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2023 Volume 2 Issue 3  Published: 2023-09-10
    Research paper
  • Yangsheng Ye , Degou Cai , Qianli Zhang , Shaowei Wei , Hongye Yan , Lin Geng
    doi: 10.1108/RS-04-2023-0018
    Purpose

    This method will become a new development trend in subgrade structure design for high speed railways.

    Design/methodology/approach

    This paper summarizes the structural types and design methods of subgrade bed for high speed railways in China, Japan, France, Germany, the United States and other countries based on the study and analysis of existing literature and combined with the research results and practices of high speed railway subgrade engineering at home and abroad.

    Findings

    It is found that in foreign countries, the layered reinforced structure is generally adopted for the subgrade bed of high speed railways, and the unified double-layer or multi-layer structure is adopted for the surface layer of subgrade bed, while the simple structure is adopted in China; in foreign countries, different inspection parameters are adopted to evaluate the compaction state of fillers according to their respective understanding and practice, while in China, compaction coefficient, subsoil coefficient and dynamic deformation modulus are adopted for such evaluation; in foreign countries, the subgrade top deformation control method, the subgrade bottom deformation control method, the subsurface fill strength control method are mainly adopted in subgrade bed structure design of high speed railways, while in China, dynamic deformation control of subgrade surface and dynamic strain control of subgrade bed bottom layer is adopted in the design. However, the cumulative deformation of subgrade caused by train cyclic vibration load is not considered in the existing design methods.

    Originality/value

    This paper introduces a new subgrade structure design method based on whole-process dynamics analysis that meets subgrade functional requirements and is established on the basis of the existing research at home and abroad on prediction methods for cumulative deformation of subgrade soil.

  • Research paper
  • Jie Zhang , Yuwei Wu , Jianyong Gao , Guangjun Gao , Zhigang Yang
    doi: 10.1108/RS-04-2023-0019
    Purpose

    This study aims to explore the formation mechanism of aerodynamic noise of a high-speed maglev train and understand the characteristics of dipole and quadrupole sound sources of the maglev train at different speed levels.

    Design/methodology/approach

    Based on large eddy simulation (LES) method and Kirchhoff-Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings (K-FWH) equations, the characteristics of dipole and quadrupole sound sources of maglev trains at different speed levels were simulated and analyzed by constructing reasonable penetrable integral surface.

    Findings

    The spatial disturbance resulting from the separation of the boundary layer in the streamlined area of the tail car is the source of aerodynamic sound of the maglev train. The dipole sources of the train are mainly distributed around the radio terminals of the head and tail cars of the maglev train, the bottom of the arms of the streamlined parts of the head and tail cars and the nose tip area of the streamlined part of the tail car, and the quadrupole sources are mainly distributed in the wake area. When the train runs at three speed levels of 400, 500 and 600 km·h-1, respectively, the radiated energy of quadrupole source is 62.4%, 63.3% and 71.7%, respectively, which exceeds that of dipole sources.

    Originality/value

    This study can help understand the aerodynamic noise characteristics generated by the high-speed maglev train and provide a reference for the optimization design of its aerodynamic shape.

  • Research paper
  • Hongmei Li , Junling Shi , Xiangdong Li , Junbo Zhang , Yunlong Chen
    doi: 10.1108/RS-07-2023-0024
    Purpose

    High-speed maglev technology can address the issues of adhesion, friction, vibration and high-speed current collection in traditional wheel-rail systems, making it an important direction for the future development of high-speed rail technology.

    Design/methodology/approach

    This paper elaborates on the demand and significance of developing high-speed maglev technology worldwide and examines the current status and technological maturity of several major high-speed maglev systems globally.

    Findings

    This paper summarizes the challenges in the development of high-speed maglev railways in China. Based on this analysis, it puts forward considerations for future research on high-speed maglev railways.

    Originality/value

    This paper describes the development status and technical maturity of several major high-speed maglev systems in the world for the first time, summarizes the existing problems in the development of China's high-speed maglev railway and on this basis, puts forward the thinking of the next research of China's high-speed maglev railway.

  • Research paper
  • Shuxin Ding , Tao Zhang , Kai Sheng , Yuanyuan Chen , Zhiming Yuan
    doi: 10.1108/RS-06-2023-0023
    Purpose

    The intelligent Central Traffic Control (CTC) system plays a vital role in establishing an intelligent high-speed railway (HSR) system. As the core of HSR transportation command, the intelligent CTC system is a new HSR dispatching command system that integrates the widely used CTC in China with the practical service requirements of intelligent dispatching. This paper aims to propose key technologies and applications for intelligent dispatching command in HSR in China.

    Design/methodology/approach

    This paper first briefly introduces the functions and configuration of the intelligent CTC system. Some new servers, terminals and interfaces are introduced, which are plan adjustment server/terminal, interface for automatic train operation (ATO), interface for Dynamic Monitoring System of Train Control Equipment (DMS), interface for Power Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (PSCADA), interface for Disaster Monitoring, etc.

    Findings

    The key technologies applied in the intelligent CTC system include automatic adjustment of train operation plans, safety control of train routes and commands, traffic information data platform, integrated simulation of traffic dispatching and ATO function. These technologies have been applied in the Beijing-Zhangjiakou HSR, which commenced operations at the end of 2019. Implementing these key intelligent functions has improved the train dispatching command capacity, ensured the safe operation of intelligent HSR, reduced the labor intensity of dispatching operators and enhanced the intelligence level of China's dispatching system.

    Originality/value

    This paper provides further challenges and research directions for the intelligent dispatching command of HSR. To achieve the objectives, new measures need to be conducted, including the development of advanced technologies for intelligent dispatching command, coping with new requirements with the development of China's railway signaling system, the integration of traffic dispatching and train control and the application of AI and data-driven modeling and methods.

  • Research paper
  • Niansheng Xi , Hongmin Xu
    doi: 10.1108/RS-04-2023-0021
    Purpose

    The study aims to provide a basis for the effective use of safety-related information data and a quantitative assessment way for the occurrence probability of the safety risk such as the fatigue fracture of the key components.

    Design/methodology/approach

    The fatigue crack growth rate is of dispersion, which is often used to accurately describe with probability density. In view of the external dispersion caused by the load, a simple and applicable probability expression of fatigue crack growth rate is adopted based on the fatigue growth theory. Considering the isolation among the pairs of crack length a and crack formation time t (a~t data) obtained from same kind of structural parts, a statistical analysis approach of t distribution is proposed, which divides the crack length in several segments. Furthermore, according to the compatibility criterion of crack growth, that is, there is statistical development correspondence among a~t data, the probability model of crack growth rate is established.

    Findings

    The results show that the crack growth rate in the stable growth stage can be approximately expressed by the crack growth control curve da/dt = Q·a, and the probability density of the crack growth parameter Q represents the external dispersion; t follows two-parameter Weibull distribution in certain a values.

    Originality/value

    The probability density f(Q) can be estimated by using the probability model of crack growth rate, and a calculation example shows that the estimation method is effective and practical.

  • Research paper
  • Rongsheng Wang , Tao Zhang , Zhiming Yuan , Shuxin Ding , Qi Zhang
    doi: 10.1108/RS-05-2023-0022
    Purpose

    This paper aims to propose a train timetable rescheduling (TTR) approach from the perspective of multi-train tracking optimization based on the mutual spatiotemporal information in the high-speed railway signaling system.

    Design/methodology/approach

    Firstly, a single-train trajectory optimization (STTO) model is constructed based on train dynamics and operating conditions. The train kinematics parameters, including acceleration, speed and time at each position, are calculated to predict the arrival times in the train timetable. A STTO algorithm is developed to optimize a single-train time-efficient driving strategy. Then, a TTR approach based on multi-train tracking optimization (TTR-MTTO) is proposed with mutual information. The constraints of temporary speed restriction (TSR) and end of authority are decoupled to calculate the tracking trajectory of the backward tracking train. The multi-train trajectories at each position are optimized to generate a time-efficient train timetable.

    Findings

    The numerical experiment is performed on the Beijing-Tianjin high-speed railway line and CR400AF. The STTO algorithm predicts the train's planned arrival time to calculate the total train delay (TTD). As for the TSR scenario, the proposed TTR-MTTO can reduce TTD by 60.60% compared with the traditional TTR approach with dispatchers' experience. Moreover, TTR-MTTO can optimize a time-efficient train timetable to help dispatchers reschedule trains more reasonably.

    Originality/value

    With the cooperative relationship and mutual information between train rescheduling and control, the proposed TTR-MTTO approach can automatically generate a time-efficient train timetable to reduce the total train delay and the work intensity of dispatchers.

  • Research paper
  • Siyao Li , Bo Yuan , Yun Bai , Jianfeng Liu
    doi: 10.1108/RS-07-2023-0025
    Purpose

    To address the problem that the current train operation mode that train selects one of several offline pre-generated control schemes before the departure and operates following the scheme after the departure, energy-saving performance of the whole metro system cannot be guaranteed.

    Design/methodology/approach

    A cooperative train control framework is formulated to regulate a novel train operation mode. The classic train four-phase control strategy is improved for generating specific energy-efficient control schemes for each train. An improved brute force (BF) algorithm with a two-layer searching idea is designed to solve the optimisation model of energy-efficient train control schemes.

    Findings

    Case studies on the actual metro line in Guangzhou, China verify the effectiveness of the proposed train control methods compared with four-phase control strategy under different kinds of train operation scenarios and calculation parameters. The verification on the computation efficiency as well as accuracy of the proposed algorithm indicates that it meets the requirement of online optimisation.

    Originality/value

    Most existing studies optimised energy-efficient train timetable or train control strategies through an offline process, which has a defect in coping with the disturbance or delays effectively and promptly during real-time train operation. This paper studies an online optimisation of cooperative train control based on the rolling optimisation idea, where energy-efficient train operation can be realised once train running time is determined, thus mitigating the impact of unpredictable operation situations on the energy-saving performance of trains.