System for vehicle subsystem control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10752269-B2
Application number	US-201715831549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2017
Priority date	Mar 9, 2017
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

A system includes one or more processors configured to obtain operating parameters of a subsystem of a vehicle that is configured to travel along a route during a trip. The one or more processors are configured to generate a digital twin of the subsystem based on the operating parameters, and to receive simulated performance data generated by execution of the digital twin with a designated model of the subsystem. The one or more processors are further configured to obtain field performance data of the subsystem monitored by sensors onboard the vehicle during the trip, and to determine a performance composite index of the subsystem of the vehicle based on a variance between the simulated performance data and the field performance data. The one or more processors are also configured to control the vehicle during the trip or a subsequent trip based on the performance composite index.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
one or more processors configured to obtain operating parameters of a subsystem of each vehicle of a plurality of vehicles in a fleet that is configured to travel along a route during a trip, the one or more processors configured to generate a digital twin of the subsystem based on the operating parameters, the one or more processors configured to receive simulated performance data generated by execution of the digital twin with a designated model of the subsystem,
wherein the one or more processors are further configured to obtain field performance data of the subsystem that is monitored by one or more sensors onboard the each vehicle during the trip and to determine a performance composite index of the subsystem of the each vehicle based on a variance between the simulated performance data and the field performance data,
wherein responsive to determining for the each vehicle the performance composite index based on the variance between the simulated performance data and the field performance data, the one or more processors are further configured to rank the each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles for selection during a subsequent trip of the each vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine that the performance composite index of the subsystem is outside of a satisfactory health range responsive to the variance exceeding a designated variance threshold, the one or more processors determining that the performance composite index of the subsystem is within the satisfactory health range responsive to the variance being within the designated variance threshold.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the designated variance threshold is 10% of the simulated performance data.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to control at least one vehicle of the plurality of vehicles based on the performance composite index by one or more of automatically slowing the at least one vehicle, automatically stopping the at least one vehicle, preventing the at least one vehicle from moving, limiting a speed of the at least one vehicle, limiting an acceleration of the at least one vehicle, or limiting a distance traveled by the at least one vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive the operating parameters of the subsystem from one or more of a vehicle control system on at least one vehicle of the plurality of vehicles or a diagnostics database that stores information about previous trips of the at least one vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive environmental conditions to which at least one vehicle of the plurality of vehicles is exposed during the trip, the one or more processors configured to generate the digital twin of the subsystem based on both the operating parameters and the environmental conditions.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to predict a remaining life of the subsystem based on the performance composite index of the subsystem and deterioration data associated with subsystems similar to the subsystem of at least one vehicle of the plurality of vehicles, the deterioration data stored in a database.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the subsystem is a cooling system, the simulated performance data including one or more of an oil temperature, a coolant temperature, or a manifold air temperature during the trip.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the subsystem is a propulsion subsystem, the operating parameters including one or more of a notch setting, a turbine speed, a fuel input rate, or an air input rate.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the simulated performance data for the propulsion subsystem includes one or more of an engine power output, a fuel consumption rate, an engine temperature, or an exhaust emission rate during the trip.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to determining the performance composite index of the subsystem of the each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles, the one or more processors are configured to schedule preventative maintenance for the each vehicle.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to determining the performance composite index of the subsystem of at least one vehicle of the plurality of vehicles, the one or more processors are configured to activate an output device to notify an operator of the performance composite index of the subsystem.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to determining the performance composite index of the subsystem of at least one vehicle of the plurality of vehicles, the one or more processors are configured to set operational limits for controlling the movement of the at least one vehicle.

14. A system comprising:
one or more processors configured to obtain operating parameters of a subsystem of each vehicle of a plurality of vehicles in a fleet that is configured to travel along a route during a trip, the one or more processors configured to generate a digital twin of the subsystem based on the operating parameters, the one or more processors configured to receive simulated performance data generated by execution of the digital twin with a designated model of the subsystem,
wherein the one or more processors are further configured to obtain field performance data of the subsystem that is monitored by one or more sensors onboard the each vehicle during the trip, and to determine a performance composite index of the subsystem of the each vehicle based on a variance between the simulated performance data and the field performance data
wherein responsive to determining for the each vehicle the performance composite index based on the variance between the simulated performance data and the field performance data, the one or more processors are further configured to schedule the each vehicle of the plurality of vehicles for a subsequent trip of the each vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine that the performance composite index of the subsystem is outside of a satisfactory health range responsive to the variance exceeding a designated variance threshold, the one or more processors determining that the performance composite index of the subsystem is within the satisfactory health range responsive to the variance being within the designated variance threshold.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to schedule preventative maintenance for the each vehicle based on the performance composite index of the subsystem.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to predict a remaining life of the subsystem based on the performance composite index of the subsystem and deterioration data associated with subsystems similar to the subsystem of the each vehicle, the deterioration data stored in a database.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive environmental conditions to which the each vehicle is exposed during the trip, the one or more processors configured to generate the digital twin of the subsystem based on both the operating parameters and the environmental conditions.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive the operating parameters and the field performance data of the subsystem from one or more of a vehicle contro

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Govindappa Suresh
• Pippalla Manibabu

Classifications

• B61L27/40

  Handling position reports or trackside vehicle data · CPC title

• B61L27/57

  for vehicles or trains, e.g. trackside supervision of train conditions · CPC title

• G07C5/0816

  Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction · CPC title

• B61L15/0072

  On-board train data handling · CPC title

• B61L15/0081 Primary

  On-board diagnosis or maintenance · CPC title