Hybrid energy power management system and method

• US 6,615,118 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2001
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kumar, Ajith Kuttannair
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US10/033,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20020177929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 701/19, 701/22, 290/3, 180/65.4, 180/65.3, 180/65.1, 180/14.1, 246/2.R
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/40 related to technical updates when adding new parts or software
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/53 in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/12 for vehicles propelled by dc motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/22 Dynamic electric resistor braking, combined with dynamic electric regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/02 using dc motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/16 using ac induction motors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

An energy management system for use with off-highway vehicles, including locomotives, that traverse a known course. A processor determines power storage and transfer parameters, including data indicative of present and future track profile information. The energy management system controls the storage and regeneration of electrical energy. A hybrid energy locomotive system has an energy storage and regeneration system. In one form, the system can be retrofitted into existing locomotives or installed as original equipment. The energy storage and regeneration system captures dynamic braking energy, excess motor energy, and or externally supplied energy. The captured energy is stored in an energy storage system such as a battery, a flywheel system, or a capacitor system. The energy storage and regeneration system can be located in a separate energy tender vehicle. The separate energy tender vehicle is optionally equipped with traction motors.

Claims

1. An energy management system for use with a hybrid energy diesel electric locomotive system, said locomotive system including a locomotive having an engine, a power converter driven by the engine providing primary electric power, a traction bus coupled to the power converter and carrying the primary electric power, a traction drive connected to the traction bus, said traction drive having a motoring mode in which the traction drive is responsive to the primary electric power for propelling the locomotive on a track, said traction drive having a dynamic braking mode of operation wherein said traction drive generates dynamic braking electrical energy, the energy management system comprising:

an energy management processor determining a power storage parameter and a power transfer parameter, and

an energy storage system connected to the traction bus and being responsive to the energy management processor, said energy storage system selectively storing electrical energy available from the traction bus as a function of the power storage parameter and selectively supplying secondary electric power from the stored electrical energy to the traction bus as a function of the power transfer parameter, wherein the traction drive is responsive to the secondary electric power.

2. The energy management system of claim 1 wherein the energy management processor determines the power storage parameter as a function of a track situation parameter.

3. The energy management system of claim 2 further comprising a database supplying the track situation parameter and wherein the track situation parameter is indicative of a topographic characteristic of the track.

4. The energy management system of claim 3 wherein the topographic characteristic is a track grade, a track curvature, a track elevation, a speed limit associated with the track, or a tunnel associated with the track.

5. The energy management system of claim 2 wherein the track situation parameter is indicative of an amount of primary electric power required to propel the locomotive on the track.

6. The energy management system of claim 5 wherein the track situation parameter is indicative of an anticipated amount of primary electric power required to propel the locomotive on the track at a future time.

7. The energy management system of claim 1 wherein the energy storage system has a storage capacity and wherein the energy management processor determines the power storage parameter as a function of the storage capacity of the energy storage system.

8. The energy management system of claim 1 wherein the energy management processor determines the power storage parameter as a function of an available power source.

9. The energy management system of claim 8 wherein the energy storage system is electrically connected to the traction bus and the available power source comprises dynamic braking energy whereby the energy storage system stores a portion of the dynamic braking energy.

10. The energy management system of claim 1 wherein the energy management processor is operable to selectively store electrical power in the energy storage system during the motoring mode and/or during the dynamic braking mode and to selectively transfer the stored electrical power to the traction bus during the motoring mode of the traction drive.

11. The energy management system of claim 8 further comprising a charger external to the locomotive and supplying charging electric power, said charger being constructed and arranged to be electrically connected to the energy storage system, and wherein the available power source comprises the charging electric power whereby the energy storage system stores a portion of the charging electric power when connected to the charger.

12. The energy management system of claim 11 wherein the charger comprises:

a charging engine; and

a charging engine power converter driven by the charging engine, said charging engine power converter providing the charging electric power.

13. The energy management system of claim 11 wherein the charger is selectively connected to the traction bus and the charging electric power is carried on the traction bus.

14. The energy management system of claim 8 wherein the available power source comprises the primary electric power carried on the traction bus whereby the energy storage system selectively stores a portion of the primary electric power.

15. The energy management system of claim 1 wherein the energy management processor determines the power storage parameter as a function of an amount of secondary electric power available for transfer from the energy storage system.

16. The energy management system of claim 1 wherein the energy management processor determines the power transfer parameter as a function of a power demand parameter, said power demand parameter being indicative of an amount of primary electric power required to propel the locomotive on the track.

17. The energy management system of claim 16 wherein the energy management processor determines the power demand parameter as a function of a track situation parameter.

18. The energy management system of claim 17 further comprising a database supplying the track situation parameter and wherein the track situation parameter is indicative of a topographic characteristic of the track.

19. The energy management system of claim 18 wherein the topographic characteristic is a track grade, a track curvature, a track elevation, a speed limit associated with the track, or a tunnel associated with the track.

20. The energy management system of claim 16 wherein the power demand parameter is indicative of an anticipated amount of primary electric power required to propel the locomotive on the track at a future time.

21. The energy management system of claim 16 wherein the energy management processor further determines the power transfer parameter as a function an amount of secondary electric power available for transfer from the energy storage system.

22. An energy management system for use with a hybrid energy off-highway vehicle, said off-highway vehicle including a prime mover engine, a power converter driven by the prime mover engine for providing primary electric power, a traction bus coupled to the power converter and carrying the primary electric power, a traction drive connected to the traction bus, said traction drive having a motoring mode in which the traction drive is responsive to the primary electric power for propelling the off-highway vehicle over a predetermined course, said traction drive having a dynamic braking mode of operation wherein said traction drive generates dynamic braking electrical energy, the energy management system comprising:

an energy management processor determining a power storage parameter and a power transfer parameter, and

an energy storage system connected to the traction bus and being responsive to the energy management processor, said energy storage system selectively storing electrical energy as a function of the power storage parameter and selectively supplying secondary electric power from the stored electrical energy to the traction bus as a function of the power transfer parameter.

23. The energy management system of claim 22 wherein the off-highway vehicle comprises a diesel-electric locomotive and the predetermined course comprises a track.

24. An energy management method for use with a hybrid energy diesel electric locomotive system, said locomotive system including a locomotive having an engine, a power converter driven by the engine providing primary electric power, a traction bus coupled to the power converter and carrying the primary electric power, a traction drive connected to the traction bus, said traction drive having a motoring mode in which the traction drive is responsive to the primary electric power for propelling the locomotive on a track, said traction drive having a dynamic braking mode of operation wherein said traction drive generates dynamic braking electrical energy, the energy management method comprising:

determining a power storage parameter;

determining a power transfer parameter;

storing electrical energy available from the traction bus in an energy storage device connected to the traction bus as a function of the determined power storage parameter; and

providing secondary electric power to the traction bus from the electrical energy stored in the energy storage device as a function of the determined power transfer parameter, wherein the traction drive is responsive to the secondary electric power for propelling the locomotive on the track.

25. A hybrid energy system for propelling an off-highway vehicle traversing a known course, said system comprising:

an engine;

a power converter driven by the engine for providing primary electric power;

a traction motor system receiving the primary electric power, said traction motor system propelling the off-highway vehicle in response to the received primary electric power, said traction motor system having a dynamic braking mode of operation generating electrical energy;

an energy storage system for capturing the electrical energy generated by the traction motor system in the dynamic braking mode and transferring a portion of the captured electrical energy to the traction motor system to augment the primary electric power; and

an energy management system controlling the energy storage system, said energy management system determining a power storage parameter and a power transfer parameter whereby the energy management system controls the capture of electrical energy by the energy storage system as a function of the power storage parameter and controls the transfer of the portion of the captured electrical energy to the traction motor system as a function of the power transfer parameter.

26. The hybrid energy system of claim 25 wherein the off-highway vehicle comprises a diesel-electric locomotive and wherein the course comprises a track.

27. An energy management system for use in connection with a hybrid energy off-highway vehicle traversing a known course, said hybrid energy off-highway vehicle including an engine, a power converter driven by the engine for providing primary electric power, a traction motor system receiving the primary electric power, said traction motor system selectively propelling the off-highway vehicle in response to the received primary electric power, said traction motor system having a dynamic braking mode of operation generating dynamic braking electrical power, and an energy storage system selectively storing a portion of the dynamic braking electrical power generated by the traction motor system in the dynamic braking mode, said energy storage system selectively supplying secondary electric power derived from the portion of the dynamic braking electrical power stored therein to the traction motor system which is responsive to the secondary electric power, the energy management system comprising an energy management processor determining a power storage parameter and a power transfer parameter, said energy management processor controlling the storage of dynamic braking electrical power by the energy storage system as a function of the power storage parameter, and said energy management processor controlling the supply of secondary electric power from the energy storage system to the traction motor system as a function of the power transfer parameter.

28. The energy management system of claim 27 wherein the energy management processor determines the power storage parameter as a function of a course situation parameter.

29. The energy management system of claim 28 further comprising a database supplying the course situation parameter and wherein the course situation parameter is indicative of a course grade, a course curvature, a course elevation, or a course speed.

30. The energy management system of claim 28 wherein the course situation parameter is indicative of an amount of primary electric power required to propel the off-highway vehicle on the course.

31. The energy management system of claim 30 wherein the course situation parameter is indicative of an anticipated amount of primary electric power required to propel the off-highway vehicle on the course at a future time.

32. The energy management system of claim 27 wherein the energy storage system has an energy storage capacity and wherein the energy management processor determines the power storage parameter as a function of the energy storage capacity of the energy storage system.

33. The energy management system of claim 27 wherein the energy management processor determines the power storage parameter as a function of an available power source.

34. The energy management system of claim 33 wherein the available power source comprises the primary electric power and wherein the energy storage system selectively stores a portion of the primary electric power.

35. The energy management system of claim 27 wherein the energy management processor determines the power storage parameter as a function of an amount of secondary electric power available for supply from the energy storage system.

36. The energy management system of claim 27 wherein the energy management processor determines the power transfer parameter as a function of a power demand parameter, said power demand parameter being indicative of an amount of primary electric power required to propel the off-highway vehicle on the course.

37. The energy management system of claim 36 wherein the energy management processor determines the power demand parameter as a function of a course situation parameter.

38. The energy management system of claim 37 further comprising a database supplying the course situation parameter and wherein the course situation parameter is indicative of a course grade, a course curvature, a course elevation, or a course speed.

39. The energy management system of claim 38 wherein the topographic characteristic is a course grade, a course curvature, a course elevation, or a course speed.

40. The energy management system of claim 36 wherein the power demand parameter is indicative of an anticipated amount of primary electric power required to propel the off-highway vehicle on the course at a future time.

41. The energy management system of claim 36 wherein the energy management processor further determines the power transfer parameter as a function an amount of secondary electric power available for supply from the energy storage system.