US 6,591,758 B2Granted

Hybrid energy locomotive electrical power storage system

AssigneeGeneral Electric Company

InventorAjith Kuttannair Kumar

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Abstract

A hybrid energy locomotive system having an energy storage and regeneration system. In one form, the system can be retrofitted into existing locomotives, or installed as original equipment. The energy storage and regeneration system captures dynamic braking energy, excess motor energy, and externally supplied energy and stores the captured energy in one or more energy storage subsystems, including a flywheel, a battery, an ultra-capacitor, or a combination of such subsystems. The energy storage and regeneration system can be located in a separate energy tender vehicle. The separate energy tender vehicle is optionally equipped with traction motors. An energy management system is responsive to power storage and power transfer parameters, including data indicative of present and future track profile information, to determine present and future electrical energy storage and supply requirements. The energy management system controls the storage and regeneration of energy accordingly.

Claims32

Dependent claims

A hybrid energy locomotive system far use in connection with a railroad train, the system comprising:

a locomotive having a plurality of locomotive wheels;
a locomotive traction motor associated with one of the plurality of locomotive wheels, said locomotive traction motor having a first rotatable shaft mechanically coupled to the one of the plurality of locomotive wheels;
an engine carried on the locomotive;
an energy management processor;
an electric power generator carried on the locomotive, said generator responsive to said processor and connected to and driven by the engine for generating and selectively supplying primary locomotive electric power to the locomotive traction motor, said locomotive traction motor being operable in response to the primary locomotive electric power to rotate the first rotatable shalt and to drive the one of the plurality of locomotive wheels, said locomotive traction motor further having a dynamic braking mode of operation wherein the locomotive traction motor generates electrical energy in the form of electricity;
and
an electrical energy capture system carried on the train, said capture system responsive to said processor and in electrical communication with the locomotive fraction motor for selectively storing electrical energy generated in the dynamic braking mode and selectively providing secondary electric power from said stored electrical energy to the traction motor to selectively supplement the primary locomotive electric power with the secondary electric power so that said locomotive traction motor is operable in response to the primary locomotive power and the secondary electric power;
wherein the processor provides a first control signal to the capture system to control the selective storing of electrical energy generated in the dynamic braking mode and to control the selective providing of secondary electric power to the locomotive traction motor to supplement the primary electric power, and provides a second control signal to the generator for controlling the selective supplying of primary locomotive electric power to the locomotive traction motor.

5 more elements

A hybrid energy locomotive system for use in connection with a railroad train for propelling a consist on a track, said system comprising:

an engine carried on the train;
an energy management processor;
a power converter driven by the engine for selectively providing primary electric power and responsive to said processor;
a traction bus coupled to the power converter and carrying the primary electric power;
a locomotive traction system coupled to the traction bus, said locomotive traction system having a motoring mode and a dynamic braking mode, said locomotive traction system propelling the consist in response to the primary electric power in the motoring mode and said locomotive traction system generating electrical energy in the dynamic braking mode;
and
an electrical energy storage system carried on the train, responsive to said processor, said electrical energy storage system coupled to the traction bus selectively capturing electrical energy generated by the locomotive traction system in the dynamic braking mode and selectively transferring the captured electrical energy as secondary electric power to the locomotive traction system to augment the primary electric power in the motoring mode, and said locomotive traction system propelling the consist in response to the secondary electric power;
and
wherein the processor provides a first control signal to the electrical energy storage system to control the selective storing of electrical energy generated in the dynamic braking mode and to control the selective providing of secondary electric power to the locomotive traction motor to supplement the primary electric power, and provides a second control signal to the power converter for controlling the selective supplying of primary locomotive electric power to the locomotive traction motor.

6 more elements

An electrical energy capture system for use in connection with a hybrid energy locomotive system of a railroad train, the hybrid energy locomotive system includes a locomotive, an engine, and a locomotive traction motor propelling the locomotive in response to the primary electric power, said locomotive traction motor having a dynamic braking mode of operation generating electrical energy, the electrical energy capture system comprising:

an energy management processor carried on the train;
a locomotive electric power generator connected to and driven by the engine for selectively supplying primary electric power, said locomotive electric power generator being responsive to said processor;
and
an electrical energy storage device curried on a train in electrical communication with the locomotive traction motor and responsive to said processor, said electrical energy storage device selectively storing electrical energy generated in the dynamic braking mode, and said electrical energy storage device selectively providing secondary electric power from said stored electricity electrical energy to the locomotive traction motor, said locomotive traction motor being responsive to the secondary electric power;
wherein the processor provides a first control signal to the electrical energy storage device to control the selective storing of the electrical energy generated in the dynamic braking mode and to control the selective providing of secondary electric power to the locomotive traction motor, and provides a second control signal to the generator for controlling the selective supplying of primary electric power.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/033,347Filed 26 Dec 2001 · us provisional application
Priority: 27 Mar 2001
Published: US 2002/0174798 A128 Nov 2002
Granted: 15 Jul 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification22 codes

B60L 15/2045
For control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed: for…
B60L 7/12
Dynamic electric regenerative braking: for vehicles propelled by DC motors
B60L 7/14
Dynamic electric regenerative braking: for vehicles propelled by AC motors
B60L 7/22
Electrodynamic brake systems for vehicles in general: dynamic electric resistor braking, combined with dynamic electric regenerative braking