Method and apparatus for load shedding using a trainline monitor system

• US 5,293,632 A
• Filed: 03/18/1992
• Issued: 03/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation
• Original Assignee: AEG Transportation Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Roberts, Richard D., Novakovich, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHUN, DEBRA
• Application Number:
  US07/853,540
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 395/750, 364/424.01, 364/424.03
• US Class Current: 713/324
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/38 with automatic control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0036 Conductor-based, e.g. using CAN-Bus, train-line or optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0072 On-board train data handling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/66 one of the loads acting as master and the other or others acting as slaves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

A method for controlling power consumed by a plurality of subsystems on a multi-car train having a plurality of power supplies connected in parallel for supplying power to the subsystems. The train has a train wide communication network which includes a vehicle bus in each car of the train communicating with the power supplies and subsystems on the car, a train bus extending through the entire train, and communication nodes in each car interconnecting the train bus with each one of the vehicle buses. One of the communication nodes in one of the cars constitutes a master node and the other communication nodes in the other cars constitutes slave nodes, each slave node communicating status information about power supplies and subsystems on its vehicle bus to the master node and communicating control information to the power supplies and subsystems on its vehicle bus. The method includes using the communications network to periodically determine the number of functional power supplies connected in parallel, determining from the number of functional power supplies available for supplying power at any given time a variable corresponding to the total power available for power consuming subsystems on the train and selectively reducing subsystems on the train by way of the communications network in accordance with the variable determined by the determining step.

Claims

1. A method for controlling power consumed by a plurality of subsystems on a multi-car train having a plurality of power supplies connected in parallel for supplying power to the subsystems and a train wide communication network including a vehicle bus in each car of the train communicating with the power supplies and subsystems on the car, a train bus extending through the entire train, and communication nodes in each car interconnecting the train bus with each one of the vehicle buses, with one of the communication nodes in one of the cars constituting a master node and the other communication nodes in the other cars constituting slave nodes, each slave node communicating status information about power supplies and subsystems on its vehicle bus to the master node and communicating control information to the power supplies and subsystems on its vehicle bus, said method comprising:

using the communications network to periodically ascertain how many of the power supplies connected in parallel are operating;

determining, based on how many power supplies are operating and therefore available for supplying power at any given time, a first variable correpsonding to total power available for power consuming sybsystems on the train; and

selectively reducing power consumption of subsystems on the train by way of the communications network in accordance with the first variable determined by said step of determining.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of selectively reducing power consumption includes:

making a selection at the master node of the subsystems on the train to be de-energized in dependence on the first variable of said step of determining, and

sending messages from the master node to the slave nodes for de-energizing the selected subsystems in respective ones of the cars.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of selectively reducing power consumption includes:

sending the first variable determined by said step of determining to each one of the slave nodes, and

causing each one of the slave nodes select subsystems on a respective one of the cars to be de-energized in dependence on the first variable.

4. The method according to claim 1, and further comprising the steps of:

displaying the first variable determined by said step of determining on an operator'"'"'s display console,

alerting the operator that the train is in a reduced power consumption mode,

receiving as input from the operator selections of subsystems on respective ones of the cars to have reduced power consumption, and

transmitting messages over the communications network by way of the master node to the slave nodes for de-energizing the selected subsystems based on the selections input by the operator.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of determining further includes determining a second variable representing one minus the first variable to indicate a proportion of total load that must be reduced.