Increase of metro line capacity by optimisation of track circuit length and location: In a distance to go system

The signalling system affects the type of service that can be provided on any particular railway line. The aims set when it comes to designing these systems to operate a railway line are: to ensure safety of operation and to ensure flexible and efficient running. When building a line capacity optimisation algorithm, it must reach a compromise solution between two parameters: minimise the interval between trains and keep journey time as low as possible. This paper aims to describe the algorithm developed between METRO DE MADRID and CITEF (Railway Technology Research Centre of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid – UPM) that allows the capacity of an underground line equipped with ATP Distance To Go systems to be studied and optimised. This algorithm facilitates the tasks of signalling design and optimisation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

GIS-based highway design review system to improve constructability of design

This paper presents a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a tool which can help highway engineers review a completed highway design to improve its constructability. The GIS can link different data sets together using geographical location as the common key between the data sets to perform various spatial operations. In this paper, the GIS is used to integrate various highway design data using a common milepost referencing system. The GIS allows the integration of the highway design information by establishing common spatial relationships between various highway design features and their geographical locations. The GIS can provide a comprehensive platform upon which all aspects of the highway project review process can be built. This paper also addresses the interface of GIS with the existing highway project data bases and computer-aided design files. The proposed GIS-based highway design review system can improve the constructability of the highway design at an early design review stage.     

天然气长输管道仿真系统的设计

介绍了天然气长输管道仿真系统的的开发过程。在设计过程中,使用VC 来编制计算程序,使用“组态王”来制作图形界面和建立数据库。这种仿真系统有助于操作者迅速掌握管道动态运行时全线水力过程的变化。     

Microscopic pedestrian simulation model combined with a tactical model for route choice behaviour

This study proposes a microscopic pedestrian simulation model for evaluating pedestrian flow. Recently, several pedestrian models have been proposed to evaluate pedestrian flow in crowded situations for the purpose of designing facilities. However, current pedestrian simulation models do not explain the negotiation process of collision avoidance between pedestrians, which can be important for representing pedestrian behaviour in congested situations. This study builds a microscopic model of pedestrian behaviour using a two-player game and assuming that pedestrians anticipate movements of other pedestrians so as to avoid colliding with them. A macroscopic tactical model is also proposed to determine a macroscopic path to a given destination. The results of the simulation model are compared with experimental data and observed data in a railway station. Several characteristics of pedestrian flows such as traffic volume and travel time in multidirectional flows, temporal–spatial collision avoidance behaviour and density distribution in the railway station are reproduced in the simulation.     

Formalizing a subset of ERTMS/ETCS specifications for verification purposes

ERTMS is the standard railway control-command and signaling system which aims to ensure railway interoperability throughout Europe while enhancing safety and competitiveness. ERTMS is composed of two main subsystems which include GSM-R, a radio system for enabling communication between the train and the traffic management center and ETCS, an automatic train protection system (ATP) to replace the existing national ATP systems. The ERTMS specifications are defined by means of standard documents which set out the requirements ensuring interoperability. These documents evolve regularly to give rise to successive versions. The ERTMS/ETCS standard defines different levels and operation modes according to various trackside and onboard setups and some operational conditions. Given the complexity and the high criticality of railway operation, verification and validation (V&V) are crucial tasks in railway application development.In this paper, after setting the background and the motivations, a mechanizable formalization of a subset of ERTMS/ETCS specifications relative to ETCS modes and transitions is developed. The present work aims to offer a readily available model for formal V&V. Using formal techniques to check SRS is highly recommended to tackle the complexity of the defined requirements and prevent specification errors. Model-checking technique, which is targeted here, offers exhaustive analysis of the system behavior based on its model and is highly automated, since it is supported by software tools. Based on the last available version of SRS specifications, a progressive process is undertaken to get a formal model which makes explicit the various modes characterized by their respective active functions, as well as the numerous combinations of conditions for switching between modes. The various steps guiding the translation of the SRS literal specifications into a formal model are explained. As will be shown through different examples, the obtained model is a convenient basis to check safety, interoperability and liveness properties.     

ARTEMIS: French-German project for railway movements command and control

The development of railway transportation, especially through the gradual implementation of high-speed European network, is inciting railway companies to design railway movements command and control systems to enhance technical performance in terms of throughput and control of disturbances while simultaneously minimizing operational costs. The new command-control systems must be modular, adaptable and evolutive structures from both functional and geographical viewpoints if they are to satisfy all operational needs. Concurrent research into performance enhancement and cost reduction prescribes a system in which the majority of the “real time” components are aboards the locomotives. This is particularly true for those components used by the train to indicate its own position on the network as well as those enabling it to converse with operational control centers. The initial task is to design a global architecture of the command-control system that satisfies modularity and availability criteria followed by the development of numerous technical components including radar self-location systems and cellular radio transmission networks. The French (SNCF) and German (DB) national railways have implemented a vast program of co-operation aimed at providing valid, proven answers to these problems so as to allow their trains to travel freely on either network.     

A simulation model of reliable schedule design for a fixed transit route

This paper describes a simulation model of schedule design for a fixed transit route adopting the holding control strategy. The model is capable of determining the locations of time points and the amount of slack time allocated to each time point by minimizing the total cost associated with the schedule. The optimization is carried out through a process, which combines a heuristic search, enumeration, and population ranking and selection techniques. Examples showing applications and potential savings of the proposed model are given. It is shown that the model can serve as a practical tool for designing reliable, economical as well as operational transit schedules.     

已建碳钢管海底管道结构强度评估

当已建碳钢管海底管道因为延寿、使用功能变化或者其他原因导致设计基础发生变化时,为确保碳钢管海底管道继续安全可靠的运行,需要对其结构强度进行评估。对于已建碳钢管海底管道结构强度的评估方法,国际上相关设计标准仅给出了指导意见。文中根据评估时间的不同,将已建碳钢管海底管道结构强度评估分为寿命期内评估和超过寿命期评估两大类,并系统总结了这两类结构强度评估的工作内容和评估方法。     

Conflict Resolution through Negotiation in a Railway Open Access Market: a Multi-agent System Approach

Abstract

Open access reforms to railway regulations allow multiple train operators to provide rail services on a common infrastructure. As railway operations are now independently managed by different stakeholders, conflicts in operations may arise, and there have been attempts to derive an effective access charge regime so that these conflicts may be resolved. One approach is by direct negotiation between the infrastructure manager and the train service providers. Despite the substantial literature on the topic, few consider the benefits of employing computer simulation as an evaluation tool for railway operational activities such as access pricing. This article proposes a multi-agent system (MAS) framework for the railway open market and demonstrates its feasibility by modelling the negotiation between an infrastructure provider and a train service operator. Empirical results show that the model is capable of resolving operational conflicts according to market demand.     

Traffic evacuation simulation based on multi-level driving decision model

Traffic evacuation is a critical task in disaster management. Planning its evacuation in advance requires taking many factors into consideration such as the destination shelter locations and numbers, the number of vehicles to clear, the traffic congestions as well as traffic road configurations. A traffic evacuation simulation tool can provide the emergency managers with the flexibility of exploring various scenarios for identifying more accurate model to plan their evacuation. This paper presents a traffic evacuation simulation system based on integrated multi-level driving-decision models which generate agents’ behavior in a unified framework. In this framework, each agent undergoes a Strategic, Cognitive, Tactical and Operational (SCTO) decision process, in order to make a driving decision. An agent’s actions are determined by a combination, on each process level, of various existing behavior models widely used in different driving simulation models. A wide spectrum of variability in each agent’s decision and driving behaviors, such as in pre-evacuation activities, in choice of route, and in the following or overtaking the car ahead, are represented in the SCTO decision process models to simulate various scenarios. We present the formal model for the agent and the multi-level decision models. A prototype simulation system that reflects the multi-level driving-decision process modeling is developed and implemented. Our SCTO framework is validated by comparing with MATSim tool, and the experimental results of evacuation simulation models are compared with the existing evacuation plan for densely populated Beijing, China in terms of various performance metrics. Our simulation system shows promising results to support emergency managers in designing and evaluating more realistic traffic evacuation plans with multi-level agent’s decision models that reflect different levels of individual variability of handling stress situations. The flexible combination of existing behavior and decision models can help generating the best evacuation plan to manage each crisis with unique characteristics, rather than resorting to a fixed evacuation plan.     

管道内污水两相流的阻力计算

目前的污水管道设计是将污水在管道内的流动视为单相均匀流,主要用谢才(Chezy)公式进行水力计算。由于存在管线长、流量大以及区域地形变化幅度较大等因素,建设区域排水系统需要采用新的方法,以便较准确的计算水头损失。文中将污水视为液-固两相流体。对于沿程阻力的计算,将流体分为均质流与非均质流,分别给出沿程阻力系数的计算公式;对于局部阻力,则借用气-固两相流动的局部阻力系数计算公式。最后得出了两相流情况下与单相流情况下的阻力系数区别。结论是沿程阻力系数的区别可不计,局部阻力系数差别较大,在进行设计时必须考虑。     

穿洞河大桥高墩合理尺寸的计算探讨

大桥桥墩的设计是全桥设计至关重要的一环。文章结合穿洞河大桥桥墩设计计算实例,介绍高墩合理尺寸的计算公式及推算过程,并通过对比分析得出较为经济合理的桥墩截面尺寸构造形式。     

高铁站功能区布局优化模型研究

为使高铁站功能区的布局更加科学合理,论文以旅客在高铁站房内的平均走行时间最少和高铁站建造成本最低为目标,综合考虑功能区的面积、长宽比例、功能区禁止重叠、流线等约束条件,构建基于多目标混合规划的高铁站功能区布局优化模型,通过算例验证了模型的有效性。该方法得出的结论可以为高铁站功能区布局的规划设计提供参考。     

郑西客专高桥隧道下穿既有铁路设计与施工

郑西客专高桥隧道出口下穿既有南同蒲铁路段集成了特浅埋、大断面、新黄土、小角度下穿等技术难点,由于浅埋、新黄土隧道施工易发生较大变形甚至突然性塌方,为确保下穿段施工安全和既有线运营安全、同时保证隧道建设工期,通过技术经济比选,最终确定采用超前管棚+双层支护+台阶法方案。现场通过地表对既有线进行加固、洞内100 m长管棚超前支护和双层喷锚支护,以及仰拱快速封闭等技术手段,实现了采用台阶法安全、快速下穿通过既有铁路段的目的。文章介绍了方案比选情况和现场施工情况,对试验测试情况进行了总结分析,对大断面黄土隧道下穿既有铁路段采用双层支护台阶法的适用性进行了评价,并提出了其技术关键和相关注意事项,为类似工程提供了一种新的建设思路。     

全断面岩石掘进机平面刀盘上盘形滚刀磨损研究

我国秦岭隧道出口TBM施工工程实践表明,TBM刀具的检查、更换和刀盘维修时间约占施工时间的三分之一,其刀具费用约占工程建设费用的三分之一,其中刀刃磨损数量约占刀具消耗量的80%,因此,进行全断面岩石掘进机平面刀盘上刀具磨损研究具有非常重要的意义。文章在分析TBM刀具位移的基础上,提出了刀具的侧滑磨损系数、侵深磨损系数和滚动磨损系数及其计算方法,探讨了三方向位移对刀具磨损的影响,建立了TBM刀盘上正刀和过渡滚刀破岩刃上破岩点弧长的计算公式,并将破岩刃破岩点弧长与刀具磨损量进行了对比分析。     

瓮马铁路南北延伸线引入都匀地区方案研究

通过分析都匀地区既有铁路现状及规划铁路,结合瓮马铁路货物流向,提出了瓮马铁路南延线引入黔桂线的必要性。结合都匀地区地形、城市规划和自然保护区范围,研究了瓮马铁路在黔桂线的前方站(都匀北站)或黔桂线绿荫湖站设置交接场引入都匀地区的方案,考虑到运营管理分解划分明确,减少折角运输,一次性建成南北直通通道,吸引国铁直通车流等因素,宜采用设置都匀北站交接场的方案。根据线路引入既有黔桂线接轨点的不同,对双线区间接轨方案、新都匀站站房同侧引入方案和新都匀站站房对侧引入方案进行分析,从工程量、工程投资、运输组织、施工难度及风险、投资建设模式等方面比较,得出双线区间接轨引入都匀地区方案最优。     

Evaluating the effects of bus design on passenger flow: Is agent-based simulation a feasible approach?

In this paper, we propose an agent-based simulation approach that is capable of simulating the flow of passengers on board buses and at bus stops. The intention is that it will be applied during vehicle development to analyze how vehicle design affects passenger flow, and thus also how it affects system performance such as dwell time. In turn, this could aid the developers in making design decisions early in the development process. Besides introducing the simulation tool itself, the paper explores the realism of the data generated by the tool. A number of passenger flow experiments featuring a full-scale bus mockup and 50 participants were carried out. The setup of these experiments mirrored a number of ‘bus journeys’ (regarding vehicle design, number of passengers boarding/alighting at each stop and so on) that had previously been simulated using the simulation tool. When the data from the simulations were compared with the data from the passenger flow experiments, it could be concluded that the tool is indeed able to generate realistic passenger flows, although with some errors when a large number of passengers board/alight. The simulated dwell times were rationally affected by the tested bus layout aspects. It was concluded that the tool makes it possible to evaluate how variations in bus layouts affect passenger flow, providing data of sufficiently high quality to be useful in early phases of vehicle design.     

Performability evaluation of the ERTMS/ETCS – Level 3

Level 3 of the ERTMS/ETCS improves the capacity of railways by replacing fixed-block signalling, which prevents a train to enter a block occupied by another train, with moving block signalling, which allows a train to proceed as long as it receives radio messages ensuring that the track ahead is clear of other trains. If messages are lost, a train must stop for safety reasons within a given deadline, even though the track ahead is clear, making the availability of the communication link crucial for successful operation.We combine analytic evaluation of failures due to burst noise and connection losses with numerical solution of a non-Markovian model representing also failures due to handovers between radio stations. In so doing, we show that handovers experienced by a pair of chasing trains periodically affect the availability of the radio link, making behavior of the overall communication system recurrent over the hyper-period of periodic message releases and periodic arrivals at cell borders. As a notable aspect, non-Markovian transient analysis within two hyper-periods is sufficient to derive an upper bound on the first-passage time distribution to an emergency brake, permitting to achieve a trade-off between railway throughput and stop probability. A sensitivity analysis is performed with respect to train speed and headway distance, permitting to gain insight into the consequences of system-level design choices.     

Sensory system for obstacle detection on high-speed lines

This work presents an intelligent system which allows the detection of obstacles on railways. The sensory system is based on one barrier of infrared emitters and another of receivers, placed on opposing sides of the railway. Obstacle detection is achieved by a lack of reception in the detectors. The efficiency of the system is improved with the geometrical distribution of the sensory system and the encoding used at the emitting and receiving stages. Additionally optimal estimation techniques have been proposed to avoid false alarms, based on Kalman and H∞ filtering. Furthermore, Principal Component Analysis is applied to validate the obstacle detection, and to improve the efficiency of the system. A high reliability under adverse conditions is obtained with the barrier, it now being possible to detect the presence of obstacles, and to report on their position.     

Perspectives of high speed rail transport in short-medium period

In this paper an analytic method to evaluate technical and economic conditions of convenience for new high speed lines in guided transport systems, is described. In particular it answers the following main questions: what are the conditions to construct a new high speed line; what is the optimal operational speed of a new line; which is the better between two systems, differing in costs structure and quality of performance? It is shown that a modern railway, able to reach a speed up to 300 km/h, is in short-medium period better than contactless systems so far tested. In the last part of the paper a hypothesis of a new generation contactless system is outlined. A comparison with high speed railway shows that, from a theoretical point of view, this new system called “synthesis solution,” could be in the future the real competitor of the railway.