SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING EFFECTIVENESS OF A FRICTION MODIFIER ALONG A ROUTE SEGMENT
A method including obtaining creep measurements and tractive/braking measurements from at least one vehicle system at different locations along a route segment while the at least one vehicle system moves through the route segment. The method also includes calculating tribology characteristics of the route segment at the different locations. The tribology characteristics are based on the creep measurements and the tractive/braking measurements from the at least one vehicle system. The tribology characteristics are indicative of a friction coefficient of the route segment at the different locations. The method also includes determining an effectiveness of a friction modifier applied to the route segment based on the tribology characteristics.
1 . A method comprising:
obtaining creep measurements and tractive/braking measurements from at least one vehicle system at different locations along a route segment while the at least one vehicle system moves through the route segment;
calculating tribology characteristics of the route segment at the different locations, the tribology characteristics being based on the creep measurements and the tractive/braking measurements from the at least one vehicle system, wherein the tribology characteristics are indicative of a friction coefficient of the route segment at the different locations; and
determining an effectiveness of a friction modifier applied to the route segment based on the tribology characteristics.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the creep measurements and the tractive/breaking measurements includes obtaining a series of the creep measurements and the tractive/breaking measurements throughout the route segment of the at least one vehicle system.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the route segment is at least two kilometers long and wherein the creep measurements and the tractive/breaking measurements are obtained, on average, at least once every 50 meters for the route segment.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the creep measurements and the tractive/braking measurements from the at least one vehicle system includes obtaining the creep measurements and the tractive/braking measurements in response to a tractive effort of a first wheelset being increased by a designated amount and a tractive effort of a second wheelset being decreased by the designated amount thereby maintaining a total tractive effort of the at least one vehicle system.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the creep measurements and the tractive/braking measurements from the at least one vehicle system includes the tractive/braking measurements being representative of maximum tractive efforts at the different locations.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one vehicle system operates in accordance with an operating plan, the operating plan including predetermined instructions for one or more propulsion-generating vehicles of the at least one vehicle system to provide at least one of a designated tractive effort or a designated braking effort.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one vehicle system includes at least one locomotive and wherein a plurality of the creep measurements and a plurality of the tractive/braking measurements are obtained from the at least one locomotive.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining creep measurements and tractive/braking measurements from at least one other separate vehicle system while the at least one other separate vehicle system moves through the route segment, wherein calculating the tribology characteristics of the route segment includes using the creep measurements and the tractive/braking measurements from the at least one other separate vehicle system.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the creep measurements and the tractive/braking measurements includes obtaining the creep measurements and the tractive/braking measurements at an off-board monitoring system, the at least one vehicle system being a plurality of separate vehicle systems that travel along the route segment.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the tribology characteristic is an adhesion coefficient or is based on or indicative of the adhesion coefficient.
11 . A system comprising:
a receiver configured to receive creep measurements and tractive/braking measurements from at least one vehicle system at different locations along a route segment while the at least one vehicle system moves through the route segment;
a calculation module configured to calculate tribology characteristics of the route segment at the different locations, the tribology characteristics being based on the creep measurements and the tractive/braking measurements from the at least one vehicle system, wherein the tribology characteristics are indicative of a friction coefficient of the route segment at the different locations; and
an analysis module configured to determine an effectiveness of a friction modifier applied to the route segment based on the tribology characteristics at the different locations.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the analysis module is configured to compare the tribology characteristics at the different locations to expected tribology characteristics at the different locations.
13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the analysis module is configured to identify one or more regions of the route segment that having an amount of the friction modifier that is below a first designated threshold and identify one or more regions of the route segment having an amount of the friction modifier that is above a second designated threshold.
14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the receiver is configured to receive compensating data relating to route conditions and the analysis module is configured to determine the effectiveness of the friction modifier using the compensating data to compensate for the route conditions.
15 . The system claim 11 , wherein the receiver is configured to receive a series of the creep measurements and the tractive/breaking measurements throughout the route segment from the at least one vehicle system.
16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the route segment is at least two kilometers long and wherein the creep measurements and the tractive/breaking measurements are obtained, on average, at least once every 50 meters for the route segment.
17 . A system comprising:
a vehicle-control module configured to control tractive and braking operations of a vehicle system;
a measurement module configured to obtain creep measurements and tractive/braking measurements of the vehicle system at different locations along a route segment while the vehicle system moves through the route segment; and
a transmitter configured to communicate the creep measurements and the tractive/braking measurements from the vehicle system;
wherein the vehicle-control module is configured to increase the tractive effort of a first wheelset by a designated amount and decrease the tractive effort of a second wheelset by the designated amount thereby maintaining a total tractive effort of the vehicle system, the measurement module configured to obtain the creep measurements and the tractive/braking measurements when the first and second wheelsets operate at increased and decreased tractive efforts, respectively.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the measurement module is configured to obtain the creep measurements and the tractive/braking measurements of the vehicle system when the vehicle system is operating at a designated throttle setting, the tractive/braking measurements being representative of maximum tractive efforts at the different locations.
19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the vehicle-control module is configured to control the vehicle system in accordance with an operating plan, the operating plan including predetermined instructions for one or more propulsion-generating vehicles of the vehicle system to provide at least one of a designated tractive effort or a designated braking effort.
20 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the vehicle system includes a plurality of locomotives, the calculation module configured to obtain the creep measurements and the tractive/braking measurements from the plurality of locomotives.