SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING BRAKING EFFORT

A method (e.g., for monitoring a braking system of a vehicle system) includes monitoring fluid pressures of a braking system and modeled braking efforts of the braking system in a vehicle system traveling along a route, identifying one or more time periods at least one of before a brake event of the braking system or after the brake event, calculating residual forces exerted on the vehicle system during the one or more time periods, and determining at least one of an estimated braking effort of the braking system or an estimated propagation rate at which the estimated braking effort is applied by the braking system using the residual forces that are calculated. Travel along route 102 Measure fluid pressures of braking system 104 Model braking efforts of braking system 106 Detect brake event? 108 Measure fluid pressures of braking system 110 Model braking efforts of braking system - 12 Examine fluid pressures and modeled braking efforts from before and after brake event to identify steady state time periods 114 No Determine operational settings of vehicle system during steady state time periods j-116 Group pressures and modeled efforts according to operational settings -1 18 Calculate residual forces during steady state time periods k-120 Determine changes in residual forces between steady state time periods 1 -122 Determine estimated braking effort using changes in residual forces -124 Does estimated braking effort differ from assumed braking effort? Yes Perform remedial action 128