=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-2803/paper19
|storemode=property
|title=Simulation modeling in methods and designs for detecting ice
or snow buildup on control surface in MATLAB/SIMULINK
dynamic modeling environment (short paper)
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2803/paper19.pdf
|volume=Vol-2803
|authors=Viktor A. Barausov,Vladimir P. Bubnov,Shokhrukh Kh. Sultonov
}}
==Simulation modeling in methods and designs for detecting ice
or snow buildup on control surface in MATLAB/SIMULINK
dynamic modeling environment (short paper)==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2803/paper19.pdf
Simulation modeling in methods and designs for detecting ice
or snow buildup on control surface in MATLAB/SIMULINK
dynamic modeling environment
Viktor A. Barausova, Vladimir P. Bubnovb, Shokhrukh Kh. Sultonovb
a
KTN LLC, Saint Petersburg, 196006, Russia
b
Emperor Alexander I St. Petersburg State Transport University, St. Petersburg, 190031, Russia
Abstract
Programming languages and hardware are reviewed in terms of their application for purposes
of simulation modeling. The algorithm for electric heating system design is offered.
Development and testing procedures for electric heating system solutions use
MATLAB/SIMULINK dynamic environment.
Keywords
Automatic system for cleaning turnouts, a sensor for detecting ice or snow, a block diagram
of a control action, a method for detecting icing or snow on a controlled surface, a control
program algorithm, a simulation model.
1. Introduction1 railway industry with effective and efficient
solutions to be developed.
In the process of implementing supply chain Currently railways operate multiple methods
management (SCM) in practice, managers have for removing snow and ice buildup on railway
faced with the problem of adapting to customers’ switches – at least in their moving parts –
unplanned orders and individual technological depending on specific weather conditions. Often
and economic requirements. How and with what optimal solution is the one combining maximum
methods and technologies is it possible to assess compliance with the requirements for railway
the reliability and stability of the supply chain in switches operation standards and low
the event of Maintenance of railway switches in maintenance costs under existing requirements in
snow and ice buildup-conductive weather the fields of industrial safety and environmental
conditions is labor- and time-consuming protection.
operation incurring substantial maintenance To prevent cold-weather-conditioned failures of
costs. remotely-controlled railway switches and other
Switch operation maintenance during winter mechanical devices railways today make
season requires either substantial regular physical extensive use of various designs and devices as
effort, or high energy-consumption in all local heating arrangements. Classification of
currently used mechanized cleaning techniques, heating and snow and icing-removal methods is
it also results in additional strict requirements to shown in Fig.1.
accident prevention measures and arrangements
and many more. Heating
Innovative and improved methods and designs methods
for mechanized snow and icing removal in
maintenance of railway switches operating
Steam Gas ElectricHeating
conditions during winter season have always materials
been and still are regarded a primary necessity in
Figure 1: Classification of heating and snow and
icing-removal methods for railway switches
Models and Methods for Researching Information System in
Transport, Dec. 11-12, St.Petersburg, Russia
EMAIL: info@idm-ktn.ru (V.A. Barausov); Prevention of ice-formation and provisions
bubnov1950@yandex.ru (V.P. Bubnov); sultonovsh@yandex.ru for standard operation of moving parts in the
(Sh.Kh. Sultonov).
ORCID: 0000-0002-6742-3011 (V.P. Bubnov); 0000-0002-0462- railway switch require application of various
8677 (Sh.Kh. Sultonov)
©️ 2020 Copyright for this paper by its authors. Use permitted under Creative
means and methods for heating switch parts with
Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). those using electric heating most widely applied
CEUR Workshop Proceedings (CEUR-WS.org)
since these are most universal, relatively
136
inexpensive and unsophisticated in operation and heated electrically require application of
maintenance [1-4]. simulation modeling for [4]:
Analysis of control systems for railway solutions in methods and technical designs
switches electric heating with simulation for detection of snow or ice buildup on control
modeling procedures allows for development and surface based on energy-efficient technologies
for maintenance of railway switches operation;
testing of highly complex systems. In such case testing of the algorithms obtained for data-
simulation procedure goes beyond the procedure collection and control system designed for
of functional model design. A further important prevention of failures and emergency operation
stage is, having performed analysis of system mode in railway switches.
designs for railway switch heating, to determine
possible improvements in order to increase the
heating system performance [4, 5]. 2. Block diagram of control
Currently for removal of snow and ice build up surface snow and icing detection
on railway switches through heating Russian system control signal functions
railways typically use SEIT-04M system which
is made of the following components: several To provide for technical solutions in terms of
TEHs mounted on frame rails, outside air compliance with the above-mentioned
temperature sensor, switch, precipitation requirements the design shown in Fig.2 can be
detecting sensor, comparing element with the used given it was obtained by analysis of railway
outside air temperature sensor connected to the switch heating system operation as a control
comparing element input slot, the system has a object [4, 5].
single rail temperature sensor mounted on frame Outside air Precipitation
temperature
rail and connected to the comparing element sensor sensor
input port [3, 5]. fp r f
Weather Filtering unit
Development of automated control systems for predicting unit
switching between heating systems operation
Logic unit for
modes requires more advanced and efficient electronic data
processing
u Control
surface
Heated rail control
surface temperature
tp
control sensor
methods and designs for railway switches
heating applications. The systems currently Control signal ɛ tp z
employed are considered to possess a number of regulator
Adder for calculation of
drawbacks: deviation value as compared to
pre-set rail temperature value
- no account is made of the heating system
dynamic parameters in control and disturbance Where f – digitized disturbing effect data; fpr –
channels. Since the system controlled is predicted disturbance, u – control signal (decision
rule), tpz – pre-set heated rail temperature value, ɛ –
characterized by a sufficient degree of inertia the deviation value between effective and pre-set heated
system adjustment to changes in weather rail temperature values (divergence).
conditions is delayed;
- no information is offered by the system Figure 2: Block diagram of control surface snow
supplier as to the type (in connection to ‘input and icing detection system control signal
signal comparison’) of the electronic data generation
processing (EDP) device; the terms ‘specific
algorithm’ and ‘specialized software’ are given Outside air temperature and precipitation
no explanation and description. Under such values measured by sensors 1 and 2 pass filtering
circumstances, the EDP device design can be unit 3 for weather conditions prediction, the
suggested to be similar to an automatic controller lower value is transferred to weather prediction
of poorer quality and fewer options as compared unit 4 where the predicted outside temperature
to modern EDP devices – logic-based EDPs value within the weather prediction period is
performing logic operations/functions with input calculated generating precipitation possibility
data following the principles of algebra of logic rate. Operation of the given open loop serves to
and generating output signals relevant for the detect icing probability using minimum outside
actual function values. air temperature value predicted.
Solutions to these problems and development Closed loop operation can be described in the
of effective system of control for adjustment of following manner: Signal from sensor 5
the amount of heat supplied to the element measuring heated rail control surface temperature
137
value is transferred to adder 6 where the heated - visualization of the technological process
rail control surface temperature value is parameters, of the recorded and archived data in
compared to the pre-set value. The deviation easy-to-understand manner;
- program flexibility allowing for
value is transferred to control signal unit 7 and adjustment of operation algorithms in case it is
further to electronic data processing (EDP) unit 8 required by the emergency condition parameters
to adjust the value of output control signal of updates based on observed operation conditions.
temperature prediction unit 4 for the heated rail. The algorithm development is based on the
This arrangement allows maintaining the architecture in the below block diagram offered
required temperature in heated frame rails for generation and adjustment of control signals
depending on the outside air temperature and in the system of ice or snow buildup detection on
control surface (Fig.3) [7, 8].
humidity parameters.
3. Design and procedure for snow
and icing detection on control
surface
Effective operation of a system designed for
preventive adjustment of electric heating
parameters require identification of designs and
procedures for detecting snow or ice buildup on
control surface.
The control surface is connected to sensors
with two sensor elements carrying heat-
conducting plates with outer working surfaces to
detect outside air conditions, in-built plates
temperature sensors and heating elements for
plates inner surfaces (TEHs) [1-3, 6].
The method of snow or ice buildup detection
offered requires identification and elaboration of
algorithm structure, following this stage a
simulation model for data collection and control
program for a system to detect snow or ice
buildup on railway switches is to be developed to
test and improve the efficiency of control
instructions generated.
In its operation the control program is to
ensure the following functions: Figure 3: Algorithm for development of
- measuring the surface temperature value; technical solutions for snow or icing detection on
- measuring the outside air temperature control surface
value; The device operation starts with initializing
- input and processing of technological the micro-controller, input/output ports, setup of
parameters-related data; interruption handler. Further the system checks
- reading pre-set values from secure digital for SD memory card to ensure location for
(SD) memory card; reading the stored data to measure temperature
- storing the data inputs in SD memory values on control surface in the heating system.
card archive during a specified period; Further the system waits for initialization of
measurement procedure which is conditioned on
- evaluation of the current condition as a the system signal generated. This signal can then
reference to safe operation standards and, if be sent to other units or devices by, for instance,
required, generation of control signals for pressing the button. In checking for memory card
activation of heating elements to prevent procedure the system tries to access files on the
deviation in parameter values within the railway SD memory card via API for Micro SD. The
switch electric heating system beyond the pre-set response is used to check for the file into which
range; the measurements are written. In case no file is
- informing maintenance personnel of the found, it is created. This procedure is followed
emergencies detected, added by instructions and by system activating power supply to sensors and
tips offered to automated workplace operator; reading the measurements during the interval set
by the user. The algorithm of measuring values
138
for preventive adjustment is shown in Fig.4 [6- applicable for designing and development of
8]. precipitation detection software solutions.
A more detailed description of the algorithm is
provided further, since this algorithm is
fundamental to the procedure offered in the 4. Development of simulation
present paper for precipitation icing detection
which is used to maintain the control surface model for methods and procedures
temperature parameters within the range set [7]. of snow or icing detection on control
surface systems
Evaluation of systems to maintain required
temperature parameters of the railway switch
control surface in terms of their efficiency and
performance can be done without a necessity to
use expensive and sophisticated equipment.
Currently, for the purposes of testing and
experimenting applied research relies extensively
on computer simulation modeling. A powerful
tool for testing and analysis of simulated
preventive adjustment control systems in their
application for railway switch electric heating
systems is SIMULINK, a general-purpose
Figure 4: Algorithm of measurements for simulation environment. Simulation, in case of
preventive adjustment and regulation of railway the applications discussed, allows models
developed in this environment to be tested and
switch control surface electric heating system verified for their performance, in terms of
traditional simulation modeling. Partial
The actual values of outside air temperature presentation of results obtained in simulation to
and precipitation measured by sensors are test system operation – detection of precipitation
filtered in the weather condition prediction generating icing conditions on control surface –
filtering unit in the immediate proximity of the has been made in [8-10], simulation was also
control surface, the lowest temperature value performed with MATLAB-based SIMULINK
obtained is then transferred to weather condition package.
predicting unit where calculation of predicted Evaluation of the algorithm for measuring
outside air temperature values during the pre-set snow and ice buildup presence on control surface
time interval is performed generating required development and testing of a computer
precipitation possibility rate. simulation model in MATLAB environment
The measuring procedure is performed in the which allows analysis of thermal processes
following manner: signals from the control dynamics in ‘heated object’ system.
surface temperature sensors on the heated rail are Simulation models are often built with
transferred to respective adders; there they are SIMULINK visual modeling tool, an extension
compared to the pre-set temperature parameters of MATLAB package, designed for simulation of
for the heated rail given. Deviation values are dynamic processes and systems in order to
transferred to regulators inputs and further to examine their operation and performance using
comparison-performing EDP unit, and graphic blocks [9].
adjustment of control signal parameters at the Simulation model is characterized by features
weather conditions predicting unit for the heated of continuous and discrete processes – this
rail given is done. Such arrangement allows for condition allows its application for studies of
maintaining optimum temperature for heating the dynamic systems when the model sore points are
frame rails conditioned on the outside air tested and analyzed for functional dynamics.
temperature and humidity parameters. Another essential feature is that such model can
The architecture of the data collection and be used in models requiring analysis of process
control system is designed in the manner dynamics during certain intervals.
allowing for a time lag Δt before activation of the Simulation process includes examination of
second sensor heating element after activation of method and device tested for effectiveness in
the first sensor heating element [6-8]. detecting snow or ice buildup on control surface
The algorithm offered is a combination of in condition of heating element activation.
Understanding of the operational design of
instructions and control algorithms for electric heating system simulation model tested
preventing possible emergency conditions requires detailed description of its algorithm.
reduced to the form which makes them Analysis of electric heating control system
with simulation modeling provides an
opportunity to test and improve even highly
139
complex systems. In such case the study of
maintenance control system is seldom limited to
simply modeling processes in it. An extremely
important feature of such simulation modeling is
the opportunity to introduce improvements and
test their effects.
Calculation and identification of principal
dynamic parameters of the electric heating
process is performed using simulation model
developed in MATLAB package extended with
SIMULINK dynamic simulation module [10].
Simulation model discussed is based on the Figure 7: Graphs of sensor elements temperature
architecture shown in block diagram in Fig.2. values for sensors 1 and 2 and deviation values
The generalized block diagram of the electric
heating control system model architecture is given time interval of TEH activation with TEHS
shown in Fig.5. activated asynchronically (experimental, given
ice buildup present on sensor working surfaces),
where temperatures T1 and T2 measured by
thermo-sensors are shown as u1 and u2
respectively, deviation values u1' and u2' are
shown as Av1
The graph visualizing operation of
precipitation detection method model given
precipitation absent is shown in Fig.8.
Figure 5: Block diagram of simulation model for
system of precipitation detection on control
surface
The diagram for electric heating system
simulation model designed for heating rail as
control object is shown in Fig.6 as ‘control
object’ block, and given equation (1,2) can be Figure 7 and Figure 8 show time intervals in
presented as: discrete units along the x-axis, and temperature
in measurement units (convertible in any
standard units, e.g. Celsius degrees, given these
units were obtained empirically) along the y-axis.
To improve clarity of presentation the curves for
u1 and u2 heating process values are shifted down
by temperature value.
5. Conclusions
Given such conditions the control system
provides adjusting response to both deviations
from ideal mode already detected and conditions
Figure 6: Block diagram of control object in which the tendency for further deviation has
simulation model been just identified. To compensate for residual
Based on empirical experimental data, graph standard errors and to provide for stability of the
visualizing operation of precipitation detection control system being synthesized the object is
method model given precipitation present is closed with feedback of the actual output value
shown in Fig.7. compared to the pre-set value. This signal is
transferred to regulator unit input which, given
any deviation value, adjusts control signals
generated.
140
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