A Data-Driven Predictive Control Architecture for Train Thermal Energy Management

We aim to improve the energy efficiency of train climate control architectures, with a focus on a specific class of regional trains operating throughout Switzerland, especially in Zürich and Geneva. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems represent the second-largest energy consumer in these trains after traction. The current architecture comprises a high-level rule-based controller and a low-level tracking controller. To improve train energy efficiency, we propose adding a middle data-driven predictive control layer aimed at minimizing HVAC energy consumption while maintaining passenger comfort. The scheme incorporates a multistep prediction model developed using real-world data collected from a limited number of train coaches. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed architecture, we conduct multiple experiments on a separate set of train coaches; our results suggest energy savings between 10% and 35% with respect to the current architecture.