Vehicle Braking Effort Monitoring via Residual Force Calculation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inaccurate monitoring of braking forces and rates in vehicle systems can lead to unsafe operation due to degradation of the braking system, changes in route, and other factors, resulting in insufficient or delayed braking efforts.
Innovation Solution
A method that monitors fluid pressures and modeled braking efforts in a vehicle system, identifying steady state time periods before and after a brake event to calculate residual forces and estimate actual braking efforts and propagation rates, generating control signals for adjusting vehicle operations or maintenance schedules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If operators rely on expected braking force calculations to operate vehicle systems, then operation simplicity is improved, but braking accuracy deteriorates due to system degradation and route changes
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors actual braking effort and propagation rate, comparing them against expected values. When deviations are detected due to system degradation or route changes, the system provides feedback to update the expected braking force calculations, ensuring operators receive accurate real-time information while maintaining simple operation procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-calculates expected braking force requirements based on route profiles and vehicle characteristics before operation begins. This preliminary action allows operators to plan operations in advance while the system automatically adjusts these plans based on actual performance data collected during operation
2Device complexity
If traditional braking monitoring methods are used, then system complexity is reduced, but safety deteriorates due to inability to detect insufficient or delayed braking efforts
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary monitoring layer that sits between the braking system and operators. This intermediary continuously measures fluid pressure changes and calculates actual braking effort and propagation rate, providing detailed safety information without requiring operators to directly manage the complex monitoring functions
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces traditional mechanical braking indicators with electronic sensing and calculation systems that measure fluid pressure changes and compute braking effort and propagation rate. This substitution provides more accurate and detailed safety information while managing complexity through software-based solutions
Data Source
AI summary
A method (e.g., for monitoring a braking system of a vehicle system) includes monitoring fluid pressures of a braking system and modeled braking efforts of the braking system in a vehicle system traveling along a route, identifying one or more time periods at least one of before a brake event of the braking system or after the brake event, calculating residual forces exerted on the vehicle system during the one or more time periods, and determining at least one of an estimated braking effort of the braking system or an estimated propagation rate at which the estimated braking effort is applied by the braking system using the residual forces that are calculated.