System and method for vehicle position sensing with use of propulsion windings

• US 8,499,697 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Atomics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: General Atomics, Inc.
• Inventors: Borowy, Bogdan S., Gurol, Husam
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCARRY JR, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US12/390,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20100212537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 104/281, 104/284, 104/286, 104/290, 104/293, 104/294
• US Class Current: 104/284
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 13/06 Means to sense or control vehicle position or attitude with respect to railway
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles

Abstract

A system and method are provided for determining the position of a vehicle on a guideway. For operation, the vehicle includes a magnet system having a wavelength “λ”. Further, the guideway includes a propulsion winding for carrying a propulsion current. Structurally, the propulsion winding includes a series of sections, with each section having a wavelength “λ”. Further, the propulsion winding includes “N” coils linearly aligned along the guideway, with a phase difference of “λ/N” between adjacent coils. Importantly, a transmitter is located on the vehicle for emitting a position current that interacts with the propulsion winding to produce a signal in each coil. Also, the system includes a trap connected to each coil for receiving each respective signal, and a processor for resolving the respective signals to determine the position of the vehicle on the guideway.

Claims

1. A system for determining a position of a vehicle on a guideway which comprises:

a magnet system mounted on the vehicle, wherein the magnet system has a wavelength “

λ

”

;

a propulsion winding located on the guideway for carrying a low frequency propulsion current, wherein the propulsion current is provided by a control for a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM), and wherein the propulsion winding includes at least one section having a wavelength “

λ

”

, and each section has “

N”

coils linearly aligned along the guideway, with a phase difference of “

λ

/N”

between adjacent coils in the section;

a transmitter located on the vehicle for emitting a position current, with said position current interacting with the propulsion winding to produce a high frequency signal in each coil therein;

a signal trap connected to each coil in the propulsion winding for receiving isolating the high frequency signal from the low frequency propulsion current, wherein the signal trap is a resonant circuit that is tuned to receive the high frequency signal produced by the transmitter interacting with the propulsion winding and to filter out the low frequency propulsion current; and

a processor for collectively normalizing the high frequency signals from each of the coils to continuously determine position data for the vehicle on the guideway for use of the position data by the LSM control to synchronize an interaction of the propulsion current in the propulsion winding along the guideway with the magnet system on the vehicle, for maximizing propulsion of the vehicle.

2. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein N=3, and wherein the propulsion winding includes a first coil, a second coil, and a third coil, wherein the first coil, the second coil, and the third coil are linearly aligned in each section of the propulsion winding, and wherein the first coil is connected to a first signal trap, the second coil is connected to a second signal trap, and the third coil is connected to a third signal trap.

3. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein each signal is high frequency narrow-band.

4. A system as recited in claim 3 wherein each high frequency signal has a frequency of about 100 kHz.

5. A system for determining a position of a vehicle on a guideway which comprises:

a magnet system mounted on the vehicle, wherein the magnet system has a wavelength “

λ

”

;

a propulsion winding located on the guideway for carrying a low frequency propulsion current, wherein the propulsion current is provided by a control for a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM), and wherein the propulsion winding includes at least one section having a wavelength “

λ

”

, and each section has “

N”

coils linearly aligned along the guideway, with a phase difference of “

λ

/N”

between adjacent coils in the section;

a means mounted on the vehicle for emitting a position current, with said position current interacting with the propulsion winding to produce a high frequency signal in each coil therein;

a means electrically connected to each propulsion winding for isolating the high frequency signal from noise created by the low frequency propulsion current on each respective coil in the propulsion winding; and

a means for resolving the high frequency signals from each of the coils to continuously determine position data for the vehicle on the guideway for use of the position data by the LSM control to synchronize an interaction of the low frequency propulsion current in the propulsion winding along the guideway with the magnet system on the vehicle, for maximizing propulsion of the vehicle.

6. A system as recited in claim 5 wherein each isolating means is a signal trap tuned to receive the high frequency signal and to filter out the low frequency propulsion current.

7. A system as recited in claim 6 wherein the isolation means includes a first signal trap, a second signal trap, and a third signal trap, wherein the propulsion winding includes a first coil, a second coil, and a third coil that are linearly aligned in each section of the propulsion winding, and wherein the first coil is connected to the first signal trap, the second coil is connected to the second signal trap, and the third coil is connected to the third signal trap.

8. A system as recited in claim 7 wherein each signal trap comprises a resonant circuit tuned to the high frequency signal.

9. A system as recited in claim 5 wherein each signal is high frequency narrow-band.

10. A system as recited in claim 9 wherein each high frequency signal has a frequency of about 25 kHz to about 100 kHz.

11. A method for determining a position of a vehicle on a guideway which comprises the steps of:

mounting a magnet system on the vehicle, wherein the magnet system has a wavelength “

λ

”

,

locating a propulsion winding on the guideway for carrying a low frequency propulsion current, wherein the propulsion current is provided by a control for a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM), and wherein the propulsion winding includes at least one section having a wavelength “

λ

”

, and each section has “

N”

coils linearly aligned along the guideway, with a phase difference of “

λ

/N”

between adjacent coils in the section;

placing a transmitter on the vehicle;

emitting a position current from the transmitter, with said position current interacting with the propulsion winding to produce a high frequency signal in each coil therein;

isolating each high frequency signal from noise produced by the low frequency propulsion current on each respective coil in the propulsion winding using a signal trap connected to each coil in the propulsion winding; and

resolving the high frequency signals from each of the coils to continuously determine position data for the vehicle on the guideway for use of the position data by the LSM control to synchronize an interaction of the low frequency propulsion current in the propulsion winding along the guideway with the magnet system on the vehicle, for maximizing propulsion of the vehicle.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 further comprising the step of connecting a signal trap to each coil to perform the isolation step.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein each signal trap is tuned to receive a high frequency signal and filter noise from the low frequency propulsion current.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein each high frequency signal has a frequency of about 100 kHz.

15. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the propulsion winding includes a first coil, a second coil, and a third coil that are linearly aligned in each section of the propulsion winding, and wherein the first coil is connected to a first signal trap, the second coil is connected to a second signal trap, and the third coil is connected to a third signal trap.