System and method for fleet wheel-rail lubrication and noise management

Abstract

The present invention is a system and method for the control of applying lubrication to the wheels of a fleet of railed-based vehicles and the rails on which the railed-based vehicles travel. In an aspect, the wheel-rail lubrication fleet management system is configured to analyze and optimize the application of wheel/rail lubrication within a whole fleet to the best possible efficiency. In an additional aspect, the wheel-rail lubrication fleet management system is further configured to manage the noise created by the interaction between the wheels and rails of the whole fleet. In such aspects, the wheel-rail lubrication fleet management system can monitor the real results of the application of lubricant of rail-wheel systems that utilize the lubrication fleet management system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wheel-rail lubrication and noise fleet management system configured to control the lubrication needs of a fleet of rail-based vehicles comprising:
 a. At least one central fleet management server comprising a lubrication application;   b. At least one lubrication system; and   c. At least one lubrication controller, wherein the at least one lubrication controller is associated with the at least one lubrication system and configured to control the at least one lubrication system, wherein the at least one lubrication controller is further configured:
 i. to communicate with the at least one lubrication system; 
 ii. to communicate with at least one sensor; and 
 iii. to communicate with the central fleet management server; and 
   
       wherein the lubrication application of the central server is configured to control the operation of the at least one lubrication controller and receive communications from the at least one lubrication controller. 
     
     
         2 . The wheel-rail lubrication and noise fleet management system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one lubrication system and the at least one lubrication controller are associated with at least one rail-based vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The wheel-rail lubrication and noise fleet management system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one lubrication system further comprises a plurality of lubrication systems, the at least one lubrication controller comprises a plurality of lubrication controllers, wherein the plurality of lubrication systems and the plurality of lubrication controllers are further associated with a plurality of rail-based vehicles and at least one wayside. 
     
     
         4 . The wheel-rail lubrication and noise fleet management system of  claim 1 , wherein the central server further comprises a vehicle database, a track database, and a lubricant database, wherein the lubrication application is configured to access information from the vehicle database, the track database, and the lubricant database in order to develop and implement lubrication plans. 
     
     
         5 . The wheel-rail lubrication and noise fleet management system of  claim 4 , wherein the lubricant database comprises lubricant properties specific to lubricants utilized by the wheel-rail lubrication and noise fleet management system, wherein the track database comprises track properties of tracks used by the rail-based vehicles of the fleet, and vehicle database comprises vehicle properties of the rail-based vehicles of the fleet, wherein the lubrication application utilizes the lubricant properties, the track properties, and the rail-based vehicle properties to develop and implement lubrication plans. 
     
     
         6 . The wheel-rail lubrication and noise fleet management system of  claim 5 , wherein the lubricant properties comprise physical properties and specific performance properties, the track properties comprise rail types, curve locations, lengths, degree of curve, and speed restraints, and the vehicle properties comprise vehicle types, wheel types, wheel profile types, and speed limitations, wherein the lubrication application utilizes the physical properties, specific performance properties, rail types, curve locations, lengths, degree of curve, speed restraints, vehicle types, wheel types, wheel profile types, and speed limitations to develop and implement the lubrication plans. 
     
     
         7 . The wheel-rail lubrication and noise fleet management system of  claim 5 , wherein the lubrication application is further configured to receive feedback information from the at least one controller and wherein the lubrication application is further configured to update the lubrication plans using the feedback information. 
     
     
         8 . The wheel-rail lubrication and noise fleet management system of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one lubrication controller further comprises a lubrication management application, wherein the lubrication management application is configured to implement at least one of the lubrication plans from the lubrication application. 
     
     
         9 . The wheel-rail lubrication and noise fleet management system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one of the lubrication plans is sent wirelessly from the lubrication application of the central server to the lubrication controller. 
     
     
         10 . The wheel-rail lubrication and noise fleet management system of  claim 4 , wherein the central server further comprises an optimization application configured to allow a user to request outside help to optimize the lubrication plans. 
     
     
         11 . The wheel-rail lubrication and noise fleet management system of  claim 1 , wherein the wheel-rail lubrication and noise fleet management system is further configured to operate as an open platform for third party devices, and comprises at least one software plug-in interface to run functions specific to the third party devices. 
     
     
         12 . A computer-based method for implementing lubrication plans for a plurality of rail-based vehicles of a rail-wheel system, comprising:
 a. providing at least one lubrication plan to a central fleet management server;   b. selecting the at least one lubrication plan; and   c. wirelessly transmitting the lubrication plan to the plurality of rail-based vehicles.   
     
     
         13 . A method for controlling the lubricating needs of multiple vehicles on a track with a wheel-rail lubrication and noise fleet management system, the method comprising:
 a. providing at least one central server comprising a lubrication application;   b. transmitting instructions from the central server to a lubrication controller associated with one vehicle on the track;   c. providing at least one lubrication system with the vehicle and in electrical communication with the lubrication controller;   d. transmitting instructions from the central server to the lubrication controller for dispersion of lubricant according to the lubrication application;   e. monitoring operations of the lubrication system with at least one sensor, the at least one sensor transmitting a sensor signal to the lubrication controller; and   f. transmitting the signal from the lubrication controller to the central server.