Modern electric locomotive automation control systems analysis

The subject of the article is automated locomotive control functions on the example of electric locomotives in order to assess the current stage of development of the intellectual functionality of on-board control systems. The literature often talks about creating a «smart» or «digital» locomotive. However, it is more correct to talk about the introduction of cybernetic systems with feedback. Such systems were on the locomotive from the very beginning of their appearance and were designed to automate steam control, later to control automatic brakes. These automation systems were mechanical and pneumomechanical. With the advent of electric locomotives, electrical automation systems based on electrical devices, relay circuits are being introduced, which are eventually replaced by diode, transistor control circuits. Later, digital and analog chips were used. The current stage of automation development is associated with on-board microprocessor control systems. The author proposes to divide the intellectual functions of the locomotive into seven directions, for each of which to evaluate their implementation: train driving, drive and brake control, diagnostics, collection of emergency circuits, ensuring train safety, managing the comfort of the locomotive crew. The entropy of the space of intelligent functions is proposed to be estimated according to the modified Shannon formula, where, in addition to the probability of the function being in demand for one trip, the degree of automation of the control process is taken into account. As a result of the analysis, it is shown that the intellectual functions of the locomotive developed already in the 19th century, today the degree of their implementation can be estimated at 60 %, and full implementation can be expected by the middle of the 21st century. The calculation results are summarized in two tables and one dynamic graph. It is concluded that an "intelligent" locomotive is a stage in the evolutionary development of automated locomotive control systems.