Electrical ground isolation and secondary failure reduction detection and isolation

• US 7,256,974 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Worden, Bret Dwayne, McNally, Christopher Wade, Kumar, Ajith K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherry; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): KITOV, ZEEV V
• Application Number:
  US11/401,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20060181821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 361/42, 324/654, 324/509, 714/25
• US Class Current: 361/42
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/16 responsive to fault current to earth, frame or mass with balanced or differential arrangement H02H3/26 ; monitoring earth connection H02H5/105

Abstract

A system for isolating electrical ground faults and secondary failures in an electrical system, the system comprising an AC ground isolation state machine for detecting and isolating an AC ground, a DC ground isolation state machine for detecting and isolating a DC ground, a component failure isolation state machine for detecting and isolating a change in a resistance, and a component failure early detection algorithm for determining a failure before using the state machines.

Claims

1. A system for isolating electrical ground faults and secondary failures in an off road vehicle propulsion system, said system comprising:

an AC ground isolation state machine for isolating a traction motor or alternator when an AC ground is detected;

a DC ground isolation state machine for isolating a grid box when a DC ground is detected;

a dynamic braking grid failure isolation state machine for isolating a grid box when a change in resistance is detected;

a dynamic braking grid failure early detection algorithm for determining a failure before using said state machines; and

a traction motor ground isolation per axle torque limit system connected to said AC ground isolation state machine.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said dynamic braking grid failure early detection algorithm comprises a model of operation conditions which are compared to actual operation conditions to determine a failure in said propulsion system.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said algorithm compares a modeled speed of a blower to an actual speed of said blower.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the off road vehicle is at least one of a locomotive and an off highway vehicle.

2. A system for isolating electrical ground faults and secondary failures in an off road vehicle propulsion system, said system comprising:

an AC ground isolation state machine for isolating a traction motor or alternator when an AC ground is detected;

a DC ground isolation state machine for isolating a grid box when a DC ground is detected;

a dynamic braking grid failure isolation state machine for isolating a grid box when a change in resistance is detected;

a dynamic braking grid failure early detection algorithm for determining a failure before using said state machines; and

a supplemental voltage functions system providing voltage average rates and alternator rectifier bias state information to said state machines and said early detection algorithm.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein said dynamic braking grid failure early detection algorithm comprises a model of operation conditions which are compared to actual operation conditions to determine a failure in said propulsion system.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein said algorithm compares a modeled speed of a blower to an actual speed of said blower.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein the off road vehicle is at least one of a locomotive and an off highway vehicle.