SIM3PO: An Innovative Energy Simulation Platform

SNCF Voyageurs's Commitment to Energy Management

SIM3PO is an energy simulation platform developed by SNCF Voyageurs in order to control the energy consumption forecasts of railway rolling stock. It makes it possible to analyze in detail the energies consumed by the different types of rolling stock (TGV, TER, trams, etc.). The objective of the tool is to optimize energy consumption, to guide technological choices for the purchase or renovation of equipment, and to study hybridization strategies to improve energy performance.

The SIM3PO platform is particularly useful with the arrival of new hybrid power chains and the complexity of managing different energy sources. It makes it possible to study the behavior of machines before they are put into commercial service to ensure the best possible exploitation. Based on a modular architecture, SIM3PO is designed for continuous improvement and aims to become the energy twin of rolling stock.

The models developed by SIM3PO can be used during operation to improve the sobriety and autonomy of trains, or in the event of changes in routes. The platform makes it possible to highlight the concrete actions to be taken to optimize energy.

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Two user profiles have been identified for SIM3PO:

- The modeler, who creates the rolling stock models.

- The user, who carries out the simulations.

The modular architecture and the object approach allow optimal reuse of existing models, thus facilitating the construction of new train models.

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The platform simulates energy consumption by modeling driving strategy, train control, and actuators such as inverters. It applies the fundamental principle of dynamics to simulate the evolution of the speed of the convoy and the reactions of the driver or automation. SIM3PO provides a detail of the physical quantities involved in consumption for all elements of the train and throughout the journey.

SIM3PO is a tool underlining SNCF Voyageurs's commitment to controlling and optimizing the energy consumption of trains, whether for new equipment or already in circulation. It makes it possible to establish criteria for energy performance and autonomy, to validate them by simulation, and then in operation.

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