Maintenance of a Minimum Voltage to Equipment in Rail Vehicle

• US 20150191134A1
• Filed: 01/06/2014
• Published: 07/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Union Pacific Railroad Company (Union Pacific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Union Pacific Railroad Company (Union Pacific Corporation)
• Inventors: Packwood, Steve A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,796,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00

Abstract

Herein described is at least a system for generating one or more control signals based on a voltage provided by an energy storage device. Based on the one or more control signals, the system may selectively enable flow of current through one of: a) a first circuitry when the voltage is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and b) a second circuitry when the voltage is less than the threshold value, wherein the flow of the current through the second circuitry upconverts the voltage associated with the current from a first value to a second value.

Claims

1. A rail vehicle system comprising:

a first circuitry configured for generating one or more control signals based on a voltage provided by an energy storage device;

a second circuitry configured for;

receiving said one or more control signals; and

first providing current sourced by said energy storage device through said second circuitry to power one or more devices, said first providing performed when said one or more control signals enables said second circuitry; and

a third circuitry configured for;

receiving said one or more control signals;

upconverting said voltage from a first value to a second value, and

second providing said current through said third circuitry to power said one or more devices, said upconverting and said second providing performed when said one or more control signals enables said third circuitry; and

wherein said one or more control signals are configured to selectively enable one of;

a) said second circuitry when said voltage is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and b) said third circuitry when said voltage is less than said threshold value.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said first, second, and third circuitries are resident in a locomotive of said rail vehicle system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said second value equals said threshold value.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said upconverting is performed for a period of time.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said period of time corresponds to an estimated maximum duration of a cranking operation of a locomotive.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein an alert is generated at the end of said period of time.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said second circuitry comprises one or more metal oxide field effect transistors (MOSFETs).

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said one or more MOSFETs are connected in parallel.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said second circuitry further comprises a diode connected in parallel to said one or more MOSFETs.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said diode comprises a low forward voltage diode.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a fourth circuitry for monitoring a voltage difference across said second circuitry.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein an alert is generated when said voltage difference across said second circuitry falls outside a normal range of acceptable values.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said energy storage device comprises a battery.

14. A method comprising:

generating one or more control signals by a first circuitry based on a voltage provided by an energy storage device;

first receiving a first subset of said one or more control signals by a second circuitry;

second receiving a second subset of said one or more control signals by a third circuitry;

using said one or more control signals to selectively enable one of;

a) said second circuitry when said voltage is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and

b) said third circuitry when said voltage is less than said threshold value; and

wherein enabling said second circuitry allows current to flow from said energy storage device to one or more devices through said second circuitry, said current associated with said voltage; and

wherein enabling said third circuitry upconverts said voltage from a first value to a second value and allows said current to flow from said energy storage device to said one or more devices through said third circuitry.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said first, second, and third circuitries are resident in a rail vehicle.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said second value equals said threshold value.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein said upconverting is performed for a period of time.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said period of time corresponds to an estimated maximum duration of a cranking operation of a locomotive.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein an alert is generated at the end of said period of time.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein said second circuitry comprises one or more metal oxide field effect transistors (MOSFETs).

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said one or more MOSFETs are connected in parallel.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said second circuitry further comprises a diode connected in parallel to said one or more MOSFETs.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said diode comprises a low forward voltage diode.

24. The method of claim 14 further comprising monitoring a voltage difference across said second circuitry by way of a fourth circuitry.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising generating an alert when said voltage difference across said second circuitry falls outside a normal range of acceptable values.

26. The method of claim 14 wherein said first, second, and third circuitries are resident in a locomotive of said rail vehicle system.

27. The method of claim 14 wherein said energy storage device comprises a battery.

28. A rail vehicle system comprising:

one or more circuitries operable for, at least;

generating one or more control signals based on a voltage provided by an energy storage device;

based on said one or more control signals, selectively enabling a flow of current through one of;

a) a first circuitry of said one or more circuitries when said voltage is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and b) a second circuitry of said one or more circuitries when said voltage is less than said threshold value; and

wherein said flow of said current through said second circuitry upconverts said voltage from a first value to a second value, said voltage associated with said current.