System for enhancing wheel traction in a locomotive by reapplication of excitation using an S-shaped curve
US5610819A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 11, 1994 |
| Grant date | Mar 11, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 11, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02T10/64
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A traction enhancing system detects and corrects wheel slip and enhances wheel traction in a railroad locomotive having a plurality of wheel pairs for engaging a pair of rails and a traction motor operatively associated with each wheel pair. The locomotive includes an electrical source responsive to an applied level of excitation and is operatively coupled to the traction motors for controlling the power applied thereto. The traction enhancing system includes a plurality of current measuring devices adapted to measure current drawn by each traction motor, and a plurality of voltage measuring devices adapted to measure a voltage of each traction motor. A computer receives the current and voltage measurements and is configured to detect wheel slip between the wheel pairs and the rails by calculating a change in the current and voltage measured over a predetermined period of time. The change in current and voltage over time is compared to predetermined values and a reduction factor representative of the severity of the wheel slip is determined. The computer then reduces the level of excitation to the electrical source by an amount proportional to the reduction factor to eliminate the …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.