Control assembly and control method for supplying power to electrified rail vehicles
First Claim
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1. A control assembly comprising:
- a monitoring module that determines a load demand of a first rail vehicle traveling along a track, wherein the first rail vehicle is supplied with electric current from a plurality of power sources over a conductive pathway extending along the track; and
a switching module communicatively coupled with the monitoring module and joined with a switch controller disposed between the power sources and the conductive pathway, the switching module directing the switch controller to change which of the power sources supply the electric current to the first rail vehicle over the conductive pathway based on the load demand.
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Abstract
A control assembly includes a monitoring module and a switching module. The monitoring module determines a load demand of a first rail vehicle traveling along a track, wherein the first rail vehicle is supplied with electric current from a plurality of power sources over a conductive pathway extending along the track. The switching module is communicatively coupled with the monitoring module and is joined with a switch controller disposed between the power sources and the conductive pathway. The switching module directs the switch controller to change which of the power sources supply the electric current to the first rail vehicle over the conductive pathway based on the load demand.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A control assembly comprising:
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a monitoring module that determines a load demand of a first rail vehicle traveling along a track, wherein the first rail vehicle is supplied with electric current from a plurality of power sources over a conductive pathway extending along the track; and a switching module communicatively coupled with the monitoring module and joined with a switch controller disposed between the power sources and the conductive pathway, the switching module directing the switch controller to change which of the power sources supply the electric current to the first rail vehicle over the conductive pathway based on the load demand. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A control method comprising:
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directing electric current from one or more of a plurality of power sources to a first rail vehicle along a conductive pathway that extends along a track on which the first rail vehicle travels, the plurality of power sources including a chargeable energy store and at least one of a utility power source or a renewable energy power source; charging the chargeable energy store by transmitting electric current from at least one of the renewable energy power source or the utility power source to the chargeable energy store along the conductive pathway; determining a load demand of the first rail vehicle; monitoring at least one of an amount of the electric current that the renewable energy power source is capable of producing based on ambient conditions or different financial costs of supplying the electric current from two or more of the plurality of power sources; and changing which of the plurality of power sources supply the electric current to the first rail vehicle based on the load demand of the first rail vehicle and the at least one of the amount of the electric current that the renewable energy power source is capable of producing or the financial costs of supplying the electric current by changing the supply of the electric current between the chargeable energy store and the at least one of the utility power source or the renewable energy power source when the load demand increases above a first threshold. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A computer readable storage medium for a control assembly of an electrified rail system, the computer readable storage medium comprising instructions to direct the control assembly to:
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direct at least one of a plurality of power sources to supply electric current to a first rail vehicle along a conductive pathway that extends along a track on which the first rail vehicle travels, wherein the plurality of power sources includes a chargeable energy store and at least one of a renewable energy power source or a utility power source; charge the chargeable energy store by directing electric current from the at least one of the renewable energy power source and the utility power source along the conductive pathway; determine a load demand of the first rail vehicle; monitor at least one of an amount of the electric current that the renewable energy power source is capable of producing based on ambient conditions or different financial costs of supplying the electric current from two or more of the plurality of power sources; and change which of the plurality of power sources supplies the electric current to the first rail vehicle based on the load demand of the first rail vehicle and the at least one of the amount of the electric current that the renewable energy power source is capable of producing or the financial costs of supplying the electric current by changing supply of the electric current to the first rail vehicle from a first power source of the plurality of power sources to a second power source of the plurality of power sources when the load demand crosses a threshold. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification