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

• US 9,108,646 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2014
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• 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:
  US14/483,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20150032303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• Field of Search: 701/19
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 one or more modules or containers may be located as a unitary structure where desired, 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 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 a plurality of rotational speeds;

at least one of 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 coupled to receive an input indicative of a user-entered horse power rating of the traction motors of the locomotive platform, to confirm that the user-entered horse power rating is within a defined threshold of an expected horse power rating of the locomotive platform; and

produce a notification if the user-entered horse power rating is not within the defined threshold of the expected horse power rating of the locomotive platform.

2. The power system of claim 1, further comprising;

an external communications module operable to provide communications externally from the system, and wherein the control subsystem causes the external communications module to transmit a signal indicative of the user-entered horse power rating.

3. The method of claim 2 where in response to transmission of the signal indicative of the user-entered horse power rating, the control subsystem receives a response indicative of whether the user-entered horse power rating is within the defined threshold of the expected horse power rating of the locomotive platform and which includes a key required to operate the system to supply electrical power to the traction motors.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the control subsystem limits a supply of power to the traction motors if the user-entered horse power rating is not within the defined threshold of the expected horse power rating of the locomotive platform.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the control subsystem causes a message to be provided via at least one of a visual or an aural indicator and causes a transmission of a message externally from the locomotive platform to produce the notification.

6. 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 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 method comprising;

receiving by the control subsystem an input indicative of a user-entered horse power rating of the traction motors of the locomotive platform;

confirming that the user-entered horse power rating is within a defined threshold of an expected horse power rating of the locomotive platform; and

producing a notification if the user-entered horse power rating is not within the defined threshold of the expected horse power rating of the locomotive platform.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

causing an external communications module to transmit a signal indicative of the user-entered horse power rating externally from the locomotive platform.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

in response to transmitting the signal indicative of the user-entered horse power rating, receiving a response indicative of whether the user-entered horse power rating is within the defined threshold of the expected horse power rating of the locomotive platform and which includes a key required to operate the system to supply electrical power to the traction motors.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

limiting a supply of power to the traction motors if the user-entered horse power rating is not within the defined threshold of the expected horse power rating of the locomotive platform.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein producing a notification if the user-entered horse power rating is not within the defined threshold of the expected horse power rating of the locomotive platform includes providing a message via at least one of a visual or an aural indicator and transmitting a message externally from the locomotive platform.

11. An on-board telematics system for a locomotive, the telematics system comprising:

a number of intra-system communications modules that provide communications;

at least one processor-readable storage medium; and

at least one processor communicatively coupled to the intra-system communications modules and the at least one processor-readable storage medium, the at least one processor configured to log information to the at least one processor-readable storage medium indicative of a respective amount of time that an engine of a power system of the locomotive operates at each of a number of operational modes.

12. The on-board telematics system of claim 11 wherein the at least one processor further logs information to the at least one processor-readable storage medium indicative of a respective geographic position and/or elevation at which the engine of the power system of the locomotive operated for at least some of the amounts of time.

13. The on-board telematics system of claim 11 wherein the at least one processor further logs information to the at least one processor-readable storage medium indicative of any occurrence of an override of an anti-idling function of the power system of the locomotive.

14. The on-board telematics system of claim 11 wherein the at least one processor further logs information to the at least one processor-readable storage medium indicative of each location at which the locomotive stopped, along with at least one of a time that the locomotive stopped at the respective location, a time that the locomotive left the respective location, or a duration of time the locomotive was stopped at the respective location, logically associated in the non-transitory processor-readable storage medium with the respective location.

15. The on-board telematics system of claim 14 wherein the at least one processor receives a signal from a global positioning receiver or a cellular communications receiver to determine the locations at which the locomotive stopped.

16. The on-board telematics system of claim 11 wherein the at least one processor detects and logs any unauthorized changes to a control subsystem of the locomotive.

17. The on-board telematics system of claim 11 wherein the at least one processor detects a presence of the locomotive in an unauthorized location and in response reports the unauthorized location of the locomotive externally from the locomotive.

18. The on-board telematics system of claim 11, further comprising:

at least one extra-system communications module operable to provide communications externally from the telematics system and the locomotive, including at least some of the information logged to the at least one non-transitory processor-readable storage medium.

19. The on-board telematics system of claim 11, further comprising:

a plurality of sensors positioned to sense respective ones of a plurality of operational conditions of at least one system of the locomotive.

20. A method of operating an on-board telematics system for a locomotive, the telematics system comprising a number of intra-system communications modules that provide communications, at least one processor-readable storage medium;

and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the intra-system communications modules and the at least one processor-readable storage medium, the method comprising;

logging information by the at least one processor to the at least one processor-readable storage medium indicative of a respective amount of time that an engine of a power system of the locomotive operates at each of a number of operational modes.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

logging information by the at least one processor to the at least one processor-readable storage medium indicative of a respective elevation at which the engine of the power system of the locomotive operated for at least some of the rotational speeds and at least some of the amounts of time.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

logging information by the at least one processor to the at least one processor-readable storage medium indicative of any occurrence of an override of an idle limiting function of the power system of the locomotive.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

logging information by the at least one processor to the at least one processor-readable storage medium indicative of each location at which the locomotive stopped, along with at least one of a time that the locomotive stopped at the respective location, a time that the locomotive left the respective location, or a duration of time the locomotive was stopped at the respective location, logically associated with the respective location in the non-transitory processor-readable storage medium.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving by the at least one processor a signal from at least one of a global positioning receiver or a cellular communications receiver; and

using the received signal to determine the locations at which the locomotive stopped.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

detecting by the at least one processor any unauthorized changes to a control subsystem of the locomotive; and

logging by the at least one processor any detected unauthorized changes to a control subsystem of the locomotive.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

detecting by the at least one processor a presence of the locomotive in an unexpected location; and

in response to the detection, causing a presence of the locomotive in an unauthorized location to be reported externally from the locomotive.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting at least some of the information logged to the at least one non-transitory processor-readable storage medium externally from the telematics system and the locomotive.