An algorithm to optimize speed profiles of the metro vehicles for minimizing energy consumption

The calculation of optimal driving speed profiles for metro vehicles that improve energy saving and, thus, reduce costs, are investigated. The optimization problem is solved in two different steps: in the first one, a Dynamic Programming Optimization (DPO) algorithm (including slopes and curves effects) is used to find a set of pseudo-optimal speed cycles; the objective is to minimize the electrical energy used for traction subject to constraints such as travel time, trip distance, acceleration limits, etc. In the second optimization step, the speed profiles set are evaluated in a simulation tool implemented to estimate the power flow among vehicles through the metro network. A test campaign monitoring the saved energy and main electric variables have been implemented and the presented results showing the effectiveness of the performance of the proposed optimization algorithm.