Patent ID: 9096244
Filing Date: 2015-08-04
Classification: B60T,B61L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: monitoring coupler forces between vehicle units in a vehicle system, the vehicle units including plural propulsion-generating vehicles; identifying one or more nodes in the vehicle system based on the coupler forces, the one or more nodes representing one or more respective locations in the vehicle system disposed between a tensile section of the vehicle system experiencing a tensile force and a compressive section of the vehicle system experiencing a compressive force; independently controlling tractive operations of the propulsion-generating vehicles based on the one or more nodes that are identified in order to control at least one of a number of the one or more nodes that are identified in the vehicle system or the one or more locations of the one or more nodes; and at least one of receiving or generating a trip plan for a trip of the vehicle system along a route to a destination location, the trip plan designating tractive efforts and braking efforts of the propulsion-generating vehicles of the vehicle units in the vehicle system as a function of at least one of distance along the route or time during the trip in order to reduce at least one of fuel consumed or emissions generated by the vehicle system during the trip relative to the vehicle system traveling the trip according to another, different trip plan, wherein the trip plan designates a group power output for a group of two or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles in the vehicle system and the control unit is configured to divide up the group power output among the two or more propulsion-generating vehicles in order to control the at least one of the number or the one or more locations of the nodes.