Predicting wheel slip and skid in a locomotive
First Claim
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1. A method, comprising:
- (a) receiving a requested notch setting from a locomotive operator, the requested notch setting providing more power to a plurality of traction motors than a current notch setting;
(b) in response to the receiving step (a), determining whether wheel slip is likely for at least one wheel if the notch setting is implemented; and
(c) when wheel slip is likely to occur, at least one of;
(i) implementing the requested notch setting but adjusting at least one of a current level and a power level associated with the requested notch setting to inhibit the onset of wheel slip to the at least one wheel; and
(ii) ignoring the requested notch setting and maintaining the current notch setting.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to the termination of the occurrence of wheel slip/skid and prediction and prevention of the onset of wheel slip/skid in a locomotive. In one configuration, a lookup table of adhesion factors is used to predict the occurrence of wheel slip/skid.
161 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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(a) receiving a requested notch setting from a locomotive operator, the requested notch setting providing more power to a plurality of traction motors than a current notch setting; (b) in response to the receiving step (a), determining whether wheel slip is likely for at least one wheel if the notch setting is implemented; and (c) when wheel slip is likely to occur, at least one of; (i) implementing the requested notch setting but adjusting at least one of a current level and a power level associated with the requested notch setting to inhibit the onset of wheel slip to the at least one wheel; and (ii) ignoring the requested notch setting and maintaining the current notch setting. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A locomotive, comprising:
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(a) an operator interface operable to receive a requested notch setting from a locomotive operator, the requested notch setting providing more power to a plurality of traction motors than a current notch setting; (b) a controller operable to determine, in response to the requested notch setting, whether wheel slip is likely for at least one wheel if the notch setting is implemented and, when wheel slip is likely to occur, cause the performance of at least one of the following operations; (i) implementing the requested notch setting but adjusting at least one of a current level and a power level associated with the requested notch setting to inhibit the onset of wheel slip; and (ii) ignoring the requested notch setting and maintaining the current notch setting. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method, comprising:
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(a) in a locomotive comprising a plurality of fraction motors, each driving a plurality of wheels, monitoring at least one traction motor and/or at least one wheel driven by the at least one traction motor for the occurrence of at least one of wheel slip and wheel skid; (b) when the at least one of wheel slip and wheel skid occurs, determining an operating characteristic in effect at a selected point before and/or during the occurrence of the at least one of wheel slip and wheel skid; and (c) using the operating characteristic to predict a later possible occurrence of the at least one of wheel slip and wheel skid. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A locomotive, comprising:
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a plurality of traction motors, each driving a plurality of wheels; a sensor operable to monitor at least one traction motor and/or at least one wheel and/or at least one axle driven by the at least one traction motor for the occurrence of wheel slip; and a controller operable to (i) predict the onset of wheel slip;
(ii) when wheel slip is likely to occur, implement an action to inhibit the onset of wheel slip;
(iii) when wheel slip occurs, determine an adhesion coefficient in effect at a selected point before and/or during the occurrence of wheel slip and use the adhesion coefficient to predict the onset of wheel slip, wherein the monitoring operation comprises the sub-operation of (a) incrementally increasing power to a selected traction motor until wheel slip occurs to a wheel driven by the selected traction motor, whereby a set of adhesion coefficients characterizing the onset of wheel slip conditions may be generated. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification