Railroad vehicle with energy regeneration

Abstract

A railroad vehicle ( 1500 ) for carrying freight is described. The railroad vehicle ( 1500 ) comprises power regeneration capability through a traction motor ( 1530 ) linked to a driving wheel ( 1520 D), an electrical energy storage system ( 1550 ), a controller ( 1570 ) that may selectively operate the traction motor ( 1530 ) in a motoring mode, a coasting mode, or a dynamic braking mode. In the dynamic braking mode electrical energy from the traction motor ( 1530 ) is transmitted to the electrical energy storage system ( 1550 ). The controller ( 1570 ) is in communication with a communication link ( 1580 ) that receives control commands from an external control source ( 1595 ), and those control commands indicate the operating mode for a particular period of time.

1 . A railroad vehicle for carrying freight and having power regeneration capability, the vehicle comprising: 
 a. a structure for supporting freight to be carried on the vehicle;    b. a plurality of wheels rotatably attached to the structure for engaging railroad rail;    c. a traction motor coupled to at least one of the wheels constituting a driving wheel, said traction motor adapted to operate in a motoring mode for transmitting mechanical energy to the driving wheel, a coasting mode, and a dynamic braking mode for braking the driving wheel, with said traction motor using electrical energy when operating in the motoring mode and generating dynamic braking electrical energy when operating in the dynamic braking mode;    d. an electrical energy storage system in electrical communication with the traction motor, adapted to store dynamic braking electrical energy when the traction motor is operated in the dynamic braking mode and adapted to discharge electrical energy to the traction motor when the traction motor is operated in the motoring mode;    e. a controller in communication with the traction motor and the electrical energy storage system and responsive to a control command to selectively operate the traction motor in the motoring mode, the coasting mode, and the dynamic braking mode; and    f. a communication link for receiving the control command from a control source external to the railroad vehicle and being in communication with the controller to transmit a signal indicative of the control command to the controller.    
   
   
       2 . The railroad vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one dynamic braking resistant grid circuit in electrical communication with the traction motor, for dissipating excess electrical energy on the railroad vehicle, with each grid circuit including at least one dynamic braking resistance grid.  
   
   
       3 . The railroad vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a charging electric energy source on the vehicle for supplying charging electrical energy, wherein the electrical energy storage system is in electrical communication with the electrical power source and is further adapted to store the charging electrical energy.  
   
   
       4 . The railroad vehicle of  claim 3  wherein the charging electric energy source is an engine-generator set.  
   
   
       5 . The railroad vehicle of  claim 1 , the communication link additionally adapted to transmit status data indicative of an operation of the railroad vehicle to the external control source.  
   
   
       6 . The railroad vehicle of  claim 1 , additionally comprising an energy transfer interface for receiving electrical energy from an electrical energy system external to the vehicle.  
   
   
       7 . The railroad vehicle of  claim 1 , additionally comprising an energy transfer interface for discharging electrical energy to an electrical energy system external to the vehicle.  
   
   
       8 . The railroad vehicle of  claim 1 , additionally comprising a converter selectively providing stored electrical energy from the electrical energy storage system to the traction motor as electrical input energy for powering the driving wheel.  
   
   
       9 . The railroad vehicle of  claim 1  wherein the traction motor is an alternating current type motor.  
   
   
       10 . The railroad vehicle of  claim 1  wherein the traction motor is a direct current type motor.  
   
   
       11 . The railroad vehicle of  claim 1  wherein the structure for supporting freight to be carried on the vehicle forms a defined containment area for carrying freight, and the volume of said defined containment area is at least about 50 percent of a maximum possible volume that comprises space occupied by the electrical energy storage system, the controller, and the communication link.  
   
   
       12 . The railroad vehicle of  claim 1  wherein the railroad vehicle's structure for supporting freight provides a substantial volume of its total space for carrying freight.  
   
   
       13 . The railroad vehicle of  claim 1  wherein the structure for supporting freight to be carried on the vehicle provides for a total possible freight volume that is at least 50 percent and up to about 99 percent of the maximum possible volume for a respective type of load car.  
   
   
       14 . The railroad vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the controller controls transmission of power between the traction motor and the electrical energy storage device.  
   
   
       15 . The railroad vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical energy storage system comprises a battery subsystem, a flywheel subsystem, an ultracapacitor subsystem, or a combination of these subsystems.  
   
   
       16 . The railroad vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the communication link is adapted to receive control commands from a control source external to the railroad vehicle other than a locomotive, thereby providing for self-powered movement of said railroad vehicle.  
   
   
       17 . The railroad vehicle of  claim 1 , additionally comprising an external energy transfer interface adapted to transfer electrical energy between the electrical energy storage system and an external energy system.  
   
   
       18 . The railroad vehicle of  claim 17 , wherein the external energy transfer interface is adapated to transfer electrical energy to the external energy system selected from the group consisting of a locomotive, a second railroad vehicle, an offboard electric grid, an electric third rail, an electrical overhead line, or an offboard external energy storage system.  
   
   
       19 . A railroad vehicle system for carrying freight and having power regeneration capability, the vehicle system comprising: 
 A. a railroad vehicle comprising: 
 a. a structure for supporting freight to be carried on the vehicle;  
 b. a plurality of wheels rotatably attached to the structure for engaging railroad rail;  
 c. a traction motor coupled to at least one of the wheels constituting a driving wheel, said traction motor adapted to operate in a motoring mode for transmitting mechanical energy to the driving wheel, a coasting mode, and a dynamic braking mode for braking the driving wheel, with said traction motor using electrical energy when operating in the motoring mode and generating dynamic braking electrical energy when operating in the dynamic braking mode;  
 d. an electrical energy storage system in electrical communication with the traction motor, adapted to store dynamic braking electrical energy when the traction motor is operated in the dynamic braking mode and adapted to discharge electrical energy to the traction motor when the traction motor is operated in the motoring mode;  
 e. a controller in communication with the traction motor and the electrical energy storage system and responsive to a control command to selectively operate the traction motor in the motoring mode, the coasting mode, and the dynamic braking mode; and  
 f. a communication link for receiving the control command from a control source external to the railroad vehicle, for sending status data to the control command, and being in communication with the controller to transmit a signal indicative of the control command to the controller; and  
   B. the control source, comprising: 
 a. a computer readable medium having computer executable instructions defining instructions for selectively operating the at least one railroad vehicle in one of the operating modes, and  
 b. a processor configured to control the operation of the railroad system as a finction of at least one of the operating modes.