Measurements-based constrained control optimization in presence of uncertainties with application to the driver commands for high-speed trains

The railway world is undergoing major changes. The advent of new technologies allows us to rethink the train system and face new challenges, but one must not forget all the ecological constraints that are now accentuated by the increase in energy costs. This paper focuses on the optimization of the driver commands to limit the energy consumption of the trains under punctuality and security constraints. This problem falls within the framework of control optimization problems for nonlinear dynamic mechanical systems in the presence of constraints and uncertainties. A four-step approach is then proposed in this paper to solve this problem: (1) the introduction of simplified and fast-to-evaluate models to model the nonlinear dynamic behavior of the train and its energy consumption; (2) the identification in a Bayesian formalism of the parameters on which these models depend from on-track measurements on commercial trains; (3) the reformulation of the optimization problem so that it integrates the uncertainties related to an imperfect knowledge of these estimated parameters; (4) the resolution of the optimization problem using evolutionary algorithms. The main specificity of this work lies in the fact that not only the objective function to be minimized, here the energy consumed by the train, is impacted by the uncertainties, but also the admissibility constraints of the solution, here punctuality and operating safety. The integration of the uncertainties in the search for the control function is thus not trivial and requires several original adaptations in order to make the final optimization problem well posed.

Automated summary

This paper focuses on optimizing driver commands to limit energy consumption of trains under punctuality and security constraints. A four-step approach is proposed, involving simplified modeling, parameter identification, reformulation of the optimization problem, and using evolutionary algorithms. The challenge lies in integrating uncertainties into the optimization problem.