A robust control strategy for virtual coupling train platoons

Abstract

This paper presents a train robust control method to optimize train operation based on the concept virtual coupling on train platoon. This approach is inspired by the recent development of platoon control for autonomous vehicles, and it is hoped that this platoon control can be applied to railway transportation. We use a decentralized model predictive control (MPC) to control leading train and followers together. To solve the complexity minimax objective function, we reformulated objective function as a minimization problem subject to linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). We defined four weight parameters to evaluate the model. Simulation result indicated that based on the premise of platoon stability, increase the performance parameters to obtain an optimal solution. We show that after the virtual coupling of less than two minutes, the gap distance between two consecutive trains is reduced and the capacity is increased while ensuring safey.