Railroad locomotive traction motor isolation
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsDonald J. Melpolder, Michael S. Lupichuk
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A railroad locomotive includes traction motors for propelling the locomotive, and an isolation switch disposed in signal communication with at least one of the traction motors for isolating a faulting motor from the other traction motors.
Claims21
A railroad locomotive comprising:
- a plurality of traction motors, with the motors being connected in a parallel circuit and driving a plurality of traction wheels of the locomotive;
- and
- at least one isolation switch disposed in electrical communication with at least one of the plurality of traction motors, but less than all of the traction motors, the isolation switch operating upon a fault in the circuit exposing it to ground to electrically isolate the faulting circuit, while leaving other portions of the circuit and other respective traction motors operative.
A brake motor isolation switch for electrically isolating at least one traction motor of a railroad locomotive upon a circuit fault exposing the motor to ground comprising:
- a first isolation switch having anti-arcing insulation for breaking an electrically loaded connection;
- and
- a second isolation switch of lower power switching capacity than the first switch for breaking an electrically unloaded connection, disposed in series communication with the first isolation switch and opening after the first isolation switch opens.
A brake motor isolation switch comprising first and second isolation switches disposed in series wherein:
- the first isolation switch is disposed for breaking an electrically loaded connection;
- and
- the second isolation switch is disposed for breaking an electrically unloaded connection a finite amount of time after the first isolation switch breaks the loaded connection.
A method of controlling at least one of a plurality of traction motors connected in a parallel circuit subject to faulting to ground in a locomotive, the method comprising:
- detecting an electrical fault in the circuit including at least one of the plurality of traction motors;
- isolating the one of the plurality of traction motors having the detected fault from the others of the plurality of traction motors;
- and
- powering the others of the plurality of traction motors to propel the locomotive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.