THE APPLICATION OF RELIABILITY THEORY AND CONTROL THEORY TO AUTOMATIC TRANSPORT SYSTEMS

This paper presents the principles of a safety system designed in a German Government project, the so called "Guided high speed ground transport system" (Hochleistungsschnell-bahn). The authors criticise the safety systems applied to conventional railways, and suggest, on the basis of the reliability and control theories, to find an absolute measure of traffic safety. The concept would be based on Boolean algebra, on the simulation of a "phantom train" which would maintain distance between trains and on speed control according to the location of a train in relation to the "phantom train". Its structure would comprise two distinct functions: a safety function, including a few simple fail safe devices; a control function acting according to procedures established by the safety function.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper presented at the 2nd Symposium organized by AFCET in Monte-Carlo from 16 to 21 September 1974.
• Corporate Authors:

  AFCET-Traffic Control and Transportation Systems

  Amsterdam,   Netherlands 
• Authors:
  • WIEGAND, K D
  • GLIMM, J
• Conference:
  • Paper presented at the 2nd Symposium organized by AFCET in Monte-Carlo from 16 to 21 September 1974.
• Publication Date: 1974

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: p. 429-439

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automated vehicle control; Automatic control; Automatic speed control; Automatic train control; Fail safe systems; Headways
• Old TRIS Terms: Automatic control systems
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00099763
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: International Railway Documentation, Selection of
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 18 1975 12:00AM