Real-time model-based controller of maximum adhesion forces for a rail vehicle

The improvement of tractive effort of a hauling locomotive is a key issue for freight rollingstock operations. In this paper, a traction control system based on a real time contact model has been developed and uses direct torque feedback control techniques with a slip compensation fuzzy controller. The verification of the model has been carried out by means of a co-simulation between the Gensys multibody software package and Simulink, which presents a fully detailed dynamic vehicle model of a hauling locomotive and combines this with control modelling.