AUXILIARY POWER SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE

• US 20180306159A1
• Filed: 11/24/2016
• Published: 10/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: INPS Environmental Products Inc.
• Original Assignee: Canadian Environmental Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Gotmalm, Christer, Mancuso, James
• Granted Patent: US 11,067,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 15/00 Maintaining or augmenting the starting or braking power by auxiliary devices and measures; Preventing wheel slippage; Controlling distribution of tractive effort between driving wheels propelling locomotives or motor railcars by special means B61C11/00; driving wheels with non-slipping devices B60B; brakes B61H; wetting or lubricating rails B61K
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/04 Arrangement or disposition of driving cabins, footplates or engine rooms; Ventilation thereof driving cabins and accessories B61D
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/06 Power storing devices
• 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: B61C 5/00 Locomotives or motor railcars with IC engines or gas turbines characterised by power transmission B61C9/00; engines F02
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 7/04 Locomotives or motor railcars with two or more different kinds or types of engines, e.g. steam and IC engines
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0081 On-board diagnosis or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 5/021 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0837 Environmental conditions thereof, e.g. traffic, weather or road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 19/10 by heating of engine coolants
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/04 Control effected upon non-electric prime mover and dependent upon electric output value of the generator
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance

Abstract

Conventional APUs for diesel-electric locomotives may include an AC electric generator and typically require additional hardware to be installed to convert the AC power output by the generator to DC power that can power electrical systems or charge batteries in the locomotive. According to some embodiments, there is provided an auxiliary power unit (APU) or system for operation in cooperation with a primary engine. The APU includes a secondary engine; a primary engine coolant heating system, or a primary engine lubricant heating system; a control system that automatically shuts down the primary engine and starts the secondary engine responsive to a predetermined condition; and a Direct Current (DC) power generator that generates an output voltage, the DC power generator being driven by the secondary engine.

Claims

1. An auxiliary power system for operation in cooperation with a primary engine, comprising:

a secondary engine;

at least one of ;

a primary engine coolant heating system driven by the secondary engine; and

a primary engine lubricant heating system driven by the secondary engine;

a control system that automatically starts the secondary engine responsive to a predetermined condition; and

a Direct Current (DC) power generator that generates an output voltage, the DC power generator being driven by the secondary engine.

2. The auxiliary power system of claim 1, wherein the output voltage is matched to an electrical system of a vehicle comprising the primary engine.

3. The auxiliary power system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a locomotive.

4. The auxiliary power system of claim 1, further comprising a voltage regulator that regulates the output voltage of the DC power generator.

5. The auxiliary power system of claim 4, wherein the voltage regulator is configured to maintain an output voltage of approximately 74 VDC.

6. The auxiliary power system of claim 5, wherein the voltage regulator adjusts an excitation voltage in the DC power generator responsive to the output voltage to regulate the output voltage.

7. The auxiliary power system of claim 6, wherein adjusting the excitation voltage in the DC power generator responsive to the output voltage comprises:

increasing the excitation voltage if the output voltage is below a minimum threshold; and

decreasing the excitation voltage if the output voltage is above a maximum threshold.

8. The auxiliary power system of claim 4, further comprising an engine speed control that maintains an engine speed of the secondary engine based on an engine speed setting, the engine speed setting being adjustable within an engine speed range.

9. The auxiliary power system of claim 8, wherein the engine speed control comprises an engine speed sensor that senses a current engine speed of the secondary engine, and a fuel regulator that increases fuel to the secondary engine if the current engine speed falls below the engine speed setting by a first threshold;

and decreases the fuel to the secondary engine if the current engine speed exceeds the engine speed setting by a second threshold.

10. The auxiliary power system of claim 9, wherein the control system comprises a timer, and controls the voltage regulator to delay generating an output voltage until at least one of:

a predetermined time elapses after the secondary engine is started; and

the engine speed corresponds to the engine speed setting.

14. The auxiliary power system of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor coupled to a switch and mountable to an exterior of a vehicle containing the primary engine, wherein the switch is configured to disable automatic shutdown of the primary engine if a temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is below a threshold.

15. The auxiliary power system of claim 1, wherein the switch disables automatic shutdown by disabling an Engine Shutdown Timer (EST) of the vehicle.

16. The auxiliary power system of claim 1, wherein the control system controls the DC power generator to automatically match the output voltage to an electrical system of the vehicle.

17. A vehicle comprising the primary engine and the auxiliary power system of claim 1.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the vehicle is a locomotive.

19. The vehicle of claim 18, further comprising at least one electrical system and a battery bank, wherein the output voltage of the DC power generator is matched to the at least one electrical system and the battery bank of the vehicle.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein adapting the maximum permitted output power of the DC power generator responsive to the engine speed and output voltage comprises:

decreasing the maximum permitted output power if either the engine speed is below an engine speed threshold or the output voltage is below a voltage threshold; and

increasing the maximum permitted output power if the engine speed is above the engine speed threshold and the output voltage is above the voltage threshold for a first predetermined time period.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

increasing the engine speed setting of the secondary engine if the maximum permitted output power does not reach a power threshold within a second predetermined time period.

11. The auxiliary power system of claim 11, wherein the control system monitors the engine speed of the secondary engine and output voltage of the DC power generator and adapts a maximum permitted output power of the DC power generator responsive to the engine speed and output voltage.

12. The auxiliary power system of claim 11 , wherein adapting the maximum permitted output power of the DC power generator responsive to the engine speed and output voltage comprises:

decreasing the maximum permitted output power if either the engine speed is below an engine speed threshold or the output voltage is below a voltage threshold; and

increasing the maximum permitted output power if the engine speed is above the engine speed threshold and the output voltage is above the voltage threshold for a first predetermined time period.

13. The auxiliary power system of claim 12, wherein the control system further increases the engine speed setting if the maximum permitted output power does not reach a minimum power threshold within a second predetermined time period.

20. A method for controlling power output of an auxiliary power system that cooperates with a primary engine, the auxiliary power system comprising a secondary engine and a Direct Current (DC) power generator, driven by the secondary engine, that generates an output voltage, the method comprising:

monitoring an engine speed of the secondary engine and the output voltage of the DC power generator; and

adapting a maximum permitted output power of the DC power generator responsive to the engine speed and output voltage.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising delaying voltage output from the DC power generator until at least one of:

a predetermined time elapses after the secondary engine is started; and

the engine speed corresponds to the engine speed setting.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the auxiliary power system and the primary engine are in a vehicle.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the vehicle is a locomotive.