Institute of Rail Traffic Control

1.Research Areas

Virtual simulations for rail traffic communication and control and their application to teaching, including Applications of MCU and the Embedded System, Virtual Simulation of Rail Traffic Automation and Control.

High-speed maglev operation control, medium-low-speed maglev operation control, computer interlocking systems, communication-based train control, automatic control of railway signaling, advanced control theory.

Protection techniques, theory, methods, application of rail traffic operation control system against electromagnetic interference from electrified railway and lightning in railway signal systems.

Test techniques, instrumentation and control and power electronics.

Multi-objective train control and scheduling, fault diagnosis and prognosis technology, dispatch scheduling optimization algorithms for subway, heavy-haul, and high-speed trains, especially the energy-efficient train control methods.

Autonomous System Control and its applications.

Image processing, pattern recognition, and deep learning.

2. Platform Highlight

• National Virtual Simulation Experiment Teaching Center for Rail Traffic Communication and Control

The ‘National Virtual Simulation Experiment Teaching Center for Rail Traffic Communication and Control’ of BJTU has been granted by Ministry of Education as a national-level virtual simulation experiment teaching center in January 2015. The center’s design strives to adhere to fault-safety principle, keep up with the technological frontiers, integrate the newly acquired research results into routine teaching, attach equal importance to both theoretical knowledge and engineering practice and promote resource openness. By cooperating with multiple local railway administrations and other research and operation units, the center has established four virtual reality simulation platforms: CBTC for urban rail transit, CTCS for high-speed railway, train-ground communication for rail transit and electromagnetic compatibility for rail transit. Based on electromagnetic compatibility of the rail transit, these simulation platforms have applied train-ground wireless digital communication to achieve the goal of safe and efficient train control.

 

• Maglev and Railway Signal Platform

The Railway Signal Laboratory was established by Professor Hongze Xu. This multi-disciplinary group researches a broad range of rail transit topics including: high-speed maglev operation control, medium-low-speed maglev operation control, computer interlocking systems, communication-based train control, automatic control of railway signaling, advanced control theory.

• Anti-interference Research Center on Railway Signaling

Anti-interference Research Center on Railway Signaling belongs to the former anti-electromagnetic interference research center of Northern Jiaotong University. It was separated from the former transportation automation research laboratory in the late 1980s.

The laboratory is a scientific research unit with distinctive characteristics of railway and rail transit. The main research area is the traction current and lightning interference in railway signal systems and relevant anti-interference techniques. It is an anti-electrification interference testing institution for signal equipment approved by the former Ministry of Railways. It undertakes important testing and scientific research tasks in the selection of automatic block for Wu-Guang Railway, the construction and expansion of Daqin Railway, and the construction of high-speed railways. It has been undertaking the test of traction current immunity of railway signal equipment. It has traction current simulation system, conductive interference test equipment, grounding resistance test equipment and other instruments and equipment.

 

3. Courses

Undergraduate courses include:

-Microcomputer Principle and Interface Technology

-Automatic Control Principles

-Automatic Control of Railway Station Signaling

-Computer Control system

-Electromagnetic Compatibility Technique in Railway Signaling;

-Principles and Applications of MCU

-Rail Traffic Control Engineering

Graduate courses include:

-Embedded System

-Anti-interference Techniques on Track circuit of Railway Signaling and Lightning Protection

-High-speed Maglev Train system

-Advanced signal detection techniques

-Engineering Ethics

Scientific achievements in the field are also combined during the process of writing the textbooks.

 

4. Scientific Achievements

Key projects:

1. “Virtual Simulation Experiment Project on Rail Traffic Train Control”, National Virtual Simulation Experimental Teaching Project

2. National Key R&D Program of China: Key technology research and core equipment development of high-speed maglev train operation control system (engineering application), 2017-2020.

3. 863 Project, On-chip adaptive control algorithm development based characteristic model

4. National Natural Science Foundation of China:  Research on Key Issues of Vehicle Vision Detection in Complex Traffic Environment

5. National Natural Science Foundation of China: Traffic Sign Recognition Based on Integration of Global and Local Features

6. National Natural Science Foundation of China: Safety justification and conflict prevention based on model prediction and evidence theory for the operations of high-speed trains in a railway network

7. National Natural Science Foundation of China，“Fault Detection and Tolerant Control for Markovian Jump Singular Systems” (No. 61203041 ),

8. 2016-2018, Standards study on “Traction current immunity test method for railway signaling apparatus—Part 1 and 2”, China Railway Corporation

 

Standard:

“Q/CR 628.1-2017 Traction current immunity test method for railway signaling apparatus—Part I:Track circuits” , 2017-11-14

“TB/T 3073-2003 EMC tests and limits for railway electrical signaling apparatus” published by Ministry of Railway of China, Beijing, 2003-03-12

 

Awards:

The 2nd Prize of Scientific and Engineering Award by State Council of China. 2017

The 1st Prize of Scientific and Engineering Award by China Railway Society. 2014

 

5. Teaching Achievement

-National excellent online open course: Principles and Applications of MCU, 2017

-The first prize of teaching achievement of higher education in Beijing , 2018

-The first prize of national teaching achievement (8/12), 2014

-Beijing higher education teaching achievement prize, 2013

 

6. Publication

Shenghua Dai, “Embedded System”, China Railway Publishing House. May 2008.

Shenghua Dai et al., “Principles and Applications of MCU”, Tsinghua University Press & Beijing Jiaotong University Press. April 2005.

Hongze Xu, Automatic Control of Railway Station Signaling, China Railway Publishing House, ISBN 978-7-113-13981-0, 2012.

Hongze Xu, Computer Interlocking System of Railway Station Signaling, China Railway Publishing House, ISBN 978-7-113-13981-0, 2012.

Shiwu Yang. Electromagnetic Compatibility Technique in Railway Signaling, China Railway Publishing House, ISBN 978-7-113-11804-4, 2010