Apparatus and method for power production, control, and/or telematics, suitable for use with locomotives

• US 8,935,019 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2012
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sygnet Rail Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Sygnet Rail Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Swanson, David Scott, Bertlin, Brian Andrew, Shipper, Donald Edward, Munson, Eric, Mullins, Jerome Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Alex C
• Application Number:
  US13/592,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20130079959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 701/19
• US Class Current: 701/19
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/08 related to drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/045 Monitoring control system parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/00 Arrangement or disposition of parts; Details or accessories not otherwise provided for; Use of control gear and control systems
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/12 Control gear; Arrangements for controlling locomotives from remote points in the train or when operating in multiple units control from points outside the train B61L3/00; fluid-actuated telemotors, servomotors F15B; control devices in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 7/04 Locomotives or motor railcars with two or more different kinds or types of engines, e.g. steam and IC engines
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/004 Indicating the operating range of the engine economical driving B60R16/0236, F02B77/084; measuring liquid fuel of an engine G01F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/02 Registering or indicating driving, working, idle, or waiting time only apparatus forming part of taximeters G07B13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/123 indicating the position of vehicles, e.g. scheduled vehicles; Managing passenger vehicles circulating according to a fixed timetable, e.g. buses, trains, tramstransmission of navigation instructions to vehicles G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

A power system housed in modules or containers may be located as a unitary structure for example secured to a locomotive platform, allowing easy retrofits. A control subsystem may maintain an RPM of a prime mover at minimum that still provides an expected level of power from an electric machine for any one of a finite number of throttle settings. The control subsystem may dynamically adjust loads between various combinations of series and/or parallel couplings. A set of processor executable instructions may be configured for specific platforms by selecting appropriate set of values based on number of loads (e.g., driven axles), rating (e.g., horse power), other criteria (e.g., manufacturer, model, year). Characteristics may be determined and verified, and operation based on the outcome of such. A telematics system method logs and provides remote access to operational data, engine data, power system data, anti-idling overrides, unauthorized changes, and/or location.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a combustion engine operable to produce movement, the movement represented by a value of an operational parameter of the combustion engine;

an electric machine having at least one portion coupled to the combustion engine to be driven in response to the movement produced by the combustion engine and to produce electrical power in response; and

a control subsystem communicatively coupled to control the combustion engine and the electric machine at least in part in response to a plurality of received throttle input signals that are indicative of a finite number of distinct throttle settings, each of the throttle settings associated with a respective range of available horsepower delivered as electrical power via the electric machine, wherein the control subsystem in response to an adjustment in the throttle setting selectively maintains the value of the operational parameter of the combustion engine where an amount of horsepower associated with the adjusted throttle setting is available without a change in the value of the operational parameter of the combustion engine, and selectively changes the value of the operational parameter of the combustion engine where the amount of horsepower associated with the adjusted throttle setting is not available without the change in the value of the operational parameter of the combustion engine.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the control subsystem determines if the electric machine is capable of providing the amount of horsepower associated with the adjusted throttle setting without the change in the value of the operational parameter of the combustion engine.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a set of traction motor power switching components electrically coupled to the electric machine to receive electrical power therefrom and communicatively coupled to the control subsystem, the set of traction motor power switching components selectively operable at least in part in response to the control subsystem to switch the electrical power.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the control subsystem monitors the electrical power passing through the traction motor power switching components and determines if the electric machine is capable of providing the amount of horsepower associated with the adjusted throttle setting without the change in the value of the operational parameter of the combustion engine based on the monitored electrical power passing through the traction motor power switching components.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the control subsystem adjusts an excitement of at least one winding of the electric machine if the electric machine is capable of providing the horsepower associated with the adjusted throttle setting without the change in the value of the operational parameter of the combustion engine.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the combustion engine is a diesel combustion engine, the operational parameter is rotational speed of a crankshaft of the combustion engine, and the electric machine includes at least one of an alternator or a generator.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the control subsystem includes at least one processor and at least one non-transitory processor-readable medium that stores instructions and data executable by the processor, the data including a set of values for six driven axles and a set of values for four driven axles, and further comprising:

a set of traction motor power switching components electrically coupled to the electric machine to receive electrical power therefrom and communicatively coupled to the control subsystem, the set of traction motor power switching components selectively operable at least in part in response to the control subsystem to switch the electrical power to a plurality of fraction motors of a locomotive.

8. A method of operating a system comprising a combustion engine operable to produce movement represented by a value of an operational parameter of the combustion engine, an electric machine having at least one portion coupled to the combustion engine to be driven in response to the movement produced by the combustion engine and to produce electrical power in response, and a control subsystem including at least one processor and at least one non-transitory processor-readable medium that stores instructions and data executable by the processor, the control subsystem communicatively coupled to control the combustion engine and the electric machine, the method comprising:

receiving by the control subsystem a plurality of throttle input signals that are indicative of a finite number of distinct throttle settings, each of the throttle settings associated with a respective range of available horsepower delivered as electrical power via the electric machine; and

in response to an adjustment in the throttle setting, selectively maintaining by the control subsystem the value of the operational parameter of the combustion engine where an amount of horsepower associated with the adjusted throttle setting is available without a change in the value of the operational parameter of the combustion engine.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

in response to the adjustment in the throttle setting, selectively changing by the control subsystem the value of the operational parameter of the combustion engine where the amount of horsepower associated with the adjusted throttle setting is not available without the change in the value of the operational parameter of the combustion engine.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising

determining by the control subsystem if the electric machine is capable of providing the amount of horsepower associated with the adjusted throttle setting without the change in the value of the operational parameter of the combustion engine.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the system further comprises a set of traction motor power switching components electrically coupled to the electric machine to receive electrical power therefrom and communicatively coupled to the control subsystem, the method further comprising:

monitoring by the control subsystem the electrical power passing through the traction motor power switching components and wherein the determining if the electric machine is capable of providing the amount of horsepower associated with the adjusted throttle setting without the change in the value of the operational parameter of the combustion engine is based at least in part on the monitored electrical power passing through the traction motor power switching components.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

adjusting by the control subsystem an excitement of at least one winding of the electric machine if the electric machine is capable of providing the amount of horsepower associated with the adjusted throttle setting without the change in the value of the operational parameter of the combustion engine.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the combustion engine is a diesel combustion engine, the operational parameter is rotational speed, and adjusting by the control subsystem an excitement of at least one winding of the electric machine includes adjusting an excitement of a winding of at least one of an alternator or a generator.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the at least one non-transitory processor-readable medium that stores instructions and data executable by the processor, the data including at least a set of values for six driven axles and a set of values for four driven axles, and further comprising:

selecting one of the sets of values based on a number of driven axles on a locomotive; and

executing the set of instructions using the selected set of values to power to a plurality of traction motors of the locomotive.

15. A power system for a locomotive having a plurality of traction motors coupled to drive a number of driven axles, the system comprising:

a combustion engine operable to produce rotation of a crank shaft at a plurality of rotational speeds representable in revolutions per minute;

at least one of an alternator or a generator having at least one drive shaft coupled to the crank shaft of the combustion engine to be driven therewith and to produce electrical power in response thereto at an output of the alternator or the generator;

a set of traction motor power switching components electrically coupled to the output of the alternator or the generator and having at least one set of contacts electrically coupled to the traction motors of the locomotive; and

a control subsystem communicatively coupled to control the combustion engine, the electric machine, and the fraction motor power switching components at least in part in response to a plurality of received throttle input signals that are indicative of a finite number of distinct throttle settings, each of the throttle settings associated with a respective range of available horsepower delivered as electrical power to the traction motors via the electric machine and fraction motor power switching components, where in response to a selection of a new one of the throttle settings, the control subsystem determines whether at the current rotational speed of the crank shaft the combustion engine electrical power that is generatable is within the respective range of available horsepower for the selected new one of the throttle settings and changes the rotational speed of the crank shaft of the combustion engine only when the available horsepower generatable at the current rotational speed is outside the respective range for the selected new one of the throttle settings.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the control subsystem adjusts an excitement of at least one winding of the alternator or generator if at the current rotational speed of the crank shaft of the combustion engine electrical power that is generatable is within the respective range of available horsepower for the selected new one of the throttle settings.

17. A power system for a locomotive platform having a plurality of traction motors coupled to drive a number of driven axles, the system comprising:

a combustion engine operable to produce rotation of a crank shaft;

at least one electric machine having at least one drive shaft coupled to the crank shaft of the combustion engine to be driven therewith and to produce electrical power in response thereto at an output of the at least one electric machine;

a set of traction motor power switching components electrically coupled to the output of the electric machine and having at least one set of contacts electrically coupleable to the traction motors of the locomotive platform; and

a control subsystem comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory processor-readable medium that stores instructions and data executable by the processor, the data including a first set of values to drive a first number of traction motors drivingly coupled to six driven axles and at least a second set of values to drive a second number of traction motors drivingly coupled to four driven axles, the control subsystem communicatively coupled to control the combustion engine, the at least one electric machine, and the traction motor power switching components at least in part in response to a plurality of received throttle input signals that are indicative of a finite number of distinct throttle settings, each of the throttle settings associated with a respective range of available horsepower delivered as electrical power to the traction motors via the at least one electric machine and the traction motor power switching components based at least in part on the number of driven axles of the locomotive platform.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the control subsystem determines the number of driven axles on the locomotive platform.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the control subsystem senses a respective circuit condition on each of a number of circuit paths of the traction motor power switching components and determines the number of driven axles on the locomotive platform based at least in part on the sensed circuit conditions.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the control subsystem compares the number of driven axles determined by sensing with an expected number of driven axles and produces a notification if the number of driven axles determined by sensing does not match the expected number of driven axles.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the control subsystem accounts for any cut out of traction motors when the control subsystem compares the number of driven axles determined by sensing with the expected number of driven axles.

22. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

an external communications module operable to provide communications externally from the system, wherein the control subsystem causes the external communications module to transmit a signal indicative of the number of driven axles determined by sensing.

23. The system of claim 22 where in response to the transmission of the signal indicative of the number of driven axles determined by sensing, the communications module receives a response indicative of a match between the number of driven axles determined by sensing and the expected number of driven axles and which includes a key required to operate the system to supply electrical power to the traction motors.

24. The system of claim 17 wherein the control subsystem is communicatively coupled to adjust an excitement of at least one winding of the at least one electric machine.

25. The system of claim 17 wherein the combustion engine is a diesel combustion engine, and the electric machine includes at least one of an alternator or a generator.

26. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a container that houses the combustion engine, the at least one electric machine, the set of traction motor power switching components, and the control subsystem, the container selectively attachable and detachable to the locomotive carriage as an integral unit.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the container is selectively installable on any of at least two locomotive carriages manufactured by respective original equipment manufacturers and the control system is operable on those respective locomotive carriages without any changes to the instructions via dynamic selection between the first and at least the second sets of variables.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the container is selectively installable on any of at least two locomotive carriages manufactured by a single original equipment manufacturers and the control system is operable on those respective locomotive carriages without any changes to the instructions.

29. The system of claim 17 wherein the at least one non-transitory processor-readable medium stores a single set of instructions to control at least two different locomotive platforms which are at least one a) manufactured by respective original equipment manufacturers different from one another or b) have a respective number of driven axles different from one another, based on a dynamic selection between the first and at least the second sets of values and without any changes to the instructions.

30. The system of claim 17 wherein the traction motor power switching components is operable to selectively switch ones of the traction motors between series and parallel electrical couplings.

31. A method of operating a power system for a locomotive platform having a plurality of traction motors coupled to drive a number of driven axles, the power system comprising a combustion engine operable to produce rotation of a crank shaft, at least one electric machine having at least one drive shaft coupled to the crank shaft of the combustion engine to be driven therewith and to produce electrical power in response thereto at an output of the at least one electric machine, a set of traction motor power switching components electrically coupled to the output of the electric machine and having at least one set of contacts electrically coupleable to the traction motors of the locomotive platform, and a control subsystem comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory processor-readable medium that stores instructions and data executable by the at least one processor, the data including a first set of values to drive a first number of traction motors drivingly coupled to six driven axles and at least a second set of values to drive a second number of traction motors drivingly coupled to four driven axles, the control subsystem communicatively coupled to control the combustion engine, the at least one electric machine, and the traction motor power switching components, the method comprising:

determining by the control subsystem the number of driven axles on the locomotive platform;

selecting by the control subsystem between the first or the at least second set of values based at least on the number of driven axles the locomotive platform is determined to have; and

executing the instructions by the control subsystem with the selected one of the first or at least the second sets of values.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

sensing a respective circuit condition on each of a number of circuit paths of the traction motor power switching components, wherein determining the number of driven axles on the locomotive platform is based at least in part on the sensed circuit conditions.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

comparing the number of driven axles determined by sensing with an expected number of driven axles; and

producing a notification if the number of driven axles determined by sensing does not match the expected number of driven axles.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

accounting for any operator-imposed cut out of traction motors when comparing the number of driven axles determined by sensing with the expected number of driven axles.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

causing an external communications module to transmit a signal indicative of the number of driven axles determined by sensing externally from the locomotive platform.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

in response to transmitting the signal indicative of the number of driven axles determined by sensing, receiving a response indicative of a match between the number of driven axles determined by sensing and the expected number of driven axles and which includes a key required to operate the power system to supply electrical power to the fraction motors.

37. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

adjusting an excitement of at least one winding of the at least one electric machine by the control subsystem.

38. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

selectively detachably attaching a container that houses the combustion engine, the at least one electric machine, the set of traction motor power switching components, and the control subsystem, as an integral unit to the locomotive platform.

39. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

selectively switching ones of the traction motors between series and parallel electrical couplings by the switchgear in response to the control subsystem.

40. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of received throttle input signals that are indicative of a finite number of distinct throttle settings by the control subsystem, each of the throttle settings associated with a respective range of available horsepower delivered as electrical power to the traction motors via the at least one electric machine and the traction motor power switching components based at least in part on the number of driven axles which the locomotive platform has.

41. A power system for a locomotive platform having a plurality of traction motors coupled to drive a number of driven axles, the system comprising:

a combustion engine operable to produce rotation of a crank shaft at a plurality of rotational speeds;

at least one electric machine having at least one drive shaft coupled to the crank shaft of the combustion engine to be driven therewith and to produce electrical power in response thereto at an output of the electric machine;

a set of traction motor power switching components electrically coupled to the output of the electric machine and having at least one set of contacts electrically coupled to the traction motors of the locomotive platform; and

a control subsystem comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory processor-readable medium that stores instructions and data executable by the processor, the control subsystem determining the number of driven axles on the locomotive platform based at least in part on a respective circuit condition sensed on each of a number of circuit paths of the fraction motor power switching components.

42. The power system of claim 41 wherein the data includes a first set of values to drive a first number of traction motors drivingly coupled to first number of driven axles and at least a second set of values to drive a second number of traction motors drivingly coupled to a second number of driven axles, the second number of driven axles different than the first number of driven axles, and wherein the control subsystem selects between the first and at least the second set of values based at least in part on the number of driven axles which the locomotive platform is determined to have.