Vehicle control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11529982-B2
Application number	US-202016990191-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2020
Priority date	Apr 5, 2016
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle control system is provided for controlling adhesion of wheels to a route surface. The control system includes one or more processors configured to determine adhesion values representative of adhesion between the wheels of a vehicle and the route surface based on angular speeds of the wheels. The one or more processors are configured to generate a target slip value for the wheels that are coupled with at least two different axles of the vehicle by processing the adhesion values and modifying the target slip value continuously in time to maximize an average value of the adhesion values of the wheels. The one or more processors also are configured to control a torque applied to at least one of the axles based on the target slip value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle control system comprising:
one or more processors configured to determine adhesion values representative of adhesion between wheels of a vehicle and a route surface based on angular speeds of the wheels,
the one or more processors configured to subsequently calculate a target slip value for the wheels that are coupled with at least two different axles of the vehicle using the adhesion values that were determined, the one or more processors also configured to repeatedly modify the target slip value to increase an average value of the adhesion values of the wheels,
the one or more processors configured to control a torque applied to at least one of the axles based on the target slip value that is calculated.

2. The vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to reduce a derivative of the average adhesion value with respect to the target slip value by changing the torque applied to the at least one of the axles.

3. The vehicle control system of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine an integral of the derivative of the average value of the adhesion values with respect to the target slip value, the one or more processors configured to determine or change the target slip value based on the integral that is determined.

4. The vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein the at least two different axles include a leading axle and a trailing axle along a direction of movement of the vehicle, the one or more processors are configured to increase the target slip value associated with the leading axle to clean the route surface with at least one of the wheels coupled with the leading axle prior to travel of at least another one of the wheels that is coupled with the trailing axle.

5. The vehicle control system of claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to increase the adhesion value for the at least another one of the wheels by increasing the target slip value associated with the leading axle.

6. The vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors also are configured to repeatedly change the torque applied to the at least one of the axles based on the target slip value that changes.

7. The vehicle control system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine an average value of the adhesion between the wheels and the route surface using the adhesion values.

8. A method comprising:
determining adhesion values representative of adhesion between wheels of a vehicle and a route surface based on angular speeds of the wheels;
calculating a target slip value for the wheels that are coupled with at least two different axles of the vehicle, the target slip value calculated using the adhesion values that were determined;
controlling a torque applied to at least one of the axles based on the target slip value; and
repeatedly changing the target slip value as the vehicle moves based on changes in the adhesion values to increase an average value of the adhesion values.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising reducing a derivative of an average value of the adhesion value with respect to the target slip value by changing the torque applied to the at least one of the axles.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining an integral of the derivative of the average value of the adhesion value with respect to the target slip value, wherein the target slip value is changed based on the integral that is determined.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least two different axles include a leading axle and a trailing axle along a direction of movement of the vehicle, and changing the target slip value includes increasing the target slip value associated with the leading axle to clean the route surface with at least one of the wheels coupled with the leading axle prior to travel of at least another one of the wheels that is coupled with the trailing axle.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
increasing the adhesion value for the at least another one of the wheels by increasing the target slip value associated with the leading axle.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein controlling the torque includes repeatedly changing the torque applied to the at least one of the axles based on the target slip value that changes.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the adhesion value is determined as an average value of the adhesion between the wheels and the route surface as the adhesion value.

15. A system comprising:
one or more processors configured to determine adhesion values representative of adhesion between wheels of a vehicle and a route surface based on angular speeds of the wheels,
the one or more processors configured to subsequently calculated a target slip value for the wheels that are coupled with at least two different axles of the vehicle using the adhesion values that were determined,
the one or more processors configured to control a torque applied to at least one of the axles based on the target slip value and to repeatedly change the target slip value as the vehicle moves based on changes in the adhesion values to increase an average value of the adhesion values,
wherein the wheels include a leading wheel and a trailing wheel along a direction of movement of the vehicle, the one or more processors are configured to increase the target slip value that is calculated associated with the leading wheel to clean the route surface with the leading wheel prior to travel of the trailing wheel.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured reduce a derivative of the average value of the adhesion values with respect to the target slip value by changing the torque applied to the at least one of the axles.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine an integral of the derivative of the average value of the adhesion values with respect to the target slip value, the one or more processors configured to determine or change the target slip value based on the integral that is determined.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to increase the adhesion value for the trailing by increasing the target slip value associated with the leading wheel.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors also are configured to repeatedly change the torque applied to the at least one of the axles based on the target slip value that changes.

20. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a low-pass filter configured to reduce noise present outside a useful frequency band when determining the adhesion value.

Assignees

• Faiveley Transport Italia Spa

Inventors

• Tione Roberto

Classifications

• B61L3/10

  using current passing between devices along the route and devices on the vehicle or train · CPC title

• B61L15/00

  Indicators provided on the vehicle or train for signalling purposes · CPC title

• B61L15/0081 Primary

  On-board diagnosis or maintenance · CPC title

• B61L2201/00

  Control methods · CPC title

• B61L27/04 Primary

  Automatic systems, e.g. controlled by train; Change-over to manual control · CPC title