Dynamic Simulation of Taipei EMU Train

Simplified train dynamics for the trains of the Taipei Metro are presently being studied, with the aid of numerical methods, to avoid possible dangerous conditions of coupler failure and to understand the deformation of the “mechanical fuse” in a train collision. A multiple degree-of-freedom system is utilized to simulate the EMU train. Equations of motion are set up in a matrix and solved to calculate the transient responses of the couplers. Analytical solutions are checked by comparison with the results of the Runge-Kutta method. Energy absorption devices such as the coupler and the “mechanical fuse” as well as the vehicle body structure are taken into consideration to complete an integrated study of the structural crashworthiness. It is found that sudden failure of couplers would not happen for a train at coupling speeds up to 5 km/h. Coupler force for a train running at a normal acceleration from the start or at an emergency stop are also investigated. In addition, it is found that damage is confined to the fuse structures and the fuse deformation is less than the maximum allowable deformation designed in the trains, under an impact speed of 25 km/h.