Hybrid energy power management system and method

• US 9,193,268 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2007
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kumar, Ajith Kuttanair
• Primary Examiner(s): Holwerda, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US11/671,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20070142985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,213 Days
• Field of Search: 607/16, 123/1.A, 123/525, 123/527, 123/575, 477/3, 180/62.25, 701/22, 701/101, 701/102
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0455 Removal or replacement of the energy storages
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03118 Multiple tanks, i.e. two or more separate tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03157 for supply different types of fuel to the motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/03217 Fuel level sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/62 Vehicle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/64 Road conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 Slope of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/53 in combination with an external power supply, e.g. from overhead contact lines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/209 Fuel quantity remaining in tank
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/05 Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/20 Road profile, i.e. the change in elevation or curvature of a plurality of continuous road segments
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/30 Road curve radius
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 : Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/40 : Altitude
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/60 : Traffic rules, e.g. speed limits or right of way
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/50 : of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/02 : related to ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0634 : Determining a density, viscosity, composition or concentration F02D19/087 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0665 : Tanks, e.g. multiple tanks
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0697 : Arrangement of fuel supply systems on engines or vehicle bodies; Components of the fuel supply system being combined with another device
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0611 : Fuel type, fuel composition or fuel quality
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/701 : Information about vehicle position, e.g. from navigation system or GPS signal
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0025 : Controlling engines characterised by use of non-liquid fuels, pluralities of fuels, or non-fuel substances added to the combustible mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 : Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/84 : Data processing systems or methods, management, administration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

An energy management system is provided for use with a hybrid energy off-highway vehicle traveling on a predetermined course. The energy management system includes an energy management processor to determine a power storage parameter, a power transfer parameter, and an engine transfer parameter for each location along the predetermined course to minimize the total fuel consumed of all fuel types during the predetermined course subject to at least one fuel parameter constraint. An energy storage system selectively stores electrical energy available from the traction bus as a function of the power storage parameter and selectively supplies secondary electric power from the stored electrical energy to the traction bus as a function of the power transfer parameter. The engine selectively supplies primary electric power to the traction bus at each location along said predetermined course through selectively using at least one fuel type in response to said engine transfer parameter.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to monitor fuel efficiencies of an engine system of a vehicle when the engine system consumes plural different fuels to propel the vehicle, the processor also configured to monitor volumes of the fuels as the vehicle moves along a route,

wherein the fuels include a first fuel and a second fuel, and the processor is configured to determine whether the volume of the first fuel is sufficient to power the vehicle to travel to a first upcoming refueling location where the vehicle can acquire more of the first fuel, and to determine whether the volume of the second fuel is sufficient to power the vehicle to travel to a second upcoming refueling location where the vehicle can acquire more of the second fuel, and

wherein the processor is configured to direct the engine system to switch which of the first fuel and the second fuel is consumed by the engine system to propel the vehicle based on the fuel efficiencies of the engine system that are monitored, based on whether the vehicle can reach the first upcoming refueling location, and based on whether the vehicle can reach the second upcoming refueling location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to direct the engine system to switch which of the fuels is consumed while the vehicle is moving.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to be communicatively coupled with sensors disposed in tanks that hold the different fuels, the processor configured to monitor the fuel efficiencies based on data obtained from one or more of the sensors.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor also is configured to monitor amounts of emissions generated by the engine system when the engine system consumes the different fuels and to direct the engine system to switch which of the different fuels is consumed by the engine system to propel the vehicle based on the amounts of emissions generated by the engine system when the different fuels are consumed.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the different fuels include diesel fuel and a gaseous fuel.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the gaseous fuel includes hydrogen gas.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to monitor the fuel efficiencies of the different fuels based on a location of the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to direct the engine system to switch which of the different fuels is consumed based on a current location of the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to direct the engine system to switch which of the different fuels is consumed based on an upcoming location of the vehicle prior to the vehicle reaching the upcoming location.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine a parameter restriction related to operation of the vehicle, the parameter restriction including one or more of a mileage restriction or an availability restriction, the processor also configured to direct the engine system to switch which of the different fuels is consumed based on a comparison between the parameter restriction and the fuel efficiencies that are monitored.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the parameter restriction is the emission restriction that limits the amounts of emissions generated by the vehicle and the engine characteristic is the amounts of emissions generated by the engine system when the different fuels are consumed by the engine system.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to direct the engine system to switch which of the different fuels is consumed based on a comparison between the fuel efficiencies associated with the different fuels.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to direct the engine system to alternate between consuming the different fuels at different locations of a trip of the vehicle to reduce amounts of each of the different fuels that are consumed over the trip.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes an energy storage device configured to supply electric current to propel the vehicle, and wherein the processor is configured to control which of the engine system or the energy storage device provides power to propel the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to control which of the engine system or the energy storage device provides the power to propel the vehicle based on one or more characteristics of the different fuels.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the different fuels include diesel fuel and gaseous fuel.

31. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle and to measure and communicate the fuel efficiencies to the processor.

32. The system of claim 1, further comprising sensors configured to be coupled with tanks in which the fuels are disposed and to determine properties of the fuels, wherein the processor is configured to determine fuel types of the fuels in the tanks based on the properties of the fuels.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the properties of the fuels include one or more of viscosities or densities of the fuels.

17. A method comprising:

monitoring fuel efficiencies of an engine system of a vehicle when the engine system consumes different fuels to propel the vehicle, the fuels including a first fuel and a second fuel;

monitoring volumes of the fuels as the vehicle moves along a route;

determining whether the volume of the first fuel is sufficient to power the vehicle to travel to a first upcoming refueling location where the vehicle can acquire more of the first fuel;

determining whether the volume of the second fuel is sufficient to power the vehicle to travel to a second upcoming refueling location where the vehicle can acquire more of the second fuel; and

switching which of the first fuel and the second fuel is consumed by the engine system to propel the vehicle based on the fuel efficiencies of the engine system that are monitored, based on whether the vehicle can reach the first refueling location, and based on whether the vehicle can reach the second refueling location.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein switching which of the fuels is consumed occurs while the vehicle is moving.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the fuel efficiencies are monitored based on data received from sensors disposed in tanks that hold the different fuels.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising monitoring amounts of emissions generated by the engine system when the different fuels are consumed and switching which of the fuels is consumed by the engine system to propel the vehicle based on the amounts of emissions that are monitored.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the different fuels include diesel fuel and a gaseous fuel.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the gaseous fuel includes hydrogen gas.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein monitoring the fuel efficiencies includes monitoring the fuel efficiencies based on a location of the vehicle.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein switching which of the different fuels is consumed includes directing the engine system to switch which of the different fuels is consumed based on a current location of the vehicle.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein switching which of the different fuels is consumed includes directing the engine system to switch which of the different fuels is consumed based on an upcoming location of the vehicle prior to the vehicle reaching the upcoming location.

26. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining a parameter restriction related to operation of the vehicle, the parameter restriction including at least one of a mileage restriction or an availability restriction, wherein switching which of the different fuels is consumed includes directing the engine system to switch which of the different fuels is consumed based on a comparison between the parameter restriction and an engine characteristic that includes at least one of the fuel efficiencies that are monitored.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein switching which of the different fuels is consumed includes directing the engine system to switch which of the different fuels is consumed based on a comparison between the fuel efficiencies associated with the different fuels.

28. The method of claim 17, wherein the vehicle includes an energy storage device configured to supply electric current to propel the vehicle, and further comprising switching between using the engine system or the energy storage device to propel the vehicle.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein switching between using the engine system or the energy storage device includes controlling which of the engine system or the energy storage device provides the power to propel the vehicle based on one or more characteristics of the different fuels.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the different fuels include diesel fuel and gaseous fuel.

34. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining properties of the fuels based on data obtained by sensors coupled with tanks in which the fuels are disposed; and

determining fuel types of the fuels in the tanks based on the properties of the fuels.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the properties of the fuels include one or more of viscosities or densities of the fuels.