Safety-Guaranteed Prescribed Performance Control for Virtually-Coupled Trains with Adaptive Parameter Identification

This paper proposes a safety-guaranteed prescribed performance control (PPC) for virtually-coupled trains with adaptive parameter identification. Compared with traditional continuous PPC methods, the proposed strategy incorporates discontinuous characteristics to ensure position and speed errors remain within safe bounds even after target mutations, achieved through interval and impulsive-point analysis. Lyapunov-based stability guarantees are rigorously established. To enhance safety, multi-phase operation targets are enforced from unformed to completed coupled VC states regulated by position-speed targets, while adaptive parameter identification improves uncertainty adaptability and control precision for error convergence. A minimum dwell-time constraint avoids frequent switching. Final simulations illustrate the efficient of the main findings.