Modeling and Energy-Optimal Control for Freight Trains based on Data-Driven Approaches

Abstract

This paper focuses on the energy optimization problem of traction substations. The paper addresses the difficulty of considering time-varying parameters and environmental characteristics of freight train in mechanism modeling. In response, a new optimization method called “Modeling and Energy-Optimal Control for Freight Trains based on Data-Driven Approaches” is proposed. Firstly, a data-driven model considering the “Train-Track-Power grid” (TTP) is constructed based on recorded data. The energy optimization problem is regarded as a finite Markov decision process. A dynamic programming (DP) algorithm is utilized to optimize the train’s control force. The data-driven model is then used to solve for the train’s speed curve, traction substation power, and contact network voltage. Secondly, a multi-input multi-output self-organizing fuzzy neural network (MIMO-SOFNN) model is designed during the modeling process, and an Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm with self-adaption damping factor (SA-LM) is proposed for model parameter learning. Finally, experimental analysis is conducted to validate the high accuracy of the MIMO-SOFNN model compared to five other models. The effectiveness of the SA-LM algorithm is also verified through a comparison with five other algorithms. In the energy optimization experiments, when compared with the actual operation data of a freight railway company in China, the proposed energy optimization method in this paper reduces the energy consumption of the traction substation by 34.8%.