Abstract:
An operation control approach for heavy haul trains
to optimize their performance, including operation safety, service
quality and energy consumption, is proposed. Following a model
predictive control method, the controller is capable of scheduling
a train to operate optimally during a long section of the rail
track. In the cost function, two penalty factors are presented,
one for the braking forces and one for coupler damping effects.
The penalty for braking forces is employed to reduce energy
waste incurred by braking. The penalty for coupler damping is
introduced to alleviate the cyclic vibration of couplers, which link
adjacent cars in the train. The damping penalty is also expected
to reduce energy wasted by coupler damping and corresponding
maintenance/replacement cost of the dampers. In addition, the
weight of the velocity tracking term in the objective function is
modified to vary dynamically according to the train’s velocity
to improve the train’s overall performance. Simulations verify
the effectiveness of the proposed control approach. Discussions
over the impacts of the two penalty factors and dynamic weight
method are provided together with some suggestions on their
applications.
