Vehicle control system

A vehicle control system comprising:

• a controller comprising one or more processors, the controller configured to determine a respective force exerted on a route segment by a first wheel of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle and obtain a respective available adhesion value for the first wheel at an interface between the first wheel and the route segment, the controller configured to determine a respective effective adhesion value to utilize for driving rotation of the first wheel based on the available adhesion value for the first wheel such that the effective adhesion value is less than the available adhesion value,
• the controller further configured to assign a torque setting to rotate the first wheel based at least in part on the force exerted on the route segment by the first wheel and the effective adhesion value for the first wheel,
• wherein the controller is configured to determine a respective second force exerted on the route segment by a second wheel of the wheels of the vehicle and obtain a respective second available adhesion value for the second wheel at a second interface between the second wheel and the route segment, the second wheel spaced apart from the first wheel along a length of the vehicle, the controller configured to determine a respective second effective adhesion value to utilize for driving rotation of the second wheel based on the second available adhesion value such that the second effective adhesion value is less than the second available adhesion value, the second effective adhesion value for the second wheel being different from the effective adhesion value for the first wheel,
• the controller further configured to assign a second torque setting to rotate the second wheel based at least in part on the second force exerted on the route segment by the second wheel and the second effective adhesion value for the second wheel.

A method comprising:

• determining a respective force exerted on a route segment by a first wheel of a plurality of wheels of a vehicle;
• obtaining a respective available adhesion value for the first wheel at an interface between the first wheel and the route segment;
• determining a respective effective adhesion value to utilize for driving rotation of the first wheel based on the available adhesion value for the first wheel such that the effective adhesion value is less than the available adhesion value;
• and
• assigning a torque setting to rotate the first wheel based at least in part on the force exerted on the route segment by the first wheel and on the effective adhesion value for the first wheel,
• wherein obtaining the available adhesion value for the first wheel includes estimating the available adhesion value based at least in part on characteristics of the route segment, the characteristics of the route segment including one or more of:
• (i) a curvature of the route segment, (ii) a grade of the route segment, (iii) a presence of an applied friction-enhancing material on the route segment, (iv) a presence of air jet cleaning of the route segment, (v) a presence of precipitation on the route segment, (vi) a presence of debris on the route segment, or (vii) a material condition of the route segment.