Independent throttle optimization in locomotive consist systems

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for reducing the total cost of fuel consumed by a locomotives, particularly a locomotive consist including dual fuel locomotives. The systems and methods include generating an alternative throttle settings with the goal of consuming the highest ratio of low cost fuel over high cost fuel instead of only a focus on consuming the least amount of one fuel.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A locomotive consist system comprising:
 at least two locomotives, wherein each locomotive includes a locomotive throttle optimizer (LTO), wherein at least one locomotive includes an alternate fuel type;   wherein at least one LTO device is a master LTO device in communication with every other LTO device, wherein the master LTO device includes:   a controller; and   a memory coupled to the controller, wherein the memory is configured to store program instructions executable by the controller,   wherein in response to executing the program instructions, the controller is configured to:
 receive an engineer throttle notch value corresponding to a total power value; 
 access a database including locomotive information for each locomotive in the consist, wherein the locomotive information includes a fuel type used in the locomotive, a fuel consumption rate corresponding to each of a plurality of throttle notch power levels, and a fuel consumption priority parameter corresponding to each fuel type used in the locomotive; 
 generate an alternate throttle setting for each locomotive, wherein the alternate throttle setting includes a selected throttle notch power level, 
 wherein the combination of alternate throttle settings for the at least two locomotives produces a generated total power that is equivalent to the received total power value, wherein the alternate throttle setting is based on the fuel consumption priority parameter; and 
 communicate the alternate throttle setting to each locomotive. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the fuel consumption priority parameter includes a fuel cost, wherein the controller is configured to calculate for each throttle notch power level a fuel consumption cost, wherein the alternate throttle setting is based on minimizing the total fuel cost. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the master LTO device receives a signal from each LTO device indicating an operating mode for the locomotive, wherein the operating mode is selected from a primary fuel mode or a dual fuel mode. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the master LTO is the LTO with the most recent software update. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one fuel type is diesel fuel. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one fuel type is natural gas. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one fuel type is a mixture of an alternative fuel type and a second fuel type. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least one locomotive is a dual fuel locomotive including a first fuel type and a second fuel type; wherein the database includes a plurality of first fuel consumption rates of the first fuel type and a plurality of second fuel consumption rates of a second fuel type, wherein each first consumption rate corresponds to a first fuel power value and a first fuel cost and each second consumption rate correspond to a second fuel power value and a second fuel cost, wherein a total fuel cost is the sum of the first fuel cost and second fuel cost,
 wherein the controller generates an alternate throttle setting for the dual fuel locomotive including a selected first fuel consumption rate of the first fuel type and a selected second fuel consumption rate of the second fuel type, wherein the alternate throttle setting for the dual fuel locomotive is based on minimizing the total fuel cost. 
 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the first fuel cost and second fuel cost are automatically and periodically updated to reflect the market price of the first fuel and second fuel. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the master LTO device receives a signal from each LTO device indicating an amount of each fuel type available within the locomotive, wherein at least one locomotive includes an alternate fuel type, wherein the generated alternate throttle setting for each locomotive is based on equalizing an alternative fuel type consumption among the locomotives. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8  further comprising a single fuel locomotive including a single fuel type and a single fuel LTO device in communication with the single fuel locomotive, wherein the single fuel LTO device is in communication with the controller,
 wherein the database includes a plurality of single fuel consumption rates for the single fuel type, wherein each single fuel consumption rate corresponds to a single power value and a single fuel cost, 
 wherein the controller generates an alternate throttle setting including a selected first fuel consumption rate of the first fuel type, a selected second fuel consumption rate of the second fuel type, and a selected single fuel consumption rate of the single fuel type, 
 wherein the received total power value is equal to the sum of the first fuel power value of the selected first fuel consumption rate, the second fuel power value of the selected second fuel consumption rate, and the single fuel power value of the selected single fuel consumption rate, 
 wherein a total fuel cost is the sum of the first fuel cost, second fuel cost, and the single fuel cost, 
 wherein the alternate throttle setting is based on minimizing the total fuel cost. 
 
     
     
         12 . A method for producing alternate throttle setting for at least two locomotives in a consist, wherein each locomotive includes a locomotive throttle optimizer (LTO), the method comprising:
 receiving an engineer throttle notch value corresponding to a total power value;   accessing a database including locomotive information for each locomotive in the consist, wherein the information includes a fuel type used in the locomotive, a fuel consumption rate corresponding to each of a plurality of throttle notch power levels, and a fuel consumption priority parameter corresponding to each fuel type used in the locomotive;   generating an alternate throttle setting for each locomotive, wherein the alternate throttle setting includes a selected throttle notch power level,   wherein the combination of alternate throttle settings produces a generated total power that is equivalent to the received total power value, wherein the alternate throttle setting is based on the fuel consumption priority parameter; and   communicating the alternate throttle setting to each locomotive.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the fuel consumption priority parameter includes a fuel cost, wherein the method includes calculating for each throttle notch power level a fuel consumption cost, wherein the alternate throttle setting is based on minimizing the total fuel cost. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  further including receiving a signal from each LTO device indicating whether each LTO is operating in a primary fuel mode or dual fuel mode. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein at least one fuel type is diesel fuel. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  wherein at least one fuel type is natural gas. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the at least one fuel type is a mixture of an alternative fuel type and a second fuel type. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12  wherein at least one locomotive is a dual fuel locomotive including a first fuel type and a second fuel type; wherein the database includes a plurality of first fuel consumption rates of the first fuel type and a plurality of second fuel consumption rates of a second fuel type, wherein each first consumption rate corresponds to a first fuel power value and a first fuel cost and each second consumption rate correspond to a second fuel power value and a second fuel cost, wherein a total fuel cost is the sum of the first fuel cost and second fuel cost,
 wherein the method includes generating an alternate throttle setting for the dual fuel locomotive including a selected first fuel consumption rate of the first fuel type and a selected second fuel consumption rate of the second fuel type, wherein the alternate throttle setting for the dual fuel locomotive is based on minimizing the total fuel cost. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further including automatically and periodically updating the first fuel cost and second fuel cost to reflect the market price of the first fuel cost and second fuel cost. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  further including receiving a signal from each LTO device indicating an amount of each fuel type available within the locomotive, wherein at least one locomotive includes an alternate fuel type, wherein the generated alternate throttle setting for each locomotive is based on equalizing an alternative fuel type consumption among the locomotives.