Control system and method for remotely isolating powered units in a vehicle system
First Claim
1. A control system comprising:
- an energy management system configured to generate a trip plan that designates operational settings of a vehicle system having plural powered units interconnected with one another that generate tractive effort to propel the vehicle system along a route for a trip, the energy management system also configured to determine a tractive effort capability of the vehicle system and a demanded tractive effort of the trip, the tractive effort capability representative of the tractive effort that the powered units are capable of providing to propel the vehicle system, the demanded tractive effort representative of the tractive effort that is calculated to be used for actually propelling the vehicle system along the route for the trip according to the trip plan; and
an isolation control system configured to be communicatively coupled with the energy management system and to remotely turn one or more of the powered units to an OFF mode,wherein the energy management system also is configured to identify a tractive effort difference between the tractive effort capability of the vehicle system and the demanded tractive effort of the trip and to select at least one of the powered units as a selected powered unit based on the tractive effort difference, andwherein the isolation control system also is configured to remotely turn the selected powered unit to the OFF mode such that the vehicle system is propelled along the route during the trip by the powered units other than the selected powered unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A control system includes an energy management system and an isolation control system. The energy management system generates a trip plan that designates operational settings of a vehicle system having powered units that generate tractive effort to propel the vehicle system. The energy management system determines a tractive effort capability of the vehicle system and a demanded tractive effort of a trip. The energy management system identifies a tractive effort difference between the tractive effort capability of the vehicle system and the demanded tractive effort of the trip and selects at least one of the powered units based on the tractive effort difference. The isolation module remotely turns the selected powered unit to an OFF mode such that the vehicle system is propelled along the route during the trip by the powered units other than the selected powered unit.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A control system comprising:
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an energy management system configured to generate a trip plan that designates operational settings of a vehicle system having plural powered units interconnected with one another that generate tractive effort to propel the vehicle system along a route for a trip, the energy management system also configured to determine a tractive effort capability of the vehicle system and a demanded tractive effort of the trip, the tractive effort capability representative of the tractive effort that the powered units are capable of providing to propel the vehicle system, the demanded tractive effort representative of the tractive effort that is calculated to be used for actually propelling the vehicle system along the route for the trip according to the trip plan; and an isolation control system configured to be communicatively coupled with the energy management system and to remotely turn one or more of the powered units to an OFF mode, wherein the energy management system also is configured to identify a tractive effort difference between the tractive effort capability of the vehicle system and the demanded tractive effort of the trip and to select at least one of the powered units as a selected powered unit based on the tractive effort difference, and wherein the isolation control system also is configured to remotely turn the selected powered unit to the OFF mode such that the vehicle system is propelled along the route during the trip by the powered units other than the selected powered unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method comprising:
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determining a tractive effort capability of a vehicle system having plural powered units that generate tractive effort to propel the vehicle system and a demanded tractive effort of a trip, the tractive effort capability representative of the tractive effort that the powered units are capable of providing to propel the vehicle system, the demanded tractive effort representative of the tractive effort that is calculated to be used for actually propelling the vehicle system along a route for the trip according to a trip plan, the trip plan designating operational settings of the vehicle system to propel the vehicle system along the route for the trip; identifying a tractive effort difference between the tractive effort capability of the vehicle system and the demanded tractive effort of the trip; selecting at least one of the powered units as a selected powered unit based on the tractive effort difference; and remotely turning the selected powered unit to an OFF mode such that the vehicle system is propelled along the route during the trip by the powered units other than the selected powered unit. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A control system comprising:
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an energy management system configured to generate a trip plan that designates operational settings of a vehicle system having plural powered units interconnected with one another that generate tractive effort to propel the vehicle system along a route for a trip, each of the powered units associated with a respective tractive effort capability representative of a maximum horsepower that can be produced by the powered unit during travel; an isolation control system configured to be communicatively coupled with the energy management system and to remotely turn one or more of the powered units to an OFF mode, wherein the energy management system also is configured to determine a total tractive effort capability of the powered units in the vehicle system and a demanded tractive effort representative of the tractive effort that is calculated to be used for actually propelling the vehicle system along the route for the trip according to the trip plan, and wherein the energy management system is configured to select a first powered unit from the powered units based on an excess of the total tractive effort capability of the powered units over the demanded tractive effort of the trip, and the isolation control system is configured to remotely turn the first powered unit to an OFF mode such that the vehicle system is propelled along the route during the trip without tractive effort from the first powered unit. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification