Method for increasing the efficiency of diesel-electric driven vehicles, and vehicle for carrying out the method

Abstract

In a method for increasing the efficiency of a consist comprised of a plurality of linked diesel-electric driven vehicles, with each vehicle including a diesel assembly and an intermediate circuit which is operatively connected to the diesel assembly and a drive motor which is operatively connected to the intermediate circuit, the operation of the diesel assembly of a vehicle is deactivated, when the vehicle requires a reduced level of power, while the vehicle is in travel mode. The drive motor is hereby operated in a regenerative mode and solely responsible, when operating in the regenerative mode, to feed electric energy to the intermediate circuit of the deactivated diesel assembly and an auxiliary operating device, connected to the intermediate circuit.

1 . A method for increasing the efficiency of a consist comprised of a plurality of linked diesel-electric driven vehicles, each vehicle including a diesel assembly and an intermediate circuit which is operatively connected to the diesel assembly and a drive motor which is operatively connected to the intermediate circuit, said method comprising the steps of: 
 a) deactivating operation of the diesel assembly of a vehicle, when the vehicle requires a reduced level of power, while the vehicle is in travel mode;    b) operating the drive motor in a regenerative mode; and    c) feeding electric energy to the intermediate circuit of the deactivated diesel assembly and an auxiliary operating device, connected to the intermediate circuit, solely by the drive motor, as it operates in the regenerative mode.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the diesel assembly is deactivated automatically when the level of power reaches a lower limit.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the drive motor provides electric energy that is commensurate with a power demand consumed by the auxiliary operating device.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of using a control unit for a realizing a controlled operation of steps a) to c).  
   
   
       5 . A vehicle, comprising: 
 at least one diesel assembly;    a generator connected to the diesel assembly for feeding electric energy to an intermediate circuit;    at least one converter coupled to the intermediate circuit;    at least one auxiliary operating device coupled to the intermediate circuit, and    a drive motor receiving electric energy from the converter and constructed for operation in a motor mode and regenerative mode, wherein the drive motor operates in the regenerative mode, when the diesel assembly is deactivated while the vehicle is in travel mode, so that the intermediate circuit and the auxiliary operating device are fed exclusively by the drive motor with electric energy.    
   
   
       6 . The vehicle of  claim 5 , further comprising a control level with at least one connection for connecting the control level to a control level of a further said vehicle in the absence of a high voltage connection of the intermediate circuit to an intermediate circuit of the further vehicle.  
   
   
       7 . The vehicle of  claim 6 , further comprising a control unit for switching the diesel assembly on or off via the control level in dependence on the power demand, and for controlling the drive motor in the regenerative mode such that the drive motor provides only power that is commensurate with a need by the auxiliary operating devices.  
   
   
       8 . The vehicle of  claim 5 , further comprising two of said diesel assembly, wherein the generators of the diesel assemblies jointly feed the intermediate circuit with is common to both diesel assemblies.  
   
   
       9 . The vehicle of  claim 5 , further comprising two inverters arranged at the intermediate circuit, wherein each of the inverters feeds up to three drive motors on a bogie.  
   
   
       10 . The vehicle of  claim 5 , wherein the generator is configured for operation in motor mode as a starter of the diesel assembly.  
   
   
       11 . The vehicle of  claim 10 , further comprising a rectifier connected downstream of the generator in normal travel mode and serving as a pulse-controlled inverter for the generator which functions as the starter of the diesel assembly.  
   
   
       12 . The vehicle of  claim 5 , further comprising a battery, and a DC/DC converter which connects the battery to the intermediate circuit.  
   
   
       13 . The vehicle of  claim 12 , wherein the DC/DC converter is configured for use as a battery charging device in normal travel mode.  
   
   
       14 . The vehicle of  claim 10 , wherein the auxiliary operating device includes an auxiliary operating converter and a pulse-controlled inverter which is configured for driving the generator which functions as the starter of the diesel assembly.  
   
   
       15 . The vehicle of  claim 5 , wherein the generator is a permanently excited synchronous machine.  
   
   
       16 . A consist, comprising a plurality of track-bound vehicles which are coupled to one another, each said vehicle supported for mobility on the track by a bogie, a diesel assembly, and a drive motor mounted in the bogie and operatively connected to the diesel assembly via an intermediate circuit, said drive motor being constructed for operation in a motor mode, in which the diesel assembly is operative so that the intermediate circuit is supplied with electric energy from a generator connected to the diesel assembly, and a regenerative mode, in which the diesel assembly is deactivated and the intermediate circuit is supplied with electric energy solely from the drive motor during movement of the bogie.