Distributed train intelligence system and method

A system and method which may include on each locomotive a propulsion system and a braking system; a transceiver for communication between the locomotives; and sensors for sensing operational conditions on the locomotive. A processor receives the sensed operation conditions, communicates information including the sensed operational conditions to the other locomotive, determines a propulsion or braking value or command based on the sensed operational conditions, pre-selected criteria and the information received from the other locomotive, and outputs the propulsion or braking value or command. The present system may include on each locomotive a location determining device and a storage of track topology; and the processor determines and communicates to the other locomotive as information an initial propulsion or braking value using the topology of the present and projected location of the locomotive and pre-selected criteria, determines a final propulsion or braking value or command based on the initial value and the information received from the other locomotive, and outputs the final propulsion or braking value.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a distributed power system and more specifically to an intelligent distributed power system.

The distributed power system generally includes a master locomotive setting throttle/brake and transmitting information to slave locomotives to set their throttle/brakes. An early system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,380,399 to Southard et al. The ability of the remote locomotive to receive a throttle command from the master locomotive and make a modification to conserve fuel in a train consists is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,364 to Nickles et al. The ability of the remote locomotive to transmit back diagnostic information is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,284 by Roselli et al. The distributed power settings being determined at and transmitted from the master unit to a slave unit based on the topography and location of the master and slave units is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,144,901 to Nickles et al., as well as U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,967 to Montgomery.

The present system includes on each locomotive a propulsion system and a braking system; a transceiver for communication between the locomotives; and sensors for sensing operational conditions on the locomotive. A processor receives the sensed operational conditions, communicates information including the sensed operational conditions to the other locomotive, determines a propulsion or braking value/command based on the sensed operational conditions, pre-selected criteria, and the information received from the other locomotive, and outputs the propulsion or braking value/command.

The processor may determine and communicate to the other locomotives as part of the information an initial propulsion or braking value based on the sensed operational conditions, pre-selected criteria and sensed operation conditions received from the other locomotive; and the processor determines a final propulsion or braking value/command based on the sensed operational conditions, the pre-selected criteria and the information received from the other locomotive.

The present method of controlling the propulsion and braking systems of each locomotive includes receiving sensed operational conditions of the locomotive; communicating information including the sensed operational conditions to the other locomotive; determining a propulsion or braking value/command based on the sensed operational conditions, pre-selected criteria and the information received from the other locomotive; and controlling the propulsion and braking system using the propulsion or braking value/command.

The determining of a propulsion or braking value/command may include determining and communicating to the other locomotive as part of the information an initial propulsion or braking value based on the sensed operational conditions, pre-selected criteria and sensed operation conditions received from the other locomotive; and determining a final propulsion or braking value/command based on the sensed operational conditions, the pre-selected criteria and the information received from the other locomotive.

The present system includes on each locomotive a propulsion system and a braking system; a transceiver for communication between the locomotives; and a location determining device and a storage of track topology. A processor determines and communicates to the other locomotive as information an initial propulsion or braking value using the topology of the present and projected location of the locomotive and pre-selected criteria, determines a final propulsion or braking value/command based on the initial value and the information received from the other locomotive, and outputs the final propulsion or braking value/command.

The system may include sensors for sensing operational conditions and the processor receives and communicates the sensed operational conditions as information including the sensed operational conditions to the other locomotive. The processor determines one of the initial and final propulsion or braking values based on the sensed operational conditions, pre-selected criteria, topology, and the information received from the other locomotive.

The present method of controlling the propulsion and braking systems of each locomotive includes determining topology of the present and projected location of the locomotive; determining and communicating to the other locomotive as information an initial propulsion or braking value using the topology of the present and projected location of the locomotive and pre-selected criteria; determining a final propulsion or braking value/command based on the initial value and the information received from the other locomotive; and controlling the propulsion and braking system using the propulsion or braking value/command.

The method may include receiving and communicating as information sensed operation conditions of the locomotive; and determining one of the initial and final propulsion or braking values/command based on the sensed operational conditions, pre-selected criteria, topology, and the information received from the other locomotive.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown inFIG. 1, train10includes a plurality of locomotives11,14,16,18and19in a train with a plurality of cars20. Locomotive11and14form a consist A, locomotives16and18form a consist B and locomotive19forms a consist C. One of the locomotives is designated a lead locomotive and the others are considered trail and/or remote locomotives. In the industry, if locomotive11is the lead, locomotives16and19are remote and locomotives14and18are trail.

Using the train as shown inFIG. 1, locomotives11,16and19would have LEADER systems which would independently make decisions. Since14is connected to11, it can receive its control information directly from11. Similarly18even though it is not interconnected to16as a multi-unit consist it may also either receive its information from16or also be LEADER equipped. As an alternative, all the locomotives11,14,16,18and19may have a LEADER equipment type system onboard.

The lead locomotive, that locomotive having an engineer at the controls, communicates commands and controls to the remote locomotives. The lead and remote locomotives communicates commands and controls to their trail locomotives. Typically, the lead and remote locomotive communicate by radio while they communicate to their respective trail locomotives over a wire. The commands and controls may include, for example, setting the direction control, setting the throttle, set up dynamic braking, set up the operating modes, interlock dynamic brakes, as well as turning on and off various ancillary functions. The trail locomotives transmit status messages or exception message back to the lead locomotive. The status may include locomotive identification, operating mode and tractive-braking efforts. The exception message includes various faults such as wheel slip, locomotive alarm indicator, incorrect brake pressure, low main reservoir pressure, throttle setting, etc.

Each of the locomotives includes a transceiver to transmit and receive messages. While the preferred embodiment will be described with respect to radio frequency communication between the locomotives or at least between the locomotive consists, if not between all locomotives, the same principles can be applied to communication along a wire where multiple communications may be taking place. Thus, for example, if there is a wire running throughout the train through locomotives11,14,16,18and19and cars20, and the locomotives form one network and the cars form another network, the same method may be used to allow private communication in either of the networks.

Math models of a LEADER System, monitors parameters and performs calculations based on the current energy state of the train to create a real-time display of train dynamics. The power of LEADER system resides in its ability to provide information allowing the crew to better control the train, minimizing loss of energy. Loss of energy via over-braking represents fuel unnecessarily consumed. Energy imparted to the cargo of the train represents potential damage to lading, equipment and rail. Both phenomena are undesirable and addressable with the LEADER system from New York Air Brake Corporation. Although the LEADER system will be used to describe the present system and method, any other processors or systems with the same capabilities may be programmed to perform the present method.

The LEADER system is comprised of a number of subsystems each with specific duties.FIG. 2shows a generic LEADER architecture. The user interface of the LEADER system is the real-time display which shows a graphical and numerical representation of the current state of the train as shown in FIG. 5 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,144,901, which is incorporated herein by reference. Radio communication is established between the lead locomotive, the trailing locomotives in the lead consist, and locomotives in the remote consist to report the necessary parameters from each of these locomotives necessary to perform LEADER calculations. Consist information is entered via the key pad on the real-time display, a wired communication source (laptop PC or removable storage device) or via wayside radio communication. Position is determined from wheel movement sensors and a Global Positioning System (GPS). The Input/Output (I/O) Concentrator gathers all of the various locomotive parameters necessary for LEADER algorithm calculations and reports the information to the LEADER Computer. The LEADER Processor, a high throughput capacity computer platform using a Real Time Operating System (RTOS), then performs the calculations required by the LEADER algorithms and the real-time display is updated. All of these sub-systems combine to form the LEADER System.

Each locomotive in a LEADER train will require at a minimum, the I/O Concentrator with communication capability to the head end. A LEADER Processor and Display are only required for the lead locomotive. Tuning algorithms may alleviate the need for I/O Concentrators on each locomotive.

The LEADER system is capable of three operating modes, each building on the previous mode. The three modes advance the LEADER system from a real-time display passively providing information to the locomotive engineer (information only mode) to a LEADER system that will make suggestions to the locomotive engineer on how to better handle the train (driver assist mode) and finally to a control system that is capable of issuing commands to optimally control the locomotive (cruise control mode).

In the information only mode, the locomotive engineer makes all of the decisions and solely activates the various control systems in a manual mode. The LEADER system provides information to the engineer that is not currently available to him/her to use to manage various locomotive control systems. In driver assist mode, the LEADER system determines and displays the optimum locomotive power dynamic brake throttle setting and the locomotive and car brake control settings. These settings are determined at the head end locomotive for the head end locomotives and the remotely controlled locomotives. These recommendations or desired settings are displayed to the locomotive engineer who can then elect to manually move the various controls to achieve these settings. In the cruise control mode, LEADER derived settings are used to automatically control the locomotive power and braking systems, the train brake system of each car and ancillary systems which effect train movement. The locomotive engineer serves as an operational supervisor with the ability to manually override the cruise control. Cruise control can also be produced by communication links between the LEADER and the railroad central traffic control center.

The development of LEADER began over 20 years ago with early efforts to create the Train Dynamics Analyzer (TDA), a computer math model used to predict in-train forces. The train dynamic modeling techniques and algorithms embodied in the TDA are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,283.

For distributed control in the classic LEADER system, processing is centralized in a single, lead locomotive. Although the other locomotives may have processors, the processors are subordinate to the lead locomotive. The lead locomotive has a processing node that is in communication with other locomotives in the train via radio. In this processing mode, a LEADER processor issues commands to all locomotives from the centralized, lead processor node and actuated locally.

In the present system and method, LEADER processing can be distributed across some or all locomotives in the train, each with a processing node in communication with other processing nodes on other locomotives in the train. This architecture creates a set of peer processors rather than a lead/subordinate arrangement. The communication between processing nodes serves two purposes. The first purpose is to gather and collect required data to itself representing the operating state or operating conditions of each locomotive. Each distributed processing node uses the state of all locomotives to arrive at a control solution that best meets the goal of the train movement. Each processing node is capable of locally actuating the commands required to achieve its control solution. The processing node will be in communication with the other nodes which are also arriving at a control solution. The nodes can have the ability to compare the solutions that it found locally with the other peer nodes and collectively vote on or propose the solution. After voting, the nodes can advise each other if consensus is reached or not. If no consensus is reached, the process may be restarted automatically, by the operator or overridden by the operator.

This system distinguishes itself from the classic, centralized approach to train control by allowing each locomotive, based on a full understanding of the train behavior, to arrive at a local control solution to optimize performance. It further provides for each control node to compare its solution with those of the other nodes in the train to reach consensus on the overall train control strategy. Each processing node would have knowledge of the operating goal set including weighted criteria (time, fuel, forces, etc.) and constraining limits (in-train forces, speed limits, stall speed, etc.). Each processing node would also employ tuning algorithms to match LEADER's train dynamic models to the current environment. The tuning is described in US published patent application US 2004-0093196-A1, which is incorporated herein by reference

The present system includes on each locomotive a propulsion system and a braking system; a transceiver for communication between the locomotives; and sensors for sensing operational conditions on the locomotive. A processor performs the method illustrated inFIG. 3. It receives the sensed operation conditions as information at step20. It communicates information including the sensed operational conditions to the other locomotive at step22. It determines a propulsion or braking value/command based on the sensed operational conditions, pre-selected criteria and the information received from the other locomotive at step24. The propulsion or braking value/command is outputted at step26. This may be to a display for control by the operator or to automatically control the propulsion or brake systems. Whereas the lead locomotives can operate in all three modes (information, driver assist, cruise control), the other locomotive can only operate in the cruise control modes and thus issue commands. Thus in the present system and method, each locomotive makes an independent decision based on information that it and other locomotives have collected.

FIG. 4illustrates a modification of the method ofFIG. 3. Where appropriate, the same reference numbers have been used. The processor receives the sensed operation conditions as information at step20. It determines its location and the topology of the track at present and projected location of the locomotive at step28. The processor determines an initial propulsion or braking value as information based on the sensed operational conditions, pre-selected criteria and/or the topology of the track at present and projected location of the locomotive at step24A. It communicates information including the sensed operational conditions and/or initial propulsion or braking value to the other locomotive at step22A. It determines a final propulsion or braking value/command based on the sensed operational conditions, pre-selected criteria and the information received from the other locomotive at step24B. The propulsion or braking value/command is outputted at step26.

The initial propulsion or braking value may use only the sensed operational conditions or the topology of the track at present and projected location of the locomotive at step24A with the pre-selected criteria. As shown by step22B, operational conditions may be communicated to the other locomotive before the determination of the initial propulsion or braking value at step24A, and thus can be used in making the initial value determination.