Testing a power plant system of a locomotive under a thermally steady state
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorWarren Frank Bessler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A diagnostic technique for testing a power plant system of a locomotive, desirably during routine scheduled maintenance, involves operating the power plant system in a thermally steady state. This is accomplished by operating an engine of the locomotive at a predetermined throttle position, operating radiator fans of a radiator operably connected to the engine at a predetermined speed, operating an alternator operably connected to the engine to apply a substantially constant load to the engine, and obtaining at least one measurement of the power plant system. The technique is readily implemented by a computing environment such as the locomotive's elaborate computer system.
Claims18
An apparatus for testing a power plant system of a locomotive, said apparatus comprising:
- a controller adapted to maintain the power plant system at a thermally steady state;
- and
- said controller adapted to obtain at least one measurement of the power plant system;
- wherein said controller is adapted to:
- operate a throttle operably connected to an engine at a predetermined throttle position;
- operate a radiator fan of a radiator operably connected to the engine at a predetermined radiator fan speed;
- and
- operate an alternator operably connected to the engine to apply a substantially constant load on the engine.
An apparatus for testing a power plant system of a locomotive, said apparatus comprising:
- means for maintaining the power plant system at a thermally steady state;
- means for obtaining at least one measurement of the power plant system;
- wherein said means for controlling comprises
- means for operating a throttle operably connected to an engine at a predetermined throttle position;
- means for operating a radiator fan of a radiator operably connected to the engine at a predetermined radiator fan speed;
- and
- means for operating an alternator operably connected to the engine to apply a substantially constant load on the engine.
An article of manufacture comprising:
- at least one computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing the testing of a power plant system of a locomotive, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising:
- computer readable program code means for maintaining the power plant system at a thermally steady state;
- and
- computer readable program means for obtaining at least one measurement of the power plant system;
- wherein said computer readable program code means for maintaining the engine at a substantially constant operating temperature comprises:
- computer readable program code means for operating a throttle operably connected to an engine at a predetermined throttle position;
- computer readable program code means for operating a radiator fan of a radiator operably connected to the engine at a predetermined radiator fan speed;
- and
- computer readable program code means for operating an alternator operably connected to the engine to apply a substantially constant load on the engine.
A method for testing a power plant system of a locomotive, said method comprising the steps of:
- maintaining the power plant system at a thermally steady state;
- and
- obtaining at least one measurement of the power plant system;
- wherein said step of maintaining the engine at a substantially constant operating temperature comprises the steps of:
- operating a throttle operably connected to an engine at a predetermined throttle position;
- operating a radiator fan of a radiator operably connected to the engine at a predetermined radiator fan speed;
- and
- operating an alternator operably connected to the engine to apply a substantially constant load to the engine.
At least one program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of testing a power plant system of a locomotive, said method comprising;
- maintaining the power plant system at a thermally steady state;
- and
- obtaining at least one measurement of the power plant system;
- wherein said step of maintaining the engine at a substantially constant operating temperature comprises the steps of:
- operating a throttle operably connected to a engine at a predetermined throttle position;
- operating a radiator fan of a radiator operably connected to the engine at a predetermined radiator fan speed;
- and
- operating an alternator operably connected to the engine to apply a substantially constant load on the engine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.