Control system for optimizing the operation of two or more locomotives of a consist

• US 7,021,589 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2003
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Chen, Shuo, Hess, Gerald James Jr., Nagle, Jan Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Mark T.
• Application Number:
  US10/722,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20040104312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 246/187.C, 246/182.R, 246/187.R, 246/182.B, 246/182.C, 246/186, 246/167.R, 105/61, 318/370, 701/19, 701/20
• US Class Current: 246/187.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0027 Radio-based, e.g. using GSM-R
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0036 Conductor-based, e.g. using CAN-Bus, train-line or optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0058 On-board optimisation of vehicle or vehicle train operation
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2205/04 Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/028 Determination of vehicle position and orientation within a train consist, e.g. serialisation

Abstract

A system for controlling, a response to an operator, a consist of at least first and second locomotives having discrete operating modes. The system comprises an operator control, a first controller, a second controller, and a communication link. Alternatively, the system and method includes control modules which may be retrofitted to an existing consist control. The power operating modes of the locomotives within a consist are selected to optimize the operation of the consist. The operation of the consist may be optimized for any number of factors including optimizing for braking capacity, as a function of the location, base on a performance parameter which is a function of a performance profile or the location of a crew member.

Claims

1. A retrofit system for controlling a consist of at least a first locomotive and a second locomotive, said consist having a master control for indicating a desired operating mode of the consist, a communication link for providing command information corresponding to the desired operating mode from the master control to a first locomotive control and a second locomotive control, and wherein the first locomotive control is responsive to operator input provided to the master control to control the operating mode of the first locomotive, and wherein the second locomotive control is responsive to operator input provided to the master control to control the operating mode of the second locomotive, said operator input indicating a desired operating mode from a plurality of operating modes, said retrofit system comprising:

a performance profile for storing previous operating time information for each of the first and second locomotives, said performance profile being coupled to the communication link;

a first processing module coupled to the communication link and responsive the desired operating mode from the master control to selectively provide a modified operating mode to the first locomotive control, and wherein the first locomotive control is responsive to the first modified operating mode to determine a mode of operation of the first locomotive;

a second processing module coupled to the communication link and responsive to the desired operating mode from the master control to selectively provide a modified operating mode to the second locomotive control, wherein the second locomotive control is responsive to the second modified operating mode to determine a mode of operation of the second locomotive, and wherein, in at least one mode of the plurality of operating modes, the modified operating mode of the second locomotive is different as compared to the modified operating mode of the first locomotive; and

wherein the first and second processing modules access the performance profile to determine the operating mode of the first and second locomotives, respectively, as a function of the previous operating time information of each of the first and second locomotives.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the modified operating mode of the first locomotive corresponds to a first throttle setting and the modified operating mode of the first locomotive corresponds to a second throttle setting, wherein the first throttle setting is greater than the second throttle setting when the previous operating time of operation of the first locomotive is less than the previous operating time of the second locomotive, and wherein the first throttle setting is less than the second throttle setting when the previous operating time of the first locomotive is greater than the previous operating time of the second locomotive.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first locomotive is a lead locomotive operating at a first operating mode, and wherein the second locomotive is a trail locomotive operating at a second operating mode.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a link to a GPS indicating a position of the consist and wherein the operating mode of the first and second locomotives is a function of the position of the consist as indicated by the GPS.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operating mode of the first and second locomotives is a function of a location of the crew member such that the operating mode of a locomotive in which a crew member is riding is less than an operating mode of a locomotive in which a crew member is not riding.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication link providing command information from the master control is comprised of a wired communication facility.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication link providing command information from the master control is comprised of a wireless communication facility.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein first and second processing modules further determine the operating mode of the first and second locomotives, respectively, as a function of a determined fuel consumption rate of at least one of the first and second locomotives.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein first and second processing modules further determine the operating mode of the first and second locomotives, respectively, as a function of a determined power consumption rate of at least one of the first and second locomotives.

10. A retrofit system for controlling a consist of at least a first locomotive and a second locomotive, said consist having a master control for indicating a desired operating mode of the consist and a communication link for providing command information corresponding to the desired operating mode from the master control to a first locomotive control mid a second locomotive control, wherein the first locomotive control is responsive to operator input provided to the master control to control the operating mode of the first locomotive, and wherein the second locomotive control is responsive to operator input provided to the master control to control the operating mode of the second locomotive, said operator input indicating a desired operating mode from a plurality of operating modes, said retrofit system comprising:

a performance profile for storing age information for each of the first and second locomotives, said performance profile being coupled to the communication link;

a first processing module coupled to the communication link and responsive the desired operating mode from the master control to selectively provide a modified operating mode to the first locomotive control, and wherein the first locomotive control is responsive to the first modified operating mode to determine a mode of operation of the first locomotive;

a second processing module coupled to the communication link and responsive to the desired operating mode from the master control to selectively provide a modified operating mode to the second locomotive control, wherein the second locomotive control is responsive to the second modified operating mode to determine a mode of operation of the second locomotive, and wherein, in at least one mode of the plurality of operating modes, the modified operating mode of the second locomotive is different as compared to the modified operating mode of the first locomotive; and

wherein the first and second processing modules access the performance profile to determine the operating mode of the first and second locomotives, respectively, as a function of the age information of each of the first and second locomotives.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the modified operating mode of the first locomotive corresponds to a first throttle setting and the modified operating mode of the first locomotive corresponds to a second throttle setting, wherein the first throttle setting is greater than the second throttle setting when the age of the first locomotive is less than the age of the second locomotive, and wherein the first throttle setting is less than the second throttle setting when the age of the first locomotive is greater than age of the second locomotive.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the performance profile further defines a power consumption rate of the first locomotive and the second locomotive, and wherein the first and second processing modules determines the power consumption rate for the first and second locomotives, respectively, from the performance profile.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the first locomotive is a lead locomotive operating at a first operating mode, and wherein the second locomotive is a trail locomotive operating at a second operating mode.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising a link to a GPS indicating a position of the consist and wherein the operating mode of the first and second locomotives is a function of the position of the consist as indicated by the GPS.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the operating mode of the first and second locomotives is a function of a location of the crew member such that the operating mode of a locomotive in which a crew member is riding is less than an operating mode of a locomotive in which a crew member is not riding.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication link providing command information from the master control is comprised of a wired communication facility.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the communication link providing command information from the master control is comprised of a wireless communication facility.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein first and second processing modules further determine the operating mode of the first and second locomotives, respectively, as a function of a determined fuel consumption rate of at least one of the first and second locomotives.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein first and second processing modules further determine the operating mode of the first and second locomotives, respectively, as a function of a determined power consumption rate of at least one of the firs and second locomotives.