Testing and evaluation of real-time satellite positioning and communication system in rail transport environment

Hyde, P; Ulianov, C; Pavkovic, B

Testing and evaluation of real-time satellite positioning and communication system in rail transport environment

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Paul Hyde, Dr Cristian Ulianov ORCiD

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Abstract

A satellite positioning and communication system has been developed within the EU FP7 funded project SPARTACUS, to be applicable to different use cases where live tracking of critical assets and a detailed and accurate operational picture is essential to the operation of those assets. This paper presents the testing of the satellite tracking system in rail transport environment. The test program was designed to verify the core functionalities of the system and its performance, and also to verify that the system could be effectively customised and deployed to the real-time tracking and coordination of critical assets in railway environment. The tests were carried out in controlled conditions in a full-scale railway environment to represent an operational railway. The functionalities tested included the ability of the system to communicate the rail vehicles' positions, determined from the Global Positioning System (GPS) and inertial navigation, via terrestrial and satellite communications from a collection unit on the locomotive, and the system capability to continuously update the data in real time. Another tested feature was the ability of the system to wirelessly communicate the positions of each of the vehicles in the train, via propagation of the information between adjacent vehicles, to the communication unit on the locomotive, so that the positions of all of the tracked assets on the train could be communicated. In addition to the tracking of rail vehicles, the system communication capability, to provide rail personnel in a control centre and on the field with live updates of the vehicles' position, was also tested. The tests showed that the system customisation was effective in enabling the prototype system to be installed and operated in a controlled railway environment, and that the system is able to perform the functions of real-time tracking of monitored assets and communication of data to operational personnel.