Locomotive to ECP brake conversion system
US6189980A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 18, 1998 |
| Grant date | Feb 20, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 18, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB60T13/665
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A conversion system enables a locomotive equipped with a conventional pneumatic brake control system to control braking on a train whose railcars each have electrically controlled pneumatic (ECP) brake equipment. The conversion system includes a power conversion mechanism, a signal conversion mechanism and two pressure reduction circuits. The power conversion mechanism converts battery voltage received from a power trainline of the locomotive to a predetermined nominal voltage. Made available to an ECP trainline that runs along the railcars, the predetermined nominal voltage is used to power the ECP brake equipment on each railcar in the train. The signal conversion mechanism converts the pneumatic brake commands carried in the brake pipe of the locomotive into electrical brake commands corresponding thereto. Transmitted along the ECP trainline, the electrical brake commands control the ECP brake equipment on each railcar and the braking effort deliverable thereby. Part of the signal conversion mechanism, the first pressure reduction circuit is used to reduce the railcar brake pipe pressure to an emergency level when the brake pipe in the locomotive carries a pneumatic emergency br…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.