Abstract: A system and method includes determining, with a sensor assembly disposed onboard a first aerial vehicle, a direction in which a fluid flows within or through the first aerial vehicle, and determining an orientation of the first aerial vehicle relative to a second aerial vehicle based at least in part on the direction in which the fluid flows within or through the first aerial vehicle.

Abstract: A method and system include a vehicle system including a plurality of vehicles. The system includes a handling unit comprising a communication device and a controller. The communication device receives first position data for a first vehicle of the vehicle system and second position data for a second vehicle of the vehicle system relative to a route on which the vehicle system is traveling. The controller determines that the first vehicle is entering into a curved portion of the route, and generates a control signal based on the first and second position data. The control signal changes an operating parameter of at least one of the first or second vehicles to control a separation distance between the vehicles or a deviation distance between respective travel paths taken by the first and second vehicles through the curved portion of the route.

Abstract: A system for testing a ground fault detection system in an electric circuit establishes a ground connection between a bus and the ground via an inverter and a load by closing an inverter switch of the inverter and a grounding switch disposed between the load and the ground, determines whether the ground connection is detected, and determines a fault in the ground fault detection system responsive to the first ground connection not being detected by the ground fault detection system. Optionally, a ground fault may be identified by determining three phase voltages provided from each of plural inverters, determining symmetrical components of the three phase voltages for each of the inverters, and identifying a ground fault in one or more of the inverters while powered by the power supply based on the symmetrical components.

Abstract: A piston crown for a combustion system is disclosed. The piston crown includes a piston bowl having a circumferential recess and a plurality of first recesses arranged spaced apart from each other along a circumferential direction. The circumferential recess is disposed proximate to a circumference of the piston crown. Each recess of the plurality of the first recesses extends between a center of the piston crown and the circumferential recess, and a width and a depth of each recess of the plurality of first recesses are extended along a radial direction for an entire length of each recess of the plurality of first recesses.

Abstract: A vehicle control system examines characteristics of an upcoming segment of a trip of a hybrid vehicle. One or more locations in the upcoming segment of the trip are identified based on the characteristics as places where an engine of the vehicle is incapable of generating enough energy to power the vehicle through the locations. Operational settings of the vehicle are calculated based on the locations to operate the vehicle in a way that charges an energy storage device with energy that can be used to replace or supplement the energy provided by the engine to propel the hybrid vehicle over or through the locations. The one or more processors are configured to one or more of automatically control or generate a control signal for automated operation of the hybrid vehicle according to the one or more operational settings that are calculated.

Abstract: A method includes 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.

Abstract: A locomotive control system includes one or more processors configured to determine quality of service (QoS) parameters of locomotive devices communicating data with each other in an Ethernet network that is configured as a time sensitive network (TSN) and that is onboard a locomotive. The one or more processors also are configured to determine available communication pathways in the TSN through which the locomotive devices are able to communicate the data. The one or more processors also are configured to select one or more of the available communication pathways and to designate communication times at which the data is communicated between the locomotive devices to satisfy the QoS parameters of the locomotive devices.

Abstract: An electric machine is presented. The electric machine includes a stator. The electric machine further includes rotor disposed adjacent to the stator. The rotor includes a rotor core, a plurality of permanent magnets disposed in contact with the rotor core, a plurality of permanent magnets disposed in contact with the rotor core to modulate torque exerted on the rotor.

Abstract: A mining vehicle control system includes a detection unit configured to determine a proximity of a monitored mining vehicle to a first mining vehicle and a controller configured to determine first protection lines that linearly project from the first mining vehicle and second protection lines that linearly project from the monitored mining vehicle. The first protection lines are determined based on a moving speed of the first mining vehicle. The second protection lines are determined based on a moving speed of the monitored mining vehicle. The controller is configured to direct the first mining vehicle to change movement of the first mining vehicle responsive to intersection of one or more of the first protection lines with one or more of the second protection lines.

Abstract: A bus assembly is provided having a bus bar with first and second conductive layers extending along an insulator sheet interposed between the first and second conductive layers. The first and second conductive layers are partially aligned with respect to each other to form a first overlap region of the insulator sheet. The bus assembly includes a first set of arms having a set of diodes and a second set of arms having a set of switches. The bust bar includes a plurality of bus links coupling the plurality of arms to the bus bar forming a plurality of inverters. Each of bus links include a respective first bracket and a respective second bracket aligned with each other forming a second overlap region of the insulator sheet. The first bracket is electrically coupled to the first conductive layer and the second bracket is electrically coupled to the second conductive layer.

Abstract: A method includes reducing automatically a speed of an engine from a first speed value to a second speed value in response to both the first speed value being at or above a first speed threshold value and a rate of change of one or both of (i) engine power and (ii) the engine speed is substantially zero for a designated period.

Abstract: A device for detecting proximity to an active alternating current (AC) voltage source is provided. The device includes a housing, at least one antenna configured to generate a signal in response to exposure to electromagnetic radiation, signal processing circuitry configured to process the signal generated by the at least one antenna, a microprocessor configured to determine, from the processed signal, whether the alert device is proximate to the active AC voltage source, a communication device configured to generate a signal in response to a determination that the alert device is proximate the active AC voltage source, and an interference reduction device configured to discharge an accumulated charge on the alert device to reduce electromagnetic interference from sources other than the active AC voltage source.

Abstract: A system includes one or more processors configured to obtain environmental data geographically and temporally corresponding to scheduled travel of a vehicle system. The one or more processors are further configured to determine a power output capability range for the vehicle system traveling during a trip based on the environmental data that is obtained. The one or more processors are also configured to communicate instructions to at least one of a propulsion system of the vehicle system or a vehicle controller of the vehicle system for controlling movement of the vehicle system during the trip such that the vehicle system produces a power output within the power output capability range as the vehicle system travels. The environmental data includes historical values of one or more of temperature, pressure, or air constituency in geographic areas through which the vehicle system will travel during the trip.

Abstract: A locomotive propulsion system includes an engine assisting apparatus and an engine control unit that monitors an output parameter of a locomotive engine. The control unit determines whether the engine output decreases sufficiently low to at least partially de-fuel the engine and to activate an assisting apparatus. This assisting apparatus rotates a shaft of the engine with or without the engine also rotating the shaft. Rotation of the shaft by the assisting apparatus can be used to power traction motors or other loads of the locomotive while reducing fuel consumption and/or emission generation by the engine.

Abstract: A sensor system includes one or more sensors that sense vibrations of a vehicle and one or more processors that can determine a speed of the vehicle and determine whether the vibrations occurring at one or more frequencies of interest (that are based on the speed of the vehicle) indicate damage to a propulsion system of the vehicle. The one or more processors optionally may determine a hunting frequency of a wheel and axle set and/or a lateral acceleration of the wheel and axle set from the vibrations. The one or more processors can determine a conicity of a wheel in the wheel and axle set based on the hunting frequency and/or the lateral acceleration that is determined.

Abstract: A control system for an engine includes one or more processors configured to determine when a change in one or more of oxygen or fuel supplied to an engine. The one or more processors also are configured to, responsive to determining the change in oxygen and/or fuel supplied to an engine, direct one or more fuel injectors of the engine to begin injecting fuel into one or more cylinders of the engine during both a first fuel injection and a second fuel injection during each cycle of a multi-stroke engine cycle of the one or more cylinders.

Abstract: A communication system includes a data manager unit, a private interface, and an open interface. The data manager unit is configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle and to manage a transmission of data from a control system of the vehicle to a plurality of applications. The private interface is configured to communicably couple the data manager unit to the control system of the vehicle, and to limit communication with the control system via a connection protocol, wherein the connection protocol is configured to prevent direct communication between the data manager unit and an application that does not use the connection protocol. The open interface is configured to communicably couple the data manager unit and the plurality of applications.

Abstract: A sensor system senses one or more characteristics of vehicles in a vehicle system with sensors disposed onboard the vehicles and communicate data representative of the one or more characteristics from the sensors to one or more of a controller or a control system of the vehicle system. The data communicated from the sensors onboard the same vehicle can be synchronously communicated with respect to the sensors onboard the same vehicle and asynchronously communicated with respect to the sensors disposed onboard one or more other vehicles in the vehicle system. The systems and methods can direct components disposed onboard a vehicle system to change operations, monitor data output by sensors operatively connected with the components, and determine which of the sensors are operatively connected with which of the components based on the operations of the components that are changed and the data that is output by the sensors.