Rail Fleet Power Modulation for Instantaneous Load Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems fail to effectively regulate and manage the total instantaneous electrical power consumed by a fleet of railway vehicles, leading to significant variations that can cause equipment overload, damage, and power supply faults in the electrical network.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that determine the instantaneous power consumption of each vehicle, select target vehicles based on available power and threshold values, and transmit driving instructions to modify power consumption, allowing for upward or downward regulation of power to maintain optimal levels within the fleet, thereby protecting equipment and stabilizing the electrical network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the power supply equipment is sized to handle maximum power variations, then equipment reliability is improved, but equipment cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the total instantaneous electrical power consumed by the fleet and uses this feedback to dynamically select target vehicles for power modulation. The server receives power consumption data from multiple vehicles, calculates the total power, compares it against threshold values, and automatically generates driving instructions to adjust power consumption of selected vehicles, creating a closed-loop feedback control system that maintains power within acceptable ranges without requiring oversized equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a central server as an intermediary between the vehicles and the power supply equipment. This server acts as a mediator that coordinates power consumption across the fleet by selecting target vehicles and transmitting driving instructions to them. The intermediary manages power variations centrally, preventing direct impact on the power supply equipment and eliminating the need for the equipment to be oversized to handle extreme variations
2Reliability
If power supply equipment is sized for maximum power, then equipment damage is prevented, but power losses occur when power is too low
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the power consumption of target vehicles based on real-time fleet power consumption levels and threshold values. Rather than using fixed power settings, the system continuously modulates power consumption of selected vehicles to maintain total fleet power within a dynamic range defined by minimum and maximum thresholds, optimizing energy efficiency while protecting equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the operating parameters of target vehicles by transmitting driving instructions that modify their instantaneous power consumption. The system adjusts power consumption parameters of selected vehicles based on fleet-wide power levels, ensuring total power remains within optimal ranges that prevent both equipment damage from overload and energy losses from underutilization
3Ease of operation
If no power regulation is implemented, then vehicle operation autonomy is maintained, but electrical network stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables vehicles to self-regulate their power consumption by transmitting driving instructions to target vehicles that automatically adjust their own operation. The selected vehicles receive instructions to modify their power consumption patterns, allowing them to self-correct and contribute to fleet-wide power stabilization without manual intervention, maintaining operational autonomy while ensuring network stability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments the fleet into target vehicles and non-target vehicles, applying power modulation selectively to specific vehicles rather than uniformly across the entire fleet. The server selects one or more target vehicles based on current power consumption levels and transmits instructions only to those vehicles, dividing the control task into manageable segments that maintain overall system autonomy while achieving stability
Data Source
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Figure 2~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a method (100) for regulating the total instantaneous electrical power consumed by a fleet of railway vehicles, comprising at least one iteration of a phase (110), called power modulation, comprising the following steps: - for each vehicle of said fleet: - determination of an instantaneous electrical power consumed by said vehicle (4021-402n), - determination (116) of an electrical power, called available, as a function of said instantaneous power and the position of said vehicle on its route; - selection (120) of at least one target vehicle as a function of said available power; - transmission (122) of at least one driving instruction to said at least one target vehicle, modifying the instantaneous power consumed by said target vehicle.