System and method for vehicle operation

• US 9,689,681 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2014
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Napolitano, James Andrew, Meyer, Brian Nedward
• Primary Examiner(s): Troost, Aaron L
• Application Number:
  US14/457,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20160047656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 701400
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/44 by parameter estimation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/12 for vehicles propelled by dc motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/24 with additional mechanical or electromagnetic braking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A system includes an energy management processing unit that includes a trip planning module, a plurality of estimator modules, and an arbiter module. The trip planning module plans a trip profile specifying power settings based on trip data including a plurality of parameters having expected values. Each of the estimator modules generates an estimation re-plan request when the difference between an expected and experienced respective trip planning parameter value exceeds a threshold. The arbiter module receives at least one estimation re-plan request from the plurality of estimator modules, determines whether a re-plan is to be performed based on at least one of a state of the vehicle system or additional estimation re-plan requests, and provides an arbitrated re-plan request to the trip planning module for re-planning the trip profile when it is determined that a re-plan is to be performed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an energy management processing unit configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle system, the energy management processing unit comprising one or more processors configured to;

plan a trip profile specifying power settings for performing a mission based on trip data, the trip data including a plurality of parameters having expected values;

estimate respective experienced values of the plurality of parameters used by the trip planning module to plan the trip profile, determine respective differences between the experienced values and the expected values, and generate respective estimation re-plan requests of the trip profile when any of the differences exceed respective thresholds;

based on the estimation re-plan requests, select a re-plan request from among a first one of the estimation re-plan requests or an additional one or more of the estimation re-plan requests, prior to performing a re-plan of the trip profile, and provide the selected re-plan request to the trip planning module for re-planning the trip profile based on the selected re-plan request; and

control the vehicle system based on the re-planned trip profile.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors is configured to select among the estimation re-plan requests based on a predetermined priority ranking.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors is configured to select the first estimation re-plan request over a second one of the estimation re-plan requests when one or more of the parameters corresponding to the second estimation re-plan request depend on one or more of the parameters specified by the first estimation re-plan request.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors is configured to select the first estimation re-plan request over a second one of the estimation re-plan requests when the first estimation re-plan request is determined to be more reliable than the second estimation re-plan request.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors is configured to adjust a value of the first estimation re-plan request to provide a corresponding modified value for the arbitrated re-plan request.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more processors is configured to adjust the value of the first estimation re-plan request based on the state of the vehicle system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors is configured to determine whether to forward the arbitrated re-plan request to the trip planning module based on a planning state of the vehicle system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors is further configured to commence a countdown period after receiving the first one of the estimation re-plan requests and before implementing the first one of the estimation re-plan requests, and to select the selected re-plan request from among the first one of the estimation re-plan requests and other re-plan requests received during the countdown period.

9. A method comprising:

obtaining, with one or more processors, a first estimation re-plan request for re-planning a trip profile, the first estimation re-plan request based on a difference between an expected value and an experienced value of a parameter used to generate the trip profile for a vehicle system;

obtaining, with the one or more processors, one or more additional estimation re-plan requests based on a difference of one or more expected and experienced values of one or more respective additional parameters used to generate the trip profile;

selecting, with the one or more processors, a re-plan request from among the first estimation re-plan request or the one or more additional estimation re-plan requests, prior to performing a re-plan of the trip profile;

re-planning the trip profile based on the selected re-plan request; and

controlling the vehicle system based on the re-planned trip profile.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein selecting the re-plan request is performed based on a predetermined priority ranking.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising selecting the first estimation re-plan request over a second estimation re-plan request of the one or more additional estimation re-plan requests when one or more parameters corresponding to the second estimation re-plan request depend on one or more parameters specified by the first estimation re-plan request.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising selecting the first estimation re-plan request over a second estimation re-plan request of the one or more additional estimation re-plan requests when the first estimation re-plan request is determined to be more reliable than the second estimation re-plan request.

13. The method of claim 9, comprising adjusting a value of the first estimation re-plan request to provide a corresponding modified value for the arbitrated re-plan request.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the adjusting the value is performed based on the state of the vehicle system.

15. The method of claim 9, comprising determining, with the one or more processors, whether the arbitrated re-plan request is implemented based on a planning state of the vehicle system.

16. A tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium comprising one or more computer software modules configured to direct one or more processors to:

obtain a first estimation re-plan request for a re-planning a trip profile, the first estimation re-plan request based on a difference between an expected value and an experienced value of a parameter used to generate the trip profile for a vehicle system;

obtain, with the one or more processors, one or more additional estimation re-plan requests based on a difference of one or more expected and experienced values of one or more respective additional parameters used to generate the trip profile;

select a re-plan request from among the first estimation re-plan request or the one or more additional estimation re-plan requests, prior to performing a re-plan of the trip profile;

re-plan the trip profile based on the selected re-plan request; and

control the vehicle system based on the re-planned trip profile.

17. The tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more computer software modules are configured to direct the one or more processors to select the selected re-plan request based on a predetermined priority ranking.

18. The tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more computer software modules are configured to direct the one or more processors to select the first estimation re-plan request over a second estimation re-plan request of the one or more additional estimation re-plan requests when one or more parameters corresponding to the second estimation re-plan request depend on one or more parameters specified by the first estimation re-plan request.

19. The tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more computer software modules are configured to direct the one or more processors to select the first estimation re-plan request over a second estimation re-plan request of the one or more additional estimation re-plan requests when the first estimation re-plan request is determined to be more reliable than the second estimation re-plan request.

20. The tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more computer software modules are configured to adjust a value of the first estimation re-plan request to provide a corresponding modified value for the arbitrated re-plan request.

21. The tangible and non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the one or more computer software modules are configured to adjust the value based on a state of the vehicle system.