Locomotive sanding systems

Abstract

A locomotive sanding system 103 to dispense sand on railway track. The system comprises a sand dispenser system 104 for installation on a locomotive 102, the sand dispenser system comprising a sandbox

Description

Field of the Disclosure Hie present disclosure relates to locomotive sanding systems. Background of the Disclosure Locomotives may suffer from wheel slippage in low adhesion scenarios, for example, where the track head is contaminated with water, ice or leaves. Such slippage may undesirably impair acceleration and braking of the locomotive, and result in excessive wear to the track and wheelsets. Sand may be dispensed onto the track head in front of driven wheels of the locomotive by an onboard sanding system to serve as an adhesion enhancer and thereby reduce wheel slippage. Conventionally, sanding may be activated in response to detected slippage of the locomotive’s wheels. However, this reactive approach may allow slippage to occur during the response time of the sanding system. Summary of the Disclosure A first aspect of the present disclosure provides a locomotive sanding system to dispense sand on railway track, the system comprising: a sand dispenser system for installation on a locomotive, the sand dispenser system comprising a sandbox for containing sand and a dispenser for controllably dispensing sand contained in the sandbox onto railway track, and a control system for controlling the dispenser to vary the dispensation of sand by the sand dispenser system, wherein the control system is configured to: receive control data from one or more data sources located offboard a locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, and control the dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the control data. The sanding system may thus desirably be utilised by the locomotive to counteract wheel slippage that could result from poor adhesion, for example, in result of contaminants such as water, ice, or leaves on the track head. The improved traction may desirably reduce wear on the track and the locomotive’s wheelset, and improve the locomotive’s acceleration and braking performance. In particular, in comparison to ‘reactive’ sanding systems known in the technical field, the present disclosure may be considered as proactive and holistic, inasmuch that the system utilises offboard data sources to obtain information relevant to wheel slippage. This use of external data sources may effectively enable the risk of wheel slippage to be predicted in advance of the slippage actually occurring, and thereby the sanding system may be controlled proactively to dispense sand to counteract the slippage risk to thereby inhibit the slippage occurring. Additionally, aspects of the present disclosure may enable more efficient and overall effective dispensation of sand than may be achieved considering only wheel slippage data. As a result, occurrences of slippage may desirably be reduced, thereby improving locomotive acceleration and braking performance, and reducing wear to the track and wheelset, and sand may be more efficiently dispensed on the track, thereby enabling reduced sand consumption. References in this specification to a "locomotive’ should be construed as including any railway vehicle adapted to travel on railway track. In implementations, the control data is labelled with location data describing a location, and the control system is configured to determine a location of a locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, wherein the controlling the dispensation comprises determining control data labelled with a location matching the determined location of the locomotive and controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the determined control data. In other words, the control data may be geo-tagged, to define a location for which the control data is relevant. In implementations, the control system is configured to determine a location of a locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, and issue a request for control data associated with the determined location of the locomotive to each of the one or more data sources. In other words, the control system may request control data from the external data sources based on the determined location of the train, for example, based on a projected route of the train. In implementations, the control system is configured to control the dispensation of the sand by varying a rate of dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the received control data. In implementations, the control system is configured to control the dispensation of the sand by stopping or starting dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the received control data. In implementations, the control system is configured to determine sand dispensation parameters based on the received control data, and the controlling the dispensation of sand comprises controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the detennined sand dispensation parameters. In implementations, the control system comprises an onboard control module located onboard the locomotive and an offboard control module located offboard the locomotive, the offboard control module is configured to receive the control data from the one or more data sources, determine the sand dispensation parameters, and communicate the sand dispensation parameters to the onboard control module, and the onboard control module is configured to perform the controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser. In implementations, the control system is configured to store the control data in memory located onboard the locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, and the control system is configured to retrieve the determined control data from the memory In implementations, the control data comprises one or more of: sensor data obtained from a locomotive other than the locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, weather data describing weather conditions, ambient condition data describing ambient conditions, track data describing characteristics of the railway track, contamination data describing contamination of the railway track, schedule data describing routes of locomotives other than the locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, sanding capability data describing sanding capabilities of locomotives other than the locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, and permission data describing permissible sanding activities on the railway track. In implementations, the control system is configured to receive further control data from one or more data sources located onboard the locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, and the controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser comprises controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the control data and the further control data. In implementations, the control system comprises a system for determining an amount of sand in the sandbox, and the controlling the dispensation of sand comprises controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the control data and the determined amount of sand in the sandbox. A second aspect of the present disclosure provides a method for dispensing sand on railway track using a locomotive sanding system comprising a sand dispenser system for installation on a locomotive, the sand dispenser system comprising a sandbox for containing sand and a dispenser for controllably dispensing sand contained in the sandbox onto railway track, the method comprising: receiving control data from one or more data sources located offboard a locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, and controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the control data. In implementations, the control data is labelled with location data describing a location, and the method comprises determining a location of a locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, and the controlling the dispensation comprises determining control data labelled with a location matching the determined location of the locomotive and controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the determined control data. In implementations, the method comprises determining a location of a locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, and issuing a request for control data associated with the determined location of the locomotive to each of the one or more data sources. In implementations, the controlling the dispensation of the sand comprises varying a rate of dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the received control data. In implementations, the controlling the dispensation of the sand comprises stopping or starting dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the received control data. In implementations, the method comprises determining sand dispensation parameters based on the received control data, wherein tire controlling the dispensation of sand comprises controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the determined sand dispensation parameters. In implementation, the method comprises receiving the control data from the one or more data sources using an offboard control module located offboard the locomotive, determining the sand dispensation parameters, and communicating the sand dispensation parameters to an onboard control module located onboard the locomotive, and controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser using the onboard control module. In implementations, the control data comprises one or more of: sensor data obtained from a locomotive other than tire locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, weather data describing weather conditions, ambient condition data describing ambient conditions, track data describing characteristics of the railway track, contamination data describing contamination of the railway track, schedule data describing routes of locomotive other than the locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, sanding capability data describing sanding 5 capabilities of locomotives other than the locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, and permission data describing permissible sanding activities on the railway track. In implementations, the method comprises receiving further control data from one or more data sources located onboard the locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, wherein the controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser comprises controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the control data and the further control data. In implementations, tire control system comprises a system for determining an amount of sand in the sandbox, and the controlling the dispensation of sand comprises controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the control data and the determined amount of sand in the sandbox. In implementations, the control system is configured to store the control data in memory" located onboard the locomotive on which tire sand dispenser system is installed, and the control system is configured to retrieve the determined control data from the memory-’. A third aspect of the present disclosure provides a locomotive comprising the locomotive sanding system according to the first aspect of the present disclosure installed therein to dispense sand onto railway track ahead of one or more wheels of the locomotive. A fourth aspect of the present disclosure provides a computer program comprising instructions, which, when executed by a locomotive sanding system causes the locomotive sanding system to carry out the method of the second aspect of the present disclosure. A fifth aspect of the present disclosure provides a computer-readable data carrier having the computer program of the fourth aspect of the present disclosure stored thereon. These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the embodiment(s) described below. Brief Description of the Drawings In order that the present invention may be more readily understood, embodiments of the invention will noyv be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows schematically an example of a railway embodying the present disclosure, comprising a locomotive having a sanding system for dispensing sand on a railway track; Figure 2 shows schematically a side cross-sectional view of a sand dispenser of the sanding system in isolation, Figure 3 shows schematically components of a part of a control system of the sanding system; Figure 4 shows schematically components of another part of the control system; and Figure 5 shows schematically a method for dispensing sand on a railway track using the sanding system. Detailed Description of the Disclosure Example embodiments are described below in sufficient detail to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to embody and implement the systems and processes herein described. It is important to understand that embodiments can be provided in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein. Accordingly, while embodiments can be modified in various ways and take on various alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and described in detail below as examples. There is no intent to limit to the particular forms disclosed. On the contrary, all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims should be included. Elements of the example embodiments are consistently denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings and detailed description where appropriate. The terminology used herein to describe embodiments is not intended to limit the scope. The articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are singular in that they have a single referent, however the use of the singular form in the present document should not preclude the presence of more than one referent. In other words, elements referred to in the singular can number one or more, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and / or “including,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, items, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, items, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. An example of a railway embodying aspects of the present disclosure is depicted schematically in Figure 1. Tire railway comprises railway track 101, locomotive 102, and a sanding system indicated generally at 103. The locomotive 102 runs on the track 101 and uses the sanding system 103 to dispense sand on the railway track head to thereby improve traction and reduce wheel slippage. The present disclosure is primarily directed towards the sanding system 103, which will be described in further detail herein. The sanding system 103 comprises a sand dispenser system 104 and a control system comprising onboard control module 105 installed on the locomotive 102, and offboard control module 106 located off the locomotive 102. The sand dispenser system 104 is installed on the locomotive 102 and is functional to contain a supply of sand and dispense the sand onto the railway track head in front of one or more of the locomotive’s wheels. Although in the example only a single sand dispenser system is depicted, sanding in front of only a single wheel, in other examples the sand dispenser system could be configured to sand in front of more than one of the locomotive’s wheels, for example, the sand dispenser system could dispense sand in front of all driven and braked wheels of the locomotive. In these other examples, the sand dispenser system 104 could comprise plural like units, each unit configured to dispense sand ahead of a respective single wheel, or a single sand dispenser system could be adapted to dispense sand ahead of plural wheels. The sand dispenser system 104 will be described in further detail with reference to Figure 2. The control system is functional to control the sand dispenser system 104, to vary the dispensation of sand by the sand dispenser system. For example, as will be described in reference to later Figure 5, the control system is functional to control the sand dispenser system 104 to start and stop dispensing sand, and also to vary the rate of dispensation of sand between zero and full rate bounds. In particular, the control system is functional to receive and utilise sources of data originating offboard the locomotive 102, and control the dispensation of sand based on that external data. The control system will be described in further detail with reference to Figures 3 and 4. The sanding system 103 may thus desirably be utilised by the locomotive to counteract wheel slippage that could result from poor adhesion, for example, in result of contaminants such as water, ice, or leaves on the track head. Hie improved traction may desirably reduce wear on the 8 track and the locomotive’s wheelset, and improve the locomotive’s acceleration and braking performance. Sanding systems are known in which sensors onboard the locomotive detect wheel slippage, and activate a sanding system to dispense sand in response to the slippage. However, reactive systems of this type incur the disadvantage of allowing slip to occur at least during the response time of the system. Additionally, such systems utilising only slip data collected using sensors onboard the locomotive may be agnostic of other factors pertinent to wheel slippage, for example, weather conditions and track occupancy, and thereby the sand dispensation may be sub-optimal in view of such other factors. The present disclosure however provides a sanding system that may be considered as proactive and holistic, inasmuch that the system utilises a variety of onboard and offboard data sources to obtain information relevant to wheel slippage, and in that the use of external data sources particularly effectively enables the risk of wheel slippage to be predicted in advance of the slippage actually occurring, and thereby the sanding system may be controlled proactively to dispense sand to counteract the slippage risk to thereby inhibit the slippage occurring. Additionally, aspects of the present disclosure may enable more efficient and overall effective dispensation of sand than may be achieved considering only wheel slippage data. As a result, occurrences of slippage may desirably be reduced, thereby improving locomotive acceleration and braking performance, and reducing wear to the track and wheelset, and sand may be more efficiently dispensed on the track, thereby enabling reduced sand consumption. Referring next in particular to Figure 2, in the example the sand dispenser system 104 comprises a sandbox 201 for containing a supply of sand, a dispenser 202 for controllably dispensing sand contained in the sandbox onto railway track, and a sandbox monitoring system 203 for monitoring an amount of sand contained in the sandbox 201. The sandbox 201 takes the general form of a hopper, having an upper opening for loading of sand, and is arranged above the dispenser 202 such that sand moves from the sandbox towards the dispenser under gravity. The dispenser 202 is controllable by the control system to controllably dispense sand contained in the sandbox onto the railway track via nozzle 204. In the example, the dispenser 202 comprises motorised ball valve 205, which is actuatable under the control of the control system to move between the closed position depicted in Figure 2 in which the nozzle is closed and sanding is stopped to an open position in which sand is allowed to flow from the 9 sandbox 201 through ball valve 205 into the nozzle 204, from where it is dispensed to the railway track. The position of the ball valve 205 thus controls the rate of dispensation of sand onto the railway track. In the example, sand is fed from the sandbox 201 to the dispenser 202, and from the dispenser 202 to the nozzle 204 under gravity. In other examples the sand could be force-fed through the dispenser. For example, sand could be blown through and / or out of the dispenser 202 using compressed air, or using a motorised wheel, which may enable higher sand dispensation rates to be achieved than is achievable using the gravity-fed arrangement. Various suitable configurations for the dispenser 202 are known in the technical field. The sandbox monitoring system 203 is functional to monitor and determine the amount of sand contained in the sandbox, and pass this information to the control system. Knowledge by the control system of the amount of sand remaining in the sandbox may enable the control system to control the sand dispensation rate to most effectively use the remaining sand. For example, where the amount of sand remaining is determined to be low, the control system may reduce the sanding rate, to thereby conserve sand to maximise the length of railway track that may be sanded, albeit at a reduced sanding rate. Conversely, where a large amount of sand remains in the sandbox, the control system may pennissibly increase the sanding rate, to thereby improve the adhesion between the locomotive’s wheels and the track. The sandbox monitoring system 203 could, for example, comprise a sensor, such as an optical sensor, for directly sensing an amount of sand in the sandbox, or a mass sensor for weighing the sandbox to infer the amount of sand contained therein. Alternatively or additionally, the sandbox monitoring system could, with knowledge of the initial amount of sand loaded into the sandbox, record the dispensation rate and sanding duration to thereby infer by deduction the amount of sand remaining in the sandbox. Referring next to Figure 3, in examples the offboard control module 106 of the control system comprises processor 301, memory 302, display 303, input / output device 304, and system bus 305. Processor 301 is configured for execution of instructions of a computer program for dispensing sand onto the railway track using the sand dispenser system 104, by communicating with external data sources and with the onboard control module 105, and for generating a graphical user interface to visualise the operation of the sand dispenser system. Memory 302 is configured for non-volatile storage of the computer program, defining machine-readable instructions, for execution by the processor, and for serving as read / write memory for storage of operational data associated with the computer program executed by the processor 301. Display 303 is configured for displaying a graphical user interface visualising the operation of the sand dispenser system 104, to aid a user’s understanding of the information and interaction with the computer program. Input / output interface 304 is configured for communication of the offboard control module 106 with external data sources, such as external computer systems, and with the onboard control module 105. For example, input / output interface 304 may support wireless radio communication with the onboard control module 105, and with external data sources. Input / output interface 304 may also pennit connection of a human-machine interface device, to enable a user to interact with the computer program. Hie components of the offboard control module 106 are in communication via system bus 305. Referring next to Figure 4, in examples the onboard control module 105 of the control system comprises processor 401, memory 402, display 403, input / output device 404, and system bus 405. Processor 401 is configured for execution of instructions of a computer program for controlling the dispenser 202, e.g., for controlling the ball valve 205, to vary the dispensation of sand onto the railway track, based on control data received from the offboard control module 106 and on control data collected from sensors onboard the locomotive. Memory 402 is configured for nonvolatile storage of the computer program, defining machine-readable instructions, for execution by the processor, and for serving as read / write memory for storage of operational data associated with the computer program executed by the processor 401. Input / output interface 403 is configured for communication of the onboard control module 105 with the offboard control module 106, and with sensors installed onboard the locomotive. For example, input / output interface 403 may support wireless radio communication with the offboard control module 106, and with onboard sensors. The components of the onboard control module 105 are m communication via system bus 404. Referring next to Figure 5, in implementations the method for dispensing sand onto the railway track using the sanding system 104 comprises three stages. Processes 501 and 502 are performed by the offboard control module 106, whereas process 503 is performed by the onboard control module 105. At process 501, the computer program causes the processor 301 of the offboard control module 106 to obtain control data from one or more data sources located offboard the locomotive 102. Process 501 could, for example, involve the processor 301 sending a request to the locomotive or to an external routing system requesting identification of the locomotive’s route and current location. Based on the knowledge of the route of the locomotive, the processor 501 may then 11 determine locations of sections of the track that the locomotive will traverse, and so obtain information from external data sources relevant to wheel slippage on those sections of track. Thus, in response to the route information, the processor 301 could then issue requests for data associated with the route to tire various external data sources. Various external data sources may usefully provide information pertinent to wheel slippage risk on the route. For example, sensor data, such as wheel slippage data may be obtained from other locomotives running on the route ahead of the subject locomotive 102, representative of the slippage experienced by that leading locomotive. Weather forecast data forecasting weather conditions on the route could usefully be obtained from a weather forecasting system to understand whether the track will likely be wet. Ambient condition data could be obtained from ambient sensors, to understand the ambient conditions on the route, for example, the air temperature, which may influence the track temperature. Track data describing static characteristics of the railway track 101, such as the gradient and angle of bends, could be obtained from a track scheme system. Contamination data describing the likelihood of contaminants, such as wet leaves, being on the track head could be obtained from an external system, which data could, for example, be based on data manually collected by an operative, or on data predicted by a prediction system. Schedule data describing routes of other locomotives could useful be obtained from a scheduling system, knowledge of routes of other locomotives may usefully influence the sanding rate, for example, because where it is understood that many other locomotives are following the subject locomotive on the same route, the subject locomotive could increase the sanding rate to benefit following locomotives. Sanding capability data describing sanding capabilities of following locomotives could be obtained, e.g., from a locomotive management system. This information could usefully be employed where following locomotives lack sanding capability, in which case the subject locomotive could increase the sanding rate to benefit following locomotives. And permission data describing permissible sanding activities could usefully be obtained from the railway operator, to thereby ensure that sand is not deposited in areas where sanding is prohibited by the railway operator. The data received from the external data sources may usefully be labelled with location data describing a location to which the data is relevant. For example, in the case of the weather forecast data, the label may usefully describe the area affected by the weather. At process 502, the computer program causes the processor 301 of the offboard control module 106 to determine sanding parameters, for example, sanding rates, based on the control data obtained at process 501. Process 502 could, for example, involve the processor 301 processing the control data obtained from the external data sources to extract information pertinent to wheel slippage. For example, in the case of the weather forecast data, the processor could determine a likelihood and degree to which the track will be wetted. And in the case of tine contamination data the processor 301 could infer the degree to which the contamination will reduce adhesion. Based on the extracted information, the processor 301 may then determine suitable sanding parameters, for example, sanding rate, or sanding velocity in the case of a force-fed sand dispenser system. The processor 301 could, for example, utilise artificial intelligence, such as a machine-learning model, to determine suitable sanding parameters based on the various control data inputs. Process 502 could involve the processor 301 determining a current location of the locomotive, for example, based on the information received at process 501, or by sending a request to the locomotive or to an external routing system for a current location of the locomotive. The offboard control system 106 may then determine location-relevant sanding parameters, and communicate those relevant sanding parameters to the onboard control module 105. In examples, the offboard control module 106 could stream determined sanding parameters to the onboard control module 105 in advance of the locomotive proceeding to a relevant location, and the onboard control module 105 may subsequently store the parameters in memory' 402 and timely retrieve the parameters from the memory. This buffering approach may usefully negate a risk of the onboard control module not having timely access to sanding parameters in the event of a loss of communication between the onboard control module 105 and the offboard control module 106. Process 502 could, for example, involve the offboard control module communicating to the onboard control module a lookup table describing sanding rates labelled with locations. At process 503, the computer program causes the processor 401 of the onboard control module 105 to control the dispenser 202 based on the sanding parameters determined and communicated at process 502. Process 503 could involve the onboard control module determining a current location of the locomotive, for example, using a satellite positioning system, or by reference to trackside positioning beacons, and then retrieving from the memory sanding parameters labelled with that location. The onboard control module may then appropriately actuate the ball valve 205 to a suitable position to achieve the desired sanding rate. Process 503 could further involve the onboard control module collecting further control data from one or more data sources located onboard the locomotive. For example, the onboard control 13 module could access wheel slippage data from onboard sensors. The onboard control module may subsequently vary the sanding parameters determined at process 502 based on the further control data. The system and apparatus described above may use dedicated processor systems, micro controllers, programmable logic devices, microprocessors, or any combination thereof, to perform some or all of the operations described herein. Some of the operations described above may be implemented in software and other operations may be implemented in hardware. Any of the operations, processes, and / or methods described herein may be performed by an apparatus, a device, and / or a system substantially similar to those as described herein and with reference to the illustrated figures. References herein to a device, or similar, do not imply a unitary apparatus, and instead include a system of components, which may or may not be co-located. The processor may execute instructions or "code" stored inmemory. The memory may store data as well. The processing device may include, but may not be limited to, an analog processor, a digital processor, a microprocessor, a multi-core processor, a processor array, a network processor, or the like. The processing device may be part of an integrated control system or system manager, or may be provided as a portable electronic device configured to interface with a networked system either locally or remotely via wireless transmission. The memory may be integrated together with the processing device, for example RAM or FLASH memory disposed within an integrated circuit microprocessor or the like. In other examples, the memory may comprise an independent device, such as an external disk drive, a storage array, a portable FLASH key fob, or the like. Hie memory and processing device may be operatively coupled together, or in communication with each other, for example by an I / O port, a network connection, or the like, and the processing device may read a file stored on the memory. Associated memory may be "read only" by design (ROM) by virtue of pemiission settings, or not. Other examples of memory may include, but may not be limited to, WORM, EPROM, EEPROM, FLASH, or the like, which may be implemented in solid state semiconductor devices. Other memories may comprise moving parts, such as a known rotating disk drive. All such memories may be "machine-readable" and may be readable by a processing device. Operating instractions or commands may be implemented or embodied in tangible fonns of stored computer software (also known as "computer program" or "code"). Programs, or code, may be stored in a digital memory and may be read by the processing device. "‘Computer-readable storage medium" (or alternatively, "machine-readable storage medium") may include all of the foregoing types of memory, as well as new technologies of the future, as long as the memory may be capable of storing digital information in the nature of a computer program or other data, at least temporarily, and as long at the stored information may be "read" by an appropriate processing device. The term "computer-readable" may not be limited to the historical usage of "computer" to imply a complete mainframe, mini-computer, desktop or even laptop computer. Rather, "computer-readable" may comprise storage medium that may be readable by a processor, a processing device, or any computing system. Such media may be any available media that may be locally and / or remotely accessible by a computer or a processor, and may include volatile and non-volatile media, and removable and non-removable media, or any combination thereof. A program stored in a computer-readable storage medium may comprise a computer program product. For example, a storage medium may be used as a convenient means to store or transport a computer program. For the sake of convenience, the operations may be described as various interconnected or coupled functional blocks or diagrams. However, there may be cases where these functional blocks or diagrams may be equivalently aggregated into a single logic device, program or operation with unclear boundaries. While the application describes specific examples of carrying out embodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. For example, while specific terminology has been employed above to refer to electronic design automation processes, it should be appreciated that various examples of the invention may be implemented using any desired combination of electronic design automation processes. One of skill in the art will also recognize that the concepts taught herein can be tailored to a particular application in many other ways. In particular, those skilled in the art will recognize that the illustrated examples are but one of many alternative implementations that will become apparent upon reading this disclosure. Although the specification may refer to “an”, “one”, “another”, or “some” example(s) in several locations, this does not necessarily mean that each such reference is to the same example(s), or that the feature only applies to a single example.

Claims

2520ClaimsI. A locomotive sanding system to dispense sand on railway track, the system comprising:5 a sand dispenser system for installation on a locomotive, the sand dispenser systemcomprising a sandbox for containing sand and a dispenser for controllably dispensing sand contained in the sandbox onto railway track, anda control system for controlling the dispenser to vary the dispensation of sand by the sand dispenser system, wherein the control system is configured to:10 obtain control data from one or more data sources located offboard a locomotiveon which the sand dispenser system is installed, andcontrol the dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the control data,wherein the control data is labelled with location data describing a location, and the control system is configured to determine a location of a locomotive on which the15 sand dispenser system is installed, wherein the controlling the dispensation comprisesdetermining control data labelled with a location matching the determined location of the locomotive and controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the determined control data.20 2. The locomotive sanding system of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured todetermine a location of a locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, and issue a request for control data associated with the determined location of the locomotive to each of the one or more data sources.25 3. The locomotive sanding system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the controlsystem is configured to control the dispensation of the sand by varying a rate of dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the control data.

4. The locomotive sanding system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control 30 system is configured to control the dispensation of the sand by stopping or starting dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the control data.31 03 255. The locomotive sanding system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the controlsystem is configured to determine sand dispensation parameters based on the control data, and the controlling the dispensation of sand comprises controlling the dispensation of sand by the 5 dispenser based on the determined sand dispensation parameters.

6. The locomotive sanding system of claim 5, wherein the control system comprises an onboard control module located onboard the locomotive and an offboard control module located offboard the locomotive, the offboard control module is configured to obtain the control data from 10 the one or more data sources, determine the sand dispensation parameters, and communicate the sand dispensation parameters to the onboard control module, and the onboard control module is configured to perform the controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser.

7. The locomotive sanding system of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to15 store the control data in memory located onboard the locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, and the control system is configured to retrieve the determined control data from the memory.

8. The locomotive sanding system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control 20 data comprises one or more of:sensor data obtained from a locomotive other than the locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed,weather data describing weather conditions,ambient condition data describing ambient conditions,25 track data describing characteristics of the railway track,contamination data describing contamination of the railway track,schedule data describing routes of locomotives other than the locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed,sanding capability data describing sanding capabilities of locomotives other than the 30 locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, and31 03 2522permission data describing permissible sanding activities on the railway track.

9. The locomotive sanding system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control system is configured to obtain further control data from one or more data sources located onboard the locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, and the controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser comprises controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the control data and the further control data.

10. The locomotive sanding system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control system comprises a system for determining an amount of sand in the sandbox, and the controlling the dispensation of sand comprises controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the control data and the determined amount of sand in the sandbox.

11. A method for dispensing sand on railway track using a locomotive sanding system comprising a sand dispenser system for installation on a locomotive, the sand dispenser system comprising a sandbox for containing sand and a dispenser for controllably dispensing sand contained in the sandbox onto railway track, the method comprising:obtaining control data from one or more data sources located offboard a locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, andcontrolling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the control data,wherein the control data is labelled with location data describing a location, and the control system is configured to determine a location of a locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, wherein the controlling the dispensation comprises determining control data labelled with a location matching the determined location of the locomotive and controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the determined control data.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising determining a location of a locomotive on which thesand dispenser system is installed, and issuing a request for control data associated with the determined location of the locomotive to each of tire one or more data sources.31 03 2513. The method of any one of claims 11 or 12, wherein the controlling the dispensation of the sand comprises varying a rate of dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the control data.

14. The method of any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the controlling the dispensation of the sand comprises stopping or starting dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the control data.

15. The method of any one of claims 11 to 14, comprising detennining sand dispensation parameters based on the received control data, wherein the controlling the dispensation of sand comprises controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the detemiined sand dispensation parameters.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising receiving the control data from the one or more data sources using an oflboard control module located offboard the locomotive, determining the sand dispensation parameters, and communicating the sand dispensation parameters to an onboard control module located onboard the locomotive, and controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser using the onboard control module.

17. The method of any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the control data comprises one or more of:sensor data obtained from a locomotive other than the locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed,weather data describing weather conditions,ambient condition data describing ambient conditions,track data describing characteristics of the railway track,contamination data describing contamination of the railway track,schedule data describing routes of locomotive other than the locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed,31 03 25sanding capability data describing sanding capabilities of locomotives other than the locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, andpermission data describing permissible sanding activities on the railway track.

18. Tire method of any one of claims 11 to 17, comprising obtaining further control data fromone or more data sources located onboard the locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, wherein the controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser comprises controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the control data and the further control data.

19. Tire method of any one of claims 11 to 18, wherein the control system comprises a systemfor determining an amount of sand in the sandbox, and the controlling the dispensation of sand comprises controlling the dispensation of sand by the dispenser based on the control data and the determined amount of sand in the sandbox.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the control system is configured to store the control data in memory located onboard the locomotive on which the sand dispenser system is installed, and the control system is configured to retrieve the determined control data from the memory.

21. A locomotive comprising the locomotive sanding system of any one of claims 1 to 10 installed therein to dispense sand onto railway track ahead of one or more wheels of the locomotive.

22. A computer program comprising instructions, which, when executed by a locomotive sanding system causes the locomotive sanding system to carry out the method of any one of claims 11 to 18.

23. A computer-readable data carrier having the computer program of claim 22 stored thereon.

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