Maintenance of a minimum voltage to equipment in rail vehicle
First Claim
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1. A system comprising:
- a rail vehicle comprising;
a first circuitry configured for generating one or more control signals based on a voltage provided by an energy storage device;
a second circuitry configured for;
receiving said one or more control signals; and
first providing current sourced by said energy storage device through said second circuitry to power one or more devices, said first providing performed when said one or more control signals enables said second circuitry;
a third circuitry configured for;
receiving said one or more control signals;
upconverting said voltage from a first value to a second value, andsecond providing said current through said third circuitry to power said one or more devices, said upconverting and said second providing performed when said one or more control signals enables said third circuitry; and
a timer for measuring a duration of said upconverting,wherein said one or more control signals are configured to selectively enable said second circuitry when said voltage is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and said third circuitry when said voltage is less than said threshold value, andwherein said rail vehicle is configured to;
count a number of occurrences in which said voltage has dropped below said threshold value and said third circuitry has been enabled, compute a ratio of said number of occurrences to a number of cranking events, determine whether said ratio exceeds a certain percentage, and generate an alert that said energy storage device should be evaluated when said ratio exceeds said certain percentage.
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Abstract
Herein described is at least a system for generating one or more control signals based on a voltage provided by an energy storage device. Based on the one or more control signals, the system may selectively enable flow of current through one of: a) a first circuitry when the voltage is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and b) a second circuitry when the voltage is less than the threshold value, wherein the flow of the current through the second circuitry upconverts the voltage associated with the current from a first value to a second value.
17 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
a rail vehicle comprising; a first circuitry configured for generating one or more control signals based on a voltage provided by an energy storage device; a second circuitry configured for; receiving said one or more control signals; and first providing current sourced by said energy storage device through said second circuitry to power one or more devices, said first providing performed when said one or more control signals enables said second circuitry; a third circuitry configured for; receiving said one or more control signals; upconverting said voltage from a first value to a second value, and second providing said current through said third circuitry to power said one or more devices, said upconverting and said second providing performed when said one or more control signals enables said third circuitry; and a timer for measuring a duration of said upconverting, wherein said one or more control signals are configured to selectively enable said second circuitry when said voltage is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and said third circuitry when said voltage is less than said threshold value, and wherein said rail vehicle is configured to;
count a number of occurrences in which said voltage has dropped below said threshold value and said third circuitry has been enabled, compute a ratio of said number of occurrences to a number of cranking events, determine whether said ratio exceeds a certain percentage, and generate an alert that said energy storage device should be evaluated when said ratio exceeds said certain percentage.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26)
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11. A method comprising:
- generating one or more control signals by a first circuitry based on a voltage provided by an energy storage device of a rail vehicle;
first receiving a first subset of said one or more control signals by a second circuitry;
second receiving a second subset of said one or more control signals by a third circuitry;
using said one or more control signals to selectively enable said second circuitry when said voltage is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and said third circuitry when said voltage is less than said threshold value;
generating a low resistance conduction path across said second circuitry and a high resistance path across said third circuitry and passing current from said energy storage device to one or more devices through said second circuitry when said second circuitry is enabled and said third circuitry is disabled;
generating a low resistance conduction path across said third circuitry and a high resistance path across said second circuitry, upconverting said voltage from a first value to a second value, and passing current from said energy storage device to said one or more devices through said third circuitry when said third circuitry is enabled and said second circuitry is disabled;
measuring a duration of said upconverting;
counting a number of occurrences in which said voltage is less than said threshold value and said third circuitry has been enabled;
computing a ratio of said number of occurrences to a number of cranking events;
determining whether said ratio exceeds a certain percentage; and
generating an alert that said energy storage device should be evaluated when said ratio exceeds said certain percentage, wherein said rail vehicle comprises said first, second, and third circuitries. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 25)
- generating one or more control signals by a first circuitry based on a voltage provided by an energy storage device of a rail vehicle;
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20. A system comprising:
- a rail vehicle comprising;
two or more circuitries operable for, at least;
generating one or more control signals based on a voltage provided by an energy storage device;
based on said one or more control signals, selectively enabling a flow of current through a first circuitry of said two or more circuitries when said voltage is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and a second circuitry of said two or more circuitries when said voltage is less than said threshold value, wherein said flow of said current through said second circuitry upconverts said voltage from a first value to a second value, said voltage associated with said current;
measuring a duration of time in which said second circuitry upconverts said voltage;
counting a number of occurrences in which said voltage is less than said threshold value and said second circuitry has been enabled;
computing a ratio of said number of occurrences to a number of cranking events;
determining whether said ratio exceeds a certain percentage; and
generating an alert that said energy storage device should be evaluated when said ratio exceeds said certain percentage.
- a rail vehicle comprising;
Specification