein the second module is further configured to conduct an assessment of the environmental data in relation to a first control parameter; the second module is further configured to communicate one or more control signals of one of the first control parameter or a different, second control parameter based on the assessment; each of the first and second control parameters relates to controlling tractive effort of the rail vehicle consist over the portion of the rail system; and the second module is further configured to communicate the one or more control signals to a third module for control of the rail vehicle consist.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a rail vehicle consist configured to traverse a rail system, comprising:

a second module configured to receive environmental data from a first module having one or more sensors, wherein the environmental data is indicative of one or more environmental conditions for a portion of the rail system;

wherein;

the second module is further configured to conduct an assessment of the environmental data in relation to a first control parameter;

the second module is further configured to communicate one or more control signals of one of the first control parameter or a different, second control parameter based on the assessment;

each of the first and second control parameters relates to controlling tractive effort of the rail vehicle consist over the portion of the rail system; and

the second module is further configured to communicate the one or more control signals to a third module for control of the rail vehicle consist.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first control parameter comprises first data of a first braking curve;

the second control parameter comprises second data of a second braking curve that is less restrictive than the first braking curve; and

the second module is configured to communicate the one or more control signals of the second control parameter if the assessment indicates that the environmental data satisfies at least one condition.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first control parameter comprises first data of a first braking curve;

the second control parameter comprises second data of a second braking curve that is less restrictive than the first braking curve; and

the second module is configured to communicate the one or more control signals of the first control parameter if the assessment indicates that the environmental data is in correspondence with the first control parameter, and to communicate the one or more control signals of the second control parameter otherwise.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first control parameter comprises first data of a slow order for the portion of a rail system;

the second control parameter comprises second data of a rail vehicle consist speed that is less restrictive than the slow order; and

the second module is configured to communicate the one or more control signals of the second control parameter if the assessment indicates that the environmental data satisfies at least one condition.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the rail vehicle consist speed of the second data includes a second maximum allowed speed of the rail vehicle consist that is greater than a first maximum allowed speed of the slow order.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first control parameter comprises first data of a slow order for the portion of a rail system;

the second control parameter comprises second data of a rail vehicle consist speed that is less restrictive than the slow order; and

the second module is configured to communicate the one or more control signals of the first control parameter if the assessment indicates that the environmental data is in correspondence with the first control parameter, and to communicate the one or more control signals of the second control parameter otherwise.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the environmental data comprises one or more of a temperature external to the rail vehicle consist, a wind speed, and a precipitation condition.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second module is configured for operable coupling on-board a rail vehicle of the rail vehicle consist.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said second module is configured to determine data of a speed-to-distance curve based, at least in part, on said environmental data, and to determine the second control parameter based, at least in part, on the speed-to-distance curve.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the assessment determines whether the environmental data satisfies at least one condition.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the second module is configured to communicate the one or more control signals of the first control parameter if the assessment indicates that the environmental data meets one or more environmental criterion, and to communicate the one or more control signals of the second control parameter otherwise.

12. A system for controlling a rail vehicle consist configured to traverse a rail system, comprising:

a first module comprising one or more sensors configured to obtain environmental data indicative of one or more environmental conditions for a portion of the rail system;

a second module configured to receive the environmental data from the first module;

wherein the second module is further configured to conduct an assessment of the environmental data in relation to a first control parameter;

wherein the second module is configured to communicate one or more control signals of one of the first control parameter or a different, second control parameter based on the assessment;

and wherein each of the first and second control parameters relates to controlling tractive effort of the rail vehicle consist over the portion of the rail system; and

a third module configured to receive the one or more control signals for control of the rail vehicle consist.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the third module is configured to generate a control output, based on the one or more control signals, for controlling a device to prompt an operator to control the rail vehicle consist according to the control signals.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the one or more control signals comprise at least one of throttle control signal or brake system control signal for automatic control of at least one vehicle in the rail vehicle consist;

or

the third module is configured to generate said at least one of the throttle control signal or the brake system control signal, based on the one or more control signals.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is attached to the rail vehicle consist.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is remote from the rail vehicle consist and the environmental data is received by the second module from the first module via a communication path that includes a wireless link.

17. A system for controlling a speed of a rail vehicle consist over a route, comprising:

one or more sensors configured to sense one or more environmental parameters and to output environmental data representative of the one or more environmental parameters;

a memory storing first speed data that represents one or more first speeds to be maintained by the rail vehicle consist over a first portion of the route;

a processor configured to receive the environmental data originating from said one or more sensors;

said processor configured to determine a target speed data representing one or more second, different speeds to be maintained by the rail vehicle consist over the first portion of the route based on received environmental data; and

said processor configured to control the speed of the rail vehicle consist over the first portion of the route in accordance with the target speed data.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the first speed data comprises speed of a slow order;

and

wherein the speed represented by the target speed data exceeds the speed of the slow order for a majority of the first portion of the route.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the first speed data comprises speed data forming part of a speed profile;

said memory storing a first braking curve_ associated with the first speed data;

wherein said processor is configured determine a second braking curve based on the received environmental data; and

wherein said processor is configured to control the speed of the rail vehicle consist over the first portion of the route in accordance with the target speed data by utilizing the second braking curve.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said memory stores data of a slow order that includes a slow order speed for a second portion of the route;

said processor configured to determine a second target speed representing a third, different speed to be maintained by the rail vehicle consist over the second portion of the route based on received environmental data;

said processor configured to control the speed of the rail vehicle consist over the second portion of the route in accordance with the second target speed; and

wherein the second target speed exceeds the slow order speed for at least some of the second portion of the route.

21. The system according to claim 17 wherein at least some of the one or more sensors are attached to the rail vehicle consist.

22. The system according to claim 17, wherein at least some of the one or more sensors are not attached to the rail vehicle consist;

and

wherein said environmental data is received by said processor via a communication path that includes a wireless link.

23. The system according to claim 17, wherein said memory stores a plurality of braking curves;

and

wherein at least some of the plurality of braking curves are associated with one or more environmental conditions.

24. A method of determining a speed to operate a rail vehicle consist over a route, comprising:

storing in a memory first speed data representative of a first speed for the rail vehicle consist over a first portion of the route;

receiving environmental data for at least the first portion of the route;

based on the environmental data, providing second speed data representative of a second speed to be maintained by the rail vehicle over the first portion of the route;

wherein the second speed is greater than the first speed for a majority of the first portion of the route; and

operating the rail vehicle consist over the first portion of the route in accordance with the second speed data.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the first speed data comprises a maximum allowable speed permitted by a slow order.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the first speed data represents a first speed reduction and the second speed data represents a second speed reduction, the method further comprising:

storing in the memory a first braking curve for achieving the first speed reduction;

determining a second braking curve for achieving the second speed reduction; and

wherein said operating the rail vehicle consist over the first portion of the route in accordance with the second speed data comprises utilizing the second braking curve.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein the first speed data represents a first speed reduction and the second speed data represents a second speed reduction, the method further comprising:

storing in the memory a first braking curve for achieving the first speed reduction;

determining a second braking curve for achieving the second speed reduction; and

wherein said operating the rail vehicle consist over the first portion of the route in accordance with the second speed data comprises utilizing the second braking curve.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein said determining said second braking curve comprises selecting the second braking curve from a plurality of braking curves.

29. The method according to claim 24, wherein said receiving environmental data comprises wirelessly receiving the environment data at the rail vehicle consist.

30. A method for a rail vehicle consist configured to traverse a rail system, the method comprising:

receiving environmental data indicative of one or more environmental conditions for a portion of the rail system;

conducting an assessment of the environmental data in relation to a first control parameter;

communicating one or more control signals of one of the first control parameter or a different, second control parameter based on the assessment, for control of the rail vehicle consist; and

wherein each of the first and second control parameters relates to controlling tractive effort of the rail vehicle consist over the portion of the rail system.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein:

the assessment comprises determining if the environmental data satisfies a at least one condition;

if so, the method comprises communicating the one or more control signals of the first control parameter; and

if not, the method comprises communicating the one or more control signals of the second control parameter.