Locomotive control system

Abstract

A locomotive control system measures actuating parameters of a locomotive propulsion system and monitors the actuating parameters according to a forcing function of operation of the propulsion system. A degraded component of the locomotive is identified by comparing actuating parameters generated according to the forcing function with actuating parameters expressed as a function of speed of another locomotive propulsion system, examining changes in the generated actuating parameters over time, examining oscillations in movement of the locomotive during gear shifting, comparing wheel speed decreases during another forcing function, and/or comparing a magnitude of a spectrum of the actuating parameters of with one or more designated magnitudes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A locomotive control system comprising:
 a locomotive having a propulsion system and one or more sensors located onboard the locomotive, the one or more sensors configured to measure one or more actuating parameters generated by the propulsion system while the locomotive is stationary, idling, or during changes in movement of the locomotive; and   one or more processors communicatively coupled with the one or more sensors, the one or more processors configured to control operation of the propulsion system according to a forcing function and to monitor the one or more actuating parameters while the propulsion system is operating according to the forcing function,   wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify a degraded component of the locomotive by one or more of:
 comparing the actuating parameters that are monitored with speed actuating parameters expressed as a function of speed of at least one other propulsion system associated with at least one other locomotive, 
 examining changes in the actuating parameters that are monitored over time, 
 examining oscillations in changes in movement of the locomotive during shifting of gears between different torques or between different transmission torques during operation of the propulsion system according to the forcing function, 
 comparing decreases in wheel speed of the locomotive during operation of the propulsion system according to the forcing function with designated wheel speeds associated with at least one other locomotive, or 
 comparing a magnitude of one or more frequencies in a frequency domain spectrum of the actuating parameters of the locomotive with one or more designated magnitudes while the locomotive is one or more of moving, idling, or stationary. 
   
     
     
         2 . The locomotive control system of  claim 1 , wherein the forcing function is one or more of a designated forcing function that predefines the actuating parameters of the propulsion system of the locomotive, a naturally occurring forcing function that identifies operational conditions of the propulsion system that are not automatically implemented, or a combination of the designated forcing function and the naturally occurring forcing function. 
     
     
         3 . The locomotive control system of  claim 1 , wherein the forcing function defines one or more of motor torques of the propulsion system, a terrain over which the locomotive travels, a gradient of a route on which the locomotive travels, a speed bump of the locomotive, a stiff gradient of the locomotive, a coasting operation of the locomotive, or a combination of forces that one or more of assist motion or oppose motion of the locomotive. 
     
     
         4 . The locomotive control system of  claim 1 , wherein the actuating parameters include one or more of torque generated by the propulsion system, power generated by the propulsion system, force generated by the propulsion system, tractive effort generated by the propulsion system, speed of the locomotive, or an opposing force to generated torque of the propulsion system. 
     
     
         5 . The locomotive control system of  claim 1 , wherein the propulsion system is one or more of a motor or a prime mover other than an engine of the locomotive. 
     
     
         6 . The locomotive control system of  claim 1 , wherein the forcing function designates one or more of:
 engine torques as a function of engine speeds that are generated by an engine of the locomotive,   application of one or more brakes of the locomotive, or   shifting of gears in a transmission of the locomotive.   
     
     
         7 . The locomotive control system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to monitor torques generated by the propulsion system during operation of the locomotive according to operational conditions designated by the forcing function,
 wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify the degraded component of the locomotive by one or more of:
 comparing torques that are generated by the propulsion system during operation according to the forcing function as the actuating parameters, with the forcing function designating torques as a function of the speed of the other propulsion system that is associated with the at least one other locomotive, or 
 examining the changes in the actuating parameters that are generated by the propulsion system during operation according to the forcing function over time, wherein the degraded component of the locomotive is determined responsive to a variance in the actuating parameters that are generated by the propulsion system exceeding one or more designated thresholds. 
   
     
     
         8 . The locomotive control system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify the degraded component of the locomotive by examining the oscillations in the changes in movement of the locomotive during shifting of gears and determining that the oscillations exceed one or more thresholds. 
     
     
         9 . The locomotive control system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify the degraded component of the locomotive by comparing the magnitude of the one or more frequencies in the frequency domain spectrum of the actuating parameters of the locomotive with one or more designated magnitudes. 
     
     
         10 . A locomotive control system comprising:
 a locomotive having one or more motors configured to generate torque to propel the locomotive;   one or more sensors configured to measure a response of the locomotive to the torque that is generated by the one or more motors, the one or more sensors configured to generate sensor data representative of the response that is measured; and   a hardware controller configured to direct the one or more motors of the locomotive to generate the torque according to a designated torque profile, the controller also configured to receive the sensor data and to determine a frequency spectrum of the response of the locomotive, the controller also configured to compare one or more parts of the frequency spectrum with a threshold to determine that a component of the locomotive is degraded and to automatically change movement of the locomotive responsive to determining that the component is degraded.   
     
     
         11 . The locomotive control system of  claim 10 , wherein the designated torque profile is a pseudo random binary sequence of torques to be generated by the one or more motors. 
     
     
         12 . The locomotive control system of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure one or more of speeds or accelerations of the locomotive as the response of the locomotive to the torque that is generated by the one or more motors. 
     
     
         13 . The locomotive control system of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more sensors are configured to measure rotor speeds of the one or more motors as the response of the locomotive to the torque that is generated by the one or more motors. 
     
     
         14 . A locomotive control system comprising:
 an engine configured to be disposed onboard a locomotive and to receive a supply of fuel for cylinders of the engine;   a power electronics circuit configured to be coupled with the engine and to conduct electric current to one or more motors of the locomotive for propelling the locomotive;   one or more sensors configured to monitor direct current link voltages in the power electronics circuit coupled with the engine; and   one or more processors configured to be communicatively coupled with the one or more sensors, the one or more processors also configured to change the supply of fuel to at least one of the cylinders of the engine, to determine a magnitude of a frequency in a frequency spectrum of the direct current link voltages that are monitored, and to determine whether the at least one cylinder that receives the supply of fuel that is changed is damaged or degraded based on the magnitude of the frequency that is determined.   
     
     
         15 . The locomotive control system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to change the supply of fuel to the at least one cylinder by reducing fuel supplied to the least one cylinder. 
     
     
         16 . The locomotive control system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to change the supply of fuel to the at least one cylinder by cutting out the at least one cylinder. 
     
     
         17 . The locomotive control system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to change the supply of fuel to the at least one cylinder by stopping injection of the fuel to a first cylinder of the cylinders while other cylinders of the cylinders in the engine continue being injected with the fuel. 
     
     
         18 . The locomotive control system of  claim 14 , wherein the frequency in the frequency spectrum is at one half of a frequency of a speed at which the engine operates. 
     
     
         19 . The locomotive control system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to sequentially change the supply of fuel to other cylinders in the plural cylinders, monitor the direct current link voltages, determine the magnitude of the frequency, and determine whether each of the other cylinders receiving the sequentially changed supply of fuel is damaged or degraded based on the magnitude of the frequency. 
     
     
         20 . The locomotive control system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to change the supply of the fuel to the at least one cylinder by increasing fuel supplied to the at least one cylinder relative to one or more other cylinders of the engine.