Title: Dynamic response of railroad vehicle to rail joints and average vertical profile: a time domain approach

Authors: K.V. Gangadharan, C. Sujatha, V. Ramamurti

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal, Srinivas Nagar, 575025, India. ' Mechanical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600 036, India. ' Mechanical Engineering Department, Anna University, Chennai 600 025, India

Abstract: One rigid body and three finite element models have been used to study the dynamic behaviour of a typical Electrical Multiple Unit Trailer coach running on Indian suburban tracks. Following eigenvalue analysis, dynamic responses to input excitation from rail joints and Average Vertical Profile (AVP) have been determined in the time domain, using mode superposition technique. Acceleration and displacement response at Centres of Gravity (cg) of car and bogie have been predicted. The analytical results compare well with experimental results and highlight the need to include superstructure elasticity to predict the dynamic response accurately.

Keywords: railroad dynamics; rail joints; dynamic response; finite element modelling; FEM; average vertical profile; AVP; heavy vehicles; railways; India; electrical multiple unit trailers; superstructure elasticity; railway bogies; trains.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHVS.2007.015709

International Journal of Heavy Vehicle Systems, 2007 Vol.14 No.4, pp.402 - 420

Published online: 09 Nov 2007 *

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