# US 10,501,095 B2 · Power system for a locomotive > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,501,095 B2 - Document ID: US10501095B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/584,319 - Filed: 2017-05-02 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-02 - Assignees: Progress Rail Locomotive Inc. - Applicants: Progress Rail Locomotive Inc. - Inventors: Madan M. Jalla - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501095B2 ## CPC - B61C 17/12: Control gear; Arrangements for controlling locomotives from remote points in the train or when operating in multiple units (control from points outside the train B61L3/00; fluid-actuated telemotors, servomotors F15B; control devices in general G05) - B60L 1/003: {to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors} - B60L 50/10: using propulsion power supplied by engine-driven generators, e.g. generators driven by combustion engines - H02P 3/12: by short-circuit or resistive braking - H02P 6/04: Arrangements for controlling or regulating the speed or torque of more than one motor (H02P6/10 takes precedence) - H02P 6/10: Arrangements for controlling torque ripple, e.g. providing reduced torque ripple - H02P 8/40: Special adaptations for controlling two or more stepping motors - B60L 2200/26: Rail vehicles - Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility - Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles - B61C: LOCOMOTIVES; MOTOR RAILCARS (vehicles in general B60; frames or bogies B61F; special railroad equipment for locomotives B61J, B61K) - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A power system for a locomotive includes a dynamic brake (DB) grid, at least one chopper circuit, and a controller. The locomotive includes at least one traction motor to power one or more loads during a braking of the locomotive. The DB grid includes at least one resistor bank and is configured to dissipate at least a portion of the power generated by the traction motor. The chopper circuit includes a three-phase inverter module, and selectively disables an electrical communication between the resistor bank and the traction motor. The controller is coupled to the chopper circuit and the loads. The controller determines a magnitude of the loads, and controls the chopper circuit to disable an electrical communication between the resistor bank and the traction motor for a predetermined duration to control a portion of the power dissipated by the DB grid to meet the magnitude of the loads. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power system for a locomotive, the locomotive including at least one traction motor configured to power one or more loads during a braking of the locomotive, the power system comprising: a dynamic brake (DB) grid including at least one resistor bank and configured to dissipate at least a portion of the power generated by the at least one traction motor; at least one chopper circuit including a three-phase inverter module, the at least one chopper circuit configured to selectively disable an electrical communication between the at least one resistor bank and the at least one traction motor, wherein the at least one chopper circuit includes a plurality of insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), wherein the plurality of IGBTs are controlled by the controller to disable the electrical communication between the at least one resistor bank and the at least one traction motor; and a controller coupled to the at least one chopper circuit and the one or more loads, the controller configured to: determine a magnitude of the one or more loads; and control the at least one chopper circuit to disable the electrical communication between the at least one resistor bank and the at least one traction motor for a predetermined duration to control the portion of the power dissipated by the DB grid to meet the magnitude of the one or more loads. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the predetermined duration by comparing the magnitude of the one or more loads with a power rating of the at least one resistor bank. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The power system of claim 1, wherein the electrical communication between the at least one resistor bank and the at least one traction motor is disabled by the controller for one or more intervals, wherein the predetermined duration is determined for every interval. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The power system of claim 3, wherein a ratio between the predetermined duration and a corresponding interval is directly proportional to a ratio between the magnitude of the one or more loads and a power rating of the at least one resistor bank. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The power system of claim 1, wherein the controller controls the portion of the power dissipated by the DB grid to maintain a voltage of a DC link of the power system above a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The power system of claim 1, wherein the one or more loads include loads associated with an auxiliary power system of the locomotive, and loads associated with a head end power system of one or more railcars of the locomotive. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The power system of claim 1, wherein the at least one chopper circuit is a first chopper circuit and the DB grid includes a first resistor bank and a second resistor bank, the power system further including a second chopper circuit, wherein the first chopper circuit is configured to disable an electrical communication between the first resistor bank and the at least one traction motor, and the second chopper circuit is configured to disable an electrical communication between the second resistor bank and the at least one traction motor. ### Claim 8 A locomotive comprising: at least one traction motor configured to power one or more loads during a braking of the locomotive; a dynamic brake (DB) grid including at least one resistor bank and configured to dissipate at least a portion of the power generated by the at least one traction motor; at least one chopper circuit including a three-phase inverter module, the at least one chopper circuit configured to selectively disable an electrical communication between the at least one resistor bank of the DB grid and the at least one traction motor, wherein the at least one chopper circuit includes a plurality of insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), wherein the plurality of IGBTs are controlled by the controller to disable the electrical communication between the at least one resistor bank of the DB grid and the at least one traction motor; and a controller coupled to the at least one chopper circuit and the one or more loads, the controller configured to: determine a magnitude of the one or more loads; and control the at least one chopper circuit to disable the electrical communication between the at least one resistor bank of the DB grid and the at least one traction motor for a predetermined duration to control the portion of the power dissipated by the DB grid to meet the magnitude of the one or more loads. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The locomotive of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to determine the predetermined duration by comparing the magnitude of the one or more loads with a power rating of the at least one resistor bank of the DB grid. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The locomotive of claim 8, wherein the electrical communication between the at least one resistor bank of the DB grid and the at least one traction motor is disabled by the controller for one or more intervals, wherein the predetermined duration is determined for every interval. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The locomotive of claim 10, wherein a ratio between the predetermined duration and a corresponding interval is directly proportional to a ratio between the magnitude of the one or more loads and a power rating of the at least one resistor bank of the DB grid. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The locomotive of claim 8, wherein the one or more loads include loads associated with an auxiliary power system of the locomotive, and loads associated with a head end power system of one or more railcars of the locomotive. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The locomotive of claim 8, wherein the at least one chopper circuit is a first chopper circuit and the DB grid includes a first resistor bank and a second resistor bank, the power system further including a second chopper circuit, wherein the first chopper circuit is configured to disable an electrical communication between the first resistor bank and the at least one traction motor, and the second chopper circuit is configured to disable an electrical communication between the second resistor bank and the at least one traction motor. ### Claim 14 A method of controlling a power system for a locomotive during a braking of the locomotive, the locomotive including at least one traction motor configured to power one or more loads during the braking of the locomotive, and a dynamic brake (DB) grid configured to dissipate at least a portion of the power generated by the at least one traction motor, the method comprising: determining, by a controller, a magnitude of the one or more loads; and disabling, by at least one chopper circuit, an electrical communication between at least one resistor bank of the DB grid and the at least one traction motor for a predetermined duration to control the portion of the power dissipated by the DB grid to meet the magnitude of the one or more loads, wherein the at least one chopper circuit includes a plurality of insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), wherein the plurality of IGBTs are controlled by the controller to disable the electrical communication between the at least one resistor bank of the DB grid and the at least one traction motor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 further comprising determining, by the controller, the predetermined duration by comparing the magnitude of the one or more loads with a power rating of the at least one resistor bank of the DB grid. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the electrical communication between the between the at least one resistor bank of the DB grid and the at least one traction motor is disabled by the controller for one or more intervals, wherein the predetermined duration is determined for every interval. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein a ratio between the predetermined duration and a corresponding interval is directly proportional to a ratio between the magnitude of the one or more loads and a power rating of the at least one resistor bank of the DB grid. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the portion of the power dissipated by the DB grid is controlled to maintain a voltage of a DC link above a predetermined threshold.