Locomotive energy tender

An energy tender for use in connection with a hybrid energy locomotive system propelling a train, said train including a locomotive, an engine, a power converter driven by the engine for providing primary electric power, a traction bus coupled to the power converter, and carrying the primary electric power, and 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 train in response to the primary electric power in the motoring mode and said locomotive traction system generating electrical energy in the dynamic braking mode, the energy tender comprising:

• an energy tender vehicle coupled to the locomotive;
• an electrical energy storage system selectively capturing the electrical energy generated by the locomotive traction system in the dynamic braking mode, said electrical energy storage system selectively transferring the captured electrical energy as secondary electric power to the locomotive traction system to supplement the primary electric power in the motoring mode;
• an energy tender converter electrically coupled to the energy storage system wherein the energy storage system selectively transfers secondary electric power to the energy tender converter said energy tender converter being responsive to the transferred secondary electric power to provide energy tender drive power;
• and
• an energy tender traction system associated with the energy tender vehicle, said energy tender traction system being electrically coupled to the energy tender converter and propelling the energy tender vehicle in response to the energy tender drive power.

A hybrid energy locomotive system for propelling a train on a track, said system comprising:

• an engine;
• a power converter driven by the engine for providing primary electric power;
• 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 train in response to the primary electric power in the motoring mode and said locomotive traction system generating electrical energy in the dynamic braking mode;
• an electrical energy storage system coupled to the traction bus selectively captures the 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 traction bus to supplement the primary electric power, and wherein the locomotive traction system propels the train in response to the secondary electric power;
• an energy tender vehicle coupled to the locomotive and housing the energy storage system;
• an energy tender converter electrically coupled to the energy storage system wherein the energy storage system selectively transfers secondary electric power to the energy tender converter, said energy tender converter being responsive to the transferred secondary electric power to provide energy tender drive power;
• and
• an energy tender traction system associated with the energy tender vehicle, said energy tender traction system being electrically coupled to the energy tender converter and propelling the energy tender vehicle in response to the energy tender drive power.

A hybrid energy locomotive system comprising:

• a locomotive;
• an electric power source supplying primary electric power;
• 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 wherein the locomotive traction motor generates electrical energy;
• an energy capture system in electrical communication with the locomotive traction motor, said energy capture system selectively storing electrical energy generated by the locomotive traction motor in the dynamic braking mode and selectively providing secondary electric power from said stored electrical energy;
• and
• an energy tender vehicle mechanically coupled to the locomotive, said energy tender vehicle having an energy tender traction motor receiving the secondary electric power provided by the energy capture system and propelling the energy tender vehicle in response to the secondary electric power wherein the energy tender traction motor and the locomotive traction motor cooperate to propel a consist comprising the locomotive and the energy tender vehicle.

A method of operating a hybrid energy locomotive system, said hybrid energy locomotive system including a locomotive and an energy tender vehicle mechanically coupled to the locomotive, said locomotive having an electric power source supplying primary electric power to a locomotive traction motor system, said locomotive traction motor system operating in a locomotive motoring mode of operation in response to the supplied primary electric power to propel the locomotive, said energy tender vehicle including an energy tender traction motor system having an energy tender motoring mode of operation and an energy tender dynamic braking mode of operation, said energy tender vehicle also including an energy storage system electrically coupled to the energy tender traction motor system, the method comprising:

• supplying the primary electric power to the locomotive traction motor system;
• operating the locomotive traction motor system in the locomotive motoring mode in response to the supplied primary electric power;
• operating the energy tender traction motor system in the energy tender dynamic braking mode when the locomotive traction motor system is operating in the locomotive motoring mode;
• generating dynamic braking electrical energy when the energy tender traction motor system operates in the energy tender dynamic braking mode;
• storing in the energy storage system the dynamic braking electrical energy generated when the energy tender traction motor system operates in the energy tender dynamic braking mode;
• and
• supplying secondary electric power from the energy storage system to the energy tender traction motor system when said energy tender traction motor system operates in the energy tender motoring mode, said secondary electric power being derived from the dynamic braking electrical energy stored in the energy storage system, whereby the energy storage system is charged by operating the energy tender traction motor system in the dynamic braking mode and discharged by operating the energy tender traction motor in the motoring mode.

An energy tender, other than a locomotive, for use with a train consist, said consist including a-diesel-electric locomotive having a locomotive engine driving a locomotive power converter for supplying a prime mover electric power, said energy tender comprising:

• an energy tender vehicle having a plurality of energy tender wheels;
• a traction motor system for driving one of the plurality of energy tender wheels in response to electric input power, said traction motor system having a dynamic braking mode of operation generating electrical energy;
• an energy capture system on the energy tender vehicle and in electrical communication with the traction motor system, said energy capture system selectively storing electrical energy generated in the dynamic braking mode;
• and
• an energy converter system selectively providing tender electric power from the electrical energy stored by the energy capture system, said tender electric power being supplied to the traction motor system to selectively provide at least part of the electric input power for driving the plurality of energy tender wheels.