System and method for controlling a vehicle system to avoid destructive resonance

A method for controlling a vehicle system that travels along a route, the method comprising:

• identifying a characteristic frequency associated with the vehicle system;
• monitoring a route curve profile for a segment of the route;
• determining a periodic driving force for the segment of the route, the periodic driving force including a series of forces attributable to undulations in the route that are exerted on the vehicle system over time, the periodic driving force being determined based on the route curve profile and a first speed at which the vehicle system traverses the segment of the route;
• determining a first excitation rate for the vehicle system along the segment of the route at the first speed by analyzing the periodic driving force with the characteristic frequency;
• and
• responsive to the first excitation rate exceeding a designated threshold, designating at least one of one or more tractive efforts or one or more braking efforts for implementation by the vehicle system such that the vehicle system traverses the segment at a different, second speed, the second speed producing a second excitation rate that is below the threshold.

A control system comprising:

• a memory that stores a route curve profile for a segment of a route along which a vehicle system is configured to travel;
• and
• a controller including one or more processors, the controller communicatively coupled to the memory, the controller configured to identify a characteristic frequency associated with the vehicle system, the controller further configured to access the route curve profile from the memory and use both the route curve profile and the characteristic frequency to determine multiple excitation rates of the vehicle system for a range of prospective speeds at which the vehicle system traverses the segment of the route, each of the excitation rates corresponding to a different speed in the range of prospective speeds,
• wherein the controller is configured to compare the multiple excitation rates to a designated threshold and identify a subset of acceptable speeds within the range of prospective speeds, the acceptable speeds each associated with an excitation rate that is below the designated threshold, the acceptable speeds representing speeds for the vehicle system to traverse the segment of the route without producing a destructive resonant condition of the vehicle system.

A control system comprising:

• a route geometry sensor configured to monitor a route curve profile for a segment of a route as a vehicle system traverses the segment of the route;
• a speed sensor configured to monitor a speed of the vehicle system traversing the segment of the route;
• and
• a controller including one or more processors, wherein the controller is configured to determine a periodic driving force exerted on the vehicle system from the route along the segment of the route based on the route curve profile and information of the speed, and to determine an excitation rate for the vehicle system based on the periodic driving force and a characteristic frequency associated with the vehicle system,
• wherein, responsive to the excitation rate exceeding a designated threshold, the controller is configured to designate at least one of one or more tractive efforts or one or more braking efforts for implementation by the vehicle system to change the speed at which the vehicle system travels along the segment of the route such that the excitation rate falls below the threshold.