| CPC B61L 27/04 (2013.01) [B61C 17/12 (2013.01); B61L 15/0027 (2013.01); B61L 27/16 (2022.01); B61L 2201/00 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
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1. A train control system for a train including a plurality of locomotives, the train control system comprising:
a data acquisition hub communicatively connected to one or more of sensors and databases associated with each of the plurality of locomotives and configured to:
acquire signals from the one or more sensors, wherein the signals from the one or more sensors are indicative of real-time force and displacement measurement data from each of draft gears and couplers interconnecting a first locomotive of the plurality of locomotives with a second locomotive of the plurality of locomotives or with non-powered rail cars,
acquire synchronized messages transmitted from offboard the train or from one or more of the plurality of locomotives over a range of frequencies used by voice radios on the train for communicating between the plurality of locomotives, wherein the synchronized messages include real-time information on starting the train, stopping the train, and the next two speed limits for the train, and
acquire heuristic data indicating each of the plurality of locomotive's motion during a predetermined period of time;
an independent virtual in-train forces modeling engine onboard each of the plurality of locomotives;
an analytics engine configured to assimilate and analyze the signals, synchronized messages, and heuristic data with determinations of changes in speed for each of the plurality of locomotives made by the independent virtual in-train forces modeling engine onboard the respective locomotive, with the plurality of locomotives being configured to operate collectively and coordinate respective changes in speed for each of the plurality of locomotives independently determined on each of the plurality of locomotives and communicated amongst the plurality of locomotives using the synchronized messages to minimize in-train forces without being dependent on a command and control signal from a lead locomotive or central command;
each of the plurality of independent virtual in-train forces modeling engines being associated with a machine learning engine and being disposed onboard one of the plurality of locomotives and 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 during operation when one or more of the plurality of locomotives is changing speed, and
inputs derived from stored historical contextual data comprising characteristics of the components of the train and a track over which the train is traveling;
a virtual in-train forces model database configured to store one or more virtual in-train forces models simulated by the independent virtual in-train forces modeling engines, wherein each of the one or more virtual in-train forces models includes a mapping between different combinations of the stored historical contextual data, information from the synchronized messages, and corresponding simulated in-train forces and train operational characteristics that occur when one or more of the plurality of locomotives is changing speed; and
an energy management system associated with each of the plurality of locomotives and configured to adjust one or more of throttle requests, dynamic braking requests, and pneumatic braking requests for one of the plurality of locomotives based at least in part on one of the virtual in-train forces models.
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