Speed profile optimization of an electric train with on-board energy storage and continuous tractive effort

Electric traction system is the most energy efficient traction system in railways. Nevertheless, not all railway networks are electrified, which is due to high maintenance and setup cost of overhead lines. One solution to the problem is battery-driven trains, which can make the best use of the electric traction system while avoiding the high costs of the catenary system. Due to the high power consumption of electric trains, energy management of battery trains are crucial in order to get the best use of batteries. This paper suggests a general algorithm for speed profile optimization of an electric train with an on-board energy storage device, during catenary-free operation on a given line section. The approach is based on discrete dynamic programming, where the train model and the objective function are based on equations of motion rather than electrical equations. This makes the model compatible with all sorts of energy storage devices. Unlike previous approaches which consider trains with throttle levels for tractive effort, the new approach considers trains in which there are no throttles and tractive effort is controlled with a controller (smooth gliding handle with no discrete levels). Furthermore, unlike previous approaches, the control variable is the velocity change instead of the applied tractive effort. The accuracy and performance of the discretized approach is evaluated in comparison to the formal movement equations in a simulated experimented using train data from the Bombardier Electrostar series and track data from the UK.