Automatic disabling of unpowered locked wheel fault detection for slipped traction motor pinion

• US 9,463,817 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2015
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progress Rail Locomotive Inc. (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Electro-Motive Diesel Incorporated (Caterpillar Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kupiec, Gregory Raymond, Melas, Dennis, Traylor, Isaac Suwa
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/623,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20160236698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 701/19, 318/52
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0058 On-board optimisation of vehicle or vehicle train operation
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0072 On-board train data handling
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0081 On-board diagnosis or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/021 Measuring and recording of train speed

Abstract

A method for detecting a slipped traction motor pinion in a locomotive is disclosed. The locomotive may have a traction system and a controller in communication with the traction system. The traction system may have a wheel axle, a traction motor operatively connected to the wheel axle, a speed sensor associated with the traction motor, an inverter coupled to the traction motor, and a current sensor associated with the inverter. The method may include monitoring signals indicative of a speed of the traction motor received from the speed sensor, receiving current feedback associated with the inverter received from the current sensor, comparing the signals from the speed sensor to the current feedback, and determining that the traction motor is decoupled from the wheel axle based on the comparison of the signals from the speed sensor to the current feedback.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a slipped traction motor pinion in a locomotive having a traction system and a controller in communication with the traction system, the traction system having

a wheel axle,

a traction motor operatively connected to the wheel axle,

a speed sensor associated with the traction motor,

an inverter coupled to the traction motor, and

a current sensor associated with the inverter,

the method comprising:

receiving, within the controller, a signal from the speed sensor, the signal from the speed sensor being indicative of a speed of the traction motor;

receiving, within the controller, current feedback from the current sensor, the current feedback being indicative of an electrical current through the inverter;

comparing, via the controller, the signal from the speed sensor to the current feedback; and

determining, via the controller, that the traction motor is decoupled from the wheel axle when

the signal from the speed sensor indicates a substantial traction motor speed, and

the current feedback indicates an insignificant load on the traction motor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising disabling, via the controller, a locked wheel fault detection upon determining that the traction motor is decoupled from the wheel axle.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising recording the disabling of the locked wheel fault detection in a fault log.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising sending the fault log to an off-board location via a communication system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the locomotive includes a plurality of traction motors and a plurality of speed sensors,

each speed sensor of the plurality of speed sensors being uniquely associated with one traction motor of the plurality of traction motors,

the traction motor is a first traction motor of the plurality of traction motors,

the speed sensor is a first speed sensor of the plurality of speed sensors, and

the determining the traction motor is decoupled from the wheel axle includes comparing the signal from the first speed sensor to signals from other speed sensors of the plurality of speed sensors, and determining that the first traction motor speed is substantial when the first traction motor speed is consistent with speeds of other traction motors of the plurality of traction motors.

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein the locomotive further includes a plurality of inverters, each inverter being uniquely coupled with one traction motor of the plurality of traction motors,

the inverter is a first inverter of the plurality of inverters, and

the determining the traction motor is decoupled from the wheel axle further includes comparing current feedback for the first inverter with current feedback associated with other inverters of the plurality of inverters, and determining that a load on the first traction motor is insignificant when an electrical current through the first inverter is less than an electrical current through another inverter of the plurality of inverters.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the locomotive includes a plurality of traction motors and a plurality of speed sensors,

each speed sensor of the plurality of speed sensors being uniquely associated with one traction motor of the plurality of traction motors,

the traction motor is a first traction motor of the plurality of traction motors,

the speed sensor is a first speed sensor of the plurality of speed sensors, and

the determining the traction motor is decoupled from the wheel axle includes comparing the signal from the first speed sensor to a signal indicative of a ground speed of the locomotive, and determining that the first traction motor speed is substantial when the first traction motor speed is consistent with a ground speed of the locomotive.

8. The method of claim 7,

wherein the locomotive further includes a plurality of inverters, each inverter being uniquely coupled with one traction motor of the plurality of traction motors,

the inverter is a first inverter of the plurality of inverters, and

the determining the traction motor is decoupled from the wheel axle further includes comparing current feedback for the first inverter with current feedback associated with other inverters of the plurality of inverters, and determining that a load on the first traction motor is insignificant when an electrical current through the first inverter is less than an electrical current through another inverter of the plurality of inverters.

9. A system for detecting a slipped traction motor pinion in a locomotive having a traction system and a controller in communication with the traction system, the traction system having a plurality of wheel axles, each wheel axle of the plurality of wheel axles having one traction motor of a plurality of traction motors operatively connected thereto, each traction motor of the plurality of traction motors having one inverter of a plurality of inverters coupled thereto, the system for detecting the slipped traction motor pinion comprising:

a plurality of speed sensors, each speed sensor of the plurality of speed sensors being associated with one of the traction motors, each speed sensor being configured to generate a signal indicative of a speed of an associated traction motor;

a plurality of current sensors, each current sensor of the plurality of current sensors being associated with one inverter of the plurality of inverters, each current sensor being configured to generate a signal indicative of a current through the associated inverter; and

a controller in communication with each speed sensor and each current sensor, the controller being configured to;

receive from the speed sensors the signals indicative of the speed of each traction motor,

receive from the current sensors the signals indicative of the current through each inverter,

compare the signals from the speed sensors to the signals from the current sensors,

determine if a first traction motor of the plurality of traction motors is decoupled from a first wheel axle of the plurality of wheel axles when

the signal from a first speed sensor of the plurality of speed sensors indicates substantial traction motor speed for the first traction motor, and

the signal from a first current sensor of the plurality of current sensors indicates an insignificant load on the first traction motor, and

disable a locked wheel fault detection when the first traction motor is decoupled from the first wheel axle.

10. The system for detecting the slipped traction motor pinion of claim 9, wherein each speed sensor of the plurality of speed sensors is configured to detect a speed of a motor shaft of one traction motor of the plurality of traction motors.

11. The system for detecting the slipped traction motor pinion of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to determine if the first traction motor is decoupled from the first wheel axle when signals from all speed sensors of the plurality of speed sensors are consistent with each other, and the signal from the first current sensor indicates an insignificant load on the first traction motor compared to loads on other traction motors of the plurality of traction motors.

12. The system for detecting the slipped traction motor pinion of claim 11, further comprising a ground speed sensor in communication with the controller, the ground speed sensor being configured to generate a signal that is indicative of a ground speed of the locomotive.

13. The system for detecting the slipped traction motor pinion of claim 12, wherein the ground speed sensor is at least one of a radar sensor and a global positioning system (GPS) sensor.

14. The system for detecting the slipped traction motor pinion of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to determine if the first traction motor is decoupled from the first wheel axle when signals from all speed sensors of the plurality of speed sensors are consistent with the signal from the ground speed sensor, and the signal from the first current sensor indicates an insignificant load on the first traction motor compared to loads on other traction motors of the plurality of traction motors.

15. The system for detecting the slipped traction motor pinion of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to record the disabling of the locked wheel fault detection in a fault log.

16. The system for detecting the slipped traction motor pinion of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to send the fault log to an off-board location via a communication system.

17. A method for detecting a slipped traction motor pinion in a locomotive and disabling a locked wheel fault detection, the locomotive having a traction system and a controller in communication with the traction system, the traction system having

a wheel axle,

a traction motor operatively connected to the wheel axle,

a speed sensor associated with the traction motor,

an inverter coupled to the traction motor, and

a current sensor associated with the inverter,

the method comprising:

receiving, within the controller, a signal from the speed sensor, the signal from the speed sensor being indicative of a speed of the traction motor;

receiving, within the controller, current feedback from the current sensor, the current feedback being indicative of an electrical current through the inverter;

determining, via the controller, that the traction motor is decoupled from the wheel axle when the signal from the speed sensor indicates a substantial traction motor speed, and the current feedback indicates an insignificant load on the traction motor; and

disabling, via the controller, the locked wheel fault detection.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the locomotive includes a plurality of traction motors and a plurality of speed sensors,

each speed sensor of the plurality of speed sensors being uniquely associated with one traction motor of the plurality of traction motors,

the traction motor is a first traction motor of the plurality of traction motors,

the speed sensor is a first speed sensor of the plurality of speed sensors, and

the determining the traction motor is decoupled from the wheel axle includes comparing the signal from the first speed sensor to signals from other speed sensors of the plurality of speed sensors, and determining that the first traction motor speed is substantial when the first traction motor speed is consistent with speeds of other traction motors of the plurality of traction motors.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the locomotive further includes a plurality of inverters, each inverter being uniquely coupled with one traction motor of the plurality of traction motors,

the inverter is a first inverter of the plurality of inverters, and

the determining the traction motor is decoupled from the wheel axle further includes comparing current feedback for the first inverter with current feedback associated with other inverters of the plurality of inverters, and determining that a load on the first traction motor is insignificant when an electrical current through the first inverter is less than an electrical current through another inverter of the plurality of inverters.