Method and system for timetable optimization utilizing energy consumption factors
View Patent ↗Embodiments relate to systems and methods for synchronizing two or more railway assets to optimize energy consumption. For example, an embodiment of the present invention provides receipt of a timetable associated with two or more vehicles and at least one terminal. The timetable can be modified to create a modified timetable that overlaps a brake time for a first vehicle and an acceleration time for a second vehicle, wherein at least one of a departure time or a dwell time is modified. Furthermore, the second vehicle can transfer energy from the first vehicle based upon at least one of the modified timetable and the brake time overlapping with the acceleration time.
1. A system, comprising:
a first component configured to receive a timetable associated with two or more vehicles and at least one terminal; and
a second component configured to modify a parameter associated with at least one of a first vehicle or a second vehicle of the two or more vehicles to create a modified timetable that synchronizes and overlaps a brake time for the first vehicle and an acceleration time for the second vehicle.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the parameter is at least one of a departure time of the first vehicle or the second vehicle, a dwell time of the first vehicle or the second vehicle, or a speed profile of the first vehicle or the second vehicle.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second vehicle is configured to transfer a portion of energy from the first vehicle based upon at least one of the modified timetable and the brake time overlapping with the acceleration time.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second component is configured to modify the parameter associated with at least one of the first vehicle or the second vehicle to create the modified timetable that overlaps a brake time for the second vehicle and an acceleration time for the first vehicle.
5. The system of claim 4 , where the first vehicle is configured to transfer a portion of energy from the second vehicle based upon at least one of the modified timetable and the brake time for the second vehicle overlapping with the acceleration time for the first vehicle.
6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third component configured to aggregate a static input related to at least one of the two or more vehicles, the terminal, an energy model, or a quality of service constraint; and
the second component further configured to create the modified timetable that overlaps the brake time for the first vehicle and the acceleration time of the second vehicle based on the static input.
7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fourth component configured to aggregate a dynamic input related to at least one of the two or more vehicles, the terminal, an in-use dwell time for the first vehicle or the second vehicle, an in-use departure time for the first vehicle or the second vehicle, or an in-use speed profile for the first vehicle or the second vehicle; and
the second component further configured to create the modified timetable that overlaps the brake time for the first vehicle and the acceleration time of the second vehicle based on the static input.
8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fifth component configured to create at least one energy model to represent a portion of energy used by at least one of the terminal, the first vehicle, or the second vehicle; and
the second component further configured to create the modified timetable that overlaps the brake time for the first vehicle and the acceleration time of the second vehicle based on the at least one energy model.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the at least one energy model relates to at least one of a network topology for the terminal, an energy transportation between at least two of the first vehicle, the second vehicle, and a track for the first vehicle or the second vehicle, an ohmic resistance loss, or an equipment loss.
10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller that is configured to generate and communicate a control signal to the first vehicle or the second vehicle based on the modified timetable, wherein the control signal is used with an automated control of the first vehicle or the second vehicle or a manual control of the first vehicle or the second vehicle.
11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a sixth component that is configured to implement a buffer time to compensate for a human reaction time delay related to implementing the control signal for the first vehicle or the second vehicle.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second component is configured to create the modified timetable in an offline environment that corresponds to data representative of the terminal.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the second component is configured to employ the modified timetable created in the offline environment within an online environment of the terminal.
14. A method, comprising:
receiving a default timetable in an offline mode associated with a time schedule for two or more vehicles and at least one location;
adjusting the default timetable by modifying at least one of a departure time associated with the two or more vehicles, a dwell time associated with the two or more vehicles, or a speed profile associated with the two or more vehicles to estimate an overlap for a brake time for a first vehicle of the two or more vehicles and an acceleration time for a second vehicle of the two or more vehicles in the offline mode;
employing the adjusted default timetable in real time for the two or more vehicles and the location;
transferring a portion of energy from the first vehicle to the second vehicle based upon the adjusted default timetable in real time; and
updating the adjusted default timetable in real time to synchronize the overlap for the brake time for the first vehicle and the acceleration time for the second vehicle.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising controlling the first vehicle or the second vehicle with a control signal based on the adjusted default timetable in real time.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
tracking the two or more vehicles in comparison with at least one of the adjusted timetable or a measured amount of energy;
monitoring a threshold value related to the measured amount of energy; and
updating the adjusted timetable based upon the threshold value or the tracking of the vehicles.
17. A system, comprising:
a timetable associated with a first vehicle, a second vehicle, and a terminal, wherein the timetable comprises a schedule of a time that the first vehicle and the second vehicle are at least one of arriving or departing the terminal; and
a modify component configured to adjust the timetable to synchronize an overlap of a brake duration of the first vehicle with an acceleration duration of the second vehicle for the terminal.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the timetable includes at least one of a first vehicle dwell time for the terminal, a first vehicle departure time for the terminal, or a first vehicle speed profile related to the terminal and the first vehicle.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the timetable includes at least one of a second vehicle dwell time for the terminal, a second vehicle departure time for the terminal, or a second vehicle speed profile related to the terminal and the second vehicle.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the second vehicle is configured to transfer a portion of energy from the first vehicle based upon the synchronization.