Search

A vehicle's centre of gravity (CG) is an important property that affects the vehicle's handing stability, ride comfort and safety. For example, a high CG may lead to a serious traffic accident due to the adverse effects it may have on roll and handling stability. In this paper, we develop a dynamic detection method to obtain vehicle's height that uses a simulation model based on a dynamic analysis during braking. Simulations show that the dynamic detection method is feasible. Experiments with three different vehicles are performed to verify the proposed method. The previously established prediction detection and lifting detection (LD) methods are used for comparison. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method has higher accuracy and efficiency than the LD method. Thus, the proposed method is useful for the vehicle detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sensitivity analysis has been performed to assess the influence of the inertial properties of railway vehicles on their dynamic behaviour. To do this, 216 dynamic simulations were performed modifying, one at a time, the masses, moments of inertia and heights of the centre of gravity of the carbody, the bogie and the wheelset. Three values were assigned to each parameter, corresponding to the percentiles 10, 50 and 90 of a data set stored in a database of railway vehicles. After processing the results of these simulations, the analysed parameters were sorted by increasing influence. It was also found which of these parameters could be estimated with a lesser degree of accuracy for future simulations without appreciably affecting the simulation results. In general terms, it was concluded that the most sensitive inertial properties are the mass and the vertical moment of inertia, and the least sensitive ones the longitudinal and lateral moments of inertia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An earlier developed multi-body system post-derailment module, that predicts the wheelsets' behaviour after impact with concrete sleepers, is upgraded to account for possible wheel-rail fastener impact situations, after train derailments at high speed. The vertical stiffness describing the wheel-fastener impact behaviour is calibrated and validated based on two authentic derailment cases. Geometrical specifications that permit a brake disc and a bogie frame to act as substitute guidance mechanisms after flange climbing derailments on curved track are presented for an X 2000 trailer car. Further, an introductory analysis on the post-derailment vehicle behaviour on tangent track after a 'flange on rail head' derailment condition is also presented as a function of bogie yaw resistance. The risk of carbody overturning after derailments on tangent track is assessed as a function of coupler height and carbody centre of gravity as well as bogie transversal beam position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]