Boots – shoes – and leggings
Patent
1990-05-25
1993-08-24
Chin, Gary
Boots, shoes, and leggings
246182R, G06F 1550
Patent
active
052394727
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a method and means for controlling a vehicle which maximises the period of coasting of a vehicle travelling between two points when required to meet a predetermined time of arrival at the finish point.
PRIOR ART
In urban mass transit systems, automatic operation of individual trains and other passenger and freight transport means has been used for a number of years, and most new proposals for systems in large cities provide for such automation. However all systems (as far as is known to the applicant) which in particular run the trains under automatic control do so in accordance with predetermined velocity-distance or velocity-time profiles. With manually driven trains the extent to which any type of energy efficient tactics are employed by drivers is usually not the primary aim of the automatic system. However, it is a desirable object that vehicles travelling between any two points be capable of maximising the efficiency of their travel.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a means and method whereby there is provided a means to control a vehicle in an energy efficient manner while still conforming to the required schedule of travel between two points.
EMBODIMENTS
In one embodiment of the invention the means comprises an advisory panel which presents advice to a driver so as to maximise a period of coasting which can occur prior to braking towards a station stop or speed restriction, the advisory panel being fed with information derived from rotation of train wheels, and stored data relating to the train's schedule and running characteristics, calculated in a computer or microprocessor and fed to read-out means on said panel so as to signal correct fuel efficient tactics. It is also possible for the signals provided by the invention to be used to directly control any vehicle operating under similar time constraints.
In another embodiment the invention relates to a method, the method consisting of the receipt of pulses responsive to distance travelled by the train wheels, storing data on the train's schedule and running characteristics in a computer or microprocessor, upgrading the data during the traverse of the train between two adjacent stations, calculating the correct times for commencing and terminating coasting periods from the current speed of the train due to the remaining distance and the time to the next station, together with stored data, and thereby signalling the train driver at the times that the coasting phase should be commenced and terminated, in order to arrive at the next scheduled point on time but with reduced energy consumption.
An embodiment of the invention is described in more detail hereunder with reference to, and is detailed in the accompanying figures.
FIG. 1 shows a pictorial representation of the speed of the vehicle during coasting and then braking;
FIG. 1A shows a pictorial representation of the acceleration of the vehicle;
FIG. 2 shows a representation of the driver advice means and data input means; and
FIG. 3 shows a representation of the driver advice means.
This embodiment is specifically directed to diesel powered trains which are identified as "STA Class 2000", and in most instances utilizes existing timetables, however, in certain instances existing timetables prepared for passenger information require some minor modification which involve increasing the accuracy of arrival and departure to second accuracy instead of minute accuracy.
Practical tests have confirmed estimated fuel savings in the range of 8-14% by use of this invention.
The system software was developed so that the required data for train performance could be gathered in real time. In this embodiment the equipment "learns" the required train performance over a series of five commissioning runs, and updates its knowledge thereafter, so that variations of train performance on each station-to-station section are automatically accounted for.
During the simulation phase of the development, a study was made of the factors relating to operat
REFERENCES:
patent: 4179739 (1979-12-01), Virnot
patent: 4181943 (1980-01-01), Mercer, Sr. et al.
patent: 4217643 (1980-08-01), Anderson et al.
patent: 4566067 (1986-01-01), Sahasrabudhe et al.
patent: 4617627 (1986-10-01), Yasunobu et al.
Benjamin Basil R.
Gelonese Guiseppe A.
Long Andrew M.
Milroy Ian P.
Pudney Peter J.
Chin Gary
Techsearch Incorporated
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