VEHICLE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20160090107A1
• Filed: 09/25/2014
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Nandedkar, Vishram Vinayak, Kumar, Ajith Kuttannair, Deshpande, Sharath Srinivas
• Granted Patent: US 10,137,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/40 having mechanical, electric or electronic automatic return to inoperative position
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/045 by limiting or cutting the electrical supply to the propulsion unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0814 using several drive motors; motor synchronisation circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/10 Change speed gearings
• 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: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A method and system determine, during movement of a vehicle system along a route, a tractive load demanded by the vehicle system to propel the vehicle system along the route. The vehicle system includes a propulsion-generating vehicle having plural individually controllable traction motors. A first selected set of the traction motors for deactivation is identified during the movement of the vehicle system along the route based at least in part on the tractive load demanded by the vehicle system. The traction motors in the first selected set are deactivated while at least one of the traction motors in a first remaining set of the traction motors continues to generate tractive effort to propel the vehicle system. The traction motors that are selected for deactivation may all be on the same vehicle in the vehicle system, or may be on different vehicles of the same vehicle system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

during movement of a vehicle system along a route, determining a tractive load demanded by the vehicle system to propel the vehicle system along the route, the vehicle system including a propulsion-generating vehicle having plural individually controllable traction motors;

identifying a first selected set of the traction motors for deactivation during the movement of the vehicle system along the route based at least in part on the tractive load demanded by the vehicle system; and

deactivating the traction motors in the first selected set while at least one of the traction motors in a first remaining set of the traction motors continues to generate tractive effort to propel the vehicle system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the tractive load demanded by the vehicle system is determined independent of a location of the vehicle system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein deactivating the traction motors in the first selected set occurs at a first time during movement of the vehicle system along the route, and further comprising re-determining the tractive load demanded by the vehicle system during movement of the vehicle system, re-identifying a different, second selected set of the traction motors for deactivation during movement of the vehicle system, and deactivating the traction motors in the second selected set at a later, second time while at least one of the traction motors in a different, second remaining set of the traction motors continues to generate the tractive effort to propel the vehicle system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the traction motors are operably coupled with different axles of the propulsion-generating vehicle such that deactivating the traction motors in the first selected set causes the axles to which the traction motors in the first selected set are operably coupled to no longer be rotated by the traction motors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of determining the tractive load or identifying the first selected set is performed onboard the vehicle system.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing the tractive effort generated by the at least one of the traction motors in the first remaining set.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein increasing the tractive effort includes increasing an operating state of the at least one of the traction motors in the first remaining set to a rated capacity of the at least one of the traction motors.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first selected set of the traction motors for deactivation includes monitoring operating temperatures of the traction motors.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising decreasing an operating speed of one or more traction motor blowers to reduce airflow produced by the one or more traction motor blowers to cool the traction motors in the first remaining set.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein deactivating the traction motors in the first selected set occurs at a first time during movement of the vehicle system along the route, and further comprising switching, at a later, second time, which of the traction motors are included in the first selected set for deactivation and which of the traction motors are included in the first remaining set based at least in part on operating temperatures of the traction motors.

11. A system comprising:

one or more processors configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle system and to determine, during movement of the vehicle system along a route, a tractive load demanded by the vehicle system to propel the vehicle system, the vehicle system including a propulsion-generating vehicle having plural individually controllable traction motors, wherein the one or more processors also are configured to identify a first selected set of the traction motors for deactivation during movement of the vehicle system along the route based at least in part on the tractive load demanded by the vehicle system and to deactivate the traction motors in the first selected set while at least one of the traction motors in a first remaining set of the traction motors continues to generate tractive effort to propel the vehicle system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the tractive load demanded by the vehicle system independent of a location of the vehicle system.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to deactivate the traction motors in the first selected set at a first time during movement of the vehicle system along the route, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to re-determine the tractive load demanded by the vehicle system during movement of the vehicle system, re-identify a different, second selected set of the traction motors for deactivation during movement of the vehicle system, and deactivate the traction motors in the second selected set at a later, second time while at least one of the traction motors in a different, second remaining set of the traction motors continues to generate the tractive effort to propel the vehicle system.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the traction motors are operably coupled with different axles of the propulsion-generating vehicle, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to deactivate the traction motors in the first selected set to cause the axles to which the traction motors in the first selected set are operably coupled to no longer be rotated by the traction motors.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to one or more of determine the tractive load or identify the first selected set while the one or more processors are disposed onboard the vehicle system.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are configured to increase the tractive effort generated by the at least one of the traction motors in the first remaining set.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are configured to increase the tractive effort by increasing an operating state of the at least one of the traction motors in the first remaining set to a rated capacity of the at least one of the traction motors.

18. A system comprising:

one or more processors configured to monitor tractive loads demanded to propel a vehicle system along a route as the vehicle system moves along the route, the one or more processors configured to identify one or more traction motors of a vehicle in the vehicle system to turn off based at least in part in a change in the tractive loads demanded to propel the vehicle system, wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate control signals to turn off the one or more traction motors while one or more other traction motors remain on to generate tractive forces that meet or exceed the tractive loads demanded to propel the vehicle system during movement of the vehicle system along the route.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors also are configured to identify which ones of the one or more traction motors to turn off based at least in part on operating temperatures of the one or more traction motors.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors also are configured to reduce an operating speed of one or more traction motor blowers that cool the one or more other traction motors that remain on responsive to turning off the one or more traction motors.

21. A method comprising:

during movement of a vehicle system along a route, determining a tractive load demanded by the vehicle system to propel the vehicle system along the route, the vehicle system including a first propulsion-generating vehicle having a first plurality of individually controllable traction motors and a second propulsion-generating vehicle having a second plurality of individually controllable traction motors, the first and second vehicles being linked to travel together along the route;

identifying a first selected set of the first plurality of traction motors for deactivation during movement of the vehicle system along the route based at least in part on the tractive load demanded by the vehicle system;

deactivating the traction motors in the first selected set while at least one of the traction motors in a first remaining set of the first plurality of traction motors continues to generate tractive effort to propel the vehicle system;

identifying a second selected set of the second plurality of traction motors for deactivation during movement of the vehicle system along the route based at least in part on the tractive load demanded by the vehicle system; and

deactivating the traction motors in the second selected set while at least one of the traction motors in a second remaining set of the second plurality of traction motors continues to generate tractive effort to propel the vehicle system.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

identifying a third selected set of one or more of the traction motors in the first plurality of traction motors of the first propulsion-generating vehicle and one or more of the traction motors in the second plurality of traction motors of the second propulsion-generating vehicle; and

deactivating the traction motors in the third selected set while at least one of the traction motors in the first propulsion-generating vehicle and at least one of the traction motors in the second propulsion-generating vehicle continue to generate the tractive effort to propel the vehicle system.

23. A system comprising:

one or more processors configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle system and to determine, during movement of the vehicle system along a route, determine a tractive load demanded by the vehicle system to propel the vehicle system along the route, the vehicle system including a first propulsion-generating vehicle having a first plurality of individually controllable traction motors and a second propulsion-generating vehicle having a second plurality of individually controllable traction motors, the first and second vehicles being linked to travel together along the route,

wherein the one or more processors also are configured to identify a first selected set of the first plurality of traction motors for deactivation during movement of the vehicle system along the route based at least in part on the tractive load demanded by the vehicle system, and to deactivate the traction motors in the first selected set while at least one of the traction motors in a first remaining set of the first plurality of traction motors continues to generate tractive effort to propel the vehicle system, and

wherein the one or more processors also are configured to identify a second selected set of the second plurality of traction motors for deactivation during movement of the vehicle system along the route based at least in part on the tractive load demanded by the vehicle system, and to deactivate the traction motors in the second selected set while at least one of the traction motors in a second remaining set of the second plurality of traction motors continues to generate tractive effort to propel the vehicle system.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify a third selected set of one or more of the traction motors in the first plurality of traction motors of the first propulsion-generating vehicle and one or more of the traction motors in the second plurality of traction motors of the second propulsion-generating vehicle, and to deactivate the traction motors in the third selected set while at least one of the traction motors in the first propulsion-generating vehicle and at least one of the traction motors in the second propulsion-generating vehicle continue to generate the tractive effort to propel the vehicle system.