Patents
US 12179817 B2: Hybrid consist tractive effort management
- Granted
- 2024-12-31
- Filed
- 2022-12-14 application 18081003
- Type
- Utility · 20 claims
- Elsewhere
- Google Patents ↗ · USPTO patent document ↗ · USPTO Patent Center record ↗
Abstract
A train control system minimizes in-train forces in a train with a hybrid consist including a diesel-electric locomotive and a battery electric locomotive. The train control system includes a virtual in-train forces modeling engine configured to simulate in-train forces and train operational characteristics using physics-based equations, kinematic or dynamic modeling of behavior of the train or components of the train when the train is accelerating, and inputs derived from stored historical contextual data characteristic of the train, and a virtual in-train forces model database configured to store in-train forces models. Each of the in-train forces models includes a mapping between combinations of the stored historical contextual data and corresponding simulated in-train forces and train operational characteristics that occur when the consist is changing speed. An energy management system determines an easing function of tractive effort vs. time that will minimize the in-train forces created by changes in tractive effort responsive to power notch changes in a diesel-electric locomotive, and commands execution of the easing function by a battery electric locomotive based at least in part on an in-train forces model with simulated in-train forces and train operational characteristics that fall within a predetermined acceptable range of values.
Source: PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 (ipg241231.xml).
Assignees
| Assignee | Type | Place | Also on furp.org | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progress Rail Services Corporation 113 patents | US company or organization | Albertville, AL | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Inventors
| Inventor | Place | Patents | Person page | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keith Wesley Wait | Flower Mound, TX | 22 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 | |
| Sidarta Fornari Beltramin | Curitiba, BR | 14 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
CPC categories
| Subclass | Category | First group | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| B61L | Guiding railway traffic; ensuring the safety of railway traffic | B61L27/04 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| B61C | Locomotives; motor railcars | B61C3/02 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
| G06N | Computing arrangements based on specific computational models | G06N3/08 | PVGPATDIS, file of 2026-04-10 |
Cooperative Patent Classification, as currently assigned (one row per subclass).
Assignments and security interests
| Recorded | What | From | To | Reel/frame | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-12-14 | Assignment Assignment of assignor's interest | BELTRAMIN, SIDARTA FORNARI signed 2022-12-05 WAIT, KEITH WESLEY signed 2022-12-06 | PROGRESS RAIL SERVICES CORPORATION ALBERTVILLE,, AL | 62088/608 | ECORSEXC, file of 2026-09-25 |
Documents recorded with the USPTO Assignment Recordation Branch that list this patent. A security interest is a lender’s claim on the patent as collateral; a release ends it.
USPTO bulk data: PatentsView granted patents, disambiguated (PVGPATDIS) for patents, assignees, inventors, places and CPC categories; the USPTO Patent Assignment Dataset (ECORSEXC) for assignments and security interests. Patents filed in the last 20 years. No claims or full text. Links to other records are by name (and state): EXACT means the identical full name and state; FUZZY means a looser name match, with the confidence shown.