A method and means is provided whereby a vehicle travelling between two fixed points may be controlled either automatically or by prompting a driver to accelerate, coast and brake when required to meet a predetermined time of arrival at the finish point such that any period of coasting is maximised. Use of this method maximises fuel efficient usage by the vehicle. The progress of the vehicle is monitored and will translate into a velocity/distance curve. The time to COAST and BRAKE is determined from knowing and approximating the vehicle's coasting and braking characteristics along the route path ahead and in conjunction with the real time velocity/distance curve provides intersection points. Those points represent COAST and BRAKE times and means to indicate the action of COAST and BRAKE are then actuated.

A system for energy conservation on rail vehicles

An electric vehicle drive train includes a controller for detecting and compensating for vehicle rollback, as when the vehicle is started upward on an incline. The vehicle includes an electric motor rotatable in opposite directions corresponding to opposite directions of vehicle movement. A gear selector permits the driver to select an intended or desired direction of vehicle movement. If a speed end rotational sensor associated with the motor indicates vehicle movement opposite to the intended direction of vehicle movement, the motor is driven to a torque output magnitude as a nonconstant function of the rollback speed to counteract the vehicle rollback. The torque function may be either a linear function of speed or a function of the speed squared.

Electric vehicle drive train with rollback detection and compensation

A control system for an electric machine powered from a DC source, wherein controlled motoring and controlled braking are achieved with a single current regulator control, even when the DC source cannot accept charging current and/or the induced motor voltage exceeds the DC bus voltage. The motor control circuit comprises a DC source connected to a DC bus, a current control circuit for modulating switching devices connected across the DC bus, an energy exchange capacitor connected across the DC bus, a load resistor, a switching circuit effective when activated to interrupt a connection between the DC source and the DC bus and to connect the load resistor across the DC bus in parallel with the capacitor, and a logic circuit for activating the switching circuit during motor braking under conditions for which the modulation of the switching devices is ineffective to control the braking current.

Single current regulator for controlled motoring and braking of a DC-fed electric motor

A power tool including a braking and control circuit. The braking and control circuit includes a microcontroller-based control means circuit. The microcontroller assures control of switch means, such as triacs, switches and relays, and ensures that braking is effectuated regardless of the phase in the power cycle of the alternating current. Also, the microcontroller is programmable so that the braking and control circuit accommodates different braking conditions for different power tools and accommodates combinations of braking conditions for the same power tool. Further, the microcontroller is programmable to configure the braking and control circuit so that the braking force applied to the motor and the stopping time of the motor are regulated and adjustable. This may be accomplished by outputting a control signal so that the switch means skips cycles in the alternating current or by otherwise adjusting the operation of the switch means.

Braking and control circuit for electric power tools

A waveform synthesizer for generating single or poly-phase waveforms of selected wave shape and frequency for driving AC machinery including, for example, single or poly-phase induction, synchronous or other type motors or the like, includes a plurality of controllable power-switching device pairs for selectively switching power from an oppositely poled DC source to the corresponding power utilizing circuits of the driven device. The swithching device pairs are controlled to provide switched pulses of selected widths, spacings, and repetition rates to generate the desired current waveform. The power switching device pairs are selectively switched by a control circuit that includes a microprocessor controlled memory that is divided into p addressable pages with each page including s sequentially accessible memory locations containing the switching device pairs control information necessary to synthesize the desired waveform. The microprocessor is adapted to select one of the p available pages in response to pre-stored instructions, user input information, or condition-responsive transducer outputs and, after selecting the desired page, to control a pre-settable address counter to sequentially access the s memory locations of the selected page at a selected access rate and to gate the accessed switching information to the power switching device pairs to thereby synthisize the desired waveform.

Waveform synthesizer and motor controller

There is disclosed a passenger transit vehicle speed maintaining control apparatus and method, including an open loop acceleration control that is operationally modified by a closed loop speed control, for providing an improved control of vehicle speed in relation to a change of input speed command.

Transit vehicle speed control apparatus and method

There is disclosed a passenger vehicle speed maintaining control apparatus and method, including program microprocessor control apparatus for controlling the vehicle speed in response to an acceleration or tractive effort request P signal.

Speed maintaining control of train vehicles

A train vehicle zero speed sensing apparatus is provided for operation with a pair of tachometers coupled to the drive mechanism of a train vehicle, such that zero speed or an equivalent zero speed of the vehicle is sensed, and any single failure is detectable and will not yield a false zero speed indication.

Train vehicle control apparatus

The heat energy dissipation capacity of the provided dynamic braking resistors for a given transit vehicle is established and then the generated motor current supplied to those resistors by the regenerating propulsion motor of the vehicle during the brake mode of operation is controlled to limit as desired in accordance with that capacity the total energy dissipated by the dynamic braking resistors.

Dynamic brake current limiting control apparatus and method

There is disclosed a programmed microprocessor control apparatus and method for a transit vehicle electric motor through operation of a chopper apparatus. The microprocessor program controls the motor braking effort in brake mode through operation of the brake resistors and the motor tractive effort in the power mode through the motor field shunt operation.

Larry W. Anderson

Papers

Transit vehicle speed control apparatus and method

Speed maintaining control of train vehicles

Train vehicle control apparatus

Dynamic brake current limiting control apparatus and method

Transit vehicle motor operation control apparatus and method