Locomotive engine start method

• US 7,309,929 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2006
• Issued: 12/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Railpower, LLC
• Original Assignee: Railpower Technologies Corp.
• Inventors: Donnelly, Frank, Tarnow, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Waks, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US11/411,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20060266255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 290/4.R
• US Class Current: 290/4.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/12 Induction machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/18 Reluctance machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/165 of converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/167 of motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/06 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/22 Dynamic electric resistor braking, combined with dynamic electric regenerative braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/00 Electric propulsion with power supply external to the vehicle electric propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00; in combination with batteries or fuel cells within the vehicle B60L50/53
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/16 using ac induction motors
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 7/04 Locomotives or motor railcars with two or more different kinds or types of engines, e.g. steam and IC engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 25/04 by cutting-out engines
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/06 peculiar to engines driving electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 2011/0888 DC/DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 7/10 : characterised by using auxiliary engines or apparatus of combustion type by using explosive cartridges F02N13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1552 : Boost converters exploiting the leakage inductance of a transformer or of an alternator as boost inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2201/09 : Boost converter, i.e. DC-DC step up converter increasing the voltage between the supply and the inverter driving the motor general aspects of plural converters in cascade H02M
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 25/16 : characterised by the circuit arrangement or by the kind of wiring
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/305 : controlling voltage H02P9/302 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 : Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance

Abstract

A system and method of starting or restarting an engine on a locomotive having at least one of another engine, a fuel cell system and an energy storage system. The method is applicable to large systems such as trucks, ships, cranes and locomotives utilizing diesel engines, gas turbine engines, other types of internal combustion engines, fuel cells or combinations of these that require substantial power and low emissions utilizing multiple power plant combinations. The method is directed, in part, at a flexible control strategy for a multi-engine systems based on a common DC bus electrical architecture so that prime power sources need not be synchronized.

Claims

1. A propulsion system, comprising:

(a) a plurality of engine systems, each engine system comprising;

an engine;

a generator operable to convert mechanical energy output by the engine into electrical energy;

an electrical converter operable to convert the outputted generator electrical energy into direct current electrical energy and to permit electrical energy to flow reversably in each of two directions; and

(b) a direct current bus connecting the plurality of engine systems, the direct current bus being operable to carry the direct current electrical energy to and/or from the engine systems, wherein, at a selected time, at least a first engine system is turned off and at least a second engine system is turned on, wherein the electrical converter of the second engine is switched to provide electrical energy to the DC bus at a selected voltage level, and the electrical converter of the first engine is switched to receive electrical energy from the DC bus at a selected voltage level, whereby the first engine is activated using electrical energy supplied, via the DC bus, by the second engine.

2. The propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the generator comprises at least one of an induction alternator, a permanent magnet synchronous alternator, a wound rotor synchronous alternator, a switched reluctance generator, and a DC generator.

3. The propulsion system of claim 1, wherein the electrical converter comprises at least one Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT), wherein IGBTs of the electrical converter of the first engine is switched on, and wherein IGBTs of the electrical converter of the second engine are switched off.

4. A propulsion system, comprising:

(a) a plurality of engine systems, each engine system comprising;

an engine;

one or more energy storage systems;

a generator operable to convert mechanical energy output by the engine into electrical energy;

an electrical converter operable to convert the outputted generator electrical energy into direct current electrical energy and to permit electrical energy to flow reversably in each of two directions; and

(b) a direct current bus connecting the plurality of engine systems, the one or more energy storage systems, the direct current bus being operable to carry the direct current electrical energy to and/or from the engine systems and the one or more energy storage systems, wherein, at a selected time, at least a first engine system is turned off and at least a second engine system or an energy storage system is turned on, wherein the electrical converter of the second engine or energy storage system is switched to provide electrical energy to the DC bus at a selected voltage level, and the electrical converter of the first engine is switched to receive electrical energy from the DC bus at a selected voltage level, whereby the first engine is activated using electrical energy supplied, via the DC bus, by the second engine or an energy storage system.

5. The propulsion system of claim 4, wherein the generator comprises at least one of an induction alternator, a permanent magnet synchronous alternator, a wound rotor synchronous alternator, a switched reluctance alternator, and a DC generator.

6. The propulsion system of claim 4, wherein the electrical converter comprises at least one Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT), wherein IGBTs of the electrical converter of the first engine are switched on, and wherein IGBTs of the electrical converter of the second engine are switched off.

7. A propulsion system, comprising:

(a) a plurality of engine systems, each engine system comprising;

an engine;

a generator operable to convert mechanical energy output by the engine into electrical energy;

an electrical converter operable to convert the outputted generator electrical energy into direct current electrical energy and to permit electrical energy to flow reversably in each of two directions; and

(b) a direct current bus connecting the plurality of engine systems, the direct current bus being operable to carry the direct current electrical energy to and/or from the engine systems, wherein, during a first mode of operation, at least one engine system is turned on, wherein the electrical converter of the least one engine system is switched to receive electrical energy from the DC bus at a selected voltage level, whereby the at least one engine system dissipates at least a portion of electrical energy from the DC bus.

8. The propulsion system of claim 7, wherein the first mode of operation comprises dynamic braking.

9. The propulsion system of claim 7, wherein the generator comprises at least one of an induction alternator, a permanent magnet synchronous alternator, a wound rotor synchronous alternator, a switched reluctance alternator, and a DC generator.

10. The propulsion system of claim 7, wherein the electrical converter comprises a plurality of Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) and wherein IGBTs of the electrical converter of the at least one engine system are switched on.