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- Ghaviha, Nima, 1987-
(author)
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Energy Optimal Operation of Electric Trains : Development of a Driver Advisory System
- 2016
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Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The electric traction system used in trains is the most energy efficient traction system in the transportation sector. Moreover, it has the least NOx and CO2 emissions in comparison to other transportation systems (e.g. busses, passenger cars, airplanes, etc.). On the other hand, they are extremely expensive, mainly due to high installation and maintenance cost of the catenary system, including e.g. overhead lines and substations. Consequently, the share of electrified lines is only slightly higher than non-electrified lines. For instance in Europe, 60% of the railway networks are electrified, and the percentage is much lower in other continents. Battery driven trains are a new generation of electric trains that can overcome such high costs while keeping CO2 emissions and energy consumption low.At the moment, there are only two battery driven electric trains developed and both of the trains are passenger electric multiple units (EMUs). An EMU is an electric train with a traction system in more than one wagon, in contrast to loco-haul electric trains which have a traction system in one wagon only. Energy management during the operation of battery driven trains is a crucial task, as energy optimal operation of trains considering the optimal use of batteries can increase both the operating time and the lifetime of batteries. Energy efficient train operation is realized using driver advisory systems (DAS) that instructs drivers on how to drive trains for minimum energy consumption. The aim of this research is to propose an algorithm for speed profile optimization of both EMUs and battery driven EMUs. The desired algorithm should be suitable as a core component for an online DAS with short response time.Several approaches are proposed in the literature for speed profile optimization of electric trains, and a few of these have been proposed for speed profile optimization of battery driven electric trains. The trains modeled in almost all of the approaches are trains using a notch system for controlling tractive effort. The proposed solution in this research project is to use discrete dynamic programming (DP) to find the optimum speed profile. The application of DP is studied for speed profile optimization of EMUs with a notch system as well as EMUs with a smooth gliding handle for controlling tractive effort. The problem is solved for both normal EMUs and battery driven EMUs.The results of this research show that DP can provide accurate results in a reasonably short time. Moreover, the proposed algorithm can be used as a base for a DAS with fast response time (real-time).
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| 2. |
- Doganay, Kivanc
(author)
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Applications of Optimization Methods in Industrial Maintenance Scheduling and Software Testing
- 2014
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Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- As the world is getting more and more competitive, efficiency has become a bigger concern than ever for many businesses. Certain efficiency concerns can naturally be expressed as optimization problems, which is a well studied field in the academia. However, optimization algorithms are not as widely employed in industrial practice as they could. There are various reasons for the lack of widespread adoption. For example, it can be difficult or even impossible for non-experts to formulate a detailed mathematical model of the problem. On the other hand, a scientist usually does not have a deep enough understanding of critical business details, and may fail to capture enough details of the real- world phenomenon of concern. While a model at an arbitrary abstraction level is often good enough to demonstrate the optimization approach, ignoring relevant aspects can easily render the solution impractical for the industry. This is an important problem, because applicability concerns hinder the possible gains that can be achieved by using the academic knowledge in industrial practice. In this thesis, we study the challenges of industrial optimization problems in the form of four case studies at four different companies, in the domains of maintenance schedule optimization and search-based software testing. Working with multiple case studies in different domains allows us to better understand the possible gains and practical challenges in applying optimization methods in an industrial setting. Often there is a need to trade precision for applicability, which is typically very context dependent. Therefore, we compare our results against base values, e.g., results from simpler algorithms or the state of the practice in the given context, where applicable. Even though we cannot claim that optimization methods are applicable in all situations, our work serves as an empirical evidence for the usability of optimization methods for improvements in different industrial contexts. We hope that our work can encourage the adoption of optimization techniques by more industrial practitioners.
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| 3. |
- Johansson, Ingrid, 1990-
(author)
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Simulation Studies for Improved Efficiency in Road and Rail Freight Transports
- 2021
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The demand for road and rail freight transport continues to grow with the expanding economy, while the climate crisis requires reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, tools and solutions for reducing fossil fuel use and enabling more efficient use of infrastructure are needed. This thesis utilises microscopic and macroscopic traffic simulation as tools to improve certain aspects of road and rail transport planning in the operational, tactical, and strategic planning time horizons.For road freight transports conducted with heavy-duty vehicles, fuel consumption can be reduced by smarter driving. Strategic planning concerning introduction of intelligent and connected vehicles is needed, along with planning of actual vehicle operations. Microscopic road traffic simulation is utilised to show that heavy-duty vehicle platooning, which lowers the fuel consumption through reduced aerodynamic drag, can be conducted on two-lane highway stretches without disturbing surrounding traffic. Further, substantial reduction of the fuel consumption can be achieved by applying fuel-optimal deceleration trajectories, assuming available information about the traffic situation ahead.Shifting freight transports from roads to railways is another possible measure to reduce emissions. Previous simulation studies of railway traffic has mainly focused on passenger trains, combined with not including freight train departures before the scheduled timetable, even though it commonly occurs in Sweden. Therefore, both microscopic and macroscopic railway traffic simulation, with and without allowing early freight train departures, is conducted in a case study. The resulting freight train punctuality is closer to empirical punctuality when early departures are included.A modal shift from road to rail transport increases capacity utilisation of railway networks, and is only possible within available capacity. Therefore, reliable methods for capacity analysis are needed. A method for capacity analysis is introduced and evaluated, with particular focus on railway station analysis. An advantage of this method is it can be used in tactical and strategic planning of future timetables and infrastructure.
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