VEHICLE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD
First Claim
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.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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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. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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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. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A system comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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Specification