Control system and method for remotely isolating powered units in a vehicle system

1. A method comprising:

obtaining motive outputs demanded by a trip plan for a vehicle system, the vehicle system including plural interconnected propulsion-generating vehicles, the trip plan designating operational settings for the vehicle system to operate during travel of the vehicle system along one or more routes for a trip;

determining motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles of the vehicle system;

identifying one or more segments of the trip where the motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles exceed the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan over the one or more segments; and

selecting one or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles for at least one of turning off or for turning to idle during travel in the one or more segments that are identified while one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles in the vehicle system remain on to propel the vehicle system through the one or more segments, wherein the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles for turning off or for turning to idle are selected such that a total motive output capability of the one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles remains at least as great as the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan over the one or more segments that are identified,

wherein the one or more segments are identified responsive to the motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles exceeding the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan by at least a designated, non-zero threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modifying the trip plan to designate that the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles that are selected are turned at least one of off or to idle during travel of the vehicle system through the one or more segments that are identified.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the motive output capabilities that are determined represent cumulative power outputs that the propulsion-generating vehicles are capable of generating to propel the vehicle system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan are obtained by determining power outputs generated by the propulsion-generating vehicles when the propulsion-generating vehicles are operated according to the designated operational settings of the trip plan.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles includes selecting a first subset of the propulsion-generating vehicles for turning off or to idle for travel over a first segment of the trip and selecting a different, second subset of the propulsion-generating vehicles for turning at least one of off or to idle for travel over a different, second segment of the trip.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting at least one of the propulsion-generating vehicles that were selected to be turned at least one of off or to idle for travel through the one or more segments of the trip to be turned back on responsive to the vehicle system exiting the one or more segments of the trip.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the one or more segments of the trip and selecting the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles for turning at least one of off or to idle occur as the vehicle system travels along the one or more routes during the trip according to the trip plan.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the one or more segments of the trip and selecting the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles for turning at least one of off or to idle occur prior to the vehicle system embarking on the trip.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trip plan designates the operational settings as a function of at least one of time elapsed during the trip or distance along the one or more routes during the trip such that travel of the vehicle system according to the trip plan causes the vehicle system to at least one of consume less fuel or produce fewer emissions relative to the vehicle system traveling the trip according to a different trip plan that designates different operational settings.

10. A control system comprising:

a first unit configured to obtain motive outputs demanded by a trip plan for a vehicle system including plural interconnected propulsion-generating vehicles, the trip plan designating operational settings for the vehicle system to operate during travel of the vehicle system along one or more routes for a trip, the first unit also configured to identify one or more segments of the trip where motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles exceed the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan and to select one or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles for at least one of turning off or to idle during travel in the one or more segments that are identified, wherein the plural propulsion-generating vehicles of the vehicle system comprise the one or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles that are selected and one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles that are not selected,

wherein the first unit also is configured to generate an isolation command representative of the one or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles that are selected,

wherein the one or more segments are identified by the first unit responsive to the motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles exceeding the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan by at least a designated, non-zero threshold; and

a master isolation unit configured to receive the isolation command from the first unit that identifies the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles that are selected for being turned off or to idle during travel in the one or more segments, the master isolation unit also configured to remotely turn off or to idle the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles that are identified by the first unit when the vehicle system reaches the one or more segments,

wherein the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles are selected by the first unit such that a total motive output capability of the one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles remains at least as great as the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan over the one or more segments that are identified.

11. The control system of claim 10 , wherein the first unit is a trip planner unit configured to modify the trip plan to designate that the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles that are selected are turned at least one of off or to idle during travel of the vehicle system through the one or more segments that are identified.

12. The control system of claim 10 , wherein the first unit is configured to select a first subset of the propulsion-generating vehicles for turning at least one of off or to idle for travel over a first segment of the trip and select a different, second subset of the propulsion-generating vehicles for turning at least one of off or to idle for travel over a different, second segment of the trip.

13. The control system of claim 10 , wherein the first unit is configured to communicate an activation command to the master isolation unit and the master isolation unit is configured, responsive to receiving the activation command, to turn on at least one of the propulsion-generating vehicles that were selected to be turned at least one of off or to idle for travel through the one or more segments of the trip responsive to the vehicle system exiting the one or more segments of the trip.

14. The control system of claim 10 , wherein the first unit is a regulator unit configured to identify the one or more segments of the trip and select the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles for turning at least one of off or to idle as the vehicle system travels along the one or more routes during the trip according to the trip plan.

15. The control system of claim 10 , wherein the first unit is a trip planner unit configured to identify the one or more segments of the trip and select the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles for turning at least one of off or to idle prior to the vehicle system embarking on the trip.

16. A method comprising:

obtaining plural different trip plans that designate operational settings of a vehicle system for travel over one or more routes for a trip, the vehicle system including plural interconnected propulsion-generating vehicles, a first trip plan of the different trip plans directing the propulsion-generating vehicles to be on for the trip and a second trip plan of the different trip plans directing one or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles to be at least one of turned off or to idle for the trip;

comparing at least the first and second trip plans with each other to identify at least one segment in the trip where the operational settings designated by the first trip plan overlap the operational settings designated by the second trip plan; and

creating a hybrid trip plan from two or more of the different trip plans, the hybrid trip plan including the designated operational settings of at least one of the first trip plan or the second trip plan in the at least one segment in the trip.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the operational settings designated by the different trip plans are velocities of the vehicle system at different locations along the trip.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the operational settings designated by the first trip plan overlap the operational settings designated by the second trip plan responsive to the operational settings designated by the first and second trip plans being within a designated range of each other.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the operational settings designated by the first trip plan direct the propulsion-generating vehicles to remain on for an entire duration of the trip while the operational settings designated by the second trip plan direct the one or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles to be at least one of turned off or to idle for the entire duration of the trip.

20. A method comprising:

obtaining motive outputs demanded by a trip plan for a vehicle system, the vehicle system including plural interconnected propulsion-generating vehicles, the trip plan designating operational settings for the vehicle system to operate during travel of the vehicle system along one or more routes for a trip;

determining motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles of the vehicle system;

identifying one or more segments of the trip where the motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles exceed the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan over the one or more segments; and

selecting one or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles for at least one of turning off or for turning to idle during travel in the one or more segments that are identified while one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles in the vehicle system remain on to propel the vehicle system through the one or more segments, wherein the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles for turning off or for turning to idle are selected such that a total motive output capability of the one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles remains at least as great as the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan over the one or more segments that are identified,

wherein identifying the one or more segments of the trip and selecting the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles for turning at least one of off or to idle occur as the vehicle system travels along the one or more routes during the trip according to the trip plan.

21. A method comprising:

obtaining motive outputs demanded by a trip plan for a vehicle system, the vehicle system including plural interconnected propulsion-generating vehicles, the trip plan designating operational settings for the vehicle system to operate during travel of the vehicle system along one or more routes for a trip;

determining motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles of the vehicle system;

identifying one or more segments of the trip where the motive output capabilities of the propulsion-generating vehicles exceed the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan over the one or more segments; and

selecting one or more of the propulsion-generating vehicles for at least one of turning off or for turning to idle during travel in the one or more segments that are identified while one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles in the vehicle system remain on to propel the vehicle system through the one or more segments, wherein the one or more propulsion-generating vehicles for turning off or for turning to idle are selected such that a total motive output capability of the one or more remaining propulsion-generating vehicles remains at least as great as the motive outputs demanded by the trip plan over the one or more segments that are identified,

wherein the trip plan designates the operational settings as a function of at least one of time elapsed during the trip or distance along the one or more routes during the trip such that travel of the vehicle system according to the trip plan causes the vehicle system to at least one of consume less fuel or produce fewer emissions relative to the vehicle system traveling the trip according to a different trip plan that designates different operational settings.