# US 2016/0257201 A1 · Blower system and method

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- Number: US 2016/0257201 A1
- Document ID: US20160257201A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/156,779
- Filed: 2016-05-17
- Published: 2016-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2008-06-03
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Emil Nikolov; Ajith Kuttainnair Kumar; Theodore Clark Brown; Bret Dwayne Worden; Sudhir Kumar Gupta
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160257201A1

## CPC

- B60L 1/003: {to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors}
- B60L 1/02: to electric heating circuits
- B60L 7/02: Dynamic electric resistor braking (B60L7/22 takes precedence)
- B60L 7/10: Dynamic electric regenerative braking (B60L7/22 takes precedence)
- B61C 5/02: Arrangement or disposition of intakes and apparatus for supplying, circulating, and filtering air for combustion and engine-cooling purposes
- H02P 3/12: by short-circuit or resistive braking
- H02P 6/06: Arrangements for speed regulation of a single motor wherein the motor speed is measured and compared with a given physical value so as to adjust the motor speed
- B60L 2200/26: Rail vehicles
- B60L 2240/425: Temperature
- B60L 2240/662: Temperature
- Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility
- Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility
- Y02T 30/00: Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance
- Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
- 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
- B61C: LOCOMOTIVES; MOTOR RAILCARS (vehicles in general B60; frames or bogies B61F; special railroad equipment for locomotives B61J, B61K)
- 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 system includes a grid coupled to an electrical bus; an electrical power modulation device coupled to the electrical bus that can output modified electrical power received from the electrical bus; a blower motor coupled to the electrical power modulation device that can receive the modified electrical power output and can provide a stream of air to affect a temperature of the grid, and a controller. A speed of the blower motor may be based at least in part on an amount of the modified electrical power. The controller can receive an operating parameter, and is responsive to that parameter by causing the electrical power modulation device to vary the amount of the modified electrical power. A blower motor speed may be controlled based at least in part on the operating parameter.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a transfer switch;
a first inverter coupled to a first input of the transfer switch;
a second inverter coupled to a second input of the transfer switch;
a first alternating current blower motor for powering an auxiliary component blower, the first alternating current blower motor coupled to a first output of the transfer switch;
a second alternating current blower motor for powering a traction motor blower, the second alternating current blower motor coupled to a second output of the transfer switch;
a third alternating current blower motor for powering a grid blower, the third alternating current blower motor coupled to a third output of the transfer switch; and
a controller, the controller configured to cause the transfer switch to connect the first inverter with the first alternating current blower motor and connect the second inverter with the second alternating current blower motor at a first mode of operation, to connect the first inverter with the first alternating current blower motor and connect the second inverter with the third alternating current blower motor at a second mode of operation, and to connect the first inverter with the third alternating current blower motor and connect the second inverter with the second alternating current blower motor at a third mode of operation.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a DC bus,
wherein the first inverter and the second inverter are configured to receive DC power from the DC bus and to convert the DC power into AC power.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, further comprising:
an intake air cooler configured to cool intake air being drawn in for compression by a compression device; and
the auxiliary component blower, wherein the auxiliary component blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the intake air cooler.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, further comprising:
a radiator; and
the auxiliary component blower, wherein the auxiliary component blower comprises a radiator blower configured to cool the radiator.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, further comprising:
a traction motor; and
the traction motor blower, wherein the traction motor blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the traction motor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, further comprising:
a grid having plural resistive elements for dissipating electrical power during a dynamic braking operation; and
the grid blower, wherein grid blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the grid.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, further comprising:
a traction motor;
the traction motor blower, wherein the traction motor blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the traction motor;
a grid having plural resistive elements for dissipating electrical power during a dynamic braking operation of the traction motor; and
the grid blower, wherein grid blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the grid.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
an intake air cooler configured to cool intake air being drawn in for compression by a compression device; and
the auxiliary component blower, wherein the auxiliary component blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the intake air cooler.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a radiator; and
the auxiliary component blower, wherein the auxiliary component blower comprises a radiator blower configured to cool the radiator.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a traction motor; and
the traction motor blower, wherein the traction motor blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the traction motor.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a grid having plural resistive elements for dissipating electrical power during a dynamic braking operation; and
the grid blower, wherein grid blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the grid.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a traction motor;
the traction motor blower, wherein the traction motor blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the traction motor;
a grid having plural resistive elements for dissipating electrical power during a dynamic braking operation of the traction motor; and
the grid blower, wherein grid blower is configured to provide forced-air cooling to the grid.

### Claim 13

A vehicle comprising:
a traction motor;
a transfer switch;
a first inverter coupled to a first input of the transfer switch;
a second inverter coupled to a second input of the transfer switch;
an auxiliary component blower;
a first alternating current blower motor configured to power the auxiliary component blower, the first alternating current blower motor coupled to a first output of the transfer switch;
a traction motor blower configured to cool the traction motor;
a second alternating current blower motor configured to power the traction motor blower, the second alternating current blower motor coupled to a second output of the transfer switch;
a grid having plural resistive elements for dissipating electrical power during a dynamic braking operation of the traction motor;
a grid blower, wherein grid blower is configured to cool the grid;
a third alternating current blower motor configured to power the grid blower, the third alternating current blower motor coupled to a third output of the transfer switch; and
a controller, the controller configured to cause the transfer switch to connect the first inverter with the first alternating current blower motor and connect the second inverter with the second alternating current blower motor at a first mode of operation, to connect the first inverter with the first alternating current blower motor and connect the second inverter with the third alternating current blower motor at a second mode of operation, and to connect the first inverter with the third alternating current blower motor and connect the second inverter with the second alternating current blower motor at a third mode of operation.

### Claim 14

A method comprising:
with a controller having a processor, detecting a mode of operation of a vehicle system;
responsive to detecting that the mode of operation is a motoring mode of operation of the vehicle system, with the controller, controlling a transfer switch to connect an auxiliary blower inverter with an auxiliary blower motor of the vehicle system and to connect a traction motor blower inverter with a traction motor blower motor of the vehicle system;
responsive to detecting that the mode of operation is a dynamic braking mode of operation of the vehicle system, with the controller, controlling the transfer switch to connect the auxiliary blower inverter with a grid blower motor of the vehicle system and to connect the traction motor blower inverter with the traction motor blower motor; and
responsive to detecting that the mode of operation is a third mode of operation of the vehicle system, with the controller, controlling the transfer switch to connect the auxiliary blower inverter with the auxiliary blower motor and to connect the traction motor blower inverter with the grid blower motor.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein detecting the mode of operation of the vehicle system comprises receiving signals from sensors on board the vehicle system, calculating one or more operating parameters of the vehicle system based on the signals from the sensors, and assessing the operating parameters.