Energy Management Controller for Powered Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional powered systems, such as rail vehicles and marine vessels, face challenges in managing energy when a power delivery system degrades, leading to potential inoperability and inability to 'limp home' to a safe location, especially due to a lack of power or energy capacity, and require a system to manage stored energy effectively during anomalies.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize a controller with memory to determine and manage stored energy levels, allowing the powered system to propagate from an initial stage to a handling stage upon anomaly detection, ensuring adequate energy to complete a mission or transition to a backup mode, incorporating a diesel internal combustion engine and battery system for energy storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the power delivery system is degraded or fails, then the powered system loses power capacity, but the system needs to maintain operation to reach a safe location or configure backup mode
Solution Approach 1:
The controller proactively determines and manages stored energy levels before power delivery system failure occurs. The system calculates the energy required to propagate from the initial stage to a handling stage and ensures adequate energy is available in advance, allowing the powered system to continue operation even when the power delivery system degrades or fails.
2Reliability
If conventional powered systems lack sufficient energy storage, then they become inoperable upon power delivery system failure, but adding energy storage increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs multiple functions: it manages normal power delivery system operation, determines stored energy levels, calculates energy requirements for propagation to handling stages, and manages the transition to backup modes. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated systems, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity while improving operability during anomalies.
3Reliability
If the powered system does not manage stored energy effectively, then it cannot propagate to a handling stage upon anomaly detection, but effective energy management requires sophisticated control algorithms
Solution Approach 1:
The controller continuously monitors the stored energy level in the secondary energy source and compares it against the calculated energy required to propagate from the initial stage to the handling stage. This feedback mechanism allows the system to make real-time decisions about energy management and system configuration, ensuring the powered system can reach the handling stage while keeping the control system relatively simple through rule-based decision logic.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the powered system to maintain operation and safely reach a destination or configure for backup power by effectively managing stored energy during power delivery system anomalies, ensuring continuous operation and preventing route blockages.
Implementation Method 1
incorporating a diesel internal combustion engine and battery system for energy storage
Data Source
AI summary
A system is provided for managing an amount of stored energy in a powered system. The powered system is configured to complete a mission from an initial stage to a final stage. The system includes a controller including a memory configured to store a plurality of handling stages. The controller is configured to determine the stored energy at the initial stage based upon the initial stage and a handling stage positioned between the initial stage and the final stage, and selected from among the plurality of handling stages stored in memory. The stored energy is necessary to propagate the powered system from the initial stage to the handling stage upon the occurrence of an anomaly in the powered system. Additionally, a method and computer readable media are provided for managing an amount of stored energy in a powered system.