System and method for vehicle operation

Abstract

A system, in a vehicle consist configured for dual fuel operation and comprising at least one fuel car operably connectable to at least one powered vehicle via a fuel distribution path, includes an energy management processing unit. The energy management processing unit is configured to obtain a first cost of a first fuel, obtain a second cost of a second fuel, and determine a proportional ratio of the first fuel and the second fuel for each of plural power settings available for use during performance of a mission along a route. The energy management processing unit is also configured to determine a trip plan specifying power settings for corresponding plural sections of the route to perform the mission using the first cost, the second cost, and the proportional ratio for the power settings to optimize a total combined cost of fuel used during performance of the mission.

1 . A system comprising:
 an energy management processing unit configured to:   obtain a first cost of a first fuel used in a vehicle consist configured for dual fuel operation and comprising at least one fuel car operably connectable to at least one powered vehicle via a fuel distribution path;   obtain a second cost of a second fuel used in the vehicle consist;   determine a proportional ratio of the first fuel and the second fuel for each of plural power settings available for use during performance of a mission of the vehicle consist along a route; and   determine a trip plan specifying power settings for corresponding plural sections of the route to perform the mission using the first cost, the second cost, and the proportional ratio for each of the power settings to obtain a total combined cost of fuel used during the performance of the mission.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle consist includes a first group of at least one vehicle configured to use at least the first fuel and the second fuel and a second group of at least one vehicle configured to use only one of the first fuel or the second fuel, wherein the energy management processing unit is configured to select between use of the first group and the second group to preferentially weight use of one of the first group or the second group based on a difference between the first cost of the first fuel and the second cost of the second fuel. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the energy management processing unit is configured to select between use of at least two of the power settings to preferentially weight use of at least one of the at least two of the power settings based on a difference between the first cost of the first fuel and the second cost of the second fuel. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a fuel car information unit configured to obtain fuel car information from at least one of the at least one fuel car during the performance of the mission, wherein the energy management processing unit is configured to obtain the fuel car information from the fuel car information unit during performance of the mission, and to re-plan the trip plan based on the received fuel car information. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the energy management processing unit is configured to determine respective total mission fuel costs for plural potential trip plans, and to select the trip plan from the potential trip plans based on the total mission fuel costs. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first fuel is natural gas and the second fuel is diesel. 
     
     
         7 . A method, in a vehicle consist configured for dual fuel operation and comprising at least one fuel car operably connectable to at least one powered vehicle via a fuel distribution path, the method comprising:
 obtaining, with at least one processor, a first cost of a first fuel;   obtaining, with the at least one processor, a second cost of a second fuel;   determining, with the at least one processor, a proportional ratio of the first fuel and the second fuel for each of plural power settings available for use during performance of a mission of the vehicle consist along a route; and   determining, with the at least one processor, a trip plan specifying power settings for corresponding plural sections of the route to perform the mission using the first cost, the second cost, and the proportional ratio for each of the power settings to obtain a total combined cost of fuel used during the performance of the mission.   
     
     
         8 . A method of  claim 7 , wherein the vehicle consist includes a first group of at least one vehicle configured to use at least the first fuel and the second fuel and a second group of at least one vehicle configured to use only one of the first fuel or the second fuel, the method further comprising selecting between use of the first group and the second group to preferentially weight use of one of the first group or the second group based on one or both of a difference between the first cost of the first fuel and the second cost of the second fuel or a difference between a fuel efficiency of the first group relative to the second group. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising selecting between use of at least two of the power settings to preferentially weight use of at least one of the at least two of the power settings based on a difference between the first cost of the first fuel and the second cost of the second fuel. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising obtaining fuel car information from at least one of the at least one fuel car during the performance of the mission, and re-planning, during the performance of the mission, the trip plan based on the received fuel car information. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein determining the trip plan comprises determining respective total mission fuel costs for plural potential trip plans and selecting the trip plan from the potential trip plans based on the total mission fuel costs. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first fuel is natural gas and the second fuel is diesel. 
     
     
         13 . A system comprising:
 a fuel car information unit configured to obtain fuel car information from at least one fuel car of a vehicle consist configured for dual fuel operation and comprising the at least one fuel car operably connectable to at least one powered vehicle via a fuel distribution path; and   a display unit configured to be disposed onboard one of the at least one powered vehicle and operably coupled to the fuel car information unit, the display unit configured to display at least a portion of the fuel car information.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the fuel car information unit is further configured to initiate a self-test by the at least one of the at least one fuel car. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the fuel car information obtained from the at least one of the at least one fuel car includes at least one of:
 alarm information corresponding to a fault of the at least one of the at least one fuel car;   operational information corresponding to an operational state of the at least one of the at least one fuel car; or   statistical information corresponding to historic use of the at least one of the at least one fuel car.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the fuel car information unit includes an analysis unit configured to process raw information received from the at least one of the at least one fuel car to provide processed fuel car information. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the fuel car information unit is configured to compare a first value corresponding to first information received from the at least one of the at least one fuel car to a second value corresponding to second information obtained on-board the one of the at least one powered vehicle, and to determine that a fault or issue exists if the first value and second value are substantially different. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the fuel car information unit is configured to provide powered vehicle information to the at least one of the at least one fuel car. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the powered vehicle information includes downloadable software for configuring the at least one of the at least one fuel car for communication with the fuel car information unit. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the fuel car information unit is configured to convert a message received from the at least one of the at least one fuel car from a first format utilized by the at least one of the at least one fuel car to a second format utilized by the one of the at least one powered vehicle.