BACKGROUND
The inventive subject matter described herein relates generally to powered
vehicle systems. Although one or more embodiments are described and shown in terms of rail
vehicle systems, not all embodiments are so limited. For example, one or more embodiments
may relate to other types of vehicles, such as automobiles, marine vessels, other off-highway
vehicles, and the like. * Known powered rail vehicle systems include one or more powered units and, in
certain cases, one or more non-powered units. The powered units supply tractive force to propel
the powered units and non-powered units. The non-powered units hold or store goods and/or
passengers. ("Non-powered" unit generally encompasses any vehicle without an on-board
source of motive power.) For example, some known powered rail vehicle systems include a rail
vehicle system (e.g., train) having powered locomotives and non-powered cars for conveying
goods and/or passengers along a track. Some known powered vehicle systems include several
powered units. For example, the systems may include a lead powered unit, such as a lead
locomotive, and one or more remote or trailing powered units, such as trailing locomotives, that
are located behind and (directly or indirectly) coupled with the lead powered unit. The lead and
remote powered units supply tractive force to propel the vehicle system along a route, such as a
Q track.
The tractive force required to convey the powered units and non-powered units
along the route may vary during a trip. For example, due to various parameters that change
during a trip, the tractive force that is necessary to move the vehicle system along the route may
vary. These changing parameters may include the curvature and/or grade of the route, speed
limits and/or requirements of the vehicle system, and the like. As these parameters change
during a trip, the total tractive effort, or force, that is required to propel the vehicle system along
the track also changes.
While the required tractive effort may change during a trip, the operators of
these powered rail vehicle systems do not have the ability to remotely turn the electrical power
systems of remote powered units on or off during the trip. For example, an operator in a lead
locomotive does not have the ability to remotely turn one or more of the trailing locomotives'
electrical power on or off, if the tractive effort required to propel the train changes during a
segment of the trip while the rail vehicle system is moving. Instead, the operator may only have
the ability to locally turn on or off the remote powered units by manually boarding each such
unit of the rail vehicle system.
Some known powered rail vehicle systems provide an operator in a lead
locomotive with the ability to change the throttle of trailing locomotives (referred to as
distributed power operations). But, these known systems do not provide the operator with the
ability to turn the trailing locomotives off. Instead, the operator must turn down the throttle of
the trailing locomotives that he or she wants to turn off and wait for an auto engine stadstop
(AESS) device in the trailing locomotives to turn the locomotives off. Some known AESS
devices do not turn the trailing locomotives off until one or more engine- or motor-related
parameters are within a predetermined range. For example, some known AESS devices may not
shut off the engine of a trailing locomotive until the temperature of the engine decreases to a
predetermined threshold. If the time period between the operator turning down the throttle of the
trailing locomotives and the temperature of the engines decreasing to the predetermined
threshold is significant, then the amount of fuel that is unnecessarily consumed by the trailing
locomotives can be significant. Known powered vehicle systems may include one or more @ powered units (e.g., locomotives) and one or more non-powered units (e.g., freight cars or other
rail cars). The powered units supply tractive force to propel the powered units and non-powered
units. The non-powered units hold or store goods and/or passengers, and are not capable of selfpropulsion.
For example, some known powered vehicle systems have locomotives and rail cars
for conveying goods and/or passengers along a track. Some known powered rail vehicle systems
include several powered units. For example, the systems may include a lead powered unit, such
as a lead locomotive, and one or more remote powered units, such as trailing locomotives, that
are located behind and coupled with the lead powered unit. The lead and remote powered units
supply tractive force to propel the system along the track.
The remote powered units may be organized in motive power groups referred to
as consists. (Generally, a consist is a group of vehicles that are mechanically linked together to
travel along a route. As part of a train or other larger consist, a motive power group of remote
powered units would be considered a sub-consist or remote consist.) The lead powered unit can
control the tractive efforts of the remote powered units in consist. The remote powered units in
consist can consume fuel during a trip of the vehicle system. To reduce the amount of fuel
consumed by the remote vehicles, one or more operational modes of the consist may be changed
during operation.
Changing operational modes of the consist, however, may result in fluctuations
of various components or systems of the consist. For example, changing operational modes may
cause voltage fluctuations in electrical circuits of the consist, fluctuations in hydraulic pressures
of the consist, or the like. These fluctuations may be incompatible with certain on-board control
andlor communication systems of the consist. As a result, the on-board systems may be unable
to operate due to the fluctuations.
Additionally, sSome known rail vehicle systems may include more horsepower
that is necessary to enable the vehicle systems to travel over a route to a destination location.
For example, the operators that combine several locomotives into a consist of a train may add
more locomotives to the train than is necessary. The total horsepower provided by the
locomotives may exceed what is needed to allow the train to travel to a destination. The
additional locomotives cause' additional consumption of fuel and/or generation of additional
emissions, which is generally undesirable.
It may be desirable to have a vehicle control system and method that differs in
function from those systems that are currently available.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
In one embodiment, a method (e.g., for controlling a vehicle system) includes
controlling a vehicle system having plural powered units that are configured to generate tractive
effort to propel the vehicle system along a route according to a first trip plan. The first trip plan
designates operational settings of the vehicle system as a function of at least one of time or
distance along the route during a trip. The first trip plan also directs at least one of the powered
units to remain in an idle mode during the trip. The method further includes at least one of
slowing or stopping the vehicle system along the route during the trip in contravention to the first
trip plan, activating the at least one of the powered units out of the idle mode into an active,
propulsion-generating mode when the vehicle system accelerates after the at least one of slowing
or stopping in contravention to the first trip plan, and switching the at least one of the powered
units back to the idle mode after the vehicle system achieves a designated speed following
accelerating after the at least one of the slowing or stopping of the vehicle system in
contravention to the first trip plan.
Qb In another embodiment, a control system includes a controller device and an
isolation module. The controller device is configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle system
having plural powered units that are configured to generate tractive effort to propel the vehicle
system along a route. The controller device also is configured to direct operations of the
powered units according to a first trip plan that designates operational settings of the vehicle
system as a function of at least one of time or distance along the route during a trip. The
isolation module is configured to be communicatively coupled with the controller device and to
direct at least one of the powered units to remain in an idle mode during the trip. When the
vehicle system is at least one of slowed or stopped along the route during the trip in
contravention to the first trip plan and the vehicle system subsequently accelerates, the isolation
module is configured to activate the at least one of the powered units out of the idle mode into an
active, propulsion-generating mode during acceleration of the vehicle system. The isolation @ module also is configured to switch the at least one of the powered units back to the idle mode
after the vehicle system achieves a designated speed following the acceleration of the vehicle
system.
In another embodiment, a control system includes an energy management
system that is configured to generate a first trip plan for controlling a vehicle system having
plural powered units along a route for a trip. The energy management system is further
configured to determine a tractive effort difference between a tractive effort capability of the
vehicle system and a demanded tractive effort of the trip. The tractive effort capability
represents the tractive effort that the powered units are capable of providing to propel the vehicle
system. The demanded tractive effort represents the tractive effort that is calculated to be used
for actually propelling the vehicle system along the route for the trip according to the first trip
plan. The energy management system is further configured to generate the first trip plan such
that according to the first trip plan, at least one of the powered units is to be controlled to an idle
mode based on the tractive effort difference. Following at least one of an unplanned slowing or
an unplanned stopping of the vehicle system, the energy management system is configured to
modify the first trip plan into a revised trip plan that directs the at least one of the powered units
to switch to an active mode to generate the tractive effort to accelerate the vehicle system to a
designated speed and then to switch back to the idle mode.
I) In another embodiment, a control system includes an energy management
system and an isolation control system. The energy management system is configured to
generate a trip plan that designates operational settings of a vehicle system having plural
powered units interconnected with one another that generate tractive effort to propel the vehicle
system along a route for a trip. The energy management system also is configured to determine a
tractive effort capability of the vehicle system and a demanded tractive effort of the trip. The
tractive effort capability is representative of the tractive effort that the powered units are capable
of providing to propel the vehicle system. The demanded tractive effort is representative of the
tractive effort that is calculated to be used for actually propelling the vehicle system along the
route for the trip according to the trip plan. The isolation control system is configured to be
communicatively coupled with the energy management system and to remotely turn one or more
of the powered units to an off mode. In one embodiment, the off mode includes the one or more
powered units being turned to idle, or to being fully off and deactivated, as described below. The
energy management system also is configured to identify a tractive effort difference between the
tractive effort capability of the vehicle system and the demanded tractive effort of the trip and to
select at least one of the powered units as a selected powered unit based on the tractive effort
difference. The isolation module also is configured to remotely turn the selected powered unit to
the off mode such that the vehicle system is propelled along the route during the trip by the
powered units other than the selected powered unit.
In another embodiment, a method (e.g., for controlling a vehicle system)
comprises determining a tractive effort capability of a vehicle system having plural powered
units that generate tractive effort to propel the vehicle system and a demanded tractive effort of a
trip. The tractive effort capability is representative of the tractive effort that the powered units
are capable of providing to propel the vehicle system. The demanded tractive effort is
representative of the tractive effort that is calculated to be used for actually propelling the vehicle
system along a route for the trip according to a trip plan. The trip plan designates operational
settings of the vehicle system to propel the vehicle system along the route for the trip. The
method also includes identifying a tractive effort difference between the tractive effort capability
of the vehicle system and the demanded tractive effort of the trip, selecting at least one of the
powered units as a selected powered unit based on the tractive effort difference, and remotely
e turning the selected powered unit to an off mode such that the vehicle system is propelled along
the route during the trip by the powered units other than the selected powered unit.
In another embodiment, another control system includes an energy management
system and an isolation control system. The energy management system is configured to
generate a trip plan that designates operational settings of a vehicle system having plural
powered units interconnected with one another that generate tractive effort to propel the vehicle
system along a route for a trip. Each of the powered units is associated with a respective tractive
effort capability representative of a maximum horsepower that can be produced by the powered
unit during travel. The isolation control system is configured to be communicatively coupled
with the energy management system and to remotely turn one or more of the powered units to an
off mode. The energy management system also is configured to determine a total tractive effort
I) capability of the powered units in the vehicle system and a demanded tractive effort
representative of the tractive effort that is calculated to be used for actually propelling the vehicle
system along the route for the trip according to the trip plan. The energy management system is
configured to select a first powered unit from the powered units based on an excess of the total
tractive effort capability of the powered units over the demanded tractive effort of the trip. The
isolation control system is configured to remotely turn the first powered unit to an off mode such
that the vehicle system is propelled along the route during the trip without tractive effort from the
first powered unit.
In another embodiment of a method (e.g., a method for controlling a vehicle
consist), the method comprises, in a vehicle consist comprising plural powered units, controlling
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one or more of the powered units to an off mode of operation. The one or more powered units
are controlled to the off mode of operation from a start of a trip of the vehicle consist along a
route at least until a completion of the trip. During the trip when the one or more powered units
are in the off mode of operation, the one or more powered units would be capable of providing
tractive effort to help propel the vehicle consist. (For example, the powered units controlled to
the off mode are not disabled or otherwise incapable of providing tractive effort.) In another
embodiment of the method, in the off mode of operation, engine(s) of the one or more powered
units are deactivated.
In another embodiment, a control system comprises an energy management
system configured to generate a trip plan for controlling a vehicle system having plural powered
units along a route for a trip. The energy management system is further configured to determine
a tractive effort difference between a tractive effort capability of the vehicle system and a
demanded tractive effort of the trip. The tractive effort capability is representative of the tractive
effort that the powered units are capable of providing to propel the vehicle system, and the
demanded tractive effort is representative of the tractive effort that is calculated to be used for
actually propelling the vehicle system along the route for the trip according to the trip plan. The
energy management system is further configured to generate the trip plan such that according to
the trip plan, at least one of the powered units is to be controlled to an off mode during at least
part of the trip. (That is, the trip plan is configured such that when the trip plan is executed, the
at least one of the powered units is designated to be in the off mode of operation.) The energy
management system is configured to select the at least one of the powered units based ' on the tractive effort difference.
In another embodiment, a control system for a rail vehicle system including a
lead powered unit and a remote powered unit is provided. The system includes a user interface,
a master isolation module, and a slave controller. The user interface is disposed in the lead
powered unit and is configured to receive an isolation command to turn on or off the remote
powered unit. The master isolation module is configured to receive the isolation command from
the user interface and to communicate an instruction based on the isolation command. The slave
controller is configured to receive the instruction from the master isolation module. The slave
controller causes the remote powered unit to supply tractive force to propel the rail vehicle
system when the instruction directs the slave controller to turn on the remote powered unit. The
slave controller causes the remote powered unit to withhold the tractive force when the
instruction directs the slave controller to turn off the remote powered unit.
In another embodiment, a method for controlling a rail vehicle system that
includes a lead powered unit and a remote powered unit is provided. The method includes
providing a user interface in the lead powered unit to receive an isolation command to turn on or
off the remote powered unit and a slave controller in the remote powered unit. The method also
includes communicating an instruction based on the isolation command to the slave controller
and directing the slave controller to cause the remote powered unit to supply tractive force to
propel the rail vehicle system when the instruction directs the slave controller to turn on the
remote powered unit and to cause the remote powered unit to withhold the tractive force when
the instruction directs the slave controller to turn off the remote powered unit.
In another embodiment, a computer readable storage medium for a control
system of a rail vehicle system is having a lead powered unit and a remote powered unit is
provided. The lead powered unit includes a microprocessor and the remote powered unit
includes a slave isolation module and a slave controller. The computer readable storage medium
includes instructions to direct the microprocessor to receive an isolation command to turn on or
off the remote powered unit. The instructions also direct the microprocessor to communicate an
instruction based on the isolation command. The slave controller receives the instruction to
cause the remote powered unit to supply tractive force to propel the rail vehicle system when the
instruction directs the slave controller to turn on the remote powered unit and to withhold the
tractive force when the instruction directs the slave controller to turn off the remote powered
unit.
- In another embodiment, a method for controlling a train having a lead
locomotive and a remote locomotive is provided. The method includes communicating an
instruction that relates to an operational state of the remote locomotive from the lead locomotive
to the remote locomotive. The method also includes controlling an engine of the remote
locomotive at the remote locomotive based on the instruction into one of an on operational state
and an off operational state. The engine does not combust fuel during at least a portion of a time
period when the engine is in the off operational state.
As should be appreciated, the control system, method, and computer readable
storage medium remotely adjust the tractive force provided by powered units in a powered rail
vehicle system by turning powered units in the system on or off. Such a system, method, and
computer readable storage medium can improve some known rail vehicle systems by reducing
the amount of fuel that is consumed during a trip.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS * Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a rail vehicle system that incorporates an
isolation control system constructed in accordance with one embodiment.
Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of an isolation control system in accordance
with one embodiment.
Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an isolation control system in accordance
with another embodiment.
Figure 4 is a flowchart for a method of controlling a rail vehicle system that
includes a lead powered unit and a remote powered unit in accordance with one embodiment.
Figure 5 is a schematic illustration of another embodiment of a vehicle system.
Figure 6 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of a lead powered unit in
the vehicle system shown in Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of a remote powered
unit.
Figure 8 is a schematic illustration of a consist of remote vehicles in accordance
with another embodiment.
Figure 9 illustrates example timelines of a switching procedure for changing
modes of operation in a consist.
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Figure 10 is a schematic view of a transportation network in accordance with
one embodiment.
Figure 11 is a schematic illustration of a remote vehicle in accordance with
another embodiment.
Figure 12 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for remotely changing
a mode of operation of one or more remote vehicles in a vehicle system.
Figures 13A and 13B show a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for
remotely turning powered units of a vehicle system from idle to an on, or active, propulsiongenerating
mode, during travel along a route.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of certain
embodiments of the inventive subject matter, will be better understood when read in conjunction
with the appended drawings. To the extent that the figures illustrate diagrams of the functional
blocks of various embodiments, the functional blocks are not necessarily indicative of the
division between hardware circuitry. Thus, for example, one or more of the functional blocks
(for example, processors or memories) may be implemented in a single piece of hardware (for
example, a general purpose signal processor, microcontroller, random access memory, hard disk,
and the like). Similarly, the programs may be stand alone programs, may be incorporated as
8 subroutines in an operating system, may be functions in an installed software package, and the
like. The various embodiments are not limited to the arrangements and instrumentality shown in
the drawings.
As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and proceeded with the
word "a" or "an" should be understood as not excluding plural of said elements or steps, unless
such exclusion is explicitly stated. Furthermore, references to "one embodiment" of the
inventive subject matter are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of
additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Moreover, unless explicitly
stated to the contrary, embodiments "including," "comprising," or "having" (and various forms
thereof) an element or a plurality of elements having a particular property may include additional
such elements not having that property.
As used herein, the term "vehicle system" includes two or more vehicles that
operate together to travel along a route. The term "consist" can refer to a group of vehicles that
are mechanically and/or logically linked together to travel along a route. According to various
aspects of the invention, a consist may be defined based on one or more of the following:
mechanical linkages, where vehicles in a consist are mechanically linked and adjacent to at least
one other vehicle in the consist; electrical linkages, where vehicles are electrically linked for
possibly transferring electrical power between the vehicles; * and/or operational/functional linkages, where plural vehicles are controlled in a coordinated manner, e.g., certain modes of
distributed power operations. As one example, in a rail vehicle context, a locomotive consist
comprises plural locomotives that are mechanically (and possibly electrically) linked together,
with each locomotive linked and adjacent to at least one other locomotive in the consist. For
example, a consist of vehicles, or a vehicle consist, may include two or more vehicles that are
mechanically coupled with each other andlor that communicate with each other over one or more
wired and/or wireless connections to coordinate control of tractive efforts and/or braking efforts
of the vehicles in the consist. A vehicle system can include one or more vehicle consists, such as
a train that includes two or more motive power groups formed from two or more locomotives
mechanically linked together with each other. The term "lead vehicle" refers to a vehicle that
controls operations of one or more vehicles in the vehicle system, and does not necessarily mean
e the vehicle disposed at a front or leading end of a vehicle system. For example, a lead
locomotive in a train may not be disposed at the front end of a train. The term "remote vehicle"
refers to a vehicle other than the lead vehicle in a vehicle system. For example, a remote vehicle
may include a locomotive that is controlled by a lead locomotive in a train. The term "remote"
does not require a predetermined spacing or separation between items. For example, a remote
vehicle may be directly coupled with a lead vehicle.
Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a vehicle system 100 that incorporates an
isolation control system constructed in accordance with one embodiment. The vehicle system
100 includes a lead powered unit or vehicle 102 coupled with several remote powered units or
vehicles 104 (e.g., powered units 104A-D) and individual non-powered units 112. The vehicle
system 100 travels along a route 114, such as a track, road, waterway, and the like. The lead
powered unit 102 and the remote powered units 104 supply a tractive force or effort to propel the
vehicle system 100 along the route 114. In one embodiment, the lead powered unit 102 is a
leading locomotive disposed at the front end of the vehicle system 100 and the remote powered
units 104 are trailing locomotives disposed behind the lead powered unit 102 between the lead
powered unit 102 and the back end of the vehicle system 100. The individual non-powered units
112 may be non-powered storage units (e.g., units that are not capable of providing motive
power but that may consume energy such as electric current for one or more purposes) for
carrying cargo and/or passengers along the route 114. * The remote powered units 104 are remote from the lead powered unit 102 in that
the remote powered units 104 are not located within the lead powered unit 102. A remote
powered unit 104 need not be separated from the lead powered unit 102 by a significant distance
in order for the remote powered unit 104 to be remote from the lead powered unit 102. For
example, a remote powered unit 104 may be directly adjacent to and coupled with the lead
powered unit 102 and still be remote from the lead powered unit 102. In one embodiment, the
lead powered unit 102 is not located at the front end of the vehicle system 100. For example, the
lead powered unit 102 may trail one or more non-powered units 112 and/or remote powered
units 104 in the vehicle system 100. Thus, unless otherwise specified, the terms "lead,"
"remote," and "trailing" are meant to distinguish one vehicle from another, and do not require
that the lead powered unit be the first powered unit or other vehicle in a consist or other vehicle
0 system, or that the remote powered units be located far away from the lead powered unit or other
particular units, or that a "trailing" unit be behind the lead unit or another unit. The number of
powered units 104 in the vehicle system 100 may vary from the number shown in Figure I .
The remote powered units 104 may be organized into groups. In the illustrated
embodiment, the remote powered units 104A, 104B are organized into a consist group 1 16. The
consist group 116 may include one or more powered units 104A, 104B that are the same or
similar models and/or are the same or similar type of powered unit. For example, the consist
group 1 16 may include remote powered units 104A, 104B that are manufactured by the same
entity, supply the same or similar tractive force, have the same or similar braking capacity, have
the same or similar types of brakes, and the like. Alternatively, one or more of the powered units
104 in a consist group may differ from one or more other powered units 104 in the same consist
group. The powered units in a consist group may be directly coupled with one another or may be
separated from one another but interconnected by one or more other components or units.
The remote powered units 104C, 104D are organized into a distributed power
group 11 8 in the illustrated embodiment. Similar to the consist group 116, a distributed power
group 11 8 may include one or more powered units. The powered units in the distributed power
group 118 may be separated from one another but interconnected with one another by one or
more other powered units 102, 104 and/or non-powered units 112, as shown in Figure 1.
In operation of one embodiment of the system 100, the lead powered unit 102
remotely controls which of the remote powered units 104 are turned on and which remote
powered units 104 are turned off. For example, an operator in the lead powered unit 102 may
remotely turn one or more of the remote powered units 104 on or off while remaining in the lead
powered unit 102. The lead powered unit 102 may remotely turn on or off individual remote
powered units 104 or entire groups of remote powered units 104, such as the remote powered
units 104A, 104B in the consist group 116 and/or the remote powered units 104C, 104D in the
distributed power group 116. The lead powered unit 102 remotely turns the remote powered
units 104 on or off when the vehicle system 100 is moving along the route 114 and/or when the
vehicle system 100 is stationary on the route 114. For example, prior to leaving on a trip along
the route 114 (e.g., where a trip includes travel from a beginning location to a destination
location), the vehicle system 100 may decide which powered units 104 can be turned off for the
duration of the trip based on calculated or forecasted energy needs of the vehicle system 100 to
travel along the route 114, as described below. The vehicle system 100 may turn off one or more
powered units 104 prior to leaving on the trip if the vehicle system 100 determines that the trip
can be accomplished (e.g., the vehicle system 100 can travel to the destination location) with less
than all of the powered units 104 acting to propel the vehicle system 100. Turning off one or
more of the powered units 104 may allow the vehicle system 100 to travel to the destination
location of the trip while consuming less fuel and/or generating fewer emissions relative to
traveling with all of the powered units 104 being on for all or at least a portion of the trip.
By turning a powered unit "on," a propulsion subsystem of the powered unit is
activated to produce tractive effort, such as by producing sufficient electric current to power one
or more motors of the powered unit. A powered unit that is turned on may alternatively be
referred to as being in an active and/or propulsion-generating mode. Turning a powered unit
"off' may involve changing an operating mode of the propulsion subsystem of the powered unit
to no longer generate sufficient electric current to propel the powered unit, as described below.
In operation of another embodiment of the system 100, the lead powered unit
102 remotely controls which of the remote powered units 104 are turned on and which remote
powered units 104 are turned to an idle mode. By "idle" or "idle mode," it is * meant that propulsion subsystems of the powered units that are turned to idle do not produce tractive effort
to propel the powered units or vehicle system. The propulsion subsystems may remain on to
generate electric current, but do not produce tractive effort. For example, a propulsion
subsystem of a powered unit in the idle mode can remain active to produce electric current to
power a communication device of the powered unit such that a communication link between the
powered unit and another component located off-board of the powered unit remains active, but
the propulsion subsystem of the powered unit does not produce electric current to propel the
powered unit.
An operator in the lead powered unit 102 may remotely turn one or more of the
remote powered units 104 to the idle mode or to the on mode (e.g., active or propulsiongenerating
mode) while remaining in the lead powered unit 102. The lead powered unit 102 may
@ remotely turn individual remote powered units 104 or entire groups of remote powered units 104
to the idle mode or from the idle mode to the on mode. The lead powered unit 102 remotely
turns the remote powered units 104 on, off, and/or to the idle mode when the vehicle system 100
is moving along the route 114 and/or when the vehicle system 100 is stationary on the route 114.
For example, prior to leaving on a trip along the route 114 (e.g., where a trip includes travel from
a beginning location to a destination location), the vehicle system 100 may decide which
powered units 104 can be turned off or to the idle mode for the duration of the trip based on
calculated or forecasted energy needs of the vehicle system 100 to travel along the route 114.
The vehicle system 100 may turn one or more powered units 104 to the idle mode prior to
leaving on the trip if the vehicle system 100 determines that the trip can be accomplished (e.g.,
the vehicle system 100 can travel to the destination location) with less than all of the powered
units 104 acting to propel the vehicle system 100. Turning one or more of the powered units 104
to the idle mode for the duration of a trip can allow the vehicle system 100 to travel to the
destination location of the trip (e.g., a final destination of the trip) while consuming less fuel
andlor generating fewer emissions relative to traveling with all of the powered units 104 being
on for all or at least a portion of the trip.
The remote powered units 104 supply tractive forces to propel the vehicle
system 100 along the route 114 when the respective remote powered units 104 are turned on.
Conversely, the individual remote powered units 104 withhold tractive forces and do not supply
a tractive force to propel the vehicle system 100 along the route 114 when the respective remote
powered units 104 are turned off. The lead powered unit 102 may control which of the remote
powered units 104 are turned on and which of the remote powered units 104 are turned off based
on a variety of factors. By way of example only, the lead powered unit 102 may turn off some
remote powered units 104 while leaving other remote powered units 104 on if the remote
powered units 104 that remain on are supplying sufficient tractive force to propel the vehicle
system 100 along the route 1 14.
The lead powered unit 102 communicates with the remote powered units 104 in
order to turn the remote powered units 104 on or off. The lead powered unit 102 may
communicate instructions to the remote powered units 104 via a wired connection 120 and/or a
wireless connection 122 between the lead powered unit 102 and the remote powered units 104.
@ By way of non-limiting example only, the wired connection 120 may be a wire or group of
wires, such as a trainline, electric multiple unit (eMU) line, MU cables, electrically controlled
pneumatic (ECP) brake line, a distributed power (DP) communication line, and the like that
extends through the powered units 102, 104 and non-powered units 112 of the vehicle system
100. The wireless connection 122 may include radio frequency (RF) communication of
instructions between the lead powered unit 102 and one or more of the remote powered units
104, such as a communication link provided by 220 data radios.
Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of the isolation control system 200 in
accordance with one embodiment. The isolation control system 200 enables an operator in the
lead powered unit 102 (shown in Figure I) to remotely change a powered or operational state of
one or more of the remote powered units 104 (shown in Figure 1). The powered or operational
state of one or more of the remote powered units 104 may be an "on" operational state or mode,
or an "off' operational state or mode based on whether power is supplied to (or by) engines 228,
230, 232 of the remote powered units 104. For example, a remote powered unit 104 may be
turned to an "off' state by shutting off power to the engine 228 in the remote powered unit 104.
Depending on the type of engine involved, this may include one or more of the following:
communicating with an engine controller or control system that the engine is to be turned off;
shutting off a supply of electricity to the engine, where the electricity is required by the engine to
a operate (e.g., spark plug operation, fuel pump operation, electronic injection pump); shutting off
a supply of fuel to the engine; shutting off a supply of ambient air or other intake air to the
engine; restricting the output of engine exhaust; or the like. Turning the engine 228, 230,232 of
a remote powered unit 104 off may prevent the engine 228, 230, 232 in the remote powered unit
104 from generating electricity. (As should be appreciated, this assumes that the engine output is
connected to a generator or alternator, as is common in a locomotive or other powered unit; thus,
unless otherwise specified, the term "engine" refers to an engine system including an engine and
alternatortgenerator.) If the engine 228, 230, 232 is turned off and does not generate electricity,
then the engine 228, 230, 232 cannot generate electricity that is fed to one or more corresponding
electric motors 234, 236, 238 in the remote power units 104, and the motors 234, 236, 238 may
be unable to move the axles and wheels of the remote powered unit 104. (In this configuration,
electric motors are connected to the vehicle axles, via a gear set, for moving the powered unit,
while the engine is provided for generating electricity for electrically powering the motors.) In
one embodiment, a remote powered unit 104 is turned "off' by directing the engine 228, 230,
232 in the remote powered unit 104 to cease or stop supplying tractive effort. For example, the
remote powered unit 104 may be turned off by directing the engine 228, 230, 232 of the remote
powered unit 104 to stop supplying electricity to the corresponding motor(s) 234, 236, 238 of the
remote powered unit 104 that provide tractive effort for the remote powered unit 104.
In another embodiment, a remote powered unit 104 (shown in Figure 1) may be
turned off by completely shutting down the corresponding engine 228, 230, 232 of the remote
powered unit 104. For example, the engine 228, 230,232 may be shut down such that the engine
228, 230, 232 is no longer combusting, burning, or otherwise consuming he1 to generate
electricity. A remote powered unit 104 may be changed to an "off' state by temporarily shutting
down the engine 228, 230, 232 such that the engine 228, 230, 232 is no longer combusting,
burning, or otherwise consuming fuel to generate electricity but for periodic or non-periodic and
relatively short time periods where the engine 228, 230, 232 is changed to an "on" state in order
to maintain a designated or predetermined engine temperature. The power that is supplied to the
engine 228, 230, 232 during the short time periods may be sufficient to cause the engine 228,
230, 232 to combust some fuel while being insufficient to enable the engine 228, 230, 232 to
provide tractive effort to the corresponding remote powered unit 104.
@ In one embodiment, the state of an engine 228, 230, 232 of a remote powered
unit 104 (shown in Figure 1) is changed to an "off' state when the power that is supplied by the
engine 228, 230, 232 is reduced below a threshold at which an Automatic Engine StartIStop
(AESS) system assumes control of the powered or operating state of the engine 228, 230, 232.
For example, the engine 228 of the remote powered unit 104 may be shut off by decreasing the
power supplied by the engine 228 to the motor 234 until the supplied power falls below a
predetermined threshold at which the AESS system takes over control of the engine 228 and
determines when to turn the engine 228 completely off. Alternatively, the engines 228, 230, 232
of the remote powered units 104 may be individually turned on or off independent of an AESS
system. For example, the engine 228,230,232 of a remote powered unit 1 10 may be turned on
or off regardless of whether the engine 228, 230, 232 is susceptible to control by an AESS
system.
The isolation control system 200 may remotely change the powered state of the
engine(s) of one or more of the remote powered units 104 (shown in Figure 1) in accordance
with one or more of the embodiments described above. The isolation control system 200
includes a master isolation unit 202 and several slave controllers 204, 206, 208. In one
embodiment, the master isolation unit 202 is disposed in the lead powered unit 102.
Alternatively, only a part or subsection of the master isolation unit 202 is disposed in the lead
powered unit 102. For example, a user interface 210 of the master isolation unit 202 may be
located in the lead powered unit 102 while one or more other components of the master isolation
unit 202 are disposed outside of the lead powered unit 102. The slave controllers 204, 206, 208
are disposed in one or more of the remote powered units 104. For example, the slave controller
204 may be located within the remote powered unit 104, the slave controller 206 may be
disposed in the remote powered unit 106, and the slave controller 208 may be located at the
remote powered unit 108. The number of slave controllers 204, 206, 208 in the isolation control
system 200 may be different from the embodiment shown in Figure 2. Similar to the master
isolation unit 202, one or more components or parts of the slave controllers 204, 206,208 may be
disposed outside of the corresponding remote powered units 104. The master isolation unit 202
and/or slave controllers 204, 206, 208 may be embodied in one or more wired circuits with
discrete logic components, microprocessor-based computing systems, and the like. As described
0 below, the master isolation unit 202 and/or the slave controllers 204, 206, 208 may include
microprocessors that enable the lead powered unit 102 (shown in Figure 1) to remotely turn the
remote powered units 104 on or off. For example, one or more microprocessors in the master
isolation unit 202 and/or slave controllers 204, 206, 208 may generate and communicate signals
between the master isolation unit and the slave controllers 204, 206, 208 that direct one or more
of the corresponding engines 228, 230, 232 of the remote powered units 104 to change the
powered state of the engines 228, 230, 232 between two or more of an "on" state or mode, an
"off' state or mode, and/or an "idle" state or mode.
The master isolation unit 202 includes the user interface 210 that accepts input
from an operator of the master isolation unit 202. For example, the user interface 210 may
accept commands or directions from an engineer or other operator of the lead powered unit 102
(shown in Figure 1). By way of non-limiting example only, the user interface 210 may be any
one or more of a rotary switch, a toggle switch, a touch sensitive display screen, a keyboard, a
pushbutton, a software application or module running on a processor-based computing device,
and the like. The operator inputs an isolation command 212 into the user interface 210. The
isolation command 212 represents a request by the operator to turn one or more of the remote
powered units 104 on and/or to turn one or more of the remote powered units 104 off. The user
interface 210 communicates the operator's request to a master isolation module 214.
The master isolation module 214 receives the operator's request from the user
interface 210 and determines which ones of the remote powered units 104 (shown in Figure 1)
are to be turned on and/or which ones of the remote powered units 104 are to be turned off. For
example, the isolation command 212 may request that a single remote powered unit 106 be
turned off or on. Alternatively, the isolation command 212 may request that a group of the
remote powered units 104 be turned on or off. For example, the isolation command 212 may
select the remote powered units 104 in a selected consist group 116 and/or a distributed power
group 118 (shown in Figure 1) be turned off, on, or to idle. By way of non-limiting example
only, the master isolation module 214 may be embodied in any one or more of hardwired
circuitry, rotary, or other types, of switches, a microprocessor based device, a software
application or module running on a computing device, a discrete logic device, and the like.
Based on the operator's request communicated via the isolation command 212, the master
a isolation module 214 conveys an isolation instruction 216 to a master inputloutput (110) device
218.
The master 110 device 218 is a device that communicates the isolation
instruction 216 to the remote powered units 104 (shown in Figure 1) selected by the master
isolation module 214. For example, if the isolation command 212 from the operator requests that
one or more individual remote powered units 104 be turned off, on, or to idle, or that the remote
powered units 104 in a selected consist or distributed power group 116, 118 be turned off, on, or
to idle, the master VO device 218 communicates the isolation instruction 216 to at least those
remote powered units 104 selected by the isolation command 212. By way of non-limiting
example only, the master VO device 21 8 may be embodied in one or more of a connector port
that is electronically coupled with one or more wires joined with the remote powered units 104
e (such as a trainline), an RF transmitter, a wireless transceiver, and the like. In one embodiment,
the master 110 device 218 conveys the isolation instruction 216 to all of the remote powered
units 104 in the vehicle system 100 (shown in Figure 1). While the illustrated embodiment
shows the isolation instruction 216 being communicated in parallel to the slave controllers 204,
206, 208, the isolation instruction 216 may be serially communicated among the slave controllers
204, 206, 208. For example, the master 110 device 218 may serially convey the isolation
instruction 216 to the remote powered units 104 along a trainline. The remote powered units 104
that are to be turned off, on, or to idle by the isolation instruction 216 receive the isolation
instruction 216 and act on the isolation instruction 216. The remote powered units 104 that are
not to be turned off, on, or to idle by the isolation instruction 216 ignore the isolation instruction
2 16. For example, the remote powered units 104 may include discrete logic components that are
coupled with a trainline and that receive the isolation instruction 216 when the isolation
instruction 216 relates to the remote powered units 104 and ignores the isolation instruction 216
when the isolation instruction 216 does not relate to the remote powered units 104.
In another embodiment, the master I10 device 218 broadcasts the isolation
instruction 216 to all of the remote powered units 104 (shown in Figure 1) in the vehicle system
100 (shown in Figure 1). For example, the master 110 device 218 may include a wireless
transceiver that transmits data packets comprising the isolation instruction 216 to the remote
powered units 104. Alternatively, the master I10 device 218 may be an RF transmitter that
@ transits a radio frequency signal that includes the isolation instruction 216. The remote powered
units 104 may be associated with unique identifiers, such as serial numbers, that distinguish the
remote powered units 104 from one another. The isolation instruction 216 may include or be
associated with one or more of the unique identifiers to determine which of the remote powered
units 104 are to receive and act on the isolation instruction 216. For example, if the unique
identifier of a remote powered unit 104 matches an identifier stored in a header of a data packet
of the isolation instruction 216 or communicated in the RF signal, then the remote powered unit
104 having the mating unique identifier receives and acts on the isolation instruction 2 16.
A slave inputloutput (110) device 220 receives the isolation instruction 216 from
the master 110 device 21 8. By way of non-limiting example only, the slave I10 devices 220 may
be embodied in one or more of a connector port that is electronically coupled with one or more
wires joined with the lead powered unit 102 (such as a trainline), an RF transmitter, a wireless
transceiver, and the like. The slave 110 devices 220 convey the isolation instruction 216 to a
slave isolation module 222.
The slave isolation module 222 receives the isolation instruction 216 from the
slave I10 device 220 and determines if the corresponding remote powered unit 104 (shown in
Figure 1) is to be turned off, on, or to idle in response to the isolation instruction 216. The slave
isolation module 222 may include logic components to enable the slave isolation module 222 to
determine whether the associated remote powered unit 104 (shown in Figure 1) is to obey or
ignore the isolation instruction 216. For example, the slave isolation modules 222 may include
one or more of hardwired circuitry, relay switches, a microprocessor based device, a software
application or module running on a computing device, and the like, to determine if the associated
remote powered unit 104 is to act on the isolation instruction 216.
If the slave isolation module 222 determines that the corresponding remote
powered unit 104 (shown in Figure 1) is to be turned off, on, or to idle in response to the
isolation instruction 216, then the slave isolation module 222 communicates an appropriate
command 224 to an engine interface device 226. The engine interface device 226 receives the
command 224 from the slave isolation module 222 and, based on the command 224, directs the
engine 228, 230, 232 of the corresponding remote powered unit 104 to turn off, on, or to idle.
@ For example, the engine interface device 226 associated with the remote powered unit 104 may
communicate the command 224 to the engine 228 of the remote powered unit 104. By way of
non-limiting example only, the engine interfaces 226 may be embodied in one or more of a
connector port that is electronically coupled with the engines 228, 230, 232 via one or more
wires. Upon receiving the command 224 from the engine interfaces 226, the engines 228, 230,
232 may change operational states from one of the on, off, or idle states or modes to another of
the on, off, or idle states or modes. As described above, in one embodiment, the engines 228,
230, 232 may turn off or to idle and cease supplying electricity to a corresponding motor 234,
236, 238 in order to cause the motor 234, 236, 238 to supply or withhold application of tractive
force. For example, if the engine 230 receives a command 224 directing the engine 230 to turn
off or to idle and the engine 232 receives a command 224 directing the engine 232 to turn on,
e then the engine 230 shuts down and stops providing electricity to the motor 236, which in turn
stops providing a tractive force to propel the vehicle system 100 (shown in Figure I), while the
engine 232 turns on and begins supplying electricity to the motor 238 to cause the motor 238 to
provide a tractive force to propel the vehicle system 100.
In one embodiment, the engine 228, 230, 232 turns off, on, or to idle within a
predetermined time period. For example, an engine 228 that is used to supply tractive effort may
shut off or to idle within a predetermined time period after the slave isolation module 222
receives the isolation instruction 216. The predetermined time period may be established or set
by an operator of the system 200. The turning off, on, or to idle of the engine 228, 230, 232
within a predetermined time period after the slave isolation module 222 receives the isolation
instruction 216 may permit an operator in the lead powered unit 102 (shown in Figure 1) to send
the isolation instruction 216 to the remote powered units 104 (shown in Figure 1) to turn the
engines 228, 230, 232 off or to idle immediately, or at least relatively soon after the isolation
command 2 12 is input into the user interface 2 10. For example, the slave isolation modules 222
may turn the engines 228,230,232 off or to idle without waiting for the engines 228, 230, 232 to
cool down to a threshold temperature.
The master isolation unit 202 may convey additional isolation instructions 216
to the slave controllers 204, 206, 208 during a trip. A trip includes a predetermined route
between two or more waypoints or geographic locations over which the vehicle system 100
(shown in Figure I) moves. For example, an operator in the lead powered unit 102 (shown in
Figure 1) may periodically input isolation commands 212 into the master isolation unit 202 to
vary the total amount of tractive force supplied by the powered units 102, 104 (shown in Figure
1). The operator may vary the number and/or type of powered units 102, 104 being used to
supply tractive force to propel the vehicle system 100 during the trip in order to account for
various static or dynamically changing factors and parameters, such as, but not limited to, a
speed limit of the vehicle system 100, a changing grade and/or curvature of the route 114 (shown
in Figure I), the weight of the vehicle system 100, a distance of the trip, a distance of a segment
or subset of the trip, a performance capability of one or more of the powered units 102, 104, a
predetermined speed of the vehicle system 100, and the like.
Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an isolation control system 300 in
accordance with another embodiment. The control system 300 may be similar to the control
system 200 (shown in Figure 2). For example, the control system 300 may be used to remotely
turn one or more remote powered units 104 (shown in Figure 1) off, on, or to idle from the lead
powered unit 102 (shown in Figure 1). The control system 300 is a microprocessor-based
control system. For example, the control system 300 includes one or more microprocessors 308,
320 that permit an operator to manually turn one or more of the remote powered units 104 off,
on, or to idle. Additionally, the control system 300 may be utilized to automatically turn one or
more of the remote powered units 104 off, on, or to idle.
- The control system 300 includes a master isolation unit 302 and a slave
controller 304. The master isolation unit 302 may be similar to the master isolation unit 202
(shown in Figure 2). For example, the master isolation unit 302 includes a master isolation
module 3 14, a user interface 3 10, and a master 110 device 3 18. The user interface 3 10 may be
the same as, or similar to, the user interface 210 (shown in Figure 2) and the master 110 device
318 may be the same as, or similar to, the master VO device 218 (shown in Figure 2). The
master isolation module 314 includes a memory 306 and a microprocessor 308. The memory
306 represents a computer readable storage device or medium. The memory 306 may include
sets of instructions that are used by the microprocessor 308 to carry out one or more operations.
i, By way of example only, the memory 306 may be embodied in one or more of an electrically
erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), a read only memory (ROM), a
programmable read only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read only memory
(EPROM), or FLASH memory. The microprocessor 308 represents a processor, microcontroller,
computer, or other electronic computing or control device that is configured to execute executing
instructions stored on the memory 306. (Thus, unless otherwise specified, the term
"microprocessor" includes any of the aforementioned devices.)
The slave controller 304 may be similar to one or more of the slave controllers
204, 206, 208 (shown in Figure 2). For example, the slave controller 304 includes a slave
isolation module 322, an engine interface 326, and a slave VO device 320. The engine interface
326 may be the same as, or similar to, the engine interface 226 (shown in Figure 2) and the slave
e 110 device 320 may be the same as, or similar to, the slave 110 device 220 (shown in Figure 2).
The slave isolation module 322 may include a memory 312 and a microprocessor 316.
Alternatively, one or more of the slave controllers 304 in the remote powered units 104 (shown
in Figure 1) does not include memories 3 12 and/or microprocessors 3 16. The memory 3 12 may
be the same as, or similar to, the memory 306 in the master isolation module 314 and the
microprocessor 316 may be the same as, or similar to, the microprocessor 308 in the master
isolation module 3 14.
In operation, the master isolation unit 302 remotely turns the engines 228, 230,
232 (shown in Figure 2) off, on, or to idle in a manner similar to the master isolation unit 202
(shown in Figure 2). The user interface 310 receives the isolation command 212 and
communicates the isolation command 212 to the microprocessor 308 of the master isolation
module 3 14. The master isolation module 314 receives the isolation command 212 and
determines which remote powered units 104 (shown in Figure I) are to be turned off, on, or to
idle based on the isolation command 212. The master isolation module 314 may query the
memory 306 to determine which remote powered units 104 to turn off, on, or to idle. For
example, if the isolation command 212 requests that the remote powered units 104 in a selected
consist or distributed power group 116, 118 (shown in Figure 1) be turned off or to idle, the
microprocessor 308 may request a list of the remote powered units 104 that are in the selected
I
I consist or distributed power group 116, 118. The master isolation module 314 then sends the
isolation instruction 216 to the master VO device 3 18, which conveys the isolation instruction
2 16 to the selected remote powered units 104. For example, the microprocessor 308 may direct
the master 110 device 318 to communicate the isolation instruction 216 only to the remote
powered units 104 selected by the isolation command 212. In another example, the
microprocessor 308 may embed identifying information in the isolation command 212. As
described above, the identifying information may be compared to a unique identifier associated
with each remote powered unit 104 to determine which of the remote powered units 104 are to
act on the isolation instruction 216.
In one embodiment, the master isolation module 3 14 automatically generates the
isolation instruction 216 and communicates the isolation instruction 216 to one or more of the
remote powered units 104 (shown in Figure 1). For example, the master isolation module 314
a may determine a tractive effort needed or required to propel the vehicle system 100 (shown in
Figure 1) along a trip or a segment of the trip. The microprocessor 308 may calculate the
required tractive effort from information and data stored in the memory 306. By way of example
only, the microprocessor 308 may obtain and determine the required tractive effort based on the
distance of the trip, the distance of one or more of the trip segments, the performance capabilities
of one or more of the powered units 102, 104 (shown in Figure I), the curvature and/or grade of
the route 114 (shown in Figure I), transit times over the entire trip or a trip segment, speed
limits, and the like.
As the vehicle system 100 (shown in Figure 1) moves along the route 114
(shown in Figure 1) during the trip, the microprocessor 308 of the master isolation module 3 14
may adaptively generate and communicate isolation instructions 216 to the slave controllers 304
of the remote powered units 104 (shown in Figure 1) to vary which of the remote powered units
104 are turned off, on, or to idle. During some segments of a trip, the required tractive effort
may increase. For example, if the grade of the route 114 or the speed limit increases, the
microprocessor 308 may determine that additional remote powered units 104 need to be turned
on to increase the total tractive force provided by the powered units 102, 104 (shown in Figure
1). The microprocessor 308 may automatically generate an isolation instruction 216 that turns
on one or more remote powered units 104 that previously were turned off or to idle.
Alternatively, during other segments of a trip, the required tractive effort may decrease. For
0 example, if the grade of the route 114 or the speed limit decreases, the microprocessor 308 may
determine that fewer remote powered units 104 are needed to propel the vehicle system 100.
The microprocessor 308 may automatically generate an isolation instruction 216 that turns one or
more remote powered units 104 off or to idle that previously were turned on. The selection of
which remote powered units 104 are turned on or off may be based on the performance
capabilities of the remote powered units 104. The performance capabilities may include the
tractive force provided by the various remote powered units 104, the rate at which the remote
powered units 104 burn fuel, an exhaust emission of the remote powered units 104, an EPA Tier
level of the remote powered units 104, the horsepower to weight ratio of the remote powered
units 104, and the like.
The slave controllers 304 of one or more of the remote powered units 104
e (shown in Figure I) receive the isolation instruction 216 and, based on the isolation instruction
2 16, turn the corresponding engines 228, 230, 232 (shown in Figure 2) off, on, or to idle, similar
to as described above. In one embodiment, the microprocessors 3 16 in the slave controllers 304
receive the isolation instruction 216 and determine if the isolation instruction 216 applies to the
corresponding remote powered unit 104. For example, the microprocessor 316 may compare
identifying information in the isolation instruction 216 to a unique identifier stored in the
memory 312 and associated with the corresponding remote powered unit 104. If the identifying
information and the unique identifier match, the microprocessor 316 generates and
communicates the command 224 to the engine interface 326. As described above, the engine
interface 326 receives the command 224 and turns the associated engine 228, 230, 232 off, on, or
to idle based on the command 224.
In one embodiment, the slave controller 304 of one or more of the remote
powered units 104 (shown in Figure 1) provides feedback 328 to the master isolation unit 302.
Based on the feedback 328, the master isolation unit 302 may automatically generate and
communicate isolation instructions 216 to turn one or more of the remote powered units 104 off,
on, or to idle. Alternatively, the master isolation unit 302 may determine a recommended course
of action based on the feedback 328 and report the recommended course of action to an operator.
For example, the master isolation unit 302 may display several alternative courses of action on a • display device that is included with or communicatively coupled with the user interface 310. An
operator may then use the user interface 3 10 to select which of the courses of action to take. The
master isolation module 314 then generates and communicates the corresponding isolation
instruction 216 based on the selected course of action.
The feedback 328 may include different amounts of fuel that are consumed or
burned by the remote powered units 104 (shown in Figure 1). For example, the microprocessor
3 16 in at least one of the remote powered units 104 may calculate the various amounts of fuel
that will be consumed by the powered units 102, 104 (shown in Figure 1) of the vehicle system
100 (shown in Figure 1) over a time period with different combinations of the powered units
102, 104 turned off, on, or to idle. In one embodiment, a microprocessor 316 in each consist
group 116 (shown in Figure I) and/or distributed power group 118 (shown in Figure 1)
@ calculates the amount of fuel that will be consumed by the vehicle system 100 with the remote
powered units 104 in the corresponding consist or distributed power group 116, 118 turned on
and the amount of fuel that will be consumed by the vehicle system 100 with the remote powered
units 104 in the consist or distributed power group 116, 118 turned off or to idle. The calculated
amounts of fuel are conveyed to the slave 110 device 320 and reported to the master isolation
unit 302 as the feedback 328. Based on the feedback 328, the master isolation unit 302
determines whether to turn off, on, or to idle one or more of the remote powered units 104. For
example, each consist group 116 and/or distributed power group 118 may provide feedback 328
that notifies the master isolation unit 302 of the different amounts of fuel that will be consumed
if the various groups 116, 118 are turned off, on, or to idle. The microprocessor 308 in the
master isolation unit 302 examines the feedback 328 and may generate automated isolation
instructions 216 to turn one or more of the remote powered units 104 off, on, or to idle based on
the feedback 328.
As described above and as an alternative to microprocessor-based remote
control of which remote powered units 104 (shown in Figure 1) are turned off, on, or to idle, the
control system 200 (shown in Figure 2) may use various circuits and switches to communicate
the isolation instructions 216 (shown in Figure 2) and to determine whether particular remote
powered units 104 are to act on the isolation instructions 216. By way of example only, the
powered units 102, 104 (shown in Figure 1) may include rotary switches that are joined with a
0 trainline extending through the vehicle system 100. Based on the positions of the rotary
switches, the remote powered units 104 may be remotely turned off, on, or to idle from the lead
powered unit 102. For example, if the rotary switches in each of the lead powered unit 102 and
the remote powered units 104,106 are in a first position while the rotary switches in the remote
powered units 108, 110 are in a second position, then the isolation instruction 216 is acted on by
the remote powered units 104, 106 while the remote powered units 108, 1 10 ignore the isolation
instruction 2 16.
Figure 4 is a flowchart for a method 400 of controlling a train that includes a
lead powered unit and a remote powered unit in accordance with one embodiment. For example,
the method 400 may be used to permit an operator in the lead powered unit 102 (shown in Figure
1) to remotely turn one or more of the remote powered units 104 (shown in Figure I) off, on, or a to idle. At 402, a user interface is provided in the lead powered unit. For example, the user
interface 210, 310 (shown in Figures 2 and 3) may be provided in the lead powered unit 102.
The master isolation unit 202, 302 (shown in Figures 2 and 3) also may be provided in the lead
powered unit 102. At 404, an isolation command is received by the user interface. For example,
the isolation command 2 12 may be received by the user interface 2 10 or 3 10.
At 406, an isolation instruction is generated based on the isolation command.
For example, the isolation instruction 216 (shown in Figure 2) may be generated by the master
isolation module 214, 314 (shown in Figure 2 and 3) based on the isolation command 212. At
408, 4 10, 4 12,4 14,4 16,4 18, the isolation instruction is communicated to the slave controllers of
the remote powered units in a serial manner. For example, the isolation instruction 216 is
serially communicated among the remote powered units 104 (shown in Figure I). Alternatively,
the isolation instruction 216 is communicated to the slave controllers 204, 206, 208, 304 (shown
in Figures 2 and 3) of the remote powered units 104 in parallel.
I At 408, the isolation instruction is communicated to the slave controller of one
of the remote powered units. For example, the isolation instruction 216 (shown in Figure 2) may
be communicated to the slave controller 204, 304 (shown in Figures 2 and 3) of the remote
powered unit 104 (shown in Figure 1). At 410, the isolation instruction is examined to determine
if the isolation instruction directs the slave controller that received the isolation instruction to
0 turn the engine of the corresponding remote powered unit off or to idle. If the isolation
instruction does direct the slave controller to turn the engine off or to idle, flow of the method
400 continues to 412. At 412, the engine of the remote powered unit is turned off or to idle, and
flow of the method 400 continues to 41 8. On the other hand, if the isolation instruction does not
direct the slave controller to turn the engine off or to idle, flow of the method 400 continues to
414. For example, the isolation instruction 216 may be examined by the slave isolation module
222, 322 (shown in Figures 2 and 3) of the remote powered unit 104 to determine if the isolation
instruction 216 directs the remote powered unit 104 to turn off or to idle. If the isolation
instruction 216 directs the remote powered unit 104 to turn off or to idle, the slave controller
204,304 directs the engine 228 (shown in Figure 2) of the remote powered unit 104 to turn off or
to idle. Otherwise, the slave controller 204, 304 does not direct the engine 228 to turn off or to
0 idle.
At 414, the isolation instruction is examined to determine if the isolation
instruction directs the slave controller that received the isolation instruction to turn on the engine
of the corresponding remote powered unit. If the isolation instruction does direct the slave
controller to turn on the engine, flow of the method 400 continues to 416. At 416, the engine of
the remote powered unit is turned on. For example, the isolation instruction 216 (shown in
Figure 2) may be examined by the slave isolation module 222, 322 (shown in Figures 2 and 3) of
the remote powered unit 104 (shown in Figure 1) to determine if the isolation instruction 216
directs the remote powered unit 104 to turn on. If the isolation instruction 216 directs the remote
powered unit 104 to turn on, the slave controller 204, 304 directs the engine 228 (shown in
Figure 2) of the remote powered unit 104 to turn on. On the other hand, if the isolation
instruction does not direct the slave controller to turn the engine on, flow of the method 400
continues to 4 18.
At 418, the isolation instruction is communicated to the slave controller of the
next remote powered unit. For example, after being received and examined by the slave
controller 204, 304 (shown in Figures 2 and 3) of the remote powered unit 104 (shown in Figure
l), the isolation instruction 216 is conveyed to the slave controller 204, 304 of the remote
powered unit 106 (shown in Figure 1). Flow of the method 400 may then return to 410, where
the isolation instruction is examined by the next remote powered unit in a manner similar to as
@ described above. The method 400 may continue in a loop-wise manner through 410-418 until
the remote powered units have examined and acted on, or ignored, the isolation instruction.
In another embodiment, the method 400 does not communicate and examine the
isolation instructions in a serial manner through the remote powered units. Instead, the method
400 communicates the isolation instruction to the remote powered units in a parallel manner. For
example, each of the remote powered units 104 (shown in Figure I) may receive the isolation
instruction 216 (shown in Figure 2) in parallel and act on, or ignore, the isolation instruction 216
in a manner described above in connection with 4 10,412,414.
Figure 5 is a schematic illustration of another embodiment of a vehicle system
500. The vehicle system 500 is shown as being a train, but alternatively may be formed from
one or more other types of vehicles. The vehicle system 500 may be similar to the vehicle
system 100 shown in Figure 1 and can include a lead vehicle or powered unit 502 coupled with
several remote vehicles or powered units 504 and non-powered vehicles or units 506. The lead
vehicle 502 and remote vehicles 504 may be referred to as powered vehicles or powered units as
the lead vehicle 502 and remote vehicles 504 are capable of generating tractive efforts for self
propulsion. For example, the lead vehicle 502 and remote vehicles 504 may be locomotives
traveling along a route 508 (e.g., a track). The non-powered vehicles 506 may be incapable of
generating tractive efforts for self propulsion. For example, the non-powered vehicles 506 may
be cargo cars that carry goods andlor persons along the route 508. As shown in Figure 1, the
remote vehicles 504 are referred to by the reference number 504 and individually referred to by
reference numbers 504a, 504b, 504c, and so on. Similarly, the non-powered vehicles 506 are
referred to by the reference number 506 and individually referred to by reference numbers 506a,
506b, and 506c. The number of vehicles 502, 504, 506 shown in Figure 5 is provided as an
example and is not intended to limit all embodiments of the subject matter described herein.
The remote vehicles 504 are arranged in motive power groups to define vehicle
consists 510, 512. The remote vehicles 504 in a consist 510 and/or 512 may be mechanically
and/or logically linked together to provide tractive effort and/or braking effort to propel and/or
stop movement of the vehicle system 500. In one embodiment, the lead vehicle 502 coordinates
control of the remote vehicles 504 in the consists 510, 512 to control a net or total tractive effort
@ and/or braking effort of the vehicle system 500. For example, the vehicle system 500 may
operate in a distributed power (DP) mode of operation where the lead vehicle 502 remotely
directs the tractive efforts and/or braking efforts of the remote vehicles 504 in the consists 510,
512 from the lead vehicle 502. In the illustrated embodiment, the lead vehicle 502 is
interconnected with, but spaced apart from, the consists 510, 512 by one or more non-powered
vehicles 506.
The lead vehicle 502 and the remote vehicles 504 are communicatively coupled
with each other by one or more wired and/or wireless connections or communication links. As
used herein, the term "communicatively coupled" means that two components are able to
communicate (e.g., transmit and/or receive) data with each other by wired and/or wireless
connections. For example, the lead vehicle 502 may communicate with one or more of the
remote vehicles 504 via a wireless network. Alternatively, or additionally, the lead vehicle 502
may be conductively coupled with the remote vehicles 504 by one or more tangible
communication pathways 514, such as conductive wires or cables (e.g., multiple unit or MU
cable bus), fiber optic cables, and the like. As described below, the lead vehicles 502 and the
remote vehicles 504 may communicate with each other using electrically powered
communication devices. The communication devices can include transceivers and/or antennas
that communicate data (e.g., network or packetized data or non-network data) between each
other through one or more of the communication links between the communication devices.
One or more of the communication devices in the consists 510, 512 may be
powered by the remote vehicles 504. For example, each of the remote vehicles 504 in the
consists 5 10, 5 12 can include a propulsion subsystem that generates electric current to, among
other things, power traction motors to propel the vehicle system 500 and/or power
communication devices disposed on-board the remote vehicles 504. Alternatively, one or more
of the communication devices in the consists 5 10, 5 12 may be powered from an off-board power
source, such as a source of electric current that is not located on the vehicle system 500. For
example, the communication devices may receive electric current from a utility power grid via
an overhead catenary, a powered third rail, or the like.
@ During travel of the vehicle system 500 along the route 508 for a trip, the
vehicle system 500 may demand less tractive effort than can be provided by the coordinated
efforts of the lead powered unit 502 and the remote powered units 504. For example, the vehicle
system 500 may be traveling ahead of a schedule and may need to slow down to be back on
schedule, the vehicle system 500 may be traveling down a decline in the route 508, the vehicle
system 500 may have burned fuel and/or dropped off cargo such that the weight of the vehicle
system 500 is less and less tractive effort is required to propel the vehicle system 500, and the
like. In order to provide less tractive effort, one or more of the remote powered units 504 may
turn off or to idle, such as by deactivating the propulsion subsystem on the remote powered unit
504 so that the propulsion subsystem is not generating electric current to power traction motors
and/or a communication device on the remote powered unit 504.
In one embodiment, one or more of the remote powered units 504 may switch
from an on mode of operation to an off or idle mode of operation while the vehicle system 500 is
moving along the route 508. In the on mode, the propulsion subsystem of a remote powered unit
504 is turned on and activated such that the propulsion subsystem generates electric current to
power propulsion devices (e.g., traction motors) that provide tractive effort and/or a
communication device disposed on-board the remote powered unit 504. In the off mode, the
propulsion subsystem of the remote powered unit 504 may be turned off and deactivated such
that the propulsion subsystem does not generate electric current to power the propulsion devices
and/or the communication device. As a result, a communication link between the
communication device of the remote powered unit 504 that is in the off mode and the lead
powered unit 502 may be broken or interrupted.
Alternatively, in the off mode of operation, the propulsion subsystem of a
remote powered unit 504 may be placed into idle instead of turned off and deactivated. As
described above, in an idle mode, the propulsion subsystem can remain active to produce electric
current to power a communication device such that a communication link between the consist
that includes the remote powered unit 504 and the lead powered unit 502 remains active, but the
propulsion subsystem does not produce electric current to propel the remote powered unit 504.
For example, the propulsion subsystem may not produce sufficient electric current to power
traction motors that propel the remote powered unit 504.
As described above, the lead powered unit 502 may control or direct the tractive
efforts of the remote powered units 504 in the consists 510, 512 by sending instructions to the
communication devices of one or more of the remote powered units 504 in the consists 5 10, 5 12.
When one or more of the remote powered units 504 in a consist 5 10 and/or 5 12 are switched to
the off or idle mode of operation, at least one of the communication devices of the remote
powered units 504 in the consist 510 and/or 512 remains on and powered such that the lead
powered unit 502 can continue to communicate with the remote powered units 504 in the
consists 5 10, 5 12 that are operating in the on mode of operation.
For example, if the remote powered unit 504A of the consist 5 10 switches to the
a off or idle mode of operation, the other remote powered unit 504B in the consist 5 10 may remain
in the on mode of operation so that the communication device of the remote powered unit 504B
can continue to communicate with the lead powered unit 502 and the lead powered unit 502 can
continue to control the tractive efforts and/or braking efforts of the remote powered unit 504B.
In another example, if the remote powered units 504C and 504E of the consist 512 switch to the
off or idle mode of operation, the other remote powered unit 504D in the consist 5 12 may remain
in the on mode of operation so that the communication device of the remote powered unit 504D
can continue to communicate with the lead powered unit 502 and the lead powered unit 502 can
continue to control the tractive efforts and/or braking efforts of the remote powered unit 504D.
In one embodiment, when one or more remote powered units 504 of the vehicle
system 500 switch to the off or idle mode of operation, at least one remote powered unit 504 in
each consist 5 10, 5 12 remains in the on mode of operation to power at least one communication
device in each consist 510, 512. For example, at least one communication device continues to
receive electric current generated by a remote powered unit 504 such that the lead powered unit
502 can continue to issue control instructions to the remote powered units 504 in the on mode of
operation. The remote powered unit 504 in each consist 510, 512 that remains in the on mode of
operation may be the same remote powered unit 504 that has the communication device that
communicates with the lead powered unit 502 to receive the control instructions from the lead
e powered unit 502 to remotely control tractive efforts and/or braking efforts of the remote
powered unit 504. For example, if the remote powered unit 504C has the communication device
that is configured to receive control instructions from the lead powered unit 502, then the remote
powered unit 504C may remain in the on mode of operation while the remote powered unit 504D
andlor the remote powered unit 504E turn to the off or idle mode of operation. By "remotely
control," it is meant that the lead powered unit 502 controls the remote powered units 504 from a
location that is disposed off-board the remote powered units 504.
Alternatively, the remote powered unit 504 in each consist 5 10, 5 12 that remains
in the on mode of operation may be a different remote powered unit 504 that has the
communication device that communicates with the lead powered unit 502 to receive the control
instructions from the lead powered unit 502 to remotely control tractive efforts andlor braking
e efforts of the remote powered unit 504. For example, if the remote powered unit 504C has the
communication device that is configured to receive control instructions from the lead powered
unit 502, then the remote powered unit 504D and/or the remote powered unit 504E may remain
in the on mode of operation and supply electric current to the communication device to power
the communication device (e.g., through one or more conductive pathways extending between
the remote vehicles) while the remote powered unit 504C switches to the off or idle mode of
operation.
In one embodiment, by keeping at least one communication device of each
consist 5 10, 512 on and activated, one or more remote powered units 504 in the consist 510
andlor 5 12 may switch to the off or idle mode of operation while the communication device can
-34-
continue to receive control instructions from the lead powered unit 502 for the remote powered
units 504 that are in the on mode of operation. The vehicle system 500 can continue to travel
along the route 508 with different remote powered units 504 switching between on and off or
idle modes of operation to, among other things, reduce the fuel consumed by the vehicle system
500.
- Figure 6 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of the lead powered unit
502 in the vehicle system 500 shown in Figure 5. The lead powered unit 502 includes a
controller device 600 that forms the control instructions used to direct the tractive efforts andlor
braking efforts of the remote powered units 504. For example, in a DP operation of the vehicle
system 500, the controller device 600 can form data messages that are communicated to the
remote powered units 504 and that direct the remote powered units 504 to change the tractive
efforts and/or braking efforts provided by the remote powered units 504. The controller device
600 can include one or more inputloutput devices that enable a human operator to manually
control the tractive efforts andlor braking efforts of the lead powered unit 502 and/or remote
powered units 504.
The lead powered unit 502 includes an isolation control system 614 that can be
used to electrically isolate one or more remote powered units 504 in the consist 510 andlor 512.
In one embodiment, the isolation control system 614 may be similar to the isolation control
systems 200, 300 (shown in Figures 2 and 3). In the illustrated embodiment, the isolation control
system 614 includes an isolation module 602 and a communication device 608. The isolation
module 602 determines which remote powered units 504 to switch between the on, off, andlor
idle modes of operation, and/or when to switch the mode of operation of the remote powered
units 504. The isolation module 602 can make this determination based on a variety of factors.
In one embodiment, the isolation module 602 can decide to turn one or more of the remote
powered units 504 to the off or idle mode of operation based on an amount of fuel carried by the
vehicle system 500. For example, the isolation module 602 may determine that a first remote
powered unit 504 is to be turned to the off or idle mode of operation while at least a second
remote powered unit 504 remains in the on mode of operation such that the first remote powered
unit 504 maintains at least a threshold volume or amount of fuel for use by the propulsion
subsystem on the first remote powered unit 504. The isolation module 602 may keep the second
remote powered unit 504 in the on mode of operation until the volume or amount of fuel carried
by the second remote powered unit 504 reaches the same or a different threshold volume or
amount of fuel. The isolation module 602 can then switch the first remote powered unit 504 to
the on mode of operation and the second remote powered unit 504 to the off or idle mode of
operation.
The isolation module 602 can continue to switch which remote powered units
504 are in the on mode of operation and which remote powered units 504 are in the off or idle
mode of operation to achieve a desired distribution of fuel being carried by the remote powered
units 504 along the length of the vehicle system 500. For example, the isolation module 602 can
vary which remote powered units 504 are in the different modes of operation for different
periods of time such that the amount of fuel carried by each remote powered unit 504 is within a
predetermined percentage or fraction of each other (e.g., and the distribution of fuel being carried
is approximately equal or balanced throughout the length of the vehicle system 500).
Alternatively, the isolation module 602 may change the modes of operation over time such that a
subset of the remote powered units 504 located in a particular area of the vehicle system 500
(e.g., the consist 5 10) carry a different amount of fuel relative to a different subset of the remote
powered units 504 in a different area of the vehicle system 500 (e.g., the consist 512). A
distribution of fuel being carried by the remote powered units 504 along the length of the vehicle
system 500 may be expressed as a volume or amount of fuel carried by the remote powered units
504 at each location of the remote powered units 504 in the vehicle system 500. For example,
@ such a distribution may be expressed as "First Remote Powered Unit 504A carrying 5,000
pounds of fuel; Second Remote Powered Unit 504B carrying 3,000 pounds of fuel; Third
Remote Powered Unit 504C carrying 4,000 pounds of fuel" and so on.
The lead powered unit 502 includes a propulsion subsystem 604 that provides
tractive effort and/or braking effort of the lead powered unit 502. As described below in
connection with the remote powered units 504, the propulsion subsystem 604 can include an
engine that consumes fuel to rotate a shaft connected to an electrical alternator or generator,
which generates electric current to power traction motors of the lead powered unit 502. The
traction motors can rotate axles and/or wheels 606 of the lead powered unit 502 to propel the
lead powered unit 502. The propulsion subsystem 604 can include brakes (e.g., air brakes or
regenerativelresistive brakes) that slow or stop movement of the lead powered unit 502.
The lead powered unit 502 includes the communication device 608 that
communicates with one or more of the remote powered units 504. For example, the
communication device 608 may transmit the control instructions from the controller device 600
to the remote powered units 504 so that the lead powered unit 502 can control the tractive efforts
andlor braking efforts of the remote powered units 504. The communication device 608 may
include a transceiver device or transmitter that is conductively coupled with the communication
pathway 514 (e.g., a cable bus or MU cable bus). The communication device 608 can
communicate the control instructions to the remote powered units 504 through the
communication pathway 5 14. Alternatively or additionally, the communication device 608 may
be coupled with an antenna 610 to wirelessly transmit the control instructions to the remote
powered units 504, such as over a wireless network between the antenna 610 and the remote
powered units 504.
In one embodiment, the controller device 600 may cause a responsive action to
be taken when a communication interruption event occurs. A communication interruption event
can occur when a communication link between the communication device 608 and one or more
of the consists 5 10, 5 12 is interrupted or broken. For example, if the communication device 608
loses or is otherwise unable to communicate control instructions with communication devices of
the consists 510, 512 such that the controller device 600 is unable to continue remotely
controlling the remote powered units 504 in the consists 510, 512, then the controller device 600
may cause a responsive action to be taken. A "broken" or "interrupted" communication link may
be more than a temporary or transient interruption in communication. For example, a broken or
interrupted communication link may exist when the lead powered unit 502 transmits one or more
control instructions to a remote powered unit 504 and does not receive a confirmation or
response from the remote powered unit 504 within a predetermined period of time, such as
within one second, ten seconds, one minute, four minutes, or the like.
The responsive action that is taken may be a penalty or an emergency response,
such as to apply brakes of the lead powered unit 502, remote powered units 504, andlor nonpowered
powered units 506 to stop or slow movement of the vehicle system 500. The
responsive action can be taken to avoid an accident if the controller device 600 loses the ability
to communicate with one or more of the remote powered units 504 in the consists 5 10, 5 12.
In the illustrated embodiment, the lead powered unit 502 includes an energy
management system 612 that determines operational settings of the vehicle system 500 (e.g., the
tractive efforts and/or braking efforts of one or more of the powered units 502, 504 shown in
Figure 5) during a trip of the vehicle system 500. Alternatively, the energy management system
612 may be disposed off-board the powered unit 502, such as on another powered unit of the
vehicle system, a non-powered unit of the vehicle system, or at a dispatch facility or other
location. These operational settings may be designated as a function of one or more of distance
along the route 508 and/or time elapsed during the trip. A trip of the vehicle system 500 includes
the travel of the vehicle system 500 along the route 508 from a starting location to a destination
location, as described above. The trip plan may dictate or establish various tractive efforts
and/or braking efforts of the different vehicles in a vehicle system for different portions or
segments of the trip of the vehicle system. For example, the trip plan may include different
throttle settings and/or brake settings for the lead vehicle and remote vehicles of the vehicle
system during various segments of the trip. The trip plan may be based on a trip profile that
includes information related to the vehicle system 500, the route 508, the geography over which
the route 508 extends, and other information in order to control the tractive efforts and/or braking
efforts of one or more of the lead powered unit 502 and/or remote powered units 504.
b The energy management system 612 can communicate the trip plan with the
controller device 600 and/or the isolation module 602 to change the tractive efforts and/or
braking efforts provided by the remote powered units 504 as the vehicle system 500 travels
according to the trip plan. For example, if the vehicle system 500 is approaching a steep incline
and the trip profile indicates that the vehicle system 500 is carrying significantly heavy cargo,
then the trip plan of the energy management system 612 may direct one or more of the lead
powered unit 502 and/or the remote powered units 504 to increase the tractive efforts supplied by
the respective vehicle. Conversely, if the vehicle system 500 is carrying a smaller cargo load
based on the trip profile, then the trip plan of the energy management system 612 may direct the
lead powered unit 502 and/or remote powered units 504 to increase the supplied tractive efforts
-3 8-
by a smaller amount than the tractive efforts would otherwise be increased if the data indicated a
heavier cargo load.
In one embodiment, the trip plan may be used to automatically and/or manually
control actual operational settings of the vehicle system. For example, the energy management
system can generate control signals that are based on the operational settings designated by the
trip plan. These control signals may be communicated to the propulsion subsystem of the
powered units of the vehicle system to cause the powered units to autonomously follow the
operational settings of the trip plan. Alternatively or additionally, the control signals may be
communicated to an output device onboard one or more of the powered units. The control
signals may cause the output device to inform an operator of the one or more powered units of
the designated operational settings of the trip plan. The operator may then manually implement
the designated operational settings.
The trip plan formed by the energy management system 612 can be based on
the trip profile, which can include information and factors such as changes in the route 508 that
the vehicle system 500 travels along, regulatory requirements (e.g., emission limits) of the
regions through which the vehicle system 500 travels, and the like, and based on the trip profile.
In one embodiment, the energy management system 612 includes a software application such as
the Trip OptimizerTM software application provided by General Electric Company, to control
propulsion operations of the vehicle system 500 during the trip in order to reduce fuel
consumption of the vehicles and/or to reduce wear and tear on the vehicle system 500.
The trip profile can be based on, or include, trip data, vehicle data, route data,
and/or updates to the trip data, the vehicle data, andlor the route data. Vehicle data includes
information about the powered units 502, 504 and/or cargo being carried by the vehicle system
500. For example, vehicle data may represent cargo content (such as information representative
of cargo being transported by the vehicle system 500) and/or vehicle information (such as model
numbers, fuel efficiencies, manufacturers, horsepower, and the like, of locomotives and/or other
railcars in the vehicle system 500).
Trip data includes information about an upcoming trip by the vehicle system
500. By way of example only, trip data may include a trip profile of an upcoming trip of the
-39-
vehicle system 500 (such .as information that can be used to control one or more operations of
the powered units 502, 504, such as tractive and/or braking efforts provided during an upcoming
trip), station information (such as the location of a beginning station where the upcoming trip is
to begin, the location of refueling stops or locations, and/or the location of an ending station
where the upcoming trip is to end), restriction information (such as work zone identifications, or
information on locations where the route is being repaired or is near another route being repaired
and corresponding speed/throttle limitations on the vehicle system 500), and/or operating mode
information (such as speed/throttle limitations on the vehicle system 500 in various locations,
slow orders, and the like).
Route data includes information about the route 508 upon which the vehicle
system 500 travels. The route data may alternatively be referred to as map data. For example,
the route data can include information about locations of damaged sections of the route 508,
locations of sections of the route 508 that are under repair or construction, the curvature and/or
grade of the route 508, GPS coordinates of the route 508, and the like. The route data is related
to operations of the vehicle system 500 as the route data includes information about the route 508
that the vehicle system 500 is or will be traveling on.
The energy management system 612 can determine which of the remote
powered units 504 to turn to the off or idle mode of operation when the vehicle system 500 is
traveling along the route 508 based on the trip plan. The energy management system 612 may
examine an upcoming portion of the route 508 and the associated trip plan and, based on the
upcoming portion and/or the trip plan, determine that one or more of the remote powered units
504 can be switched from the on mode of operation to the off or idle mode of operation. For
example, if the energy management system 612 examines the trip profile and determines that an
upcoming portion of the route 508 includes a decline and, as a result, less tractive effort is
required to travel down the decline, the energy management system 612 may decide to at least
temporarily turn one or more of the remote powered units 504 to the off or idle mode of
operation when the vehicle system 500 traver'ses the decline. The one or more remote powered
units 504 can be turned to the off or idle mode of operation to conserve fuel that would otherwise
be consumed by the one or more remote powered units 504.
As another example, the energy management system 612 may determine that
an upcoming portion of the route 508 includes an incline and that additional weight of the
vehicle system 500 may assist in the wheels 606 of the lead powered unit 502 and remote
powered units 504 gripping the surface of the route 508 (e.g., the rails of a track). The energy
management system 612 can decide to turn one or more of the remote powered units 504 to the
off or idle mode of operation prior to the vehicle system 500 reaching the incline. The one or
more remote powered units 504 may be turned off or to idle such that less fuel is consumed by
the remote powered units 504 and the one or more remote powered units 504 will be carrying the
weight of the fuel that otherwise would be consumed when the one or more remote powered
a units 504 reach the incline. This weight of the fuel that otherwise would be consumed can assist
the wheels 606 of the vehicle system 500 in gripping the surface of the route 508 during the
incline in order to reduce slippage of the wheels 606 on the route 508. For example, the energy
management system 612 may keep one or more of the remote powered units 504 in the off or
idle mode of operation such that one or more of the remote powered units 504 has sufficient fuel
weight to provide at least a threshold grip on a surface that is traversed by the vehicle system
500. One or more of the remote powered units 504 may be later switched to the on mode of
operation to provide additional tractive effort to the vehicle system 500 to traverse the incline.
As another example, the energy management system 612 can determine which
of the remote powered units 504 to turn to the on mode and which of the remote powered units
504 to turn to the off or idle mode over time to balance or alternate fuel usage by different ones * of the remote powered units 504. The energy management system 612 may control or alternate
which remote powered units 504 are in the different modes of operation so that at least a subset
or fraction of the remote powered units 504 has sufficient fuel to propel the vehicle system 504
when needed for an upcoming portion of the trip.
As another example, the energy management system 612 can determine which
of the remote powered units 504 to turn to the on mode and which of the remote powered units
504 to turn to the off or idle mode based on a fuel efficiency of one or more of the remote
powered units 504. The term "fuel efficiency" can mean a fuel economy or thermal efficiency of
a remote powered unit 504. For example, a first remote powered unit 504 that has a greater fuel
efficiency than a second remote powered unit 504 may consume less fuel than the second remote
powered unit 504 to provide the same amount of horsepower or electric energy (e.g., as
measured in terms of watts).
The energy management system 612 may determine which remote powered
units 504 to turn to the on, off, or idle modes based on the fuel efficiency of one or more of the
remote powered units 504 by examining the fuel efficiencies of the remote powered units 504
recorded within the energy management system 612, a remaining distance left to a destination
location of the trip of the vehicle system 500, and/or horsepower of one or more of the remote
powered units 504. For example, a trip may include flat terrain (e.g., terrain having undulations
or peaks that rise above sea level of no greater than 300 meters or 984 feet), hilly terrain (e.g.,
4 terrain having undulation or peaks that rise above sea level more than 300 meters or 984 feet but
less than 610 meters or 2,001 feet), and/or mountainous terrain (e.g., terrain having undulations
or peaks that rise above sea level more than 610 meters or 2,001 feet). The energy management
system 612 may change which remote powered units 504 are turned on, off, or to idle based on
the type of terrain, the fuel efficiencies of the remote powered units 504, and how far the vehicle
system 500 is to the end of the trip.
Table 1 below provides an example of how the energy management system
612 may turn different remote powered units 504 on or off during a trip. The first column of
Table 1 indicates the different numbered segments, or portions, of the trip. The second column
of Table 1 indicates the type of terrain in the corresponding segment (e.g., flat, hilly, or
mountainous). The third column of Table 1 indicates the miles of the trip encompassed by the e corresponding segment. The fourth column indicates the operating state of a first remote
powered unit 504 (e.g., on for operating in the on mode of operation and off for operating in the
off mode of operation) for the corresponding segment. The fifth column indicates the operating
state of a second remote powered unit 504 for the corresponding segment. In this example, the
first remote powered unit 504 may have a greater fuel efficiency than the second remote powered
unit 504, but produces one half of the horsepower of the second remote powered unit 504 (e.g.,
2,000 HP versus 4,000 HP) and only has enough fuel to propel the vehicle system 500 for 800
miles (or 1,287 kilometers).
Table 1:
In the example illustrated in Table 1, the energy management system 612
changes which of the remote powered units 504 is turned on or off during different segments of
the trip. During the first relatively long, and flat, segment, only the more efficient first remote
powered unit 504 is turned on. During the second relatively short, hilly segment, the first remote
powered unit 504 may be turned off to conserve fuel of the first remote powered unit * 504 while the second remote powered unit 504 generates tractive effort to propel the vehicle system 500.
During the relatively short and mountainous third segment, both the first and second remote
powered units 504 are turned on. During the long fourth and flat segment, the first remote
vehicle is on until the first remote vehicle is low on fuel (e.g., the fuel reserves on the first
remote vehicle fall to or below a threshold amount), at which point the first remote vehicle is
turned off and the second remote vehicle is turned on. The first remote vehicle can be turned
back on during the short fifth segment that traverses mountainous terrain. During the final sixth
segment, the first remote vehicle may be turned off or may be out of fuel. The second remote
vehicle can remain on to propel the vehicle system to the destination of the trip.
Second Remote
Vehicle Mode
off
on
on
off until first
remote vehicle
is low on fuel,
then on
on
on
First Remote
Vehicle Mode
on
off
on
on until low on
fuel, then off
on
off or out of
fuel
Segment No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Terrain Type
Flat
Hilly
Mountainous
Flat
Mountainous
Flat
Miles
(Kilometers) of
Trip
0 to 500 miles
501 miles to
5 10 miles
5 1 1 miles to
520 miles
520 miles to
900 miles
901 miles to
920 miles
921 miles to
1,000 miles
Additionally or alternatively, the energy management system 612 may identify
which powered units 502, 504 may be turned off during the entire duration of the trip prior to the
vehicle system 500 embarking on the trip. For example, the vehicle system 500 may include
more tractive effort capability than what is needed to propel the vehicle system 500 through the
trip to the destination location of the trip. Such an excess of tractive effort capability may be
represented by an excess of available horsepower that can be provided by the powered units 502,
504 relative to the horsepower that is demanded to traverse the route 508 during the trip.
In order to identify the excess of tractive effort capability of the vehicle system
500, the energy management system 612 may use the trip data, vehicle data, and/or route data to
0 calculate a demanded tractive effort. The demanded tractive effort can represent the amount of
tractive effort (e.g., horsepower) that is calculated to be needed to propel the vehicle system 500
over the route 508 to the destination location of the trip. The demanded tractive effort for a trip
can increase for trips that include more inclined segments of the route 508 and/or segments of the
route 508 having steeper inclines than other trips, for trips being traveled by vehicle systems 500
that are heavier than other vehicle systems 500, for trips that involve more periods of
acceleration (e.g., such as after coming out of a curved segment of the route 508 and entering a
more straight segment of the route 508) than other trips, and the like. Conversely, the demanded
tractive effort for a trip can decrease for trips that include less inclined segments of the route 508
and/or segments of the route 508 having smaller inclines than other trips, for trips being traveled
by lighter vehicle systems 500, for trips that involve fewer periods of acceleration than other
trips, and the like.
0
The energy management system 612 may calculate the demanded tractive
effort of a trip based on the physics of the vehicle system 500 traveling along the route 508,
taking into account the size (e.g., length and/or weight) of the vehicle system 500, the
distribution (e.g., location) of the powered units 502, 504 along the length of the vehicle system
500, the curvature and/or grade of the route 508, a scheduled time of arrival at the destination
location of the trip, and the like. In one embodiment, the energy management system 612 uses
one or more of the techniques described in U.S. Patent Application No.l1/750,716, which was
filed on 18-May-2007 (the "'716 Application"). For example, the energy management system
612 can determine the demanded tractive effort using one or more of the equations and objective
functions of the optimal control formulations described in the '716 Application. The entire
disclosure of the '716 Application is incorporated by reference.
The energy management system 612 may calculate the operational settings that
are to be used to get the vehicle system 500 to travel over the route 508 and arrive at the
destination location at or before the scheduled time of arrival, or within a designated time period
of the scheduled time of arrival. For example, although the vehicle system 500 may be able to
travel to the destination location using less tractive effort, doing so may cause the vehicle system
500 to be late or significantly late to arrive at the destination location. As a result, the energy
management system 612 can restrict the trip plan to cause the vehicle system 500 to use a sufficient tractive effort to arrive at the destination location on time.
The energy management system 612 can calculate the demanded tractive effort
based on previous runs of the vehicle system 500 over the route 508. For example, if the same or
similar vehicle system 500 traveled over the route 508 for a previous trip, then the tractive efforts
used to propel the vehicle system 500 that were logged (e.g., recorded) for the previous trip may
be examined and used to generate the demanded tractive effort for the present trip.
Alternatively, the demanded tractive effort for a trip may be a designated amount or several
designated amounts associated with different segments of the trip.
The energy management system 612 also can determine the tractive effort
capability of the vehicle system 500. The tractive effort capability of the vehicle system 500 * represents the available tractive effort (e.g., horsepower) that can be provided by the powered
units 502, 504 of the vehicle system 500 to propel the vehicle system 500 for the trip. For
example, a vehicle system 500 including three locomotives that each are capable of producing
4,000 horsepower, then the tractive effort capability of the vehicle system 500 can be 12,000
horsepower. The tractive effort capability of the vehicle system 500 may be modified by one or
more factors such as the age of one or more of the powered units 502, 504 (e.g., with the tractive
effort capability being decreased by one or more designated or variable amounts with increasing
age of one or more of the powered units 502, 504), the health of one or more of the powered
units 502, 504 (e.g., the with tractive effort capability being decreased by designated or variable
amounts based on damage, wear and tear, or other deterioration to the propulsion subsystems of
the powered units 502, 504), and the like.
The energy management system 612 compares the demanded tractive effort of
the trip with the tractive effort capability of the vehicle system 500 to determine if an excess of
available tractive effort exists. For example, if the tractive effort capability exceeds the
demanded tractive effort, then such an excess is identified. If the tractive effort capability does
not exceed the demanded tractive effort, then no excess tractive effort capability may exist.
When an excess in tractive effort capability exists, the energy management
system 612 can compare the excess to the tractive effort capabilities of the powered units 502, ' 504 For example, the energy management system 612 can compare the excess to the tractive
effort capability (e.g., horsepower) of each individual powered unit 502, 504 or of groups of two
or more of the individual powered units 502, 504. If the tractive effort capability of an
individual powered unit 502, 504 or a group of powered units 502, 504 is less than or equal to
the excess of tractive effort capability of the vehicle system 500, then the energy management
system 612 may select that individual powered unit 502, 504 or group as a selected powered unit
502, 504 or group of powered units 502, 504.
The selected powered unit 502, 504 or the selected group of powered units
502, 504 represents the powered unit or units 502, 504 that can be turned (as described above) to
the off state or mode of operation for the duration of the trip while still allowing the vehicle
system 500 to have sufficient tractive effort capability to complete the trip (e.g., reach the @ destination location at a scheduled time of arrival or within a designated time period of the
scheduled time of arrival). As described above (e.g., in connection with the system 100 and the
system 500), the turning off of the selected powered unit 502, 504 or group of powered units
502, 504 may be performed remotely, such as from the lead powered unit 102, 502. For
example, the energy management system 612 can automatically generate the isolation command
2 12 (shown in Figure 2) that identifies the selected powered unit 502, 504 or group of powered
units 502, 504.
As described above, upon receipt of the isolation command 212, the isolation
control system 614 may remotely turn off the selected powered units 502, 504 or the selected
-46-
group of powered units 502, 504. For example, the isolation control system 614 may
communicate the isolation instruction 216 (shown in Figure 2) that is transmitted to the selected
~ powered units 502, 504 and/or the selected group of powered units 502, 504 in order to turn
I those powered units 502, 504 to an off state or mode. The communication of the isolation
instruction 216 may occur automatically or manually, such as by notifying the operator of the
vehicle system of the selected powered unit 502, 504 or group of powered units 502, 504 and
directing the operator to turn the selected powered unit 502, 504 or group of powered units 502,
504 to the off state or mode. This may occur prior to the vehicle system leaving on the trip so
that the selected powered units 502, 504 or selected group of powered units 502, 504 are off for
all or substantially the entire trip. As a result, the vehicle system may travel according to the
operational settings designated by the trip plan with the selected powered units 502, 504 or the
selected group of powered units 502, 504 being off, which can result in savings in fuel and/or
reductions in emissions generated by the vehicle system.
In one embodiment, the energy management system 612 may identify which
powered units 502, 504 may be turned to the idle mode during the entire duration of the trip prior
to the vehicle system 500 embarking on the trip. As described above, the vehicle system 500
may include more tractive effort capability than what is needed to propel the vehicle system 500
through the trip to the destination location of the trip, such as a final destination location. In
I order to identify the excess of tractive effort capability of the vehicle system 500, the energy
management system 612 may use the trip data, vehicle data, and/or route data to calculate a
b demanded tractive effort, also as described above.
When an excess in tractive effort capability exists, the energy management
system 612 can compare the excess to the tractive effort capabilities of the powered units 502,
504 in order to identify one or more selected powered units or a selected group of powered units,
as described above. The selected powered unit or the selected group of powered units can
represent the powered unit or units that can be turned to the idle mode for the duration of the trip
while still allowing the vehicle system 500 to have sufficient tractive effort capability to
complete the trip. The turning of the selected powered unit 502, 504 or group of powered units
502, 504 to the idle mode may be performed remotely, such as from the lead powered unit 102,
502. For example, the energy management system 612 can automatically generate the isolation
command 212 (shown in Figure 2) that identifies the selected powered unit 502, 504 or group of
powered units 502, 504.
Upon receipt of the isolation command 212, the isolation control system 614
may remotely turn the selected powered units 502, 504 or the selected group of powered units
502, 504 to the idle mode. This may occur prior to the vehicle system leaving on the trip so that
the selected powered units 502, 504 or selected group of powered units 502, 504 are in the idle
mode for all or substantially the entire trip. As a result, the vehicle system may travel according
to the operational settings designated by the trip plan with the selected powered units 502, 504 or
the selected group of powered units 502, 504 being idle, which can result in savings in fuel
# and/or reductions in emissions generated by the vehicle system.
The determination of which powered units 502, 504 are in the idle mode for a
trip may be determined by the energy management system 612 in creating a trip plan for a trip of
the vehicle system along a route. A first trip plan may be created for the trip, where the first trip
plan directs one or more powered units 502, 504 to remain in the idle mode for the entire trip
(e.g., from a starting location to a final destination location). During travel of the vehicle system
along the route according to the trip plan, one or more unplanned events may cause the vehicle
system to deviate from following the operational settings that are designated by the trip plan.
For example, an operator of the vehicle system may manually override automatic
implementation of the trip plan by the vehicle system to perform an unplanned slowing or
stopping of the vehicle system. As another example, automatically implemented speed e restrictions (e.g., restrictions on the speed of the vehicle system that are controlled from offboard
the vehicle system) may cause the vehicle system to slow down or stop in contravention to
the designated operations of the trip plan. The causes for such unplanned slowing or stopping
can be many, such as the operator slowing the vehicle system when the vehicle system
approaches a section of the route under repair, where the trip plan was created without the
knowledge of the repair.

We Claim:
1. A control system comprising:
an energy management system (612) configured to generate a first trip plan that
designates operational settings of a vehicle system (100; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012) having plural
powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014; 1100)
interconnected with one another that generate tractive effort to propel the vehicle system (100;
500; 1008, 10 10, 10 12) along a route (1 14; 508; 1002, 1004, 1006) for a trip, the energy
management system (612) also configured to determine a tractive effort capability of the vehicle
system (100; 500; 1008, 10 10, 1012) and a demanded tractive effort of the trip, the tractive effort
capability representative of the tractive effort that the powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C,
104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014; 1 100) are capable of providing to propel the
vehicle system (100; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012), the demanded tractive effort representative of the
tractive effort that is calculated to be used for actually propelling the vehicle system (100; 500;
1008, 10 10, 10 12) along the route (1 14; 508; 1002, 1004, 1006) for the trip according to the first
trip plan; and
an isolation control system (200; 300; 614) configured to be communicatively coupled
with the energy management system (612) and to remotely turn one or more of the powered units
(1 02, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014; 1 100) to idle or an OFF
mode,
e wherein the energy management system (612) also is configured to identify a tractive
effort difference between the tractive effort capability of the vehicle system (100; 500; 1008,
1 0 10, 10 12) and the demanded tractive effort of the trip and to select at least one of the powered
units (1 02, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014; 1 100) as a selected
powered unit (1 02, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014; 1100)
based on the tractive effort difference, and
wherein the isolation control system (200; 300; 614) also is configured to remotely turn
the selected powered unit (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502,504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014;
1 100) to idle or the OFF mode such that the vehicle system (1 00; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012) is
propelled along the route (1 14; 508; 1002, 1004, 1006) during the trip by the powered units (102,
104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014; 1 100) other than the selected
powered unit (1 02, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502,504; 802,804; 101 0, 1012, 1014; 1 100).
2. The control system of claim 1, wherein, when the vehicle system (100; 500; 1008,
101 0, 1012) is at least one of slowed or stopped along the route (1 14; 508; 1002, 1004, 1006)
during the trip in contravention to the first trip plan and then the vehicle system (100; 500; 1008,
10 10, 10 12) subsequently accelerates, the isolation control system (200; 300; 6 14) is configured
to activate the selected powered unit (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010,
101 2, 101 4; 1 100) out of idle or the OFF mode into an active, propulsion-generating mode
during acceleration of the vehicle system (100; 500; 1008, 101 0, 10 12).
3. The control system of claim 2, wherein the isolation control system (200; 300;
6 14) also is configured to switch the selected powered unit (1 02, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502,
504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014; 1 100) back to idle or the OFF mode after the vehicle system
(100; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012) achieves a designated speed following the acceleration of the
vehicle system (100; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012).
4. The control system of claim 2, wherein the energy management system (612) is
configured to re-plan the first trip plan into a revised trip plan following the at least one of
slowing or stopping of the vehicle system (1 00; 500; 1008, 10 10, 101 2) in contravention of the
first trip plan, the revised trip plan designating the operational settings of the vehicle system
e (100; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012) to cause the vehicle system (100; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012) to
increase an overall tractive effort provided by the powered units (1 02, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D;
502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014; 1 100) relative to the operational settings of the first trip
plan for an acceleration time period following the at least one of the slowing or stopping.
5. The control system of claim 1, wherein the energy management system (612) is
configured to determine portions of the tractive effort capability that are provided by the
respective powered units (1 02, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 101 2, 1014;
1100) and to select the selected powered unit to be turned to idle or the OFF mode based on a
comparison between the tractive effort difference and the portions of the tractive effort capability
that are provided by the respective powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802,
804; 1010, 1012, 1014; 1100).
6. A method comprising:
determining a tractive effort capability of a vehicle system (1 00; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012)
having plural powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012,
101 4; 1 100) that generate tractive effort to propel the vehicle system (1 00; 500; 1008, 1010,
1012) and a demanded tractive effort of a trip, the tractive effort capability representative of the
tractive effort that the powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010,
a 101 2, 10 14; 1 100) are capable of providing to propel the vehicle system (1 00; 500; 1008, 101 0,
1012), the demanded tractive effort representative of the tractive effort that is calculated to be
used for actually propelling the vehicle system (100; 500; 1008, 10 10, 1012) along a route (1 14;
508; 1002, 1004, 1006) for the trip according to a first trip plan, the first trip plan designating
operational settings of the vehicle system (1 00; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012) to propel the vehicle
system (1 00; 500; 1008, 10 10, 10 12) along the route (1 14; 508; 1002, 1004, 1006) for the trip;
identifying a tractive effort difference between the tractive effort capability of the vehicle
system (1 00; 500; 1008, 101 0, 10 12) and the demanded tractive effort of the trip;
selecting at least one of the powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802,
804; 101 0, 101 2, 1014; 1 100) as a selected powered unit (1 02, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502,
504; 802, 804; 10 10, 101 2, 10 14; 1 100) based on the tractive effort difference; and
remotely turning the selected powered unit (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504;
802, 804; 10 10, 10 12, 1014; 1 100) to idle or an OFF mode such that the vehicle system (1 00;
500; 1008, 10 10, 10 12) is propelled along the route (1 14; 508; 1002, 1004, 1006) during the trip
by the powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014;
1 100) other than the selected powered unit (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804;
1010, 1012, 1014; 1100).
7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:
controlling the vehicle system (100; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012) according to the first trip
plan;
at least one of slowing or stopping the vehicle system (100; 500; 1008, 101 0, 1012) along
the route (1 14; 508; 1002, 1004, 1006) during the trip in contravention to the first trip plan; and
activating the selected powered unit (1 02, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804;
1 0 1 0, 10 12, 10 14; 1 100) out of idle or the OFF mode into an active, propulsion-generating mode
when the vehicle system (100; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012) accelerates after the at least one of
slowing or stopping in contravention to the first trip plan.
e 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising switching at least the selected powered
unit (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502,504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014; 1 100) back to idle or
the OFF mode after the vehicle system (100; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012) achieves a designated speed
following accelerating after the at least one of the slowing or stopping of the vehicle system
(1 00; 500; 1008, 10 10, 10 12) in contravention to the first trip plan.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising re-planning the first trip plan into a
revised trip plan following the at least one of slowing or stopping of the vehicle system (100;
500; 1008, 10 10, 10 12) in contravention of the first trip plan, the revised trip plan designating the
operational settings of the vehicle system (1 00; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012) to cause the vehicle
system (100; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012) to increase an overall tractive effort provided by the
powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014; 1100)
0 relative to the operational settings of the first trip plan for an acceleration time period following
the at least one of the slowing or stopping.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the revised trip plan designates the operational
settings of the vehicle system (100; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012) to increase the overall tractive effort
such that tractive effort provided by the selected powered unit (1 02, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D;
502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014; 1 100) previously in idle or the OFF mode is needed in
order to accelerate the vehicle system (100; 500; 1008, 101 0, 1012) sufficiently fast such that the
vehicle system (100; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012) can reach a destination location of the trip within a
designated time period.
1 1. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining respective portions of the
tractive effort capability that are provided by the powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D;
502, 504; 802, 804; 10 10, 1012, 10 14; 1 loo), wherein the selected powered unit (102, 104A,
104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014; 1 100) is selected based on a
comparison between the tractive effort difference and the portions of the tractive effort capability
that are provided by the powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804;
1010, 1012, 1014; 1100).
12. A control system comprising:
a an energy management system (612) configured to generate a trip plan that designates
operational settings of a vehicle system (100; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012) having plural powered
units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014; 1100)
interconnected with one another that generate tractive effort to propel the vehicle system (100;
500; 1008, 1010, 1012) along a route (1 14; 508; 1002, 1004, 1006) for a trip, each of the
powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014; 1100)
associated with a respective tractive effort capability representative of a maximum horsepower
that can be produced by the powered unit (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804;
101 0, 1012, 1014; 1 100) during travel; and
an isolation control system (200; 300; 614) configured to be communicatively coupled
with the energy management system (612) and to remotely turn one or more of the powered units
(102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014; 1100) to idle or to an
OFF mode,
wherein the energy management system (612) also is configured to determine a total
tractive effort capability of the powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802,
804; 1010, 1012, 1014; 1100) in the vehicle system (100; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012) and a
demanded tractive effort representative of the tractive effort that is calculated to be used for
actually propelling the vehicle system (100; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012) along the route (1 14; 508;
1002, 1004, 1006) for the trip according to the trip plan, and
wherein the energy management system (612) is configured to select one or more
selected powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014;
1 100) from the powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012,
101 4; 1 100) based on an excess of the total tractive effort capability of the powered units over
the demanded tractive effort of the trip, and the isolation control system (200; 300; 614) is
configured to remotely turn the one or more selected powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C,
104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 10 14; 1 100) to idle or to the OFF mode such that the
vehicle system (1 00; 500; 1008, 1010, 101 2) is propelled along the route (1 14; 508; 1002, 1004,
1006) during the trip without tractive effort from the one or more selected powered units (102,
104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502,504; 802,804; 1010, 1012, 1014; 1100).
13. The control system of claim 12, wherein the energy management system (612) is
configured to select the one or more selected powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502,
504; 802, 804; 101 0, 1012, 1014; 1 100) from the powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D;
502, 504; 802, 804; 101 0, 1012, 1014; 1 100) of the vehicle system (100; 500; 1008, 10 10, 1012)
based on a comparison between the excess of the tractive effort capability and the tractive effort
capability of each of the powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804;
1010, 1012, 1014; 1100).
14. The control system of claim 12, wherein, when the vehicle system (100; 500;
1008, 10 10, 1012) is at least one of slowed or stopped along the route (1 14; 508; 1002, 1004,
1006) during the trip in contravention to the trip plan and then the vehicle system (100; 500;
1008, 101 0, 10 12) subsequently accelerates, the isolation control system (200; 300; 6 14) is
configured to activate one or more of the selected powered units (1 02, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D;
502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014; 1100) out of idle or the OFF mode into an active,
propulsion-generating mode during acceleration of the vehicle system (1 00; 500; 1008, 10 10,
1012), the isolation control system (200; 300; 614) also configured to switch the one or more
selected powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 1014;
1 100) that were activated back to idle or the OFF mode after the vehicle system (1 00; 500; 1008,
10 10, 10 12) achieves a designated speed following the acceleration of the vehicle system (1 00;
500; 1008, 1010, 1012).
15. The control system of claim 14, wherein the isolation control system (200; 300;
614) is configured to direct the one or more selected powered units (102, 104A, 104B, 104C,
104D; 502, 504; 802, 804; 1010, 1012, 10 14; 1 100) to remain in idle or the OFF mode after the
vehicle system (100; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012) achieves the designated speed for a remainder of
the trip or until the vehicle system (100; 500; 1008, 1010, 1012) is slowed or stopped again in
contravention to the trip plan.