Virtual coupling (VC) brings unprecedented opportunities for the train operation system by controlling multiple trains as a virtually coupled train set (VCTS) via train automation and communication. To deal with communication delays and small disturbances in a VCTS, this paper developed a tube-based control approach for the VCTS, focusing on optimizing the control performances and meanwhile guaranteeing the individual and string stability. Specifically, a tube model predictive control (MPC) framework is constructed to handle safety constraints and regulate bounded small disturbances. Then, the individual stability and string stability are ensured by designing the constraint sets for inputs and proper coefficient tuning within the stable region. Finally, simulation-based experiments verify that the proposed approach shows better robustness and higher efficiency, which can regulate train states within a tube, and the VCTS can be asymptotically stable and string stable facing disturbances and delays.

中文翻译：

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具有扰动和延误的高速虚拟耦合列车稳定编队控制策略

虚拟耦合 (VC) 通过列车自动化和通信将多列列车作为虚拟耦合列车组 (VCTS) 进行控制，从而为列车运行系统带来前所未有的机遇。针对 VCTS 中的通信延迟和小扰动问题，本文开发了一种基于管的 VCTS 控制方法，着重优化控制性能，同时保证个体和串的稳定性。具体来说，构建了一个管模型预测控制 (MPC) 框架来处理安全约束并调节有界小扰动。然后，通过在稳定区域内设计输入约束集和适当的系数调整来确保个体稳定性和串稳定性。最后，