Auxiliary power controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11794587-B2
Application number	US-201916704852-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2019
Priority date	Dec 5, 2019
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes determining, by an auxiliary power controller, a first selection of one or more power input sources from a plurality of power input sources. The method also includes determining, by the auxiliary power controller, a first selection of one or more power consuming devices from a plurality of power consuming devices. The method further includes managing, by the auxiliary power controller, transfer of auxiliary power from the first selection of the one or more power input sources to the first selection of the one or more power consuming devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An auxiliary power controller, comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to the one or more processors and comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the auxiliary power controller to perform operations comprising:
determining a first selection of two or more power input sources from a plurality of power input sources;
determining a first power supply of a first power input source of two or more power input sources;
determining a second power supply of a second power input source of the two or more power input sources;
determining a first selection of one or more power consuming devices from a plurality of power consuming devices;
determining whether the first selection of two or more power input sources or the first selection of one or more power consuming devices have changed, wherein determining whether the first selection of two or more power input sources or the first selection of one or more power consuming devices have changed includes one or more of:
determining whether one or more power consuming devices of the plurality of power consuming devices have been added to the first selection of one or more power consuming devices;
determining whether one or more power consuming device have been removed from the first selection of one or more power consuming devices; and
determining whether one or more power consuming devices of the first selection of one or more power consuming devices have been replaced with one or more other power consuming devices of the plurality of power consuming devices;

modifying the selection of the two or more power input sources or the one or more power consuming devices in response to a determination that the first selection of two or more power input sources or the first selection of one or more power consuming devices have changed, wherein modifying the first selection of two or more power input sources or the first selection of one or more power consuming devices includes one or more of:
adding a power input source from the plurality of power input sources to the first selection of two or more power input sources;
removing one or more of the two or more power input sources from the first selection of two or more power input sources; and
replacing one or more of the two or more power input sources from the first selection of two or more power input sources with one or more power input sources from the plurality of power input sources; and

managing transfer of auxiliary power from the first selection of the two or more power input sources to the first selection of the one or more power consuming devices based at least on the first power supply of the first power input source and the second power supply of the second power input source.

2. The auxiliary power controller of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of power input sources comprises two or more of the following:
an auxiliary power unit (APU) battery;
a starter battery;
a combination APU/starter battery;
a dynamic recapture system;
a solar panel; and
a wayside power unit.

3. The auxiliary power controller of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of power consuming devices comprises two or more of the following:
a water pump;
a water heater;
an oil pump;
an oil heater;
a starter battery;
a cab heater/air conditioner;
an air compressor; and
electrical components.

4. The auxiliary power controller of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
determining a second selection of one or more power input sources from the plurality of power input sources, wherein the second selection of the one or more power input sources is different than the first selection of the two or more power input sources;
determining a second selection of one or more power consuming devices from the plurality of power consuming devices, wherein the second selection of the one or more power consuming devices is different than the first selection of the one or more of power consuming devices; and
managing transfer of auxiliary power from the second selection of the one or more power input sources to the second selection of the one or more power consuming devices.

5. The auxiliary power controller of claim 1 , wherein managing the transfer of auxiliary power from the two or more power input sources to the one or more power consuming devices comprises:
determining a power demand of a first power consuming device of the first selection of power consuming devices;
determining that the first power supply of the first power input source of the first selection of the two or more power input sources exceeds the power demand; and
initiating the transfer of the auxiliary power from the first power input source to the first power consuming device.

6. The auxiliary power controller of claim 1 , wherein managing the transfer of auxiliary power from the two or more power input sources to the one or more power consuming devices comprises:
determining a power demand of a first power consuming device of the first selection of power consuming devices;
determining that the first power supply of the first power input source of the first selection of the two or more power input sources is less than the power demand;
determining that the first power supply of the first power input source and the second power supply of the second power input source of the first selection of the two or more power input sources exceeds the power demand; and
initiating the transfer of the auxiliary power from the first power input source and the second power input source to the first power consuming device.

7. The auxiliary power controller of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary power controller is located within a locomotive.

8. A method, comprising:
determining, by an auxiliary power controller, a first selection of two or more power input sources from a plurality of power input sources;
determining a first power supply of a first power input source of the two or more power input sources;
determining a second power supply of a second power input source of the two or more power input sources;
determining, by the auxiliary power controller, a first selection of one or more power consuming devices from a plurality of power consuming devices;
determining whether the first selection of two or more power input sources or the first selection of one or more power consuming devices have changed, wherein determining whether the first selection of two or more power input sources or the first selection of one or more power consuming devices have changed includes one or more of:
determining whether one or more power consuming devices of the plurality of power consuming devices have been added to the first selection of one or more power consuming devices;
determining whether one or more power consuming device have been removed from the first selection of one or more power consuming devices; and
determining whether one or more power consuming devices of the first selection of one or more power consuming devices have been replaced with one or more other power consuming devices of the plurality of power consuming devices;

modifying the selection of the two or more power input sources or the one or more power consuming devices in response to a determination that the first selection of two or more power input sources or the first selection of one or more power consuming devices have changed, wherein modifying the first selection of two or more power input sources or the first selection of one or more power consuming devices includes one or more of:
adding a power input source from the plurality of power input sources to the first selection of two or more power input sources;
rem

Assignees

• Bnsf Railway Co

Inventors

• Cleveland Michael
• Taylor James

Classifications

• H02J2105/52

  for limitation of the power consumption in the networks or in one section of the networks, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving · CPC title

• H02J2105/30

  the load networks being external to vehicles, i.e. exchanging power with vehicles · CPC title

• H02J2101/24

  Photovoltaics · CPC title

• B60L3/12 Primary

  Recording operating variables {; Monitoring of operating variables} · CPC title

• B60L1/003

  to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors · CPC title