System and method for controlling a braking effort of a braking system in a powered system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9434359-B2
Application number	US-21189908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2008
Priority date	Sep 17, 2008
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

A control system is provided for controlling a braking effort of a braking system in a powered system. The powered system travels along a route. The control system includes a controller coupled to the braking system, where the controller is configured to monitor the braking effort of the braking system at a braking region along the route. The controller is further configured to control the braking effort at the braking region, such that the braking effort approaches within a predetermined range of a braking effort threshold, but does not exceed the braking effort threshold. A method is also provided for controlling a braking effort of a braking system in a powered system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system configured to control a braking system in a powered system, the control system comprising:
a controller configured to be coupled to the braking system and to monitor a braking effort of the braking system at a braking region along a route that the powered system travels, the controller being further configured to control the braking effort at the braking region, such that the braking effort approaches a braking effort threshold within a predetermined range and does not exceed the braking effort threshold;
wherein the braking effort threshold is less than a current braking capacity of the braking system, the braking capacity being a braking capability of the braking system as the powered system is traveling along the route.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the powered system is one of an off-highway vehicle, a transport vehicle, or a rail vehicle.

3. The control system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory of the controller configured to store the braking effort threshold and the predetermined range; and
a sensor coupled to the controller and configured to measure a parameter related to an operation of the powered system;
wherein the controller is configured to control the braking effort at the braking region, the braking effort being based upon the measured parameter.

4. The control system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an engine coupled to the controller, the engine having an operating characteristic;
wherein the braking effort of the braking system at the braking region is based upon the operating characteristic of the engine; wherein upon the powered system having entered the braking region, said controller is configured to switch into a braking mode to selectively vary the operating characteristic of the engine such that the braking effort at the braking region approaches within the predetermined range of the braking effort threshold and does not exceed the braking effort threshold.

5. The control system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a memory of the controller configured to store the braking effort threshold and the predetermined range;
a sensor coupled to the controller and configured to measure a parameter related to the operation of the powered system;
wherein the braking effort of the braking system at the braking region is further based upon the measured parameter; wherein upon the powered system having entered the braking region, the controller is configured to switch into the braking mode to selectively vary the operating characteristic of the engine based upon the measured parameter such that the braking effort at the braking region approaches within the predetermined range of the braking effort threshold and does not exceed the braking effort threshold.

6. The control system of claim 5 , wherein the memory is configured to store an expected braking effort of the powered system based upon a respective parameter and a respective operating characteristic of the engine; and
wherein upon the powered system having entered the braking region, the controller is configured to monitor the braking effort based upon the measured parameter, the operating characteristic of the engine, and the expected braking effort retrieved from the memory.

7. The control system of claim 4 , wherein the braking effort threshold and the predetermined range are based upon a characteristic of the powered system, the characteristic including at least one of a maximum operating characteristic of the engine, a weight of the powered system, a quantity of traction motors within the braking system, or a length of the powered system.

8. The control system of claim 5 , wherein the sensor is a speed sensor configured to measure a speed of the powered system; the operating characteristic of the engine is a braking power; and upon switching into the braking mode, the controller is configured to selectively vary the braking power of the engine based upon the measured speed of the powered system.

9. The control system of claim 8 , wherein the memory of the controller is configured to store a low speed threshold, the braking effort of the braking system at the braking region is based upon the measured speed, where the measured speed exceeds the low speed threshold;
the memory of the controller is further configured to store a recommended braking power based upon a respective speed of the powered system; wherein the braking effort of the powered system, traveling at the respective speed and with the recommended braking power, approaches within the predetermined range of the braking effort threshold and does not exceed the braking effort threshold; and
the controller is configured to retrieve the recommended braking power from the memory and vary the braking power of the engine to the recommended braking power.

10. The control system of claim 3 , further comprising:
a position determination device coupled to the controller, the position determination device configured to provide location information of the powered system along the route to the controller;
the controller is configured to predetermine a braking power at incremental locations along the route prior to a commencement of a trip along the route, the predetermination of the braking power is configured to optimize a performance characteristic of the powered system during the trip along the route;
wherein as the powered system travels along the route, the controller is configured to receive the location information from the position determination device, and upon the powered system entering an incremental location corresponding to a braking region along the route, the controller is configured to limit the predetermined braking power to the recommended braking power based upon the measured parameter, such that the braking effort approaches within the predetermined range of the braking effort threshold and does not exceed the braking effort threshold.

11. The control system of claim 3 , wherein the powered system is a locomotive consist within a train, the locomotive consist including a plurality of locomotives, said controller is positioned within a locomotive of the locomotive consist;
the memory of the controller is configured to store the braking effort threshold, the braking effort threshold is based upon a characteristic of the locomotive consist including at least one of a number of said plurality of locomotives within the locomotive consist, a number of respective traction motors within a respective locomotive of the plurality of locomotives, a respective maximum braking power of a respective engine of the plurality of locomotives, a respective weight of said plurality of locomotives and/or a respective length of the plurality of locomotives; and
the controller is coupled to a respective engine and braking system of the plurality of locomotives, the controller is configured to selectively vary the braking power of a respective engine of the plurality of locomotives based upon the the characteristic of the locomotive consist such that the braking effort of the locomotive consist at the braking region approaches within the predetermined range of the braking effort threshold and does not exceed the braking effort threshold of the locomotive consist.

12. The control system of claim 11 , wherein the train comprises a plurality of locomotive consists; a respective controller is positioned within a respective locomotive consist and is configured to store a respective braking effort of the respective locomotive consist within the memory of the controller; the respective controller is configured to selectively vary the braking power of a respective engine of at least one locomotive withi

Assignees

• Kumar Ajith Kuttannair
• Shaffer Glenn Robert
• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Kumar Ajith Kuttannair
• Shaffer Glenn Robert

Classifications

• B60T7/16

  operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle · CPC title

• B60T7/18 Primary

  operated by wayside apparatus · CPC title