System and method for controlling and powering a vehicle
First Claim
1. A control system comprising:
- a controller configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle that includes one or more motors that propel the vehicle along a route during a trip and an onboard energy storage device for storing at least some of the electric energy used to power the one or more motors, the controller configured to control operations of the one or more motors according to a trip plan that designates operational settings of the one or more motors during the trip; and
an energy management system configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle and to;
calculate estimated electric loads of powering the one or more motors over one or more segments of the trip according to the designated operational settings of the trip plan;
determine a demanded amount of electric energy for powering the vehicle based on one or more of the estimated electric loads, the demanded amount of electric energy based on a stored amount of electric energy in the onboard energy storage device;
determine at least one of total energy storage capacities or available energy storage capacities of plural upcoming wayside stations disposed along the route;
for each of two or more of the wayside stations, determine an additional estimated electric load representative of an amount of the electric energy used to propel the vehicle to the wayside station;
compare the at least one of the total energy storage capacities or the available energy storage capacities of the wayside stations;
communicate a request to one or more of the wayside stations, the request designating the demanded amount of electric energy that the energy management system determined and that is to be provided to the vehicle when the vehicle arrives at the one or more of the wayside stations so that the one or more of the wayside stations has sufficient electric energy to charge the onboard energy storage device with the electric energy to meet the one or more of the estimated electric loads;
at least one of generate or modify the trip plan based on the additional estimated electric loads and the at least one of the total energy storage capacities or the available energy storage capacities of the wayside stations that are compared; and
determine whether there is sufficient electric energy stored onboard the vehicle to power the vehicle to at Least one of the wayside stations,wherein, responsive to the energy management system determining that there is insufficient electric energy stored onboard the vehicle to power the vehicle to at least one of the wayside stations, the energy management system is configured to direct the controller to change how the vehicle is controlled to ensure that the vehicle can travel to the at least one of the wayside stations by one or more of changing which onboard energy source provides electric energy to the vehicle, reducing speed of the vehicle, or obtaining additional electric energy from one or more of the wayside stations,wherein the vehicle is a rail vehicle configured to also be powered from electric current received through at least one of an electrified rail or a catenary, and wherein at least one of the estimated electric loads that is calculated by the energy management system represents an amount of electric energy that is calculated to be consumed to propel the rail vehicle through an unpowered segment of the route from a first powered segment to a second powered segment, the first and second powered segments representing portions of the route that have the at least one of the electrified rail or the catenary extending alongside the route for at least one of charging the onboard power source or powering the one or more motors, the unpowered segment of the route not having the at least one of the electrified rail or the catenary extending alongside the route for charging the onboard power source or powering the one or more motors.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A control system includes a controller and an energy management system. The controller is onboard a vehicle that includes motors and an onboard energy storage device that powers the motors. The energy management system calculates estimated electric loads of powering the motors over one or more segments of a trip according to designated operational settings of a trip plan. The energy management system also determines a demanded amount of electric energy for powering the vehicle based on the estimated electric loads. The demanded amount of electric energy is based on a stored amount of electric energy in the onboard storage device. The energy management system communicates the demanded amount of electric energy to one or more of plural wayside stations disposed along the route so that the wayside stations have sufficient electric energy to charge the onboard energy storage device with the electric energy to meet the estimated electric loads.
33 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A control system comprising:
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a controller configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle that includes one or more motors that propel the vehicle along a route during a trip and an onboard energy storage device for storing at least some of the electric energy used to power the one or more motors, the controller configured to control operations of the one or more motors according to a trip plan that designates operational settings of the one or more motors during the trip; and an energy management system configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle and to; calculate estimated electric loads of powering the one or more motors over one or more segments of the trip according to the designated operational settings of the trip plan; determine a demanded amount of electric energy for powering the vehicle based on one or more of the estimated electric loads, the demanded amount of electric energy based on a stored amount of electric energy in the onboard energy storage device; determine at least one of total energy storage capacities or available energy storage capacities of plural upcoming wayside stations disposed along the route; for each of two or more of the wayside stations, determine an additional estimated electric load representative of an amount of the electric energy used to propel the vehicle to the wayside station; compare the at least one of the total energy storage capacities or the available energy storage capacities of the wayside stations; communicate a request to one or more of the wayside stations, the request designating the demanded amount of electric energy that the energy management system determined and that is to be provided to the vehicle when the vehicle arrives at the one or more of the wayside stations so that the one or more of the wayside stations has sufficient electric energy to charge the onboard energy storage device with the electric energy to meet the one or more of the estimated electric loads; at least one of generate or modify the trip plan based on the additional estimated electric loads and the at least one of the total energy storage capacities or the available energy storage capacities of the wayside stations that are compared; and determine whether there is sufficient electric energy stored onboard the vehicle to power the vehicle to at Least one of the wayside stations, wherein, responsive to the energy management system determining that there is insufficient electric energy stored onboard the vehicle to power the vehicle to at least one of the wayside stations, the energy management system is configured to direct the controller to change how the vehicle is controlled to ensure that the vehicle can travel to the at least one of the wayside stations by one or more of changing which onboard energy source provides electric energy to the vehicle, reducing speed of the vehicle, or obtaining additional electric energy from one or more of the wayside stations, wherein the vehicle is a rail vehicle configured to also be powered from electric current received through at least one of an electrified rail or a catenary, and wherein at least one of the estimated electric loads that is calculated by the energy management system represents an amount of electric energy that is calculated to be consumed to propel the rail vehicle through an unpowered segment of the route from a first powered segment to a second powered segment, the first and second powered segments representing portions of the route that have the at least one of the electrified rail or the catenary extending alongside the route for at least one of charging the onboard power source or powering the one or more motors, the unpowered segment of the route not having the at least one of the electrified rail or the catenary extending alongside the route for charging the onboard power source or powering the one or more motors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification