US 12,528,519 B2 · Systems and methods for traction

Abstract

Methods and systems for operating a vehicle are provided. In one example, a method for operating a vehicle may include flowing compressed gas selectively through distinct orifice sizes depending on an operating condition of the vehicle. In another example, the vehicle may be a rail vehicle. In one example, the compressed gas may include compressed ambient air, and where the compressed gas is selectively delivered toward an upstream of a vehicle wheel riding on a rail via a nozzle. In another example, the compressed gas may be selectively delivered through a first orifice and not a second orifice to the nozzle during a first condition, and delivered through the second orifice and not the first orifice during a second condition different from the first condition.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of operating a vehicle, comprising:

flowing compressed gas selectively through distinct orifice sizes in response to a determined operating condition of the vehicle, and thereby to create a stream of gas that impacts a surface of a route adjacent to a wheel of the vehicle,
wherein flowing the compressed gas comprises flowing the compressed gas from a compressed gas storage tank through a delivery system coupling the storage tank to a nozzle, wherein the delivery system comprises a parallel path diverging downstream of the compressed gas storage tank and converging upstream of the nozzle, the parallel path including a first path and a second path.

A method of operating a vehicle, comprising:

monitoring vehicle tractive effort to identify a reduced tractive effort that is below a threshold value;
determining an operating condition of the vehicle;
and
responding to an identified reduced tractive effort by requesting Surface Cleaning in which compressed air is directed through a delivery system coupling a compressed air storage tank to a nozzle, the delivery system comprising a parallel path diverging downstream of the compressed air storage tank and converging upstream of the nozzle wherein the parallel path comprises a first path and a second path,
wherein the compressed air is selectively directed through one or both of a first orifice disposed in the first path and a second orifice disposed in the second path toward a location on a route surface that is upstream of a vehicle wheel based at least in part on the determined operating condition of the vehicle.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Systems and methods for traction

Life of this patent

Systems and methods for traction

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20