B61L15/0058

Monitoring system for detecting degradation of a propulsion subsystem

A system detects a parameter and generates a first trip plan to automatically control the vehicle according to a first trip plan. A controller is connected to a sensor and configured to receive the parameter. The controller is configured to generate a new trip plan or modify the first trip plan into a modified trip plan based on at least one of a cumulative damage or an end of life. A new trip plan or the modified trip plan is configured, during operation of the vehicle according to the new trip plan or the modified trip plan, for at least one of an adjustment in velocity or avoiding one or more operating conditions of the vehicle, relative to the first trip plan.

Vehicle operation control system

A locomotive control system includes an operation manager controller electrically coupled to an operator controller of a locomotive and to a local vehicle control system of the locomotive. The operation manager controller receives an operator command from the operator controller and can regulate the operator command to control operation of the locomotive.

Computing Train Route for PTC Onboard System to Navigate Over a Loop Track
20200189632 · 2020-06-18 ·

A train navigation system and method are provided for safely navigating a track loop in a railway, by determining a head end location of a train navigating a track block in a plurality of track blocks associated with a track loop in the railway; determining a train route from the head end location of the train including a forward path and a rearward path, the train route based on a position of a switch in the plurality of track blocks associated with the track loop in the railway; the system and method for dynamically generating an updated train route as the train traverses the railway based on a continuously updated head end location as the train traverses the railway relative to the position of the switch; and safely traversing the track loop in the railway based upon the updated train route.

Method for operating a rail vehicle along a railway line
10683021 · 2020-06-16 · ·

A method operates a rail vehicle along a railway line. Accordingly, a trip of the rail vehicle has a travel section along the railway line, which travel section ends before or at a hazard point of the railway line. The rail vehicle, in a protection mode, is braked starting from a first speed during a braking phase at the start of the travel section. During the braking phase, a kinetic quantity of the kinetic energy amount of the rail vehicle is absorbed by an energy absorption unit. The braking phase is followed by an energy dissipation phase, in which part of the absorbed energy is discharged. The travel section is defined such that an energy state parameter representative of a vehicle energy amount, which energy state parameter takes into account the energy amount present in the energy absorption unit, satisfies a condition at the hazard point.

Multiple vehicle control system

A system includes one or more processors that are configured to obtain a constraint on movement for a first vehicle system along a route. The constraint is based on movement of a separate second vehicle system that is concurrently traveling along the same route. The processor(s) are configured to determine a speed profile that designates speeds for the first vehicle system according to at least one of distance, location, or time based on the constraint such that the first vehicle system maintains a designated spacing from the second vehicle system along the route.

Method and Apparatus for Vehicle-Based Switch Locking in a Rail Network
20200172131 · 2020-06-04 ·

A switch locking system and method of an authorized locomotive for safely traversing a switch in a railway including sending a lock command from a computer onboard the authorized locomotive to a switch controller associated with the switch; determining if a lock confirmation from the switch controller is received by the computer onboard the authorized locomotive; and safely traversing the switch upon receipt of the lock confirmation. The switch locking system and method may include sending an unlock command from a computer onboard the authorized locomotive to a switch controller after the train clears the switch.

Method for Determining Location of Other Trains for PTC Purposes
20200172133 · 2020-06-04 ·

A train-to-train warning system and method for communicating an information notification, may include receiving or sensing, by a head of train computer of a listener train, an information notification originating from an end of train device associated with a first train in a geographic area, identifying the first train based on at least one of the position of the first train or the identifier associated with the first train, determining, one or more events or conditions of the first train in the track network based on the information notification, generating an updated operation of the listener train including one or more actions, the updated operation based on the one or more events or conditions associated with the first train, and controlling a movement of the listener train based on at least one of the one or more actions.

CONTROL METHOD AND CONTROL DEVICE FOR OPERATING A RAIL VEHICLE
20200156681 · 2020-05-21 ·

A control method operates a rail vehicle. The method is carried out in a computer-assisted manner on the basis of a vehicle control program. Accordingly, it is provided that the vehicle control program operates with the use of detected driving and/or surroundings data being detected by on-board or train-board sensors.

SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR DETECTING SURGE IN AN ENGINE SYSTEM

Various methods and systems are provided for detecting surge of a turbocharger during engine operation. As one example, a system includes an engine coupled to a low pressure turbocharger and a high pressure turbocharger; and a controller with non-transitory instructions stored in memory that when executed during operation of the engine cause the controller to: indicate an occurrence of surge of the high pressure turbocharger in response to a deviation of a modeled speed of the high pressure turbocharger from a measured speed of the high pressure turbocharger by a threshold amount, where the modeled speed tracks the measured speed during non-surge conditions, as engine operating conditions change.

BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM
20200130658 · 2020-04-30 ·

Disclosed is a method, system, and computer readable medium including program instructions for controlling the braking of one or more vehicles in a vehicle system positioned for unloading/loading of cargo. The vehicle system includes a designated head-end and a tail-end and each of the one or more vehicles is equipped with an electronic braking system in communication with a central control via a communication network spanning across the vehicle system. A dynamic unloading/loading braking profile can be set on at least one electronic braking system on at least one vehicle. During unloading/loading of the cargo from one or more vehicles in the vehicle system, the braking on at least one of the vehicles in the vehicle system is controlled via the dynamic unloading/loading braking profile.