US 9,174,655 B2Granted

System and method for vehicle engine control

AssigneeGeneral Electric Company

InventorsMikhail Meltser, Sandeep Banga, Timothy John Medema

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Abstract

A control system for a vehicle system includes a mechanically-adjustable valve having a plurality of positions, a position sensor, and a controller. The mechanically-adjustable valve is configured to be disposed onboard a rail vehicle that is coupled to at least one other rail vehicle in a consist. The position sensor is configured to be disposed in the rail vehicle to monitor a current position of the mechanically-adjustable valve. The position sensor is configured to generate an output signal that represents the current position of the mechanically-adjustable valve. The controller is configured to be communicatively coupled to the position sensor and to receive the output signal of the position sensor. The controller is configured to set an operational status of the rail vehicle in the consist based on the output signal and to adjust automatic engine shutdown and restart operations of the rail vehicle based on the operational status.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a position sensor configured to be disposed in a first vehicle of a vehicle consist having the first vehicle and at least a second vehicle, the position sensor configured to monitor a position of a mechanically-adjustable valve that is onboard the first vehicle and that switches between plural different positions, the position sensor configured to generate a first output signal that represents the position of the mechanically-adjustable valve;
and
a controller configured to be communicatively coupled to the position sensor and to receive the first output signal of the position sensor, the controller further configured to be communicatively coupled to a mechanically-adjustable engine control switch and to receive a second output signal from the engine control switch, the controller also configured to set an operational status of the first vehicle in the vehicle consist to lead run, lead isolate, trail run, or trail isolate based on the first and second output signals and to adjust automatic engine shutdown and restart operations of the first vehicle based on the operational status of the first vehicle that is set by the controller.

A method, comprising:

receiving a first output signal from a position sensor configured to be disposed onboard a first vehicle of a vehicle consist having the first vehicle and at least a second vehicle, the position sensor configured to monitor a position of a mechanically-adjustable valve that is onboard the first vehicle and that switches between plural different positions, the first output signal representative of the position of the mechanically-adjustable valve, the position of the mechanically-adjustable valve indicating that the first vehicle has a lead designation or a trail designation according to a distributed power arrangement;
receiving a second output signal from a mechanically-adjustable engine control switch disposed onboard the first vehicle, the second output signal representative of a position of the engine control switch among a plurality of different positions, the position of the engine control switch indicating that an engine of the first vehicle has a run designation or an isolate designation;
setting, by one or more processors, an operational status of the first vehicle to lead run, lead isolate, trail run, or trail isolate automatically based on the first and second output signals;
and
adjusting, by the one or more processors, automatic engine shutdown and restart operations of the first vehicle based on the operational status of the first vehicle that is set by the one or more processors.

2 more elements

A system comprising:

a mechanically-adjustable control switch configured to be disposed onboard a first vehicle of a vehicle consist having the first vehicle and at least a second vehicle, the control switch being switchable between at least four different positions and configured to generate an output signal that represents a position of the control switch among the different positions;
and
a controller configured to be communicatively coupled to the control switch to receive the output signal generated by the control switch, the controller configured to set an operational status of the first vehicle in the vehicle consist to lead run, lead isolate, trail run, or trail isolate based on the output signal, the controller further configured to adjust automatic engine shutdown and restart operations of the first vehicle based on the operational status of the first vehicle that is set by the controller.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/164,391Filed 27 Jan 2014
Published: US 2015/0210295 A130 Jul 2015
Granted: 3 Nov 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B61C 17/12
Arrangement or disposition of parts; Details or accessories not otherwise provided for; Use of control gear and control systems: control gear;…
G06F 7/00
Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or
Y02T 30/00
Transportation of goods or passengers via railways
B61C
Locomotives