Abstract: A system and method includes a secondary energy storage system (SESS) and a control system. The SESS is configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle and conductively connected via switch devices to a primary battery and a cranking device of the vehicle. The control system is configured to control the switch devices to close a conductive path to discharge electric current from the SESS for powering the cranking device to rotate an engine shaft during a cranking operation. The control system is configured to control the switch devices to open the conductive path and prevent discharge of electric current from the SESS after the cranking operation is complete.

Abstract: A vehicle sensor system reduces power obtained from a first power-generating component of a power-generating system based on a temperature variation between the first power-generating component and one or more additional power-generating components of the power-generating system at different operating speeds of the power-generating system. The power is reduced to prevent or reduce damage to the first power-generating component. The power-generating components can be axles of a vehicle.

Abstract: A sensor assembly includes a housing extending from an insertion end to an opposite coupling end, from a sensor end to an opposite back end, and from a top end to an opposite bottom end. The assembly also includes a sensor dish outwardly projecting from the sensor end of the housing and configured to hold one or more sensors. The assembly also includes a radio frequency (RF) transparent sensor cap configured to be secured to the sensor dish to secure the one or more sensors within the sensor dish. The housing also can be secured to a vehicle for the sensors to measure operational conditions of the vehicle. The housing of the sensor assembly may be connected to a drive train of the vehicle by inserting a fastener through a channel in the housing and into a jacking hole of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle sensor system includes a fluid sensor configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle system and at least partially extend into a gearbox of a traction motor of the vehicle system. The fluid sensor is configured to output data representative of an amount of a lubricating fluid in the gearbox. The system also includes a positioning system configured to output data representative of movement or an absence of movement of the vehicle system, and one or more processors configured to determine the amount of the lubricating fluid in the gearbox based on the data that is output by the fluid sensor responsive to the data output by the positioning system indicating that the vehicle system has not moved or has moved by less than a designated distance for at least a designated, non-instantaneous period of time.

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 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 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.

Abstract: A method includes generating movement signals indicative of sensed movement of a powered system in one or more directions and generating fluid level signals indicative of a sensed amount of fluid in the powered system. The method also includes, with one or more processors, receiving the movement signals and the fluid level signals from one or more accelerometers and a fluid level sensor, wherein the one or more processors also configured to filter at least some of the movement signals based on a speed at which the powered system operates. The method also includes, with a first antenna of the sensor assembly, wirelessly communicating one or more of the movement signals or the amount of fluid to a remote location.

Abstract: A sensor assembly includes a housing extending from an insertion end to an opposite coupling end, from a sensor end to an opposite back end, and from a top end to an opposite bottom end. The assembly also includes a sensor dish outwardly projecting from the sensor end of the housing and configured to hold one or more sensors. The assembly also includes a radio frequency (RF) transparent sensor cap configured to be secured to the sensor dish to secure the one or more sensors within the sensor dish. The housing also can be secured to a vehicle for the sensors to measure operational conditions of the vehicle. The housing of the sensor assembly may be connected to a drive train of the vehicle by inserting a fastener through a channel in the housing and into a jacking hole of the vehicle.

Abstract: A sensor assembly includes one or more accelerometers that generate movement signals indicative of movement of a powered system, a fluid level sensor that generates fluid level signals indicative of an amount of fluid in the powered system, and one or more processors that receive the movement signals and the fluid level signals. The one or more processors also (a) filter at least some of the movement signals based on a speed at which the powered system operates and/or (b) calculate one or more of (1) a statistical measure, (2) a fast Fourier transform (FFT), or (3) a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) of the movement signals. The assembly also includes a first antenna that wirelessly communicates the one or more of the movement signals, the amount of fluid, the statistical measure, the FFT, or the DFT to a remote location.

Abstract: A sensor assembly includes a housing extending from an insertion end to an opposite coupling end, from a sensor end to an opposite back end, and from a top end to an opposite bottom end. The assembly also includes a sensor dish outwardly projecting from the sensor end of the housing and configured to hold one or more sensors. The assembly also includes a radio frequency (RF) transparent sensor cap configured to be secured to the sensor dish to secure the one or more sensors within the sensor dish. The housing also can be secured to a vehicle for the sensors to measure operational conditions of the vehicle. The housing of the sensor assembly may be connected to a drive train of the vehicle by inserting a fastener through a channel in the housing and into a jacking hole of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle sensor system includes a fluid sensor configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle system and at least partially extend into a gearbox of a traction motor of the vehicle system. The fluid sensor is configured to output data representative of an amount of a lubricating fluid in the gearbox. The system also includes a positioning system configured to output data representative of movement or an absence of movement of the vehicle system, and one or more processors configured to determine the amount of the lubricating fluid in the gearbox based on the data that is output by the fluid sensor responsive to the data output by the positioning system indicating that the vehicle system has not moved or has moved by less than a designated distance for at least a designated, non-instantaneous period of time.

Abstract: A vehicle sensor system includes a fluid sensor configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle system and at least partially extend into a gearbox of a traction motor of the vehicle system. The fluid sensor is configured to output data representative of an amount of a lubricating fluid in the gearbox. The system also includes a positioning system configured to output data representative of movement or an absence of movement of the vehicle system, and one or more processors configured to determine the amount of the lubricating fluid in the gearbox based on the data that is output by the fluid sensor responsive to the data output by the positioning system indicating that the vehicle system has not moved or has moved by less than a designated distance for at least a designated, non-instantaneous period of time.

Abstract: A locomotive control system includes a locomotive having a traction motor and sensors. The traction motor provides tractive effort for propelling the locomotive and the sensors measure performance conditions of the locomotive. The system also includes a controller having one or more processors communicatively coupled with the traction motor. The controller selects one or more baseline conditions that designate operational conditions under which the locomotive is to operate, and monitors the performance conditions that are generated by the locomotive during operation of the locomotive according to the operational conditions designated by the one or more baseline conditions. The controller identifies a flashover condition or a plugging condition of the locomotive by comparing the performance conditions that are generated by the locomotive during operation of the locomotive with the one or more baseline conditions.

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.

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.