System and method for controlling at least one of tractive or braking efforts of a vehicle system

Abstract

System including an effort-monitoring system configured to control tractive efforts (TEs) individually produced by propulsion-generating vehicles in a vehicle system. The effort-monitoring system is configured to control each of the propulsion-generating vehicles to provide a respective prescribed TE. The vehicle system operates at a system TE when each of the propulsion-generating vehicles is providing the respective prescribed TE. The prescribed TEs are determined by at least one of an operating plan of the vehicle system or a regulation that limits TE or ground speed of the vehicle system. In response to determining that a first propulsion-generating vehicle is providing a reduced TE that is less than the prescribed TE of the first propulsion-generating vehicle, the effort-monitoring system is configured to control a second propulsion-generating vehicle to exceed the prescribed TE of the second propulsion-generating vehicle so that the vehicle system is operating at or below the system TE.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 an effort-monitoring system configured to control vehicle tractive efforts (TEs) individually produced by plural propulsion-generating vehicles in a vehicle system to propel the vehicle system along a route, wherein the effort-monitoring system is configured to control each of the propulsion-generating vehicles to provide a respective prescribed TE, the vehicle system operating at a system TE when each of the propulsion-generating vehicles is providing the respective prescribed TE, wherein the prescribed TEs are determined by at least one of an operating plan of the vehicle system or a first regulation that limits TE or ground speed of the vehicle system;   wherein, in response to determining that a first vehicle of the plural propulsion-generating vehicles is providing a reduced TE that is less than the prescribed TE of the first vehicle, the effort-monitoring system is configured to control a second vehicle of the plural propulsion-generating vehicles to exceed the prescribed TE of the second vehicle so that the vehicle system is operating at or below the system TE.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the effort-monitoring system is configured to determine that the first vehicle of the plural propulsion-generating vehicles is incapable of achieving the prescribed TE due to at least one of a route condition along the route or an impaired wheelset of the first vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the effort-monitoring system is configured to receive route condition data that is representative of a route condition along the route and identify that the route condition is an adverse route condition based on the route condition data, wherein the effort-monitoring system is configured to, in response to identifying the adverse route condition, adjust the vehicle TEs of the plural propulsion-generating vehicles so that the vehicle system is at or below the system TE. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the respective prescribed TEs are configured to maximize the ground speed of the vehicle system. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 :
 wherein the effort-monitoring system is configured to control braking efforts (BEs) individually produced by the plural propulsion-generating vehicles and wherein the effort-monitoring system is configured to control each of the propulsion-generating vehicles to provide a respective prescribed BE, the vehicle system operating at a system BE when each of the propulsion-generating vehicles is providing the respective prescribed BE, wherein the prescribed BEs are determined by at least one of the operating plan of the vehicle system or a second regulation that limits BE of the vehicle system;   wherein, in response to determining that the first vehicle of the plural propulsion-generating vehicles is providing a reduced BE that is less than the prescribed BE of the first vehicle, the effort-monitoring system is configured to control the second vehicle of the plural propulsion-generating vehicles to exceed the prescribed BE of the second vehicle so that the vehicle system is operating at or below the system BE.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle of the plural propulsion-generating vehicles is a leading vehicle and the second vehicle of the plural propulsion-generating vehicles includes multiple trailing vehicles, the effort-monitoring system configured to control the trailing vehicles to exceed the respective prescribed TEs so that the vehicle system is operating at or below the system TE. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle system includes a first vehicle consist having the propulsion-generating vehicles and a second vehicle consist that is linked directly or indirectly to the first vehicle consist. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the effort-monitoring system is configured to control vehicle TEs individually produced by plural propulsion-generating vehicles of the second vehicle consist to propel the vehicle system along the route. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the propulsion-generating vehicles includes axle wheelsets that collectively provide the vehicle TE for the respective propulsion-generating vehicle, each of the wheelsets generating an axle TE, wherein the effort-monitoring system is configured to obtain axle data that represents the axle TEs. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the wheelsets of the propulsion-generating vehicles include a leading wheelset and plural trailing wheelsets that follow the leading wheelset, the effort-monitoring system configured to detect slippage of the leading wheelset at a designated point of the route, the effort-monitoring system configured to decrease the axle TE of at least one of the trailing wheelsets to reduce a likelihood of slippage at the designated point. 
     
     
         11 . A method of operating a vehicle system, the method comprising:
 controlling plural propulsion-generating vehicles to individually produce a prescribed tractive effort (TE), the vehicle system operating at a system TE when each of the propulsion-generating vehicles is providing the respective prescribed TE, wherein the prescribed TEs are determined by at least one of an operating plan of the vehicle system or a first regulation that limits TE or ground speed of the vehicle system; and   controlling, in response to determining that a first vehicle of the plural propulsion-generating vehicles is providing a reduced TE that is less than the prescribed TE of the first vehicle, a second vehicle of the plural propulsion-generating vehicles to exceed the prescribed TE of the second vehicle so that the vehicle system is operating at or below the system TE.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising determining that the first vehicle of the plural propulsion-generating vehicles is incapable of achieving the prescribed TE due to at least one of a route condition along the route or an impaired wheelset of the first vehicle of the plural propulsion-generating vehicles. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving route condition data that is representative of a route condition along the route;   determining that the route condition is an adverse route condition based on the route condition data; and   in response to identifying the adverse route condition, adjusting the vehicle TEs of the propulsion-generating vehicles so that the vehicle system is at or below the system TE.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the respective prescribed TEs are configured to maximize the ground speed of the vehicle system. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 controlling braking efforts (BEs) individually produced by the propulsion-generating vehicles to provide a respective prescribed BE during a braking operation, the vehicle system having a system BE when each of the propulsion-generating vehicles provides the respective prescribed BE during the braking operation, wherein the respective prescribed BEs are determined by at least one of the operating plan of the vehicle system or a second regulation that limits BE of the vehicle system; and   controlling, in response to determining that one of the propulsion-generating vehicles is providing a reduced BE that is less than the respective prescribed BE, at least one of the other propulsion-generating vehicles to exceed the respective prescribed BE so that the vehicle system is at or below the system BE during the braking operation.   
     
     
         16 . A system comprising:
 an effort-monitoring system configured to control operations of a vehicle system including a plurality of discrete vehicles that are directly or indirectly linked to each other in the vehicle system, the vehicle system including a first wheelset and a second wheelset in which each of the first and second wheelsets provides a respective axle tractive effort (TE) for propelling the vehicle system along a designated route, the second wheelset being spaced apart from and following the first wheelset when traveling along the route;   wherein the effort-monitoring system is configured to receive axle data that is representative of an operating condition of the first wheelset at a designated point along the route, the effort-monitoring system configured to determine, based on the axle data, that slippage has occurred at the designated point along the route, the effort-monitoring system configured to decrease the axle TE of the second wheelset before the second wheelset passes the designated point along the route to reduce a likelihood of slippage occurring with respect to the second wheelset.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of discrete vehicles include a propulsion-generating vehicle, the propulsion-generating vehicle including each of the first and second wheelsets. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of discrete vehicles include a first propulsion-generating vehicle and a second propulsion-generating vehicle, the first propulsion-generating vehicle including the first wheelset and the second propulsion-generating vehicle including the second wheelset. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of discrete vehicles include a third propulsion-generating vehicle. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the effort-monitoring system is configured to decrease the axle TE of the second wheelset after a designated travel time, the designated travel time being based on a speed of the vehicle system, lengths of the discrete vehicles, and a tolerance of mechanical couplers that join the discrete vehicles.