Train emission compliance system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11428680-B2
Application number	US-201715407675-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2017
Priority date	Jan 17, 2017
Publication date	Aug 30, 2022
Grant date	Aug 30, 2022

Abstract

A system that can automatically measure, track, and/or report train emissions for complying with geographic environmental restrictions. An emissions module determines the amount of emissions emitted by a train over time. A location module tracks the location of the locomotive of the train relative geographic locations having emission regulations. A compliance module records the amount of emissions emitted by the train in the geographic location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for tracking train emissions, comprising:
a locomotive having a train control system installed in the locomotive and sensors interconnected to the train control system for collecting data representing a plurality of actual running conditions of the locomotive and a plurality of ambient weather conditions;
a track database installed in the locomotive and associated with the train control system and containing a plurality of emission-controlled zones through which the locomotive will travel over a predetermined route stored therein;
a database installed in the locomotive and having an emission curve representing the amount of emissions generate by the locomotive under predetermined running conditions, wherein the emission curve is based on actual emissions recorded from the locomotive as a function of running conditions, locomotive velocity, and temperature during a live emissions test;
an emissions module installed in the locomotive and associated with the train control system and the database, wherein the emissions module is programmed to determine the amount of emissions emitted by the locomotive of the train over time using the actual running conditions of the locomotive-and the ambient weather conditions as determined by the train control system and the emission curve of the database;
a location module associated with the train control system and having access to plurality of emission-controlled zones stored in the track database that is programmed to track the location of the locomotive over the predetermined route as it traverses each of the plurality of emission-controlled zones; and
a compliance module programmed to receive the amount of emissions emitted by the locomotive of the train over time and to record the amount of emissions emitted by the locomotive over time in each of the plurality of emission-controlled zones.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a locomotive consist including the locomotive and at least one other locomotive, wherein the emissions module is programmed to determine the amount of emissions of all locomotives and the compliance module is programmed to record the amount of emissions emitted by all of the locomotives.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the compliance module is further programmed to record the amount emissions emitted by all of the locomotives in the train in the predetermined geographic location as determined by the location module.

4. A method of tracking train emissions, comprising the steps of:
determining a plurality of actual running conditions of the locomotive and a plurality of ambient weather conditions using a train control system installed in the locomotive and having sensors interconnected to the train control system for collecting data representing the plurality of actual running conditions of the locomotive and the plurality of ambient weather conditions;
providing a database in the locomotive that has an emission curve representing the amount of emissions generate by the locomotive under predetermined running conditions;
providing a track database in the locomotive that is associated with the train control system and that contains a plurality of emission-controlled zones through which the locomotive will travel over a predetermined route stored therein;
determining the amount of emissions emitted by a train over time with an emissions module associated with the train control system and the database, wherein the emissions module is programmed to determine the amount of emissions emitted by a locomotive of a train over time using the actual running conditions of the locomotive, and the ambient weather conditions as determined by the train control system and the emission curve;
tracking the location of the train using a location module associated with the train control system, having access to plurality of emission-controlled zones stored in the track database, and programmed to track the location of the locomotive over the predetermined route as it traverses each of the plurality of emission-controlled zones; and
recording the amount of emissions emitted by the train in each of the plurality of emission-controlled zones.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising the step of compiling a total amount of emissions of the train by tracking the amount of emissions emitted by a train over time for the entire time the train is in the at least one geographic location having emission regulations.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the step of generating a report of the compiled total emissions for each zone.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising the step of transmitting the report to a remote host.

Assignees

• New York Air Brake Llc

Inventors

• Wait Keith Wesley

Classifications

• B61L25/025

  Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates · CPC title

• G01N33/004 Primary

  CO or CO2 · CPC title

• B61L15/0081

  On-board diagnosis or maintenance · CPC title

• B61K9/00

  Railway vehicle profile gauges; Detecting or indicating overheating of components; Apparatus on locomotives or cars to indicate bad track sections; General design of track recording vehicles · CPC title

• B61L2205/04

  Satellite based navigation systems, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] · CPC title