System and method for detecting wheel slip and skid in a locomotive

摘要

A system and a method for determining a true acceleration and velocity of a locomotive and for controlling wheel slip and wheel skid of the locomotive is disclosed. The system, using accelerometers, can control the velocity of the wheels of the locomotive based on the comparison between a true locomotive velocity signal and a wheel velocity signal such that an actual tangential speed of the wheels is regulated to correspond to the true locomotive longitudinal velocity plus an allowance velocity for creepage. The accelerometer can also be used at the same time for impact detection purposes. Furthermore, if a set of accelerometers are used, the locomotive can also play a diagnostic role for track quality reporting in rail yards. The control of wheel slip and wheel is particularly useful in DC locomotive applications with individual axle control.

主权项

1. A system for determining a true acceleration and velocity of a locomotive and for controlling wheel slip and wheel skid of the locomotive comprising:
longitudinal accelerometer means producing a signal a1 representative of a true locomotive longitudinal acceleration; processing means for processing the signal a1 to produce a signal v1 representative of a true locomotive velocity; wheel velocity measurement means for producing a wheel velocity signal w1 representative of a velocity of at least one wheel of the locomotive; comparing means comparing the true locomotive velocity signal v1 to the wheel velocity signal w1; and a controller for controlling the velocity of the at least one wheel of the locomotive based on the comparison between the true locomotive velocity signal v1 and the wheel velocity signal w1 such that an actual tangential speed of the at least one wheel is regulated to correspond to the true locomotive longitudinal velocity plus an allowance velocity for creepage.