Aspects of automatic train control

This thesis describes research and development. work carried out by the author into the control of traction and braking systems on rail vehicles. After a review of recent developments, the problem of. driving a train under minimum-energy control subject·to timetable and operational constraints is discussed. This is partitioned into two sections. Firstly, target time and velocities for key pOints on the journey are computed; these are communicated to or stored on the train, together with route and vehicle data. Secondly, an on-board digital system drives the train to each target according to control algorithms which incorporate a predictorcorrector module, whose function is to determine which of two criteria of performance is to be used (minimum-energy when running early or on-time, minimum-time when running late). Most of the thesis is devoted to the analysis and design of the train-borne control system. The general form of the optimal control (of tractive or braking effort) is determined by the application of Pontryagin's Maximum Principle over each section of the journey. However, the moments of transition between the various modes of control are calculated by a method which involves a lookahead model in the predictor module, rather than by iterative solution of the state and co-state equations . An important aspect of the design is the dynamic response of the braking SUb-system, which may include a substantial pneumatic transport lag within the control loop. S-plane and z-plane design procedures for the required discrete control algorithms to.achieve a specified transient response are derived. The thesis concludes with a chapter on the instrumentation required for the train-borne control system.