System and method for adjusting torque distribution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11260693-B2
Application number	US-201916298551-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2019
Priority date	Sep 15, 2016
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

A system and method herein relate to vehicle control by adjusting a torque distribution of the vehicle. The system includes a first motor configured to provide a torque to a first wheel, and a delivery system configured to controllably apply a traction control compound to a route on which the first wheel is configured to travel. The system also includes a controller circuit having one or more processors. The controller circuit is configured to control the delivery system to apply the traction control compound to the route based on a monitored temperature of the first motor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system comprising:
one or more processors configured to control delivery of a traction control substance to a route on which a vehicle is propelled by multiple traction motors,
wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine one or more differences in torques applied by the traction motors and temperatures of the traction motors, and
wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the delivery of the traction control substance onto the route based on the one or more differences in torques and based on the temperatures of the traction motors.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to direct a delivery system to deliver the traction control substance onto the route responsive to the temperature of a first traction motor of the traction motors exceeding a threshold.

3. The control system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to direct the delivery system to deliver the traction control substance onto the route responsive to both the temperature of the first traction motor exceeding the threshold and the temperature of a second traction motor of the traction motors not exceeding the threshold.

4. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to control how much of the traction control substance that is delivered onto the route based on how long the temperature of at least one of the traction motors has exceeded a threshold.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to adjust an amount of the traction control substance that is delivered onto the route based on how much of the traction control substance is onboard the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to increase adhesion between at least one wheel of the vehicle and the route by directing the traction control substance to be delivered onto the route.

7. A method comprising:
determine one or more differences in torques applied by traction motors that propel a vehicle along a route;
determine temperatures of the traction motors; and
delivering a traction control substance onto the route based on the one or more differences in torques that are determined and based on the temperatures of the traction motors that are determined.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the traction control substance is delivered onto the route by a delivery system responsive to the temperature of a first traction motor of the traction motors exceeding a threshold.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the traction control substance is delivered onto the route responsive to both the temperature of the first traction motor exceeding the threshold and the temperature of a second traction motor of the traction motors not exceeding the threshold.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
controlling how much of the traction control substance is delivered onto the route based on how long the temperature of at least one of the traction motors has exceeded a threshold.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
adjusting how much of the traction control substance is delivered onto the route based on how much of the traction control substance is onboard the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein delivering the traction control substance onto the route increases adhesion between at least one wheel of the vehicle and the route.

13. A system comprising:
one or more processors configured to determine a temperature of a traction motor of a vehicle that operates to propel the vehicle along one or more routes, the one or more processors configured to direct a delivery system to deliver a traction control substance onto at least one of the routes based on the temperature of the traction motor that is determined.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors also are configured to determine a torque generated by the traction motor, the one or more processors configured to direct the delivery system to deliver the traction control substance onto the at least one route based on the temperature of the traction motor that is determined and based on the torque of the traction motor that is determined.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the traction motor is a first traction motor of the vehicle also having a second traction motor,
wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine a temperature of the second traction motor and to direct the delivery system to deliver the traction control substance onto the at least one route based on the temperature of the first traction motor that is determined and based on the temperature of the second traction motor that is determined.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to direct the delivery system to deliver the traction control substance onto the at least one route based on a difference between the temperature of the first traction motor and the temperature of the second traction motor.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to direct the delivery system to deliver the traction control substance onto the at least one route responsive to the temperature of the first traction motor exceeding a threshold and the temperature of the second traction motor not exceeding the threshold.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to direct the delivery system to deliver the traction control substance onto the at least one route responsive to the temperature of the traction motor exceeding a threshold.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify a torque imbalance of the vehicle based on the temperature of the traction motor that is determined.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to direct the delivery system to deliver the traction control substance onto the at least one route responsive to identifying the torque imbalance.

Assignees

• Ge Global Sourcing Llc
• Transp Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Pessoa Leonardo Cezar de Faria
• Flammia Marc
• Griese Geraldo Alwin
• Domingos Cesar
• Kj Anu

Classifications

• B60B39/086

  dispensing being effected by gas · CPC title

• E01H10/007

  Mobile apparatus specially adapted for preparing or applying liquid or semi-liquid thawing material or spreading granular material on wintry roads · CPC title

• B60B39/025 Primary

  related to the control system · CPC title

• B60B39/04

  the material being granular, e.g. sand (combined control of sanding apparatus and brakes of rail vehicles B61H) · CPC title

• E01H8/10

  Removing undesirable matter from rails, flange grooves, or the like {railway parts}, e.g. removing ice from contact rails, removing mud from flange grooves (heating, blowing, or fluid-applying devices installed in the track E01B19/00; built-in draining devices for rails E01B21/02; removing ballast from rails E01B27/04) · CPC title