Patent ID: 7565867
Filing Date: 2009-07-28
Classification: B60L,B61C,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A locomotive, comprising: a plurality of engines, each engine having a corresponding power rating and all of the engines have a cumulative power rating that is a sum of the corresponding power ratings; at least one converter to convert mechanical energy outputted by the engines to Direct Current (DC) electrical energy; at least one traction motor operable to receive electrical energy and, in response, propel the vehicle; a DC bus connected to the engines, the at least one converter, and the at least one traction motor and operable to transfer electrical energy from the at least one converter to the at least one traction motor; and a control system operable to control operations of the engines, wherein the plurality of engines are configured to provide at least one of a power-per-length and power density that is greater than the at least one of a power-per-length, the power density of a single-engine locomotive having a power rating approximately the same as the cumulative power rating, wherein, in a selected time interval, a first engine outputs a level of mechanical energy corresponding to a first percentage of the first engine's corresponding power rating, and a second engine outputs a level of mechanical energy corresponding to a second percentage of the second engine's corresponding power rating, wherein the first percentage is less than the second percentage, wherein the control system controls which engines provide energy to the DC bus by setting at least one of an output voltage of the at least one converter, the DC bus voltage, and a voltage associated with the at least one traction motor, wherein the first and second engines respectively have first and second converters and wherein the first and second engines and the corresponding first and second converters are located side-by-side and face in different directions.