Use of Computer Technologies in the Railway Infrastructure Elements Modeling and Train Traffic Control Systems Simulator Development

摘要

Railway traffic control is a complex multilevel system, research, and enhancement of which could make use of mathematical modeling. Simulation of infrastructural elements is a set of methods used in railway section design, traffic modeling, tools functionality modeling, and simulating the process safety systems. The basic concept of designing the infrastructural elements is based on creating a multilayer linked data structure generated based on AutoCAD layers. Preparing the input data for simulation implies describing the aspects of a constructed world, i.e., generating a railway section, placing the switches and signals, installing control and safety systems. The topological map of a railroad can be described by linear differential equations, which means we could use mathematics to build the plan and profile of the track elements as well as to calculate the position of moving units in a simulated space. Due to the high computational complexity of using high-degree polynomials for the approximation of railway sections, we propose partitioning complex curves into cubic splines. Practical use of this method proves it efficient for both designing a virtual railway section and for programming a functional model. Simulation of control systems is based on specially developed algorithms that use recursive problem-solving methods; coupled with a modular architecture, this feature enables the model to self-organize. Based on computer simulations, we have created an SW/HW simulator to be used for the training and retraining of railway personnel. Multilayer data structuring, modularity, hierarchical structure and openness of the architecture also enable using this development to generate objective models for various kinds of applied research.