Methods and systems for a rail vehicle including a source of gaseous natural gas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9611981-B2
Application number	US-201313956410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2013
Priority date	Aug 1, 2012
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

Various methods and systems are provided for supplying gaseous natural gas to a rail vehicle. In one embodiment, a method of receiving fuel for use by a first vehicle comprises sending a request from the first vehicle to a remote liquid fuel container to convert a portion of the fuel in the liquid fuel container that is in a first, liquid phase from the first, liquid phase to a second, gaseous phase.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
with a controller of a locomotive, sending a signal to a controller of a fuel tender to operate a natural-gas fueled engine on-board the fuel tender, transmit torque from the engine on-board the fuel tender to a power conversion unit on-board the fuel tender via a drive shaft to generate electrical energy at the power conversion unit, supply the electrical energy to the locomotive, supply heated fluid generated by the engine on-board the fuel tender to a regasification unit on-board the fuel tender, convert liquefied natural gas to gaseous natural gas at the regasification unit using the heated fluid, and deliver the gaseous natural gas to an engine on-board the locomotive via a fluidic coupling.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the regasification unit generates the natural gas supplied to the engine on-board the fuel tender.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising operating the engine on-board the locomotive with the received gaseous natural gas.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the locomotive is a first locomotive, the method further comprising passing the received gaseous natural gas through a pass-through fluidic coupling from the first locomotive to a second locomotive.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending a signal from the controller of the locomotive to the controller of the fuel tender to power the engine on-board the fuel tender with boil-off gas from liquefied natural gas stored in the fuel tender.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending a signal from the controller of the locomotive to the controller of the fuel tender to power the engine on-board the fuel tender with gaseous natural gas received from a reservoir on-board the fuel tender.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending a signal from the controller of the locomotive to the controller of the fuel tender to power the engine on-board the fuel tender with gaseous natural gas received from the regasification unit.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in a first mode, sending a signal from the controller of the locomotive to the controller of the fuel tender to tune operation of the engine on-board the fuel tender to prioritize generation of heated fluid over generation of electricity by retarding spark timing.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, in a second mode, sending a signal from the controller of the locomotive to the controller of the fuel tender to tune operation of the engine on-board the fuel tender to prioritize the generation of electricity over the generation of heated fluid.

10. A method for maintaining a locomotive including an engine, comprising:
stopping the locomotive engine to enter a shutdown mode of the locomotive engine;
transmitting a request for electricity to a fuel tender;
receiving, at the locomotive, electricity generated at a power conversion unit on-board the fuel tender, the power conversion unit generating the electricity with torque received from an engine on-board the fuel tender, the engine on-board the fuel tender powered with boil-off gas from liquefied natural gas stored in the fuel tender; and
using the electricity to power at least one auxiliary load on-board the locomotive.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one auxiliary load includes one or more of a blower, a traction motor, a compressed air unit, a radiator fan, an electronics control system, a lighting system, a sensor, or an energy storage unit.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising maintaining an electronics control system of the locomotive active during the shutdown mode.

13. A method, comprising:
sending an engine condition signal from a controller of a locomotive to a controller of a fuel tender, the engine condition signal comprising a request to initiate starting of an engine on-board the fuel tender, generate heated fluid using the engine on-board the fuel tender, convert liquefied natural gas to gaseous natural gas at a regasification unit on-board the fuel tender using the heated fluid, and deliver the gaseous natural gas to an engine on-board the locomotive via a fluidic coupling.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the engine condition signal indicates a shutdown of the engine on-board the locomotive and further comprises a request to transmit torque from the engine on-board the fuel tender to a power conversion unit on-board the fuel tender via a drive shaft to generate electrical energy at the power conversion unit and supply the electrical energy to the locomotive.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the engine condition signal comprises an engine load signal.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the engine condition signal comprises a ratio of gaseous natural gas to an alternate fuel.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the alternate fuel comprises diesel fuel.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the engine on-board the locomotive is a dual fuel engine.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising sending a signal from the controller of the locomotive to the controller of the fuel tender to power the engine on-board the fuel tender with boil-off gas from liquefied natural gas stored on-board the fuel tender.

Assignees

• Gen Electric
• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Billig Ronald Gene
• Shah Taral

Classifications

• B61C17/02

  Bunkers; Tanks; Tenders (coachwork B61D); Water or fuel pick-up or scoop apparatus; Water or fuel supply fittings (trackside installations, e.g. bunkers, tanks, for filling locomotives with sand or water B61K11/00) · CPC title

• F17C7/00 Primary

  Methods or apparatus for discharging liquefied, solidified, or compressed gases from pressure vessels, not covered by another subclass · CPC title

• Y02T30/16

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B61C5/00 Primary

  Locomotives or motor railcars with IC engines or gas turbines (characterised by power transmission B61C9/00; engines F02) · CPC title

• B61C7/04

  Locomotives or motor railcars with two or more different kinds or types of engines, e.g. steam and IC engines · CPC title