Research on virtual coupling technology in rail transit train collision protection

In the research on the new generation of intelligent rail transit system, the prevention of train collision safety accidents is still a focus. Virtual coupling technology is a technology that cooperatively controls the running speed and interval distance of two or more trains through Train-to-Train(T2T) train workshop direct communication technology. The aim is to form a coordinated logical whole and jointly complete the train control and dispatching organization. In this paper, a virtual coupling train formation control method based on model predictive control (MPC) framework is proposed. From the aspects of the establishment of virtual coupling system, the construction of MPC model and decoupling method, how to integrate virtual coupling technology into the rail transit train collision protection is studied. And the safety and reliability of the system are calculated through fault tree and the method of constructing reliability function. The research shows that, if virtual coupling technology is used as a method of train collision protection, the overall safety and reliability of the train control system will be improved.