Consist power system having auxiliary load management

• US 9,193,362 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Locomotive Inc. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Electro-Motive Diesel Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Foege, Aaron Gamache, Coldren, Dana Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCARRY JR, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US13/895,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20140033945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 105/26.05, 105/27, 105 341- 35, 105 49- 53, 104287-289
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/02 Bunkers; Tanks; Tenders coachwork B61D; Water or fuel pick-up or scoop apparatus; Water or fuel supply fittings trackside installations, e.g. bunkers, tanks, for filling locomotives with sand or water B61K11/00
• 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: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to a power system for a consist. The power system may have a main engine located onboard a locomotive of the consist, a main generator driven by the main engine to generate a main supply of electric power, and a traction motor configured to receive the main supply of electric power and propel the locomotive. The power system may also have an auxiliary engine located on a tender car towed by the locomotive, and an auxiliary generator driven by the auxiliary engine to generate an auxiliary supply of power directed to the locomotive.

Claims

1. A consist power system, comprising:

a main engine located onboard a locomotive of a consist;

a main generator driven by the main engine to produce a main supply of electric power;

a traction motor configured to receive the main supply of electric power and propel the locomotive;

an auxiliary engine located onboard a tender car towed by the locomotive;

an auxiliary generator driven by the auxiliary engine to generate an auxiliary supply of power directed to the locomotive; and

a switch mounted on the locomotive, the switch being configured to operate alternatively between three options of;

connecting the main generator to both the traction motor and an auxiliary load on the locomotive,

connecting the main generator to only the traction motor, and

connecting the main generator to only the auxiliary load on the locomotive.

2. The consist power system of claim 1, further including a common fuel supply configured to provide fuel to the main engine and to the auxiliary engine.

3. The consist power system of claim 1, further including a tender car traction motor configured to propel the tender car, wherein dynamic braking of the tender car traction motor provides an additional source of power to the locomotive.

4. The consist power system of claim 3, further including an energy storage system in communication with at least one of the main engine and the auxiliary engine.

5. The consist power system of claim 4, wherein dynamic braking of the tender car traction motor charges the energy storage system.

6. The consist power system of claim 5, further including a resistance grid located on the tender car and configured to dissipate excess energy generated from dynamic braking of the tender car traction motor.

7. The consist power system of claim 4, further including a conduit configured to direct power from the energy storage system to auxiliary loads on the locomotive.

8. The consist power system of claim 4, wherein when power from the energy storage system is directed auxiliary loads on the locomotive, an output of the main engine is reduced.

9. The consist power system of claim 1, wherein the switch is configured to interrupt the main supply of electric power from the main generator to the auxiliary load when the auxiliary load receives electric power from the tender car.

10. A method of providing power to a consist,

comprising:

driving a main generator with a main engine located onboard a locomotive of the consist to produce a main supply of electric power;

directing the main supply of electric power from the main generator onboard the locomotive to each of the following three options in the alternative;

only to a traction motor to propel the locomotive;

to both the traction motor to propel the locomotive and an auxiliary load on the locomotive; and

to only the auxiliary load on the locomotive;

driving an auxiliary generator with an auxiliary engine located onboard a tender car towed by the locomotive to produce an auxiliary supply of electric power; and

directing the auxiliary supply of electric power to auxiliary loads of the consist.

11. The method of claim 10, further including operating traction motors on the tender car to produce electric power directed to the auxiliary loads.

12. The method of claim 11, further including storing the electric power generated by the traction motors for future use.

13. The method of claim 12, further including directing excess electric power produced by the traction motors to electric grids positioned on the tender car.

14. The method of claim 10, further including distributing fuel from a common supply to the main engine and the auxiliary engine.

15. The method of claim 10, further including selectively directing electric power from the tender car to the locomotive.

16. The method of claim 10, further including directing electric power from the tender car to an auxiliary load on the tender car.

17. The method of claim 10, further including regulating the supply of electric power from the main generator to the auxiliary load.

18. The method of claim 17, further including redirecting electric power produced by the main generator from the auxiliary load to the traction motor upon connection of an external power source to the auxiliary load.

19. A train consist, comprising:

a locomotive, having;

a frame;

a main engine mounted to the frame;

a plurality of wheels configured to support the frame and driven by the main engine;

a main generator driven by the main engine to generate a main supply of electric power; and

at least one traction motor configured to receive the main supply of electric power and propel the locomotive; and

a tender car, having;

a tank configured to store fuel;

an auxiliary engine;

a fuel delivery circuit connected to the tank, the auxiliary engine, and the main engine;

an auxiliary generator powered by the auxiliary engine to generate a supply of auxiliary electric power;

a conduit configured to deliver the supply of electric power from the tender car to auxiliary loads of the locomotive; and

a switch mounted on the locomotive, the switch being configured to operate alternatively between the three options of;

connecting the main generator to both the at least one traction motor and an auxiliary load on the locomotive,

connecting the main generator to only the at least one traction motor, and

connecting the main generator to only the auxiliary load on the locomotive.