Blower system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9738159-B2
Application number	US-201615156779-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2016
Priority date	Jun 3, 2008
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A system includes a grid coupled to an electrical bus; an electrical power modulation device coupled to the electrical bus that can output modified electrical power received from the electrical bus; a blower motor coupled to the electrical power modulation device that can receive the modified electrical power output and can provide a stream of air to affect a temperature of the grid, and a controller. A speed of the blower motor may be based at least in part on an amount of the modified electrical power. The controller can receive an operating parameter, and is responsive to that parameter by causing the electrical power modulation device to vary the amount of the modified electrical power. A blower motor speed may be controlled based at least in part on the operating parameter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a transfer switch;
a first inverter coupled to a first input of the transfer switch;
a second inverter coupled to a second input of the transfer switch;
a first alternating current blower motor for powering an auxiliary component blower, the first alternating current blower motor coupled to a first output of the transfer switch;
a second alternating current blower motor for powering a traction motor blower, the second alternating current blower motor coupled to a second output of the transfer switch;
a third alternating current blower motor for powering a grid blower, the third alternating current blower motor coupled to a third output of the transfer switch; and
a controller, the controller configured to cause the transfer switch to connect the first inverter with the first alternating current blower motor and connect the second inverter with the second alternating current blower motor at a first mode of operation, to connect the first inverter with the first alternating current blower motor and connect the second inverter with the third alternating current blower motor at a second mode of operation, and to connect the first inverter with the third alternating current blower motor and connect the second inverter with the second alternating current blower motor at a third mode of operation.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a DC bus,
wherein the first inverter and the second inverter are configured to receive DC power from the DC bus and to convert the DC power into AC power.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
an intake air cooler configured to cool intake air being drawn in for compression by a compression device; and
the auxiliary component blower, wherein the auxiliary component blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the intake air cooler.

4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a radiator; and
the auxiliary component blower, wherein the auxiliary component blower comprises a radiator blower configured to cool the radiator.

5. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a traction motor; and
the traction motor blower, wherein the traction motor blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the traction motor.

6. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a grid having plural resistive elements for dissipating electrical power during a dynamic braking operation; and
the grid blower, wherein the grid blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the grid.

7. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a traction motor;
the traction motor blower, wherein the traction motor blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the traction motor;
a grid having plural resistive elements for dissipating electrical power during a dynamic braking operation of the traction motor; and
the grid blower, wherein the grid blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the grid.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an intake air cooler configured to cool intake air being drawn in for compression by a compression device; and
the auxiliary component blower, wherein the auxiliary component blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the intake air cooler.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a radiator; and
the auxiliary component blower, wherein the auxiliary component blower comprises a radiator blower configured to cool the radiator.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a traction motor; and
the traction motor blower, wherein the traction motor blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the traction motor.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a grid having plural resistive elements for dissipating electrical power during a dynamic braking operation; and
the grid blower, wherein the grid blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the grid.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a traction motor;
the traction motor blower, wherein the traction motor blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the traction motor;
a grid having plural resistive elements for dissipating electrical power during a dynamic braking operation of the traction motor; and
the grid blower, wherein the grid blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the grid.

13. A vehicle comprising:
a traction motor;
a transfer switch;
a first inverter coupled to a first input of the transfer switch;
a second inverter coupled to a second input of the transfer switch;
an auxiliary component blower;
a first alternating current blower motor configured to power the auxiliary component blower, the first alternating current blower motor coupled to a first output of the transfer switch;
a traction motor blower configured to cool the traction motor;
a second alternating current blower motor configured to power the traction motor blower, the second alternating current blower motor coupled to a second output of the transfer switch;
a grid having plural resistive elements for dissipating electrical power during a dynamic braking operation of the traction motor;
a grid blower, wherein the grid blower is configured to cool the grid;
a third alternating current blower motor configured to power the grid blower, the third alternating current blower motor coupled to a third output of the transfer switch; and
a controller, the controller configured to cause the transfer switch to connect the first inverter with the first alternating current blower motor and connect the second inverter with the second alternating current blower motor at a first mode of operation, to connect the first inverter with the first alternating current blower motor and connect the second inverter with the third alternating current blower motor at a second mode of operation, and to connect the first inverter with the third alternating current blower motor and connect the second inverter with the second alternating current blower motor at a third mode of operation.

14. A method comprising:
with a controller having a processor, detecting a mode of operation of a vehicle system;
responsive to detecting that the mode of operation is a motoring mode of operation of the vehicle system, with the controller, controlling a transfer switch to connect an auxiliary blower inverter with an auxiliary blower motor of the vehicle system and to connect a traction motor blower inverter with a traction motor blower motor of the vehicle system;
responsive to detecting that the mode of operation is a dynamic braking mode of operation of the vehicle system, with the controller, controlling the transfer switch to connect the auxiliary blower inverter with a grid blower motor of the vehicle system and to connect the traction motor blower inverter with the traction motor blower motor; and
responsive to detecting that the mode of operation is a third mode of operation of the vehicle system, with the controller, controlling the transfer switch to connect the auxiliary blower inverter with the auxiliary blower motor and to connect the traction motor blower inverter with the grid blower motor.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein detecting the mode of operation of the vehicle system comprises receiving signals from sensors on board the vehicle system, calculating one or more operating parameters of the vehicle system based on the signals from the sensors, and assessing the operating parameters.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Nikolov Emil
• Kumar Ajith Kuttainnair
• Brown Theodore Clark
• Worden Bret Dwayne
• Gupta Sudhir Kumar

Classifications

• B60L2200/26

  Rail vehicles · CPC title

• Y02T10/642

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02T30/10

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B60L7/10

  Dynamic electric regenerative braking (B60L7/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B61C5/02

  Arrangement or disposition of intakes and apparatus for supplying, circulating, and filtering air for combustion and engine-cooling purposes · CPC title