Velocity Trajectory Planning of the Autonomous-Rail Rapid Tram Considering Terrain and Traffic lights

An optimal velocity trajectory planning strategy for the Autonomous-Rail Rapid Tram (ART) is proposed in this paper to guarantee the punctuality of operation, minimize energy consumption, and improve the energy efficiency, considering terrain and traffic lights. A multi-particle model based on the longitudinal dynamics of the ART is adopted in the strategy design, which can accurately describe the forces applied to three carriages of the ART on different terrain. In order to pass the traffic lights at green time and reach the destination within the predetermined time margin with minimal energy consumption, an optimization strategy based on dynamic programming (DP) algorithm is constructed for velocity trajectory planning. Simulations in Matlab/Simulink environment are conducted to validate effectiveness of the proposed velocity planning strategy. The simulation results illustrate that the ART could reach the station on time accurately without stopping at the traffic light. When compared to the constant speed cruising, the proposed strategy could obtain 18.3% reduction of energy consumption, which verifies its superiority and practicability in energy saving.