Multiple engine locomotive configuration

• US 7,565,867 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2005
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Railpower, LLC
• Original Assignee: Railpower, LLC
• Inventors: Wolff, Bruce, Donnelly, Frank Wegner
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Mark T
• Application Number:
  US11/201,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20060091832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• Field of Search: 105/26.05, 105/62.1, 105/62.2, 701/19, 701/20, 290/3, 290/4.R, 290/40.R, 290/40.A, 290/40.C
• US Class Current: 105/62.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2045 for optimising the use of energy
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/42 Adaptation of control equipment on vehicle for actuation from alternative parts of the vehicle or from alternative vehicles of the same vehicle train B60L15/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/18 Reluctance machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/22 polyphase motors
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/04 Arrangement or disposition of driving cabins, footplates or engine rooms; Ventilation thereof driving cabins and accessories B61D
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 3/02 with electric accumulators
• 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: 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

In one embodiment, a multi-engine locomotive includes at least one converter to convert mechanical energy outputted by the engines to Direct Current (DC) electrical energy, a traction motor, and a DC bus connected to the engines, converter, and traction motor. The engines are configured to provide a power-per-length and/or power density that is greater than the power-per-length and/or power density of a single-engine locomotive having a power rating approximately the same as the cumulative power rating of the engines in the multi-engine locomotive.

Claims

1. A locomotive, comprising:

a plurality of engines, each engine having a corresponding power rating and all of the engines have a cumulative power rating that is a sum of the corresponding power ratings;

at least one converter to convert mechanical energy outputted by the engines to Direct Current (DC) electrical energy;

at least one traction motor operable to receive electrical energy and, in response, propel the vehicle;

a DC bus connected to the engines, the at least one converter, and the at least one traction motor and operable to transfer electrical energy from the at least one converter to the at least one traction motor; and

a control system operable to control operations of the engines,

wherein the plurality of engines are configured to provide at least one of a power-per-length and power density that is greater than the at least one of a power-per-length, the power density of a single-engine locomotive having a power rating approximately the same as the cumulative power rating, wherein, in a selected time interval, a first engine outputs a level of mechanical energy corresponding to a first percentage of the first engine'"'"'s corresponding power rating, and a second engine outputs a level of mechanical energy corresponding to a second percentage of the second engine'"'"'s corresponding power rating, wherein the first percentage is less than the second percentage, wherein the control system controls which engines provide energy to the DC bus by setting at least one of an output voltage of the at least one converter, the DC bus voltage, and a voltage associated with the at least one traction motor, wherein the first and second engines respectively have first and second converters and wherein the first and second engines and the corresponding first and second converters are located side-by-side and face in different directions.

2. The locomotive of claim 1, wherein the plurality of engines comprise from 3 to 8 engines, wherein the engines are not synchronized, wherein at least two of the engines have different power ratings, and wherein, in the selected time interval, the first and second engines are operated simultaneously at different revolutions-per-minute.

3. The locomotive of claim 1, wherein the first and second engines have at least one common element of a lubricating system, emission system, and/or cooling system.

4. The locomotive of claim 1, wherein at least one of an oil filter, air filter, oil dip stock, fuel filter, starter motor, and battery is located on an outwardly facing side of each of the first and second engines.

5. The locomotive of claim 1, wherein the plurality of engines are V engines connected in parallel relative to the DC bus.

6. The locomotive of claim 1, wherein the plurality of engines are in-line engines connected in parallel relative to the DC bus.

7. The locomotive of claim 1, wherein the at least one converter is an alternator and a rectifier and wherein the at least converter comprises a blocking diode to inhibit reverse energy flow from the DC bus to the engines.

8. The locomotive of claim 1, wherein each of the power ratings ranges from about 400 kW to about 1,000 kW and the cumulative power rating ranges from about 2,400 kW to about 8,000 kW.

9. The locomotive of claim 1, further comprising an energy storage system connected to the bus for storing electrical energy and providing electrical energy to the bus.

10. The locomotive of claim 6, wherein the at least one converter comprises an alternator and rectifier, wherein first and second in-line engines are in a nested relationship to one another, each of the first and second in-line engines comprising an engine block, alternator, and rectifier, and wherein engine blocks, alternators, and rectifiers of the first and second engines are positioned on opposing sides of the locomotive.

11. The locomotive of claim 10, wherein the first and second in-line engines are positioned within a boxed space and wherein the boxed space has a height ranging from about 2.2 to about 2.6 meters, a length ranging from about 2.8 to about 3.3 meters and a width ranging from about 1.7 to about 2 meters.

12. The locomotive of claim 10, wherein the first engine'"'"'s block is adjacent to the second engine'"'"'s alternator and rectifier and wherein the second engine'"'"'s block is adjacent to the first engine'"'"'s alternator and rectifier.

13. The locomotive of claim 10, wherein the first and second engines are mounted on a skid assembly, the skid assembly being removably connected to the locomotive, whereby the first and second engines may be removed simultaneously from the locomotive.

14. A locomotive, comprising:

a plurality of engines, each engine having a corresponding power rating and all of the engines have a cumulative power rating that is a sum of the corresponding power ratings;

at least one converter to convert mechanical energy outputted by the engines to Direct Current (DC) electrical energy;

at least one traction motor operable to receive electrical energy and, in response, propel the vehicle;

a DC bus connected to the engines, the at least one converter, and the at least one traction motor and operable to transfer electrical energy from the at least one converter to the at least one traction motor; and

a control system operable to control operations of the engines,

wherein, in a selected time interval, a first engine outputs a level of mechanical energy corresponding to a first percentage of the first engine'"'"'s corresponding power rating, and a second engine outputs a level of mechanical energy corresponding to a second percentage of the second engine'"'"'s corresponding power rating, wherein the first percentage is less than the second percentage, wherein the control system controls which engines provide energy to the DC bus by setting at least one of an output voltage of the at least one converter, the DC bus voltage, and a voltage associated with the at least one traction motor, wherein the first and second engines respectively have first and second converters and wherein the first and second engines and the corresponding first and second converters are located side-by-side and face in different directions.

15. The locomotive of claim 14, wherein the plurality of engines are configured to provide at least one of a power-per-length and power density that is greater than the at least one of a power-per-length and power density of a single-engine locomotive having a power rating approximately the same as the cumulative power rating.

16. The locomotive of claim 14, wherein the plurality of engines comprise from 3 to 8 engines, wherein the engines are not synchronized, wherein at least two of the engines have different power ratings, and wherein, in the selected time interval, the first and second engines are operated simultaneously at different revolutions-per-minute.

17. The locomotive of claim 14, wherein the first and second engines have at least one common element of a lubricating system, emission system, and/or cooling system.

18. The locomotive of claim 14, wherein at least one of an oil filter, air filter, oil dip stock, fuel filter, starter motor, and battery is located on an outwardly facing side of each of the first and second engines.

19. The locomotive of claim 14, wherein the plurality of engines are V engines connected in parallel relative to the DC bus.

20. The locomotive of claim 14, wherein the plurality of engines are in-line engines connected in parallel relative to the DC bus.

21. The locomotive of claim 14, wherein the at least one converter is an alternator and a rectifier and wherein the at least converter comprises a blocking diode to inhibit reverse energy flow from the DC bus to the engines.

22. The locomotive of claim 15, wherein each of the power ratings ranges from about 400 kW to about 1,000 kW and the cumulative power rating ranges from about 2,400 kW to about 8,000 kW.

23. The locomotive of claim 14, further comprising an energy storage system connected to the bus for storing electrical energy and providing electrical energy to the bus.

24. The locomotive of claim 20, wherein the at least one converter comprises an alternator and rectifier, wherein first and second in-line engines are in a nested relationship to one another, each of the first and second in-line engines comprising an engine block, alternator, and rectifier, and wherein engine blocks, alternators, and rectifiers of the first and second engines are positioned on opposing sides of the locomotive.

25. The locomotive of claim 24, wherein the first and second in-line engines are positioned within a boxed space and wherein the boxed space has a height ranging from about 2.2 to about 2.6 meters, a length ranging from about 2.8 to about 3.3 meters and a width ranging from about 1.7 to about 2 meters.

26. The locomotive of claim 24, wherein the first engine'"'"'s block is adjacent to the second engine'"'"'s alternator and rectifier and wherein the second engine'"'"'s block is adjacent to the first engine'"'"'s alternator and rectifier.

27. The locomotive of claim 24, wherein the first and second engines are mounted on a skid assembly, the skid assembly being removably connected to the locomotive, whereby the first and second engines may be removed simultaneously from the locomotive.

28. A locomotive, comprising:

a plurality of engines, each engine having a corresponding power rating and all of the engines have a cumulative power rating that is a sum of the corresponding power ratings;

at least one converter to convert mechanical energy outputted by the engines to Direct Current (DC) electrical energy;

at least one traction motor operable to receive electrical energy and, in response, propel the vehicle; and

a DC bus connected to the engines, the at least one converter, and the at least one traction motor and operable to transfer electrical energy from the at least one converter to the at least one traction motor,

wherein the plurality of engines are in-line engines connected in parallel relative to the DC bus, wherein the first and second engines respectively have first and second converters and wherein the first and second engines and the corresponding first and second converters are located side-by-side and face in different directions.

29. The locomotive of claim 28, further comprising:

a control system operable to control operations of the engines, wherein, in a selected time interval, a first engine outputs a level of mechanical energy corresponding to a first percentage of the first engine'"'"'s corresponding power rating, and a second engine outputs a level of mechanical energy corresponding to a second percentage of the second engine'"'"'s corresponding power rating and wherein the first percentage is less than the second percentage and wherein the control system controls which engines provide energy to the DC bus by setting at least one of an output voltage of the at least one converter, the DC bus voltage, and a voltage associated with the at least one traction motor.

30. The locomotive of claim 28, wherein the plurality of engines comprise from 3 to 8 engines, wherein the engines are not synchronized, wherein at least two of the engines have different power ratings, and wherein, in the selected time interval, the first and second engines are operated simultaneously at different revolutions-per-minute.

31. The locomotive of claim 28, wherein the first and second engines have at least one common element of a lubricating system, emission system, and/or cooling system.

32. The locomotive of claim 28, wherein at least one of an oil filter, air filter, oil dip stock, fuel filter, starter motor, and battery is located on an outwardly facing side of each of the first and second engines.

33. The locomotive of claim 28, wherein the plurality of engines are configured to provide at least one of a power-per-length and power density that is greater than the at least one of a power-per-length and power density of a single-engine locomotive having a power rating approximately the same as the cumulative power rating.

34. The locomotive of claim 28, wherein the at least one converter is an alternator and a rectifier and wherein the at least converter comprises a blocking diode to inhibit reverse energy flow from the DC bus to the engines.

35. The locomotive of claim 33, wherein each of the power ratings ranges from about 400 kW to about 1,000 kW and the cumulative power rating ranges from about 2,400 kW to about 8,000 kW.

36. The locomotive of claim 28, further comprising an energy storage system connected to the bus for storing electrical energy and providing electrical energy to the bus.

37. The locomotive of claim 28, wherein the at least one converter comprises an alternator and rectifier, wherein first and second in-line engines are in a nested relationship to one another, each of the first and second in-line engines comprising an engine block, alternator, and rectifier, and wherein engine blocks, alternators, and rectifiers of the first and second engines are positioned on opposing sides of the locomotive.

38. The locomotive of claim 37, wherein the first and second in-line engines are positioned within a boxed space and wherein the boxed space has a height ranging from about 2.2 to about 2.6 meters, a length ranging from about 2.8 to about 3.3 meters and a width ranging from about 1.7 to about 2 meters.

39. The locomotive of claim 37, wherein the first engine'"'"'s block is adjacent to the second engine'"'"'s alternator and rectifier and wherein the second engine'"'"'s block is adjacent to the first engine'"'"'s alternator and rectifier.

40. The locomotive of claim 37, wherein the first and second engines are mounted on a skid assembly, the skid assembly being removably connected to the locomotive, whereby the first and second engines may be removed simultaneously from the locomotive.