Relay cascade control system and method for grouped heavy haul train

Abstract

The invention relates to a relay cascade control system and method for a grouped heavy haul train, and belongs to the technical field of cascade control, the relay cascade control system comprises a master control locomotive and a master control operation end ECP control device A in the master control locomotive, and a slave control locomotive and a slave control operation end ECP control device B and a slave control operation end ECP control device A in the slave control locomotive; a master control operation end ECP control device A sends a first message to a slave control operation end ECP control device B according to set train marshalling information, receives a second message returned by the master control operation end ECP control device A and then generates a relay reconnection result, and a master control marshalling and a slave control marshalling are initialized by combining the slave control operation end ECP control device A to obtain initialization results; and the master control operation end ECP control equipment A broadcasts an operation mode authorization instruction and sends a braking control instruction to the slave control operation end ECP control equipment A so as to control the slave control marshalling to execute braking or relieving operation, and reliable distributed cooperative braking control over the heavy-load marshalling train is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cascade control technology, specifically to a relay cascade control system and method for assembling heavy-haul trains. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of heavy-haul railway transportation towards higher efficiency and larger scale, the formation of heavy-haul combined trains exceeding 20,000 tons has become crucial for improving transport capacity. However, the doubling of train length presents significant challenges to the internal braking control system, which is based on cable-connected ECP mode and LonWorks communication network. To ensure the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of such ultra-long train formations, an innovative cascaded control method is urgently needed to achieve unified, stable, and coordinated control of multiple train formation units.

[0003] Currently, in existing methods, heavy-haul combined trains of 20,000 tons and above still use the traditional single direct connection communication architecture. All vehicle nodes of the entire train are connected through a LonWorks physical bus running from head to tail, and are centrally managed by the main control unit located in the head locomotive. All braking commands and status information are broadcast and collected through this single long-distance bus. Its control logic essentially treats the ultra-long train as a whole network for communication and scheduling.

[0004] In the aforementioned prior art, due to the inherent attenuation characteristics of LonWorks communication signals during long-distance cable transmission, the signal attenuation increases sharply when the train formation length exceeds 10,000 tons. This directly leads to excessively low communication signal strength at the vehicle nodes located at the rear of the train. Under complex electromagnetic interference, problems such as excessive packet loss rate, asynchronous command response, and even control failure are very likely to occur, seriously threatening the operational safety and control reliability of long and heavy-haul trains and making it difficult to meet actual operational requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of related technologies, the present invention aims to provide a relay cascade control system and method for assembling heavy-haul trains, thereby solving the technical problem that in existing technologies, the single direct-connection LonWorks bus suffers from severe signal attenuation in ultra-long train formations exceeding 10,000 tons, resulting in unreliable communication at the tail end and failing to meet the control requirements of heavy-haul trains.

[0006] This invention provides a relay cascade control system for assembling heavy-haul trains, comprising: The main control locomotive, which is installed in the main control formation of a heavy-haul train, includes: The main control operation terminal ECP control device A is used to perform the initialization of the main control group and generate braking control commands in the operation mode; A slave locomotive, which is installed in the slave control group of the heavy-haul train and is communicatively connected to the master locomotive, includes: The slave control terminal ECP control device B is used to receive the first message sent by the master control terminal ECP control device A according to the set train formation information, and to send the second message back to the master control terminal ECP control device A. The slave control terminal ECP control device A is used to perform the initialization of the slave control group and, in the operating mode, control the slave control group to perform braking or release operations according to the braking control command. The master control ECP control device A is also used to send the first message to the slave control ECP control device B, and generate a relay reconnection result based on the second message returned by the slave control ECP control device B. Based on the initialization results obtained by initializing the master control group and the slave control group respectively, a running mode authorization command is broadcast, and after entering the running mode, a braking control command is sent to the slave control operation terminal ECP control device A to control the slave control group to perform braking or relief operations.

[0007] By deploying master control locomotives and slave control locomotives, and configuring master control ECP control device A, slave control ECP control device B, and slave control ECP control device A respectively, a control architecture combining distributed and centralized approaches was constructed. This allows the master control locomotive to act as the command core, initiating network setup and initialization, while the slave control locomotives act as intelligent execution nodes, completing initialization locally and responding to control commands. This achieves a control mode that is physically segmented and isolated, yet logically unified and coordinated, for ultra-long, heavy-haul train formations. It effectively overcomes the fundamental problem of severe signal attenuation in single long-distance communication networks, fundamentally ensuring the reliable transmission and synchronous execution of all train control commands.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, the relay cascade control system further includes: The cascaded device is correspondingly installed in the master control locomotive and the slave control locomotive, and is used to control the connection and disconnection of the train communication bus according to the operating terminal status of the master control locomotive or the slave control unit.

[0009] By introducing cascaded equipment and configuring it to control the connection and disconnection of the train communication bus based on the locomotive operator's status, the system is provided with critical physical layer isolation and connectivity capabilities. This enables the system to actively disconnect the bus at the operator's end after power-on, based on operational needs, to achieve communication isolation between different 10,000-ton train sets and prevent signal crosstalk and attenuation. At the same time, the bus is closed at the non-operator's end to ensure the continuity of the network within each train set, ensuring the stability of communication within each train set and providing the necessary physical conditions for realizing cross-train set relay cascade control.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the relay cascade control system further includes: Non-operating ECP control device A, which is correspondingly installed in the master control locomotive and the slave control locomotive, is used to enter ECP mode after the heavy-haul train is powered on, and control the cascaded device to close the train communication bus.

[0011] By configuring the non-operating ECP control device A to automatically enter ECP mode after power-on and control the closed bus of cascaded devices, the fully automatic connection of the internal communication network of the train formation during the system startup phase was realized. This ensured that the LonWorks bus within each 10,000-ton train formation could quickly and reliably establish a connection without manual intervention, preparing a basic communication environment for subsequent initialization operations such as vehicle sequencing and self-testing. This improved the efficiency of system deployment and preparation, avoided the risk of incomplete communication links due to human error, and laid a solid foundation for the reliable operation of the entire control system from the initial stage.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the master control operating terminal ECP control device A is configured as follows: If at least one of the slave control groups exists in the train formation information, a first message is sent to the slave control operation terminal ECP control device B to reconnect with the slave control operation terminal ECP control device B via relay, and the master control group and the slave control group are initialized by the slave control operation terminal ECP control device B respectively. If the slave control train group is not present in the train formation information, the master control train group is initialized directly.

[0013] By configuring the master control terminal ECP control device A to intelligently select the control process based on train formation information, when there is a slave control formation, the complete relay reconnection and distributed initialization process is automatically started to adapt to the collaborative operation of multiple formations; when it is only a single 10,000-ton formation, the relay process is skipped and the initialization is performed directly, degenerating into an efficient single formation control mode. This allows the same set of hardware and control system to flexibly cope with different operational formation requirements, greatly improving the system's versatility and application scope, and achieving the simplification of operation while ensuring the rigor and security of the control logic.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the master control operating terminal ECP control device A is further configured as follows: If the car numbers of all slave locomotives are received from the second message returned by the slave control operation terminal ECP control device B, then the relay reconnection result is that the relay reconnection is successful. Otherwise, the relay reconnection result is that the relay reconnection was unsuccessful.

[0015] By binding the judgment conditions of the relay reconnection result with whether the status information of the slave locomotive has been received, the master control terminal ECP control device A can accurately perceive the completion status of the network construction. Only when it is confirmed that all expected slave nodes have responded and reported their identities can the network connection be determined to be reliable and the topology structure clear. This effectively avoids the risk of misjudging the system readiness due to unstable communication or failure of individual nodes, and ensures that the subsequent initialization and transmission of control commands are based on a complete and healthy communication network.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present invention, the master control operating terminal ECP control device A is further configured as follows: If the relay reconnection result is that the relay reconnection is successful, then the master control operation terminal ECP control device A and the slave control operation terminal ECP control device A respectively calculate the available braking percentage of the master control group and the slave control group; If the available braking percentage is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, then the initialization result is that the initialization is successful. Otherwise, the initialization result is that the initialization failed.

[0017] By directly linking the initialization result to whether the available braking percentage has reached a preset threshold, a key safety performance threshold is set for train startup. This requires each trainset to undergo a quantitative assessment of the health status of its braking system before entering operation mode. Only trains that meet the prescribed performance standards are allowed to be put into operation. This replaces the traditional single-function self-check and can more effectively identify potential risks of insufficient braking capacity, preventing operation with defects from the source. This provides core performance assurance for the safe start and stop of ultra-long and heavy-haul trains.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present invention, the master control operating terminal ECP control device A is further configured as follows: If the initialization result is successful, the main control locomotive is controlled to enter the operating mode, and the authorization flag is set in the third message broadcast periodically. Based on the authorization flag, an operation mode authorization command is broadcast to the slave control operator ECP control device A to control the slave locomotive to enter the operation mode.

[0019] By configuring the master control terminal ECP control device A to broadcast the operation command through the authorization flag bit in the periodic message after initialization, the system can safely and synchronously switch from the preparation state to the operation state. It can embed the authorization signal using the existing periodic communication channel, so that the issuance of the operation command does not require the establishment of an additional communication link, which ensures both timeliness and reliability. The broadcast of authorization instructions ensures that all slave locomotives can receive the state switching command almost simultaneously, thereby enabling the master locomotive and slave locomotives to enter the operating mode synchronously and in a coordinated manner, creating a unified timing starting point for subsequent periodic precise coordinated control.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present invention, the slave locomotive ECP control device A is configured as follows: Receive the braking control command and calculate the target pressure of the brake cylinder of the corresponding slave control group according to the braking control command; The slave control group is controlled to perform braking or release operations based on the target pressure of the brake cylinder.

[0021] By configuring the slave control terminal ECP control device A to calculate the target pressure of the brake cylinder of this train group according to the received braking control command, distributed and intelligent braking force distribution is realized. This enables each slave control train group to act as an intelligent execution unit, independently calculating the optimal local execution parameters based on the unified control command and its own specific operating conditions. This reduces the computational burden of the main control unit and enables more refined and adaptive control of the braking process of multi-train groups, thereby improving the consistency and smoothness of the entire train braking, and improving passenger comfort and cargo safety.

[0022] In some embodiments of the present invention, the slave control terminal ECP control device B is further configured as follows: When a fault is detected, the fault type is confirmed based on a preset fault guidance table; If the fault type is a second type fault or a first type fault, then a braking request is sent to the main control operation terminal ECP control device A to request the main control operation terminal ECP control device A to apply braking. If the fault type is a second type of fault, the slave control ECP control device B will automatically trigger braking and send the braking request to the master control ECP control device A to request the master control ECP control device A to apply braking.

[0023] By configuring a fault-type-based hierarchical response mechanism for the slave control device B (ECP), an intelligent distributed fault-safe guidance system was constructed. For Category I faults, the slave control unit only reports the fault and the master control unit makes a unified decision on braking, thus maintaining centralized control. For Category II faults that endanger the safety of the train formation, the slave control unit is granted the authority to immediately and autonomously implement preliminary braking, realizing rapid local disaster recovery in emergency situations. Under the premise of ensuring the uniformity of global control, the slave control unit is given the necessary autonomous decision-making authority for the most dangerous fault types, thereby maximizing the protection of train operation safety under constraints such as communication delays.

[0024] Some embodiments of the present invention further provide a relay cascade control method for assembling heavy-haul trains, including: Relay reconnection steps: Based on the set train formation information, the master control operating terminal ECP control device A in the master control locomotive sends a first message to the slave control operating terminal ECP control device B in the slave control locomotive. Based on the first message, the slave control operating terminal ECP control device B receives a second message back. Based on the second message, the master control operating terminal ECP control device A generates a relay reconnection result. Initialization steps: Based on the relay reconnection result, the master control train to which the master control locomotive belongs and the slave control train to which the slave control locomotive belongs are initialized through the master control operation terminal ECP control device A and the slave control operation terminal ECP control device A, respectively, and the initialization result is obtained; Braking control steps: Based on the initialization results, the master control operator ECP control device A broadcasts an operation mode authorization command, and after entering the operation mode, sends a braking control command to the slave control operator ECP control device A to control the slave control group to perform braking or relief operations.

[0025] By establishing a reliable multi-train communication topology, followed by distributed safety status self-checks and confirmations, and finally implementing centralized and coordinated periodic control under unified authorization, the complex multi-train collaborative control problem can be decomposed into orderly and condition-dependent stages. Each stage provides the necessary prerequisites and safety guarantees for the next stage, thereby systematically solving the problem of unreliable control caused by communication attenuation in ultra-long and heavy-haul trains, and realizing reliable management of the entire process from networking to operation. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a relay cascade control system for a heavy-haul train assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating the functional implementation of a relay cascade control system for assembling heavy-haul trains, provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 A flowchart of a relay cascade control method for assembling heavy-haul trains provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application is described and illustrated below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments provided in this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application. It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular implementations only and is not intended to limit the exemplary implementations according to this application. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. Furthermore, it should be understood that the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus. With the rapid development of heavy-haul railway transportation towards longer formations and larger capacity, combined trains of 20,000 tons and above have become a key carrier for improving trunk line transportation capacity. However, the doubling of train length has posed unprecedented challenges to its core cable-connected ECP mode. The cable-connected ECP mode relies on a communication network that runs through the train to achieve precise synchronous control of the braking unit of each car. Its performance directly determines the operational safety and efficiency of long train formations. Therefore, developing a relay cascade control technology that can adapt to ultra-long train formations and ensure reliable transmission and execution of control commands has become an urgent need for the development of heavy-haul railway technology.

[0028] Currently, the mainstream control scheme for long-formation trains in the industry is to use the proven 10,000-ton-class train formation technology framework, connect all braking nodes of the train through dedicated cables, and use electrical signals to directly drive the braking actuators. To achieve control, a LonWorks-based communication network was built inside the train. The LonWorks-based communication network is a real-time and reliable industrial control bus that is responsible for connecting all vehicle control units in series. However, while the relevant technology performs stably within a single 10,000-ton trainset, its inherent limitations become apparent when it is extended to 20,000-ton or larger trainsets. The fundamental problem is that LonWorks communication signals experience significant attenuation during long-distance cable transmission. As the communication link length doubles with the expansion of the train formation, the signal strength received by the equipment at the rear of the train will be lower than the threshold for reliable operation. This leads to a sharp increase in the bit error rate and packet loss rate between the tail node and the head controller in complex electromagnetic environments. Control commands cannot be delivered and executed stably and synchronously, seriously threatening the synchronous braking performance and operational safety of ultra-long heavy-haul trains. Where there is no conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other. The technical solution of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0029] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides a relay cascade control system for a heavy-haul train, which includes a master control locomotive installed in the master control group of the heavy-haul train and a slave control locomotive installed in the slave control group of the heavy-haul train. Among them, the heavy-haul train consists of multiple 10,000-ton train sets, which are logically divided into a master control train set and at least one slave control train set. Each 10,000-ton train set consists of one locomotive and 108 freight cars. The freight car includes a freight car vehicle control unit, which is mainly used to receive and execute braking control commands from the locomotive to achieve synchronous braking and release of vehicles within the formation.

[0030] The main control train formation specifically refers to the first 10,000-ton train formation that assumes overall command responsibility in the train, and its head locomotive is designated as the main control locomotive; subsequent 10,000-ton train formations are designated as slave control train formations, and their head locomotives are correspondingly designated as slave control locomotives. Both the master control locomotive and the slave control locomotive include an operating end and a non-operating end. On the operating end, the locomotive is equipped with an operating end ECP control device A, an operating end ECP control device B, an operating end ECP power supply device, and cascaded devices for the operating end. In the non-operational end, the locomotive is symmetrically equipped with non-operational end ECP control device A, non-operational end ECP control device B, non-operational end ECP power supply device and non-operational end cascade device. The cascaded equipment integrates LonWorks train bus relays, Ethernet switches, and CAN protocol converters. The operator ECP control device A serves as the control brain of this train set, and is connected to the operator ECP control device B and the cascaded devices of the operator end via Ethernet. The operator ECP control device B acts as a communication gateway and management unit, communicating with the operator ECP power supply device via CAN bus, and controlling the cascaded devices of the operator end to physically disconnect the LonWorks train bus leading to the rear freight cars, thereby achieving communication isolation between train sets.

[0031] After power-on, non-operating ECP control device A automatically enters ECP mode and collaborates with non-operating ECP control device B and cascaded non-operating devices via Ethernet. The non-operating end ECP control device B manages the local non-operating end ECP power supply device through the CAN bus; the cascaded devices of the non-operating end controlled by it close the LonWorks train bus, thereby connecting the communication link between the operating end and the non-operating end inside the locomotive, so that a complete and reliable independent communication network is formed within this 10,000-ton train formation.

[0032] The master locomotive and slave locomotives are interconnected through the Ethernet switching module built into their cascaded equipment to form a cross-group cascaded communication backbone network for transmitting control commands, status information and fault messages; The ECP control device B of the slave locomotive is configured to also have the function of a virtual tail of the train. As the tail EOT device of the previous 10,000-ton train, it is responsible for monitoring and reporting the tail status to the main control train, thus logically replacing the physical tail device and realizing a seamless logical connection between trains.

[0033] Furthermore, the operating terminal ECP control device A in the main control locomotive is designated as the main control operating terminal ECP control device A, and the operating terminal ECP control device B and operating terminal ECP control device A in the slave control locomotive are designated as slave control operating terminal ECP control device B and slave control operating terminal ECP control device A, respectively. In some embodiments, when the assembled heavy-load train is powered on, the non-operating ECP control device A automatically enters ECP mode and controls the cascaded devices to close the train communication bus. By configuring the non-operating ECP control device A to automatically enter ECP mode after power-on and control the closed bus of cascaded devices, the fully automatic connection of the internal communication network of the train formation during the system startup phase was realized. This ensured that the LonWorks bus within each 10,000-ton train formation could quickly and reliably establish a connection without manual intervention, preparing a basic communication environment for subsequent initialization operations such as vehicle sequencing and self-testing. This improved the efficiency of system deployment and preparation, avoided the risk of incomplete communication links due to human error, and laid a solid foundation for the reliable operation of the entire control system from the initial stage.

[0034] In some embodiments, the master control operator ECP control device A is configured as follows: If there is at least one slave control group in the train formation information, the first message is sent to the slave control operator ECP control device B to reconnect with the slave control operator ECP control device B via relay, and the master control group and slave control group are initialized by the slave control operator ECP control device B respectively. If there is no slave control group in the train formation information, the master control group will be initialized directly.

[0035] Furthermore, the main locomotive driver sets the train formation information on the brake display screen, which includes the total number of train formations M and the position of the current car; The total number of train sets M can be set to 4, which means that this heavy-haul train set has 4 10,000-ton train sets, and can therefore be divided into one main control locomotive and 3 slave control locomotives; The vehicle's position can be set as master, slave 1, slave 2, or slave 3; When the total number of train sets is greater than 1, it means that there is at least one slave control train set in the heavy-haul train set. Therefore, the master control ECP control device A sends the first message to the slave control ECP control device B at the next level. After receiving the first message, the slave control ECP control device B will send back the second message, and the relay reconnection has been performed. When the total number of train sets is 1, it means that there is no slave control train set in the heavy-haul train set, and there is only one master control train set. At this time, the heavy-haul train set is a single 10,000-ton train set, and the master control operation terminal ECP control device A will directly initialize the single 10,000-ton train set.

[0036] In some embodiments, the master control operator ECP control device A is further configured as follows: If the second message returned by the slave control operator ECP control device B receives the car numbers of all slave locomotives, then the relay reconnection result is that the relay reconnection is successful. Otherwise, the relay reconnection result will be "reconnection failed".

[0037] By binding the judgment condition of the relay reconnection result with whether the slave locomotive number has been received, the master control terminal ECP control device A can accurately perceive the completion status of the network construction. Only when it is confirmed that all expected slave nodes have responded and reported their identities can the network connection be determined to be reliable and the topology structure clear. This effectively avoids the risk of misjudging the system readiness due to unstable communication or failure of individual nodes, and ensures that the subsequent initialization and transmission of control commands are based on a complete and healthy communication network.

[0038] Furthermore, the car number carried in the second message includes the car number itself and the information of the car number of the next lower level, which together constitute a complete topology map of the train cascade control network. The car number uniquely identifies the slave control operator ECP control device B that responded to the message, while the lower-level car number lists the identifiers of all freight car control units managed by the slave locomotive operator ECP control device B and located in the same 10,000-ton train. The master control terminal ECP control device A, by parsing and summarizing the second messages from each slave locomotive, can not only confirm that the communication link is unobstructed to each slave locomotive, but also accurately grasp the composition and sequence of vehicles within each train set, thereby logically constructing a hierarchical network topology that covers all controllable nodes of the entire train.

[0039] The relay reconnection is considered successful only when all slave locomotive numbers and subordinate locomotive numbers are received; otherwise, the train cannot enter operating mode.

[0040] In some embodiments, the master control operator ECP control device A is further configured as follows: If the relay reconnection result is successful, the master control ECP control device A and the slave control ECP control device A respectively calculate the available braking percentage of the master control group and the slave control group. If the available braking percentage is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, the initialization result is "initialization passed". Otherwise, the initialization result will be "initialization failed".

[0041] By directly linking the initialization result to whether the available braking percentage has reached a preset threshold, a key safety performance threshold is set for train startup. This requires each trainset to undergo a quantitative assessment of the health status of its braking system before entering operation mode. Only trains that meet the prescribed performance standards are allowed to be put into operation. This replaces the traditional single-function self-check and can more effectively identify potential risks of insufficient braking capacity, preventing operation with defects from the source. This provides core performance assurance for the safe start and stop of ultra-long and heavy-haul trains.

[0042] Furthermore, the available braking percentage is calculated based on the independent vehicle braking sorting process within each train group; Each train's ECP control device A initiates brake self-test and sequencing commands to all truck vehicle control units within its train via its physically isolated local LonWorks communication network. Each truck vehicle control unit reports its braking status. The train's ECP control device A summarizes the braking status, compares the number of truck vehicle control units that respond normally and are fully functional with the total number of truck vehicle control units in the train, and calculates the current effective braking capacity ratio of the train's braking system, i.e., the available braking percentage. This process is carried out in parallel, independently, and simultaneously within each group, demonstrating the efficiency advantages of distributed control. Optionally, the preset threshold is established based on a comprehensive consideration of engineering tests and safety redundancy to ensure that even if a small number of vehicle braking units temporarily fail, the train as a whole still has sufficient and reliable braking capacity to meet operational needs. In some embodiments, the master control operator ECP control device A is further configured as follows: If the initialization result is successful, the main control locomotive will enter the operating mode and the authorization flag will be set in the third message broadcast periodically. Based on the authorization flag bit, the operating mode authorization command is broadcast to the slave control operator ECP control device A to control the slave locomotive to enter the operating mode.

[0043] By configuring the master control terminal ECP control device A to broadcast the operation command through the authorization flag bit in the periodic message after initialization, the system can safely and synchronously switch from the preparation state to the operation state. It can embed the authorization signal using the existing periodic communication channel, so that the issuance of the operation command does not require the establishment of an additional communication link, which ensures both timeliness and reliability. The broadcast of authorization instructions ensures that all slave locomotives can receive the state switching command almost simultaneously, thereby enabling the master locomotive and slave locomotives to enter the operating mode synchronously and in a coordinated manner, creating a unified timing starting point for subsequent periodic precise coordinated control.

[0044] Furthermore, after confirming that it and all slave control groups have met the initialization pass standard, the master control operation terminal ECP control device A performs the key operation authorization operation and broadcasts the operation mode authorization instruction to the entire train in its periodically broadcast third message. By reusing existing periodic control messages to carry system mode switching commands, no additional communication links are needed. This ensures both timely and highly reliable command transmission while achieving near-synchronous reception of operating state switching commands by all train control units. This lays a safe and synchronized foundation for the subsequent unified and coordinated entry of the entire train into the periodic braking control phase. In some embodiments, the slave locomotive ECP control device A is configured as follows: Receive braking control commands and calculate the target pressure of the brake cylinder of the corresponding slave control group based on the braking control commands; Braking or releasing operations are performed by slave control groups based on the target pressure of the brake cylinder.

[0045] By configuring the slave control terminal ECP control device A to calculate the target pressure of the brake cylinder of this train group according to the received braking control command, distributed and intelligent braking force distribution is realized. This enables each slave control train group to act as an intelligent execution unit, independently calculating the optimal local execution parameters based on the unified control command and its own specific operating conditions. This reduces the computational burden of the main control unit and enables more refined and adaptive control of the braking process of multi-train groups, thereby improving the consistency and smoothness of the entire train braking, and improving passenger comfort and cargo safety.

[0046] The slave control operator ECP control device A receives braking control commands through the cascaded equipment of its locomotive. When calculating the target pressure of the brake cylinder, the slave control operator ECP control device A not only analyzes the basic braking requirements in the braking control command, such as the target deceleration or braking level, but also comprehensively considers the real-time status parameters of its slave control group, including the total weight of the group, the number of cars, the track gradient, and the car sorting information. Dynamic calculations based on real-time state parameters can accurately match the actual inertial force and resistance of the trainset under the current operating conditions, thereby generating the most suitable and personalized brake cylinder pressure setting value. This ensures that the braking action of the head and tail of the train is highly synchronized in multi-train sets that are several kilometers long. It effectively eliminates problems such as braking asynchrony and impulsiveness caused by differences in dynamic characteristics between trainsets or delays in command transmission, providing key technical support for achieving smooth and precise control of heavy-haul trains.

[0047] In some embodiments, the slave control terminal ECP control device B is further configured to: When a fault is detected, the fault type is confirmed based on a preset fault guidance table; If the fault type is a Class 2 fault or a Class 1 fault, a braking request is sent to the main control operator ECP control device A to request the main control operator ECP control device A to apply braking. If the fault type is a Class II fault, the slave control ECP control device B will automatically trigger braking and send a braking request to the master control ECP control device A to request the master control ECP control device A to apply braking.

[0048] By configuring a fault-type-based hierarchical response mechanism for the slave control device B (ECP), an intelligent distributed fault-safe guidance system was constructed. For Category I faults, the slave control unit only reports the fault and the master control unit makes a unified decision on braking, thus maintaining centralized control. For Category II faults that endanger the safety of the train formation, the slave control unit is granted the authority to immediately and autonomously implement preliminary braking, realizing rapid local disaster recovery in emergency situations. Under the premise of ensuring the uniformity of global control, the slave control unit is given the necessary autonomous decision-making authority for the most dangerous fault types, thereby maximizing the protection of train operation safety under constraints such as communication delays.

[0049] like Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment of the invention also provides a relay cascade control method for assembling heavy-haul trains, including: Relay reconnection step S1: Based on the set train formation information, a first message is sent from the master control operating terminal ECP control device A in the master control locomotive to the slave control operating terminal ECP control device B in the slave control locomotive. Based on the first message, a second message is received back through the slave control operating terminal ECP control device B. Based on the second message, a relay reconnection result is generated through the master control operating terminal ECP control device A. Initialization step S2: Based on the relay reconnection result, the master control train to which the master control locomotive belongs and the slave control train to which the slave control locomotive belongs are initialized through the master control operation terminal ECP control device A and the slave control operation terminal ECP control device A, respectively, and the initialization result is obtained; Braking control step S3: Based on the initialization result, broadcast the operation mode authorization instruction through the master control operation terminal ECP control device A, and after entering the operation mode, send the braking control instruction to the slave control operation terminal ECP control device A to control the slave control group to perform braking or relief operation.

[0050] By establishing a reliable multi-train communication topology, followed by distributed safety status self-checks and confirmations, and finally implementing centralized and coordinated periodic control under unified authorization, the complex multi-train collaborative control problem can be decomposed into orderly and condition-dependent stages. Each stage provides the necessary prerequisites and safety guarantees for the next stage, thereby systematically solving the problem of unreliable control caused by communication attenuation in ultra-long and heavy-haul trains, and realizing reliable management of the entire process from networking to operation.

[0051] It should be noted that the above is a reference method for a relay cascade control system and method for assembling heavy-haul trains, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0052] The embodiments of the present invention realize reliable distributed cooperative braking control of heavy-haul trains, and solve the technical problem that the existing technology cannot meet the control requirements of heavy-haul trains in ultra-long trains with a capacity of more than 10,000 tons due to unreliable tail communication caused by severe signal attenuation.

[0053] Finally, it should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the specific implementation of the present invention or equivalent substitutions can be made to some technical features without departing from the spirit of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications and substitutions should be covered within the scope of the technical solutions claimed in the present invention.

Claims

1. A relay cascade control system for assembling heavy-haul trains, characterized in that, include: The main control locomotive, which is installed in the main control formation of a heavy-haul train, includes: The main control operation terminal ECP control device A is used to perform the initialization of the main control group and generate braking control commands in the operation mode; A slave locomotive, which is installed in the slave control group of the heavy-haul train and is communicatively connected to the master locomotive, includes: The slave control terminal ECP control device B is used to receive the first message sent by the master control terminal ECP control device A according to the set train formation information, and to send the second message back to the master control terminal ECP control device A. The slave control terminal ECP control device A is used to perform the initialization of the slave control group and, in the operating mode, control the slave control group to perform braking or release operations according to the braking control command. The master control ECP control device A is also used to send the first message to the slave control ECP control device B, and generate a relay reconnection result based on the second message returned by the slave control ECP control device B. Based on the initialization results obtained by initializing the master control group and the slave control group respectively, a running mode authorization command is broadcast, and after entering the running mode, a braking control command is sent to the slave control operation terminal ECP control device A to control the slave control group to perform braking or relief operations.

2. The relay cascade control system for heavy-haul train formation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The relay cascade control system also includes: The cascaded device is correspondingly installed in the master control locomotive and the slave control locomotive, and is used to control the connection and disconnection of the train communication bus according to the operating terminal status of the master control locomotive or the slave control unit.

3. The relay cascade control system for heavy-haul train formation according to claim 2, characterized in that, The relay cascade control system also includes: Non-operating ECP control device A, which is correspondingly installed in the master control locomotive and the slave control locomotive, is used to enter ECP mode after the heavy-haul train is powered on, and control the cascaded device to close the train communication bus.

4. The relay cascade control system for heavy-haul train formation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main control operation terminal ECP control device A is configured as follows: If at least one of the slave control groups exists in the train formation information, a first message is sent to the slave control operation terminal ECP control device B to reconnect with the slave control operation terminal ECP control device B via relay, and the master control group and the slave control group are initialized by the slave control operation terminal ECP control device B respectively. If the slave control train group is not present in the train formation information, the master control train group is initialized directly.

5. The relay cascade control system for heavy-haul trains according to claim 4, characterized in that, The main control operation terminal ECP control device A is also configured as follows: If the status information of all slave locomotives is received from the second message returned by the slave control operation terminal ECP control device B, then the relay reconnection result is that the relay reconnection is successful. Otherwise, the relay reconnection result is that the relay reconnection was unsuccessful.

6. The relay cascade control system for heavy-haul trains according to claim 5, characterized in that, The main control operation terminal ECP control device A is also configured as follows: If the relay reconnection result is that the relay reconnection is successful, then the master control operation terminal ECP control device A and the slave control operation terminal ECP control device A respectively calculate the available braking percentage of the master control group and the slave control group; If the available braking percentage is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, then the initialization result is that the initialization is successful. Otherwise, the initialization result is that the initialization failed.

7. The relay cascade control system for heavy-haul trains according to claim 6, characterized in that, The main control operation terminal ECP control device A is also configured as follows: If the initialization result is successful, the main control locomotive is controlled to enter the operating mode, and the authorization flag is set in the third message broadcast periodically. Based on the authorization flag, an operation mode authorization command is broadcast to the slave control operator ECP control device A to control the slave locomotive to enter the operation mode.

8. The relay cascade control system for heavy-haul train formation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The slave locomotive ECP control device A is configured as follows: Receive the braking control command and calculate the target pressure of the brake cylinder of the corresponding slave control group according to the braking control command; The slave control group is controlled to perform braking or release operations based on the target pressure of the brake cylinder.

9. The relay cascade control system for heavy-haul train formation according to claim 6, characterized in that, The slave control terminal ECP control device B is also configured as follows: When a fault is detected, the fault type is confirmed based on a preset fault guidance table; If the fault type is a second type fault or a first type fault, then a braking request is sent to the main control operation terminal ECP control device A to request the main control operation terminal ECP control device A to apply braking. If the fault type is a second type of fault, the slave control ECP control device B will automatically trigger braking and send the braking request to the master control ECP control device A to request the master control ECP control device A to apply braking.

10. A relay cascade control method for assembling heavy-haul trains, characterized in that, include: Relay reconnection steps: Based on the set train formation information, the master control operating terminal ECP control device A in the master control locomotive sends a first message to the slave control operating terminal ECP control device B in the slave control locomotive. Based on the first message, the slave control operating terminal ECP control device B receives a second message back. Based on the second message, the master control operating terminal ECP control device A generates a relay reconnection result. Initialization steps: Based on the relay reconnection result, the master control train to which the master control locomotive belongs and the slave control train to which the slave control locomotive belongs are initialized through the master control operation terminal ECP control device A and the slave control operation terminal ECP control device A, respectively, and the initialization result is obtained; Braking control steps: Based on the initialization results, the master control operator ECP control device A broadcasts an operation mode authorization command, and after entering the operation mode, sends a braking control command to the slave control operator ECP control device A to control the slave control group to perform braking or relief operations.

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