New York Air Brake Corporation

Progress Rail Services Corporation

Progress Rail Locomotive Inc.

Keith Wait

Sidarta Fornari Beltramin

Bradley Howard

Marcos Blanco Fernandes

Devon Robert Hall

Francis R Wawrzyniak

In one instance, disclosed herein is a system for configuring a train having at least one hybrid locomotive, the system comprising at least one processor operative to: receive an anticipated train route; receive a provisional train configuration, the provisional train configuration including the at least one hybrid locomotive, wherein the at least one hybrid locomotive includes at least one internal combustion engine and at least one energy storage system; determine whether the provisional train configuration is capable of completely traversing the anticipated train route; and in response to determining that the provisional train configuration is capable of completely traversing the anticipated train route, prompt a graphical user interface to display a visual indication that the provisional train configuration is capable of completely traversing the anticipated train route.

Methods and systems for determining hybrid train configurations

An energy-management system of a train includes a consist disengagement module configured to control disengagement of a train consist from an autonomous mode to a manual mode of operation. After receiving an instruction to disengage, the system determines an engaged power of the consist in the autonomous mode and calculates an effective position for a consist throttle where the consist would generate a disengaged power in manual mode most closely approximating the engaged power. After causing the throttle handle to be moved to the effective position, the consist disengagement module incrementally changes the operational settings for either a lead locomotive or a trail locomotive until the operational settings match the effective position for the consist throttle. The system chooses the changes to maintain the consist output power close to the disengaged power, avoiding surges in consist power and minimizing handling disturbances during disengagement.

Systems and methods for disengaging locomotives from autonomous control

Systems and methods for controlling battery electric locomotives are disclosed. The method for controlling battery electric locomotives includes receiving, via one or more processors, a first set of data associated with the battery electric locomotives of a consist in a train, wherein the first set of data includes battery system data. The method includes processing, via one or more processors, the first set of data to determine the operating conditions of the battery electric locomotives. The method includes causing, via one or more processors, an update to the in-memory representation of the battery electric locomotives in a database to set the battery electric locomotives to a run-state mode or a dynamic braking mode. The method includes generating, via one or more processors, one or more commands for operating the battery electric locomotives of the train based on the updated in-memory representation.

Methods and systems for controlling battery electric locomotives

A method of controlling one or more locomotives in a train includes using a machine learning engine and a virtual system modeling engine to model and classify sections of track along which the train is traveling according to the tractive power needs for the train traversing each section of track as a function of an effective weight profile for the train in the section and an effective friction profile for the train in the section of track. The method includes using the results of the effective weight profile, the effective friction profile, and an effective power availability profile to train the virtual system modeling engine using the machine learning engine to model designated areas of the track where the total tractive effort force or dynamic braking force applied by all of the locomotives in the train is less than a tractive effort force or dynamic braking force, respectively, that can be provided by a subset of the available locomotives in the train.

Real-time control of off-lining of locomotives for energy management

A train control system minimizes in-train forces in a train with a hybrid consist including a diesel-electric locomotive and a battery electric locomotive. The train control system includes a virtual in-train forces modeling engine configured to simulate in-train forces and train operational characteristics using physics-based equations, kinematic or dynamic modeling of behavior of the train or components of the train when the train is accelerating, and inputs derived from stored historical contextual data characteristic of the train, and a virtual in-train forces model database configured to store in-train forces models. Each of the in-train forces models includes a mapping between combinations of the stored historical contextual data and corresponding simulated in-train forces and train operational characteristics that occur when the consist is changing speed. An energy management system determines an easing function of tractive effort vs. time that will minimize the in-train forces created by changes in tractive effort responsive to power notch changes in a diesel-electric locomotive, and commands execution of the easing function by a battery electric locomotive based at least in part on an in-train forces model with simulated in-train forces and train operational characteristics that fall within a predetermined acceptable range of values.

Hybrid consist tractive effort management

A system includes one or more processors and memory coupled to the one or more processors, storing processor-executable instructions that cause the one or processors to perform operations. The operations include, prior to a train departing from a departure location: generating, one or more train departure strategies for a segment of a trip for the train traveling on a track from the departure location where the train is stationary, displaying information associated with the segment of the track, playing a simulation of the train traveling on the track over the segment based on the one or more train departure strategies, the simulation beginning from when the train is stationary at the departure location; receiving a selection of a train departure strategy, and engaging the selected train departure strategy for operating the train from the departure location where the train is stationary.

Train departure strategy in automatic driving system

A system that can automatically measure, track, and/or report train emissions for complying with geographic environmental restrictions. An emissions module determines the amount of emissions emitted by a train over time. A location module tracks the location of the locomotive of the train relative geographic locations having emission regulations. A compliance module records the amount of emissions emitted by the train in the geographic location.

Train emission compliance system

A train control system that can be integrated into a locomotive having a distributed power mode. The train control system includes a router interposed in a communication link between the locomotive computer and the distributed power module that is responsible for telling the locomotive computer whether distributed power mode is active or inactive. The train control system controls the router to obtain any locomotive operational data sent from the locomotive computer to the distributed power module for use by the train control system. The router may additionally intercept and block communications from the distributed power module to the locomotive computer and replace the communications with messages that cause the locomotive computer to provide locomotive operational data that is would not otherwise output in a particular distributed power state.

Train control system integration into locomotives having distributed power

A system that can automatically control the emissions of each locomotive in a consist to reduce overall train emissions. An emissions module determines the amount of emissions emitted by a train. An emissions control module commands the locomotive, via the train control system, to operate in a predetermined state to achieve a particular amount of emissions. A location module can track the location of the locomotive of the train relative geographic locations having emission regulations so that the emissions control module can command appropriate changes in the locomotive to reduce emissions.

Train emission control system

A system for optimizing the control of a train that includes an interface for receiving data representing a set of operational parameters for a train that will traverse a predetermined route. A server is interconnected to the interface and programmed to generate a plurality of scenarios using the same set of operational parameters but different control parameters. A simulator is programmed to perform a simulation of the operation of the train as described by the operation parameters and control parameters. The server is programmed to review the results of the simulation and score how closely the simulations achieved one or more performance metrics, thereby identifying which control parameters should be used by the train and allowing the control parameters to be transmitted to the train.

Growing community of inventors

Flower Mound, TX, United States of America

Keith Wait