Comfort-aware Cooperative Cruise Control of Multiple High-speed Trains: An Artificial Potential Field Approach

Abstract In this work, the cruise control problem of multiple high-speed trains movements is investigated. Different from the classical PID control method applied in the practical highspeed train operation system, in this paper, a cooperative cruise control strategy considering both safety and passenger comfort based on layered potential function is proposed. First, the cyber-physical modeling of the high-speed trains system is presented, where the physical layer models the dynamic characteristic, and the cyber layer describes the communication topology. Second, a cooperative control algorithm based on layered potential function is designed. The underlying artificial potential function is introduced to keep a safe distance between adjacent high-speed trains, and the speed consensus rule is realized through the consensus algorithm. The hyperbolic tangent function is selected as the upper artificial potential function to ensure the acceleration of the high-speed train within a comfortable range. Finally, the stability of the control system is proved by the Lyapunov stability theorem, and simulations verify the effectiveness of the control strategy.