SYSTEM, METHOD, AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE CODE FOR OPTIMIZING PERFORMANCE OF A POWERED SYSTEM

• US 20150210283A1
• Filed: 04/10/2015
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Young, Henry Todd, Kumar, Ajith Kuttannair, Bastien, Bertrand, Brown, Timothy Warren, Worden, Bret Dwayne
• Granted Patent: US 9,352,748 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0657 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/00 Input parameters relating to infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2555/20 Ambient conditions, e.g. wind or rain
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/143 Speed control B60W30/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/188 Controlling power parameters of the driveline, e.g. determining the required power
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/024 in which a parameter or coefficient is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2616 Earth moving, work machine

Abstract

A system to optimize performance of a powered system, the system including a data device configured to provide current information about current operating conditions of the powered system and/or prior information about the powered system, a controller configured to control operation of the powered system, and a processor configured to provide at least one control command to the controller for use in operating the powered system and/or user information with at least one recommended command to a user to control the powered system, wherein the at least one control command and/or user information are based at least in part on the current information and/or the prior information. A system and computer software code, stored on a computer readable media and executable with a processor, are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a performance target for a vehicle having plural wheels for driving along a road;

comparing the performance target to an actual operating parameter of the vehicle;

modifying an actual performance of the vehicle to achieve the performance target;

obtaining information from at least one prior haul cycle of the vehicle along the road based on learning the at least one prior haul cycle of the vehicle;

determining at least one parameter for at least one current haul cycle based on the information from the at least one prior haul cycle that is obtained; and

controlling the vehicle during the at least one current haul cycle using the at least one parameter.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the performance target further comprises determining a wait time between at least two functions performed by the vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the performance target further comprises determining a productivity rate of the vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein modifying the actual performance further comprises adjusting one or more of horsepower or speed of the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein adjusting the one or more of the horsepower or the speed is performed automatically.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising adjusting the actual performance of the vehicle to compensate for at least one environmental condition.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the performance target is accomplished by obtaining information from at least one other vehicle performing a same or similar mission as the vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the performance target further comprises determining operating behavior of the vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the performance target further comprises determining statistical information of the vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the performance target further comprises comparing a position of the vehicle to at least one other vehicle.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the performance target further comprises determining environmental conditions experienced by the vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the performance target further comprises determining a degraded operating mode that the vehicle is experiencing.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the performance target further comprises comparing at least one prior mission to a current mission of the vehicle.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the performance target is a delay time between loading material onto the vehicle and removing the material from the vehicle.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the performance target is determined by comparing a braking duty cycle of the vehicle to a historical braking duty cycle.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information obtained from the at least one prior haul cycle of the vehicle is learned based on one or more of averaged or weighted data of the vehicle during the at least one prior haul cycle.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information obtained from the at least one prior haul cycle of the vehicle is learned by determining a change in a surface grade and determining how the vehicle performed over the change in the surface grade during the at least one prior haul cycle.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein one or more of determining the performance target, comparing the performance target to the actual operating parameter, modifying the actual performance of the vehicle, obtaining the information from the at least one prior haul cycle, determining the at least one parameter for the at least one current haul cycle, or controlling the vehicle is performed with one or more processors.

19. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying a result from modifying the actual performance of the vehicle on an interface of the vehicle.

20. A method comprising:

determining a performance target for a vehicle having plural wheels for driving along a road;

comparing the performance target to an actual operating parameter of the vehicle;

modifying an actual performance of the vehicle to achieve the performance target;

obtaining information from at least one prior mission of the vehicle along the road based on learning the at least one prior mission of the vehicle;

determining at least one parameter for at least one current mission based on the information from the at least one prior mission that is obtained; and

controlling the vehicle during the at least one current mission using the at least one parameter.