Non-steady state modelling of wheel-rail contact problem for the dynamic simulation of railway vehicles

This paper deals with the solution of the non-steady state wheel-rail contact problem. Firstly, the existing models are analysed and it is concluded that none of them have the computational efficiency and/or accuracy characteristics required to be used in a railway simulation programme. Following this, a new solution is proposed to the problem that allows obtaining sufficiently accurate results with a relatively low computational cost. During the development of the proposed method it has been assumed that only one type of creepage is variable with respect to the time. Further work is necessary to extend it to more general cases.     

Non-steady state modelling of wheel-rail contact problem for the dynamic simulation of railway vehicles

Abstract

This paper deals with the solution of the non-steady state wheel-rail contact problem. Firstly, the existing models are analysed and it is concluded that none of them have the computational efficiency and/or accuracy characteristics required to be used in a railway simulation programme. Following this, a new solution is proposed to the problem that allows obtaining sufficiently accurate results with a relatively low computational cost. During the development of the proposed method it has been assumed that only one type of creepage is variable with respect to the time. Further work is necessary to extend it to more general cases.     

A data-driven dynamics simulation framework for railway vehicles

The finite element (FE) method is essential for simulating vehicle dynamics with fine details, especially for train crash simulations. However, factors such as the complexity of meshes and the distortion involved in a large deformation would undermine its calculation efficiency. An alternative method, the multi-body (MB) dynamics simulation provides satisfying time efficiency but limited accuracy when highly nonlinear dynamic process is involved. To maintain the advantages of both methods, this paper proposes a data-driven simulation framework for dynamics simulation of railway vehicles. This framework uses machine learning techniques to extract nonlinear features from training data generated by FE simulations so that specific mesh structures can be formulated by a surrogate element (or surrogate elements) to replace the original mechanical elements, and the dynamics simulation can be implemented by co-simulation with the surrogate element(s) embedded into a MB model. This framework consists of a series of techniques including data collection, feature extraction, training data sampling, surrogate element building, and model evaluation and selection. To verify the feasibility of this framework, we present two case studies, a vertical dynamics simulation and a longitudinal dynamics simulation, based on co-simulation with MATLAB/Simulink and Simpack, and a further comparison with a popular data-driven model (the Kriging model) is provided. The simulation result shows that using the legendre polynomial regression model in building surrogate elements can largely cut down the simulation time without sacrifice in accuracy.     

Dynamic simulation of railway vehicles: wheel/rail contact analysis

The multibody simulation of railway vehicle dynamics needs a reliable and efficient method to evaluate the contact points between wheel and rail, because their positions have a considerable influence on the direction and intensity of the contact forces. In this work, an innovative semi-analytic procedure for the detection of the wheel/rail contact points (named the DIFF method) is presented. This method considers the wheel and the rail as two surfaces whose analytic expressions are known and is based on the idea that in the contact points the difference between the surfaces has local minima and is equivalent to solving an algebraic two-dimensional system. The original problem can be reduced analytically to a simple scalar equation that can be easily solved numerically (since the problem dimension is one, even elementary non-iterative algorithms can be efficient).     

Precision analysis and dynamic stability in the numerical solution of the two-dimensional wheel/rail tangential contact problem

ABSTRACT

In this paper the two-dimensional contact problem is analysed through different mesh topologies and strategies for approaching equations, namely; the collocation method, Galerkin, and the polynomial approach. The two-dimensional asymptotic problem (linear theory) associated with very small creepage (or infinite friction coefficient) is taken as a reference in order to analyse the numerical methods, and its solution is tackled in three different ways, namely steady-state problem, dynamic stability problem, and non-steady state problem in the frequency domain. In addition, two elastic displacements derivatives calculation methods are explored: analytic and finite differences. The results of this work establish the calculation conditions that are necessary to guarantee dynamic stability and the absence of numerical singularities, as well as the parameters for using the method that allows for maximum precision at the minimum computational cost to be reached.     

A new passive approach to reducing the carbody vertical bending vibration of railway vehicles

This paper brings to view a new passive approach regarding the reduction of the flexible carbody vertical bending vibration of railway vehicles via two anti-bending bars fixed onto the longitudinal beams of a carbody underframe. The anti-bending bars operate as elastic elements limiting the rotation of the carbody cross-sections and thus increasing the bending carbody frequency. The anti-bending bars are dimensioned so that the frequency of the first bending mode of the carbody to be convenient in terms of ride comfort. The effectiveness in the use of the anti-bending bars is proven by the lowering of the vibration level and improvement of the vehicle ride comfort.     

Tangential problem solution for non-elliptical contact areas with the FastSim algorithm

This article deals with the application of the FastSim algorithm to the solution of the tangential contact problem for non-elliptical contact areas. At first, the causes creating problems for the solution of non-hertzian contact areas with this algorithm shall be analyzed. Then, different currently existing methods shall be studied, analyzing their accuracy characteristics and computational cost to determine whether or not they are appropriate to use in dynamic simulations. Finally, a new strategy shall be proposed that, in the opinion of the authors, offers good characteristics of precision and computational cost.     

Tangential problem solution for non-elliptical contact areas with the FastSim algorithm

This article deals with the application of the FastSim algorithm to the solution of the tangential contact problem for non-elliptical contact areas. At first, the causes creating problems for the solution of non-hertzian contact areas with this algorithm shall be analyzed. Then, different currently existing methods shall be studied, analyzing their accuracy characteristics and computational cost to determine whether or not they are appropriate to use in dynamic simulations. Finally, a new strategy shall be proposed that, in the opinion of the authors, offers good characteristics of precision and computational cost.     

Semi-active suspension systems for railway vehicles using magnetorheological dampers. Part II: simulation and analysis

In this paper, the semi-active suspension system for railway vehicles based on the controlled (MR) fluid dampers is investigated, and compared with the passive on and passive off suspension systems. The lateral, yaw, and roll accelerations of the car body, trucks, and wheelsets of a full-scale railway vehicle integrated with four MR dampers in the secondary suspension systems, which are in the closed and open loops respectively, are simulated under the random and periodical track irregularities using the established governing equations of the railway vehicle and the modelled track irregularities in Part I of this paper. The simulation results indicate that (1) the semi-active controlled MR damper-based suspension system for railway vehicles is effective and beneficial as compared with the passive on and passive off modes, and (2) while the car body accelerations of the railway vehicle integrated with semi-active controlled MR dampers can be significantly reduced relative to the passive on and passive off ones, the accelerations of the trucks and wheelsets could be increased to some extent. However, the increase in the accelerations of the trucks and wheelsets is insignificant.     

A closed-loop dynamic simulation-based design method for articulated heavy vehicles with active trailer steering systems

This paper presents a closed-loop dynamic simulation-based design method for articulated heavy vehicles (AHVs) with active trailer steering (ATS) systems. AHVs have poor manoeuvrability at low speeds and exhibit low lateral stability at high speeds. From the design point of view, there exists a trade-off relationship between AHVs’ manoeuvrability and stability. For example, fewer articulation points and longer wheelbases will improve high-speed lateral stability, but they will degrade low-speed manoeuvrability. To tackle this conflicting design problem, a systematic method is proposed for the design of AHVs with ATS systems. In order to evaluate vehicle performance measures under a well-defined testing manoeuvre, a driver model is introduced and it ‘drivers’ the vehicle model to follow a prescribed route at a given speed. Considering the interactions between the mechanical trailer and the ATS system, the proposed design method simultaneously optimises the active design variables of the controllers and passive design variables of the trailer in a single design loop (SDL). Through the design optimisation of an ATS system for an AHV with a truck and a drawbar trailer combination, this SDL method is compared against a published two design loop method. The benchmark investigation shows that the former can determine better trade-off design solutions than those derived by the latter. This SDL method provides an effective approach to automatically implement the design synthesis of AHVs with ATS systems.     

A semi-active control suspension system for railway vehicles with magnetorheological fluid dampers

The high-speed train has achieved great progress in the last decades. It is one of the most important modes of transportation between cities. With the rapid development of the high-speed train, its safety issue is paid much more attention than ever before. To improve the stability of the vehicle with high speed, extra dampers (i.e. anti-hunting damper) are used in the traditional bogies with passive suspension system. However, the curving performance of the vehicle is undermined due to the extra lateral force generated by the dampers. The active suspension systems proposed in the last decades attempt to solve the vehicle steering issue. However, the active suspension systems need extra actuators driven by electrical power or hydraulic power. There are some implementation and even safety issues which are not easy to be overcome. In this paper, an innovative semi-active controlled lateral suspension system for railway vehicles is proposed. Four magnetorheological fluid dampers are fixed to the primary suspension system of each bogie. They are controlled by online controllers for enhancing the running stability on the straight track line on the one hand and further improving the curving performance by controlling the damper force on the other hand. Two control strategies are proposed in the light of the pure rolling concept. The effectiveness of the proposed strategies is demonstrated by SIMPACK and Matlab co-simulation for a full railway vehicle with two conventional bogies.     

A structural articulation method for assessing railway bridges subject to dynamic impact loading from track irregularities

This paper discusses the importance of track irregularities in railway bridge design, and presents a new technique for calculating the dynamic impact load induced by such irregularities: the structural articulation method. The properties of the combined bridge-suspension system are coupled through global mass, stiffness, and damping matrices. Under the proposed method, the true suspension system over a particular point on the bridge girder at time t is divided into equivalent suspension systems attributed to adjacent finite-element nodes of the bridge. The time-dependent effects of a moving mass are thereby included in the equation of motion.     

Study of optimal structure design method for dynamic nonlinear problem

For a crash analysis using the FEM with respect to a structure which is composed of thin plates, a structure study method was developed. This method is based on the concept that making each plastic strain value of all shell elements almost equal is effective in the weight reduction of such a structure.In this paper, application results and a robust design by means of this method are described.     

强夯法数值模拟研究综述

通过对国内外现有强夯法数值模拟情况的详细介绍,为今后强夯数值模拟的研究提供有益参考。     

一种新结构重型汽车用弹簧滑板

由于重型自卸车承载力大且使用工况恶劣,导致弹簧滑板在使用过程中故障率较高,从而使得售后维修及索赔成本增大;本文针对弹簧滑板在使用过程中的失效模式在原有技术及结构之上,设计一种新结构弹簧滑板,从而降低弹簧滑板故障率,最大程度的提高弹簧滑板使用寿命。     

Comparison of wheel-rail contact codes for railway vehicle simulation: an introduction to the Manchester Contact Benchmark and initial results

A new benchmark is being undertaken to assess the impact of wheel-rail contact modelling assumptions on the simulation of railway vehicle dynamics. The benchmark is split into two distinct simulation cases: the first, Case A, using a single wheelset to pinpoint the differences between the contact models and the second, Case B, using a simplified railway vehicle to assess the effect of the different contact models on the simulation of vehicle behaviour. After an open discussion of the Case A specification, the initial call for contributions was made in November 2006. The discussion of simulation Case B specifications was opened in April 2007 and to date is ongoing. This paper briefly introduces the new Manchester Contact Benchmark and presents some of the initial findings from simulation Case A.     

A stochastic quarter-car model for dynamic analysis of vehicles with uncertain parameters

A quarter-car model is used to investigate the vibration response of cars with uncertainty under random road input excitations in this paper. The sprung mass, unsprung mass, suspension damping, suspension stiffness, and tyre stiffness are considered as random variables. The road irregularity is considered a Gaussian random process and modelled by means of a simple exponential power spectral density. The power spectral density, mean value, standard deviation, and variation coefficient of the vehicle's natural frequencies and mode shapes are obtained by using the Monte Carlo simulation method. The computational expressions for the numerical characteristics of the mean square value of the vehicle's random response in the frequency domain are developed by means of the random variable's functional moment method. The influences of the randomness of the vehicle's parameters on the vehicle's dynamic response are investigated in detail using a practical example, and some useful conclusions are obtained.