CONSIST POWER SYSTEM HAVING ONBOARD RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVICES

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to a consist power system for a consist having a locomotive. The consist power system may include an engine located onboard the locomotive, and a generator driven by the engine to produce a main supply of electric power. The consist power system may also include a wind turbine located onboard the locomotive and configured to produce a first auxiliary supply of electric power, and a solar panel located onboard the locomotive and configured to produce a second auxiliary supply of electric power. The consist power system may also include a traction motor configured to receive the main supply of electric power and the first and second auxiliary supplies of power to propel the locomotive. The consist power system may further include a sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a speed of the consist, and a controller in communication with the sensor, the wind turbine, and the solar panel. The controller may be configured to selectively control at least one of the wind turbine and the solar panel based on the signal from the sensor.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a consist power system and, more particularly, to a consist power system having onboard renewable energy devices.

BACKGROUND

A consist includes one or more locomotives, and in some instances a tender car, that are coupled together to produce motive power for a train of rail vehicles. The locomotives each include one or more engines, which combust fuel to produce mechanical power. The engine(s) of each locomotive can be supplied with liquid fuel (e.g., diesel fuel) from an onboard tank, gaseous fuel (e.g., natural gas) from the tender car, or a blend of the liquid and gaseous fuels. The mechanical power produced by the combustion process is directed through a generator and used to generate electricity. The electricity is then routed to traction motors of the locomotives, thereby generating torque that propels the train.

Due to rising costs of diesel fuel and natural gas, operating the engine of the locomotive can be expensive. Thus, in some applications, renewable energy sources, such as, for example, wind and solar energy, can be used to supplement the power of the engine. In addition, operation of the engine can be very noisy and undesirable in certain areas and/or at certain times.

One attempt to address the above-described problems is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,886,669 that issued to Kumar on Feb. 15, 2011 (“the '669 patent”). Specifically, the '669 patent discloses a locomotive having a diesel engine that generates a torque that is transmitted to an alternator along a drive shaft. The alternator uses the torque to generate electricity that is supplied to a traction motor, which provides tractive power to propel the locomotive. Airflow devices, including a radiator, a blower, and a fan, are operated to help control temperatures of the locomotive components. Each airflow device is coupled to a motor, which converts received electrical input to a rotational motion of the airflow device. During a stand-by mode, ambient air (i.e., wind) flowing through the stationary locomotive rotates the blades of the airflow devices, and the motors associated with the airflow devices may convert the rotational energy into electrical energy, which is supplied to charge a battery used to power the locomotive components.

While the system of the '669 patent may utilize wind energy to help power the locomotive, it may still be less than optimal. In particular, the locomotive of the '669 patent may obtain only a limited amount of energy while the locomotive is in the stand-by mode (i.e., stationary). In addition, the system of the '669 patent may be limited to the use of wind energy.

The consist power system of the present disclosure solves one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems with existing technologies.

SUMMARY

In a first aspect, the disclosure is directed to a consist power system for a consist having a locomotive. The consist power system may include an engine located onboard the locomotive, and a generator driven by the engine to produce a main supply of electric power. The consist power system may also include a wind turbine located onboard the locomotive and configured to produce a first auxiliary supply of electric power, and a solar panel located onboard the locomotive and configured to produce a second auxiliary supply of electric power. The consist power system may also include a traction motor configured to receive the main supply of electric power and the first and second auxiliary supplies of power to propel the locomotive. The consist power system may further include a sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a speed of the consist, and a controller in communication with the sensor, the wind turbine, and the solar panel. The controller may be configured to selectively control at least one of the wind turbine and the solar panel based on the signal from the sensor.

In a second aspect, the disclosure is directed to a method of providing power to a consist having a locomotive. The method may include generating a main supply of electric power with a generator driven by an engine located onboard the locomotive. The method may also include generating a first auxiliary supply of electric power with a wind turbine located onboard the locomotive, and generating a second auxiliary supply of electric power with a solar panel located onboard the locomotive. The method may also include selectively directing the main supply of electric power and the first and second auxiliary supplies of electric power to a traction motor to propel the locomotive. The method may further include determining a speed of the consist, and selectively controlling at least one of the wind turbine and the solar panel based on the speed of the consist.

In a third aspect, the disclosure is directed to a consist power system for a consist having a locomotive. The consist power system may include an engine located onboard the locomotive, and a generator driven by the engine to produce a main supply of electric power. The consist power system may also include a wind turbine located onboard the locomotive and configured to produce a first auxiliary supply of electric power, and a solar panel located onboard the locomotive and configured to produce a second auxiliary supply of electric power. The consist power system may also include a traction motor configured to receive the main supply of electric power and the first and second auxiliary supplies of power to propel the locomotive. The consist power system may further include a vent located on at least one side of a body of the locomotive, and a controller being configured to selectively control the vent in response to a braking command.

In a fourth aspect, the disclosure is directed to a method of providing power to a consist having a locomotive. The method may include generating a main supply of electric power with a generator driven by an engine located onboard the locomotive. The method may also include generating a first auxiliary supply of electric power with a wind turbine located onboard the locomotive, and generating a second auxiliary supply of electric power with a solar panel located onboard the locomotive. The method may also include selectively directing the main supply of electric power and the first and second auxiliary supplies of electric power to a traction motor to propel the locomotive. The method may further include receiving a braking command indicating that the consist is braking, and selectively opening a vent of a body of the locomotive based on the braking command.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side-view diagrammatic illustration of an exemplary disclosed consist;

FIG. 2 is a top-view diagrammatic illustration of the consist of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary disclosed power system that may be used in conjunction with the consist of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary train consist 13 having a locomotive 10 and a trailing car 11 that is towed by locomotive 10. Trailing car 11 may be a tender car, a passenger car, a cargo container car, or another type of car. It is contemplated that consist 13 may include any number of locomotives 10 and trailing cars 11, and that locomotives 10 may be located in any arrangement relative to trailing cars 11 and in any orientation (e.g., forward-facing or rear-facing).

Locomotive 10 may include a car body 12 supported at opposing ends by a plurality of trucks 14 (e.g., two trucks 14). Each truck 14 may be configured to engage a track 16 via a plurality of wheels 18, and to support a frame 20 of car body 12. Any number of engines 22 may be mounted to frame 20 within car body 12 and drivingly connected to a generator 24 to produce electricity that propels wheels 18 of each truck 14.

Engine 22 may be an internal combustion engine configured to combust a mixture of air and fuel. The fuel may include a liquid fuel (e.g., diesel) provided to engine 22 from a tank (not shown) located onboard locomotive 10, a gaseous fuel (e.g., natural gas) provided by a tender car (not shown), and/or a blended mixture of the liquid and gaseous fuels. Engine 22 may be configured to combust the liquid and/or gaseous fuel and generate a mechanical output that drives a generator 24 to produce electric power. The electric power from generator 24 may be used to propel locomotive 10 via one or more traction motors 26 associated with wheels 18.

Generator 24 may be an induction generator, a permanent-magnet generator, a synchronous generator, or a switched-reluctance. In one embodiment, generator 24 may include multiple pairings of poles (not shown), each pairing having three phases arranged on a circumference of a stator (not shown) to produce an alternating current.

Traction motors 26, in addition to providing the propelling force of consist 13 when supplied with electric power, may also function to slow locomotive 10. This process is known in the art as dynamic braking. When a traction motor 26 is not needed to provide motivating force, it can be reconfigured to operate as a generator. As such, traction motors 26 may convert the kinetic energy of consist 13 into electric energy, which has the effect of slowing consist 13. The electric energy generated during dynamic braking is typically transferred to one or more resistance grids (not shown) mounted on car body 12. At the resistance grids, the electric energy generated during dynamic braking is converted to heat and dissipated into the atmosphere. Alternatively or additionally, electric energy generated from dynamic braking may be routed to an energy storage system (e.g., a battery) 34.

Trailing car 11 may be connected to locomotive 10 via a mechanical coupling 28. Trailing car 11, like locomotive 10, may also be equipped with a frame 20 that is supported by two or more trucks 14 having a plurality of wheels 18. Trailing car 11 may also generate its own electric energy through dynamic braking via traction motors 26. The generated electric power may be stored at a separate battery 34 onboard trailing car 11.

Battery 34 may be used to selectively provide supplemental power to traction motors 26 and/or to any auxiliary load of consist 13. Battery 34 may take any form known in the art. In some embodiments, one or more batteries 34 may be located on each locomotive 10 and/or each trailing car 11 of consist 13. It is contemplated that batteries 34 located on separate rail vehicles may be connected in series or parallel, allowing energy to be transferred between locomotives 10 and/or trailing cars 11. It is also contemplated that, in some embodiments, there may be a tender car (not shown) including one or more banks of batteries 34, which provide energy for consist 13. One or more controllers 32 located on locomotive 10 and/or trailing car 11 may be in communication with batteries 34.

Each controller 32 may be configured to control operational aspects of its related rail vehicle. For example, controller 32 of locomotive 10 may be configured to control power distribution of its corresponding battery 34 to traction motors 26 and/or auxiliary loads of locomotive 10. Likewise, the controller 32 of trailing car 11 may be configured to control power distribution of its corresponding battery 34 to traction motors 26 and/or auxiliary loads of trailing car 11. Controller 32 may also be configured to control operational aspects of its corresponding engine 22, generator 24, traction motors 26, operator displays, and other associated components. In some embodiments, controller 32 of locomotive 10 may be further configured to control operational aspects of trailing car 11, if desired.

Each controller 32 may embody a single microprocessor or multiple microprocessors that include mechanisms for controlling an operation of the associated rail vehicle based on, among other things, input from an operator and/or one or more sensed operational parameters. Numerous commercially available microprocessors can be configured to perform the functions of controller 32. Controller 32 may include a memory, a secondary storage device, a processor, and any other components for running an application. Various other circuits may be associated with controller 32 such as power supply circuitry, signal conditioning circuitry, solenoid driver circuitry, and other types of circuitry. In some embodiments, controller 32 may include one or more modules that control various aspects of the supply of electricity within consist 13. For instance, controller 32 may include an energy management module and/or a voltage manager module.

To facilitate effective control of the supply of electricity from generator 24 to traction motors 26, controller 32 may monitor various aspects of engine operation, generator operation, and/or transmission of electricity within the system. For example, controller 32 may monitor engine speed, engine fueling, and/or engine load of their respective engines 22. Likewise, controller 32 may monitor the voltage, current, frequency, and/or phase of electricity generated by their respective generators 24. Controller 32 may also employ sensors and/or other suitable mechanisms to monitor general consist operating parameters. For example, controller 32 may monitor an actual speed of consist 13 with one or more speed sensor(s) 48.

As shown in FIG. 1, engine 22, generator 24, traction motors 26, controller 32, and batteries 34 may all contribute to a power system 30 associated with consist 13. In addition to these components, power system 30 may also include a number of renewable energy devices. For example, consist 13 may include one or more wind turbines. The wind turbines may convert kinetic energy into electrical energy that is stored in motors associated with the wind turbines. The electrical energy stored in the motors may be transferred to batteries 34 onboard locomotive 10 and/or trailing ear 11.

In the disclosed embodiment, power system 30 may include a first wind turbine 36 located within an interior of car body 12 of locomotive 10. For the purposes of this disclosure, wind turbine 36 may be a horizontal-axis wind turbine. Wind turbine 36 may be positioned adjacent to one or more vents 38 located on sides of car body 12. In the disclosed embodiment, locomotive 10 may include one vent 38 located on each side of car body 12. Vents 38 may be configured to move between an open position and a closed position to allow or block a flow of ambient air into the interior of car body 12. One or more blades of wind turbine 36 may be configured to rotate as a result of the oncoming ambient air. This rotation may generate kinetic energy, which is converted to electrical energy via a motor of wind turbine 36. This electrical energy may then be transferred to batteries 34. It is contemplated that vents 38 may be powered by wind turbine 36, or they may instead be powered by battery 34. Although only one wind turbine 36 is shown in FIG. 1, any number of wind turbines 36 located in the interior of car body 12 of locomotive 10, as desired. Also, it is contemplated that, although wind turbine 36 is shown to be associated only with locomotive 10, wind turbine 36 may also be associated with trailing car 11.

In some embodiments, controller 32 may cause vents 38 to move between the open and closed positions in response to an operational state of consist 13. For example, controller 32 may receive a braking command from the operator and/or one or more sensed parameters indicating that consist 13 is braking. As a result, controller 32 may cause vents 38 to move to the open position. It is contemplated that vents 38 may remain closed in other operational states (e.g., while consist 13 is moving).

In addition to assisting to produce electrical energy via wind turbines 36, vents 38 may also serve to provide braking resistance because of an increase in aerodynamic drag while in the open position. This added braking resistance may help to slow consist 13, thereby reducing the braking power required by traction motors 26.

Power system 30 may also include a second wind turbine 40 located on an exterior of car body 12 of locomotive 10 and/or trailing car 11. For the purposes of this disclosure, wind turbine 40 may be a vertical-axis wind turbine. It should be noted that vertical-axis wind turbines may have blades that rotate in a direction substantially perpendicular to that of horizontal-axis wind turbines, in order to produce electricity. In this manner, one of vertical-axis wind turbines and horizontal-axis wind turbines may generate more power than the other based on a direction of oncoming air. As a result, the use of either horizontal-axis and vertical axis wind turbines may be based on a location of the wind turbine and the direction of oncoming air. However, both the vertical-axis wind turbines and the horizontal-axis wind turbines may function to produce electricity in a similar manner.

In the disclosed embodiment, one wind turbine 40 is located on each of locomotive 10 and trailing car 11. Each wind turbine 40 may be at least partially disposed within an enclosure mounted to ends of the car bodies 12 of its respective rail vehicle. Wind turbines 40 may be configured to move between a first position inside the enclosure to a second position extending vertically above the enclosure. A mechanism (not shown) may cause wind turbine 40 to move between the first and second positions. This mechanism may be driven by a motor (not shown) of wind turbine 40. It is contemplated that the motor may be powered by wind turbine 40 itself, or instead powered by battery 34.

In some embodiments, wind turbine 40 may be utilized while consist 13 is stationary. For example, controller 32 may be configured to detect a speed of consist 13 via sensor 48. If a speed of consist 13 is above a threshold speed (e.g., about 0 MPH), then wind turbine 40 may not be operational and remain within the enclosure. On the other hand, if a speed of consist 13 is below a threshold speed (e.g., about 0 MPH), then wind turbine 40 may move from the first position to the second position. In the second position, wind turbine 40 may be fully operational and generate power that is transferred to battery 34 and/or other components of consist 13.

In addition to wind turbines 36, 40, power system 30 may include one or more solar panels. The solar panels may include a plurality of photovoltaic cells, which use light energy from the sun to generate electrical energy. The electrical energy produced by the solar panels may be transferred to batteries 34. In the disclosed embodiment, power system 30 may include a first solar panel 42 located along a side of car body 12, and a second solar panel 44 located on a roof of car body 12. For the purposes of this disclosure, solar panels 42, 44 may be substantially identical. As shown in FIG. 1, there may be a plurality of solar panels 42, 44 located on one or both of locomotive 10 and trailing car 11, as desired.

In some embodiments, power system 30 may also include a third, retractable solar panel 50. Solar panel 50 may be configured to move between a first position inside car body 12 and a second position outside of car body 12 in a similar manner as wind turbine 40. Also, similar to wind turbine 40, solar panel 50 may be utilized during stationary operation and generate power that is transferred to battery 34. Accordingly, solar panel 50 may move to the second position in response to the speed of consist 13 being below the threshold value. By utilizing retractable solar panels 50, this may help to increase power that is captured from the sun while consist 13 is stationary. In addition to being retractable, solar panel 50 may unfold from a closed position to an open position, thus enlarging a surface area of its body and increasing electrical energy production. It is contemplated that, although solar panel 50 is shown to be associated only with trailing car 11, solar panel 50 may also be associated with locomotive 10.

Batteries 34, wind turbines 36, 40, and solar panels 42, 44, 50, either alone or in combination, may function as auxiliary power units. In this manner, one or more of these devices may power components onboard locomotive 10 and/or trailing car 11 during stand-by modes of operation. For instance, rather than having engine 22 idling to power necessary components of consist 13, batteries 34, wind turbines 36, 40, and/or solar panels 42, 44, 50 may instead power the necessary components. This may allow engine 22 to be turned off during certain times and/or in certain areas, thus decreasing noise associated with operating consist 13.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of consist 13. As shown in FIG. 2, one or more of solar panels 42, 44 may have a cooling device 46 disposed between an exterior of car body 12 and the respective solar panel 42, 44. Cooling device 46 may embody an air-to-air heat exchanger, a liquid-to-air heat exchanger, or combinations of both, and be configured to facilitate the transfer of thermal energy away from solar panels 42, 44. In the disclosed embodiment, cooling device 46 is configured to generate a flow of air via a fan (not shown) powered by a motor. The flow of air generated by the fan may absorb the thermal energy from solar panels 42, 44. As shown in FIG. 2, cooling devices 46 may only be associated with the solar panels 42, 44 located onboard locomotive 10. These solar panels 42, 44 may experience increased operating temperatures as a result of being located adjacent to engine 22. Thus, cooling devices 46 may help to maintain solar panels 42, 44 within a desired operating temperature range, thereby preventing a decrease in performance.

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic illustration of power system 30. A method of operating power system 30 will be described in more detail below.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The disclosed power system may be applicable to any consist operation. The disclosed system may enhance power capacity of consist 13 by utilizing renewable energy sources. Specifically, wind turbines 36, 40 and solar panels 42, 44, 50 may convert wind and solar energy into electrical energy that is used to power traction motors 26. In addition, the electrical energy produced by wind turbines 36, 40 and solar panels 42, 44, 50 may be saved in batteries 34, from which any auxiliary loads of consist 13 may be powered. In this manner, the electricity generated by generator 24 may be supplemented by renewable energy, thereby reducing power and fueling required by engine 22. Additionally, wind turbine 40 and solar panel 50 may be retractable, which may help to produce additional power in stationary modes of operation. By utilizing these renewable energy sources, significant amounts of fuel may be conserved. Exemplary operations of power system 30 will now be described in detail.

Referring to FIG. 3, a main supply of electric power may be generated by generator 24 driven by engine 22. This main supply of electric power may be directed to traction motors 26, batteries 34, the auxiliary loads, and/or other components of consist 13. In addition to the main supply of electric power, auxiliary supplies of electric power may be generated via wind turbines 36, 40 and solar panels 42, 44, 50. These auxiliary supplies of electric power may be directed to batteries 34 for distribution to traction motors 26, the auxiliary loads, and/or any other components of consist 13. During operation, one or more of solar panels 42, 44 may be cooled via cooling device 46, in order to maintain a desired operating temperature.

In the disclosed embodiment, speed sensor 48 may generate a signal indicative of a speed of consist 13. Controller 32 may receive the signal and determine a speed of consist 13. Controller 32 may then use the speed to determine whether consist 13 is stationary or moving. For instance, if the signal indicates that the speed of consist 13 is below a threshold value (e.g., about 0 MPH), then controller 32 may determine that consist 13 is stationary. However, if the signal indicates that the speed of consist 13 is above the threshold value, then controller 32 may determine that consist 13 is moving. If consist 13 is stationary, controller 32 may cause one or both of wind turbine 40 and solar panel 50 to move to their respective second positions above car body 12. Controller 32 may also cause solar panel 50 to unfold to the open position while moving to its second position. On the other hand, if consist 13 is moving, wind turbine 40 and solar panel 50 may remain in their first positions inside car body 12.

While consist 13 is moving, controller 32 may receive a braking command indicating that consist 13 is braking. This braking command may be generated by an operator of consist 13 and/or determined via sensor 48 (i.e., determined based on a change in speed). If consist 13 is braking, then controller 32 may cause vents 38 to open, allowing ambient air to flow into car body 12 of locomotive 10. As vents 38 open, wind turbine 36 may use the ambient airflow to generate an auxiliary supply of electric power. If consist 13 is not braking, vents 38 may remain closed.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed system without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Other embodiments of the system will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the system disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of the disclosure being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A consist power system for a consist having a locomotive, comprising:

an engine located onboard the locomotive;

a generator driven by the engine to produce a main supply of electric power;

a wind turbine located onboard the locomotive and configured to produce a first auxiliary supply of electric power;

a solar panel located onboard the locomotive and configured to produce a second auxiliary supply of electric power;

a traction motor configured to receive the main supply of electric power and the first and second auxiliary supplies of power to propel the locomotive;

a sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of a speed of the consist; and

a controller in communication with the sensor, the wind turbine, and the solar panel, the controller being configured to selectively control at least one of the wind turbine and the solar panel based on the signal from the sensor.

2. The consist power system of claim 1, further including an energy storage system in communication with the wind turbine, the solar panel, and the traction motor, the energy storage system being configured to:

receive the first and second auxiliary supplies of power from the wind turbine and the solar panel;

store the first and second auxiliary supplies of power; and

transfer the first and second auxiliary supplies of power to at least one of the traction motor, an auxiliary load located on the consist, and a motor associated with at least one of the wind turbine and the solar panel.

3. The consist power system of claim 1, wherein the wind turbine is a vertical-axis wind turbine.

4. The consist power system of claim 1, wherein the wind turbine is at least partially disposed within an enclosure mounted to an exterior of a body of the locomotive.

5. The consist power system of claim 4, wherein the wind turbine is movable between a first position inside of the enclosure and a second position extending vertically above the enclosure.

6. The consist power system of claim 1, wherein the solar panel is movable between a first position inside of a body of the locomotive and a second position extending vertically above the body.

7. The consist power system of claim 6, wherein the solar panel is configured to unfold to increase a surface area of its body when moving to the second position.

8. The consist power system of claim 1, wherein:

the wind turbine is a first wind turbine; and

the power system further includes a second wind turbine located within an interior of a body of the locomotive and configured to produce a third auxiliary supply of electric power.

9. The consist power system of claim 8, wherein the second wind turbine is a horizontal axis wind turbine.

10. The consist power system of claim 8, further including a vent located on at least one side of the body of the locomotive, the vent being configured to move between an open position and a closed position to allow and block air flowing through the second wind turbine.

11. The consist power system of claim 1, wherein:

the solar panel is a first solar panel; and

the power system further includes a second solar panel located on an exterior of a body of the locomotive and configured to produce a third auxiliary supply of electric power.

12. The consist power system of claim 11, further including a cooling device located between the second solar panel and the exterior of the body of the locomotive.

13. A method of providing power to a consist having a locomotive, comprising:

generating a main supply of electric power with a generator driven by an engine located onboard the locomotive;

generating a first auxiliary supply of electric power with a wind turbine located onboard the locomotive;

generating a second auxiliary supply of electric power with a solar panel located onboard the locomotive;

selectively directing the main supply of electric power and the first and second auxiliary supplies of electric power to a traction motor to propel the locomotive;

determining a speed of the consist; and

selectively controlling at least one of the wind turbine and the solar panel based on the speed of the consist.

14. The method of claim 13, further including moving the wind turbine from a first position inside a body of the locomotive to a second position above the body when the speed of the consist is below a threshold value.

15. The method of claim 13, further including moving the solar panel from a first position inside a body of the locomotive to a second position above the body when the speed of the consist is below a threshold value.

16. The method of claim 15, further including unfolding the solar panel from a closed position to an open position when the speed of the consist is below the threshold value.

17. The method of claim 13, further including cooling the solar panel to maintain a desired operating temperature.

18. A consist power system for a consist having a locomotive, comprising:

an engine located onboard the locomotive;

a generator driven by the engine to produce a main supply of electric power;

a wind turbine located onboard the locomotive and configured to produce a first auxiliary supply of electric power;

a solar panel located onboard the locomotive and configured to produce a second auxiliary supply of electric power;

a traction motor configured to receive the main supply of electric power and the first and second auxiliary supplies of power to propel the locomotive;

a vent located on at least one side of a body of the locomotive; and

a controller being configured to selectively control the vent in response to a braking command.

19. The consist power system of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to move the vent between an open position and a closed position to allow and block air flowing through the wind turbine.

20. A method of providing power to a consist having a locomotive, comprising:

generating a main supply of electric power with a generator driven by an engine located onboard the locomotive;

generating a first auxiliary supply of electric power with a wind turbine located onboard the locomotive;

generating a second auxiliary supply of electric power with a solar panel located onboard the locomotive;

selectively directing the main supply of electric power and the first and second auxiliary supplies of electric power to a traction motor to propel the locomotive;

receiving a braking command indicating that the consist is braking; and

selectively opening a vent of a body of the locomotive based on the braking command.