The carbody plays an important role in rail vehicle dynamics.This thesis aims atdeveloping validated modelling methods tostudy its dynamics, how it is excited on trackand how itinteracts with the passengers. The primary interest is ridecomfort,considering vibrations up to 20 Hz. In this frequencyrange, the structural flexibility ofthe carbody is of majorconcern. The models are intended for use intime-domainsimulation, calling for small-sized models to reducecomputational time and costs. Keyparameters are proposed toselect carbody eigenmodes for inclusion in a flexiblemultibodymodel, and to quantify the interaction between passengers andcarbody. Extensive comparisons between measurements and correspondingsimulations arecarried out in a case study. On-track measurementsare performed to obtain operatingdeflection shapes and powerspectral densities of the accelerations in the carbody.Thecomplete vehicle is modelled using the pieces of softwareGENSYS (flexible multibodymodel) and ANSYS (finite element modelof the carbody). Actual, measured trackirregularities are used asinput. In order to investigate the influence of passengerload,experimental modal analysis of the carbody is performed withand without passengers.Also, amplitude dependence is examined.Simple models, based on human-body modelsfrom literature, of thepassenger-carbody system are proposed and validated.Verticalseating dynamics is considered. The models areimplemented and tested in the casestudy. Finally, ideas on modelreduction and approximation are presented and applied. The main conclusions drawn from the study are that     the structural flexibility of the carbody must be takeninto account when predictingvertical vibration comfort. It ispossible to predict which carbody modes that willcontributemost to the vibrations.     the carbody dynamical properties depend on the excitationamplitude.     passengers and carbody interact significantly.- theproposed models describe the interaction quite well. Theproposed passenger-carbodymodel gives an upper boundary on theinteraction.     the proposed passenger-seat-carbody model can be used tostudy the influence of theseat parameters on the interaction.This merits to be investigated further, however. <b>Keywords</b>: Carbody, Experimental modal analysis, Human-bodydynamics, Modelreduction, Multibody dynamics, Operatingdeflection shapes, Rail-vehicle dynamics,Ride comfort, Seatingdynamics, Structural dynamics.

<p>The carbody plays an important role in rail vehicle dynamics.This thesis aims atdeveloping validated modelling methods tostudy its dynamics, how it is excited on trackand how itinteracts with the passengers. The primary interest is ridecomfort,considering vibrations up to 20 Hz. In this frequencyrange, the structural flexibility ofthe carbody is of majorconcern. The models are intended for use intime-domainsimulation, calling for small-sized models to reducecomputational time and costs. Keyparameters are proposed toselect carbody eigenmodes for inclusion in a flexiblemultibodymodel, and to quantify the interaction between passengers andcarbody.</p><p>Extensive comparisons between measurements and correspondingsimulations arecarried out in a case study. On-track measurementsare performed to obtain operatingdeflection shapes and powerspectral densities of the accelerations in the carbody.Thecomplete vehicle is modelled using the pieces of softwareGENSYS (flexible multibodymodel) and ANSYS (finite element modelof the carbody). Actual, measured trackirregularities are used asinput. In order to investigate the influence of passengerload,experimental modal analysis of the carbody is performed withand without passengers.Also, amplitude dependence is examined.Simple models, based on human-body modelsfrom literature, of thepassenger-carbody system are proposed and validated.Verticalseating dynamics is considered. The models areimplemented and tested in the casestudy. Finally, ideas on modelreduction and approximation are presented and applied.</p><p>The main conclusions drawn from the study are that</p><p>    the structural flexibility of the carbody must be takeninto account when predictingvertical vibration comfort. It ispossible to predict which carbody modes that willcontributemost to the vibrations.</p><p>    the carbody dynamical properties depend on the excitationamplitude.</p><p>    passengers and carbody interact significantly.- theproposed models describe the interaction quite well. Theproposed passenger-carbodymodel gives an upper boundary on theinteraction.</p><p>    the proposed passenger-seat-carbody model can be used tostudy the influence of theseat parameters on the interaction.This merits to be investigated further, however.</p><p><b>Keywords</b>: Carbody, Experimental modal analysis, Human-bodydynamics, Modelreduction, Multibody dynamics, Operatingdeflection shapes, Rail-vehicle dynamics,Ride comfort, Seatingdynamics, Structural dynamics.</p>

The wheel-rail contact is at the core of all research related to vehicletrackinteraction. This tiny interface governs the dynamic performanceof rail vehicles through the forces it transmits and, like any high stressconcentration zone, it is subjected to serious damage phenomena. Thus,a clear understanding of the rolling contact between wheel and rail is keyto realistic vehicle dynamics simulation and damage analysis. In a multi-body dynamics simulation, the demanding contact problemshould be evaluated at about every millisecond for several wheel-rail pairs.Hence, a rigorous treatment of the contact is highly time-consuming.Simplifying assumptions are therefore made to accelerate the simulationprocess. This gives rise to a trade-o between the accuracy and computationaleciency of the contact model in use. Conventionally, Hertz+FASTSIM is used for calculation of the contactforces thanks to its low computational cost. However, the elliptic patchand pressure distribution obtained by Hertz' theory is often not realisticin wheel-rail contact. Moreover, the use of parabolic traction bound inFASTSIM causes considerable error in the tangential stress estimation.This combination leads to inaccurate damage predictions. Fast non-elliptic contact models are proposed by others to tacklethis issue while avoiding the tedious numerical procedures. The studiesconducted in the present work show that the accuracy of these models iscase-dependent. To improve the accuracy of non-elliptic patch and pressure estimation,a new method is proposed. The method is implemented in an algorithmnamed ANALYN. Comparisons show improvements in patch and, particularly,pressure estimations using ANALYN. In addition, an alternative to the widely-used FASTSIM is developed, named FaStrip. Unlike FASTSIM, it employs an elliptic traction boundand is able to estimate the non-linear characteristic of tangential stressdistribution. Comparisons show more accurate estimation of tangentialstress and slip velocity distribution as well as creep forces with FaStrip. Ultimately, an ecient non-elliptic wheel-rail contact model consistingof ANALYN and FaStrip is proposed. The reasonable computationalcost of the model enables it to be used on-line in dynamics simulationand its accuracy can improve the damage predictions. / <p>QC 20160202</p>

The Rail Vehicle Research group at Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (KTH) is on the path to design and build a scaled test rig called roller rig for research and educational purposes. A roller rig is a device simulating the track with rollers on which the test subject (a wheelset, bogie or even a full vehicle) canbe placed.This thesis report is part of a bigger project involving several team members and it explores the applicability of track irregularities on a scaled roller rig by means of computer simulations. A scaled roller rig model, capable of simulating track irregularities, is generated using the multibody simulation softwareSIMPACK. Track irregularity data, represented as Power Spectral Densities (PSD), are applied to the model created. The model created and implementation of track irregularities are assessed in order to validate the modelling steps.Comparison with a reference vehicle model is carried out to verify if results obtained on the test rig are representative of a vehicle running on track, taking into account roller rig intrinsic errors. Results obtained aim to support the design of the roller rig’s mechanical components from a dynamical standpoint. / Forskargruppen spårfordon på Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (KTH) arbetar med att designa och bygga en nedskalerad testrigg, en så kallad rullrigg, iforsknings- och utbildningssyfte. En rullrigg är en apparat avsedd att efterlikna järnvägsspåret med hjälp av cylinderhjul, på vilken testsubjektet (hjulaxel, boggi eller ett helt fordon) kan placeras.Denna rapport är en del av ett större projekt som involverar ett flertal gruppmedlemmar och undersöker tillämpligheten av spårlägesfel på en nedskalerad rullrigg med hjälp av simulationer. En nedskalerad rullrigg, kapabel att återskapa spårlägesfel, genereras med flerkroppsdynamik mjukvaran SIMPACK. Data för spårlägesfel, representerade med spektraltätheter (PSD), appliceras på den skapade modellen. Modellen samt implementering av spårlägesfelen bedöms sedan för att validera modelleringens steg.Jämförelse med en referensfordonsmodell genomförs för att verifiera att erhållna resultat från testriggen är representativ för ett verkligt spårfordon, med hänsyn tagen till rullriggens inneboende fel. Erhållna resultat syftar till att stödja utformningen av rullriggens mekaniska komponenter från ett dynamiskt perspektiv.

Before vehicles can be placed in service it has to complete an authorisation process. At the moment,this process is largely depended on tests. This is, however, an expensive and long process. With new technologies and improved simulations this process can be shortened and the costs can be lowered. The validation of a vehicle model, however, is often limited by the available data. Often the measured rail profiles are not available and thus a new UIC60 profile is used for the simulations. The railway track often has been used and showssigns of wear and damages, therefore research has been done to investigate the influence of the rail profiles on the validation of a railway vehicle model. The current methods of validation in the European norm are used to compare simulated values with forces and accelerations available from vehicle measurements. In the first step,25 track sections with different curve radii have beensimulated with a measured rail profile every 100 meters. In the next step, the same sections have been simulated by using the standard UIC60 rail profile. The results show that the use of measured rail profiles does have a positive influence on the outcome of simulation. In the final step, one single narrow curve has been simulated to show the effect of standard and worn rail profiles. Four different wear stages of the rail profile are simulated and compared to the available vehicle measurements available. These simulations show that the use of a medium worn rail profile gives the most accurate value. / Innan ett fordon kan tas i bruk måste det genomgå en tillståndsprocess. För närvarande är denna process till stor del beroende av provningar. Detta är dock en dyr och lång process. Med hjälp av ny teknik och förbättrade simuleringar kan denna process förkortas och kostnaderna sänkas. Valideringen av en fordonsmodell begränsas dock ofta av de tillgängliga uppgifterna. Ofta finns inte de uppmätta rälsprofilerna tillgängliga och därför används en ny UIC60-profil för simuleringarna. Järnvägsspåret har ofta använts och visarDärför har forskning gjorts för att undersöka hur rälsprofilerna påverkar valideringen av en modell av ett järnvägsfordon. De nuvarande valideringsmetoderna i den europeiska normen används för att jämföra simulerade värden med de krafter och accelerationer som finns tillgängliga från fordonsmätningar. I det första steget har 25 spårsektioner med olika kurvradier använts.simulerats med en uppmätt rälsprofil var 100:e meter. I nästa steg har samma sektioner simulerats med hjälp av standardprofilen UIC60. Resultaten visar att användningen av uppmätta rälsprofiler har en positiv inverkan på simuleringsresultatet. I det sista steget har en enda smal kurva simulerats för att visa effekten av standard- och slitna rälsprofiler. Fyra olika slitningsstadier av rälsprofilen simuleras och jämförs med tillgängliga fordonsmätningar. Simuleringarna visar att användningen av en mediumsliten rälsprofil ger det mest exakta värdet.

The wheel-rail contact is at the core of all research related to vehicle-track interaction. This tiny interface governs the dynamic performance of rail vehicles through the loads it transmits and, like any high stress concentration zone, it is subjected to serious damage phenomena. Thus, a clear understanding of the rolling contact between wheel and rail is key to realistic vehicle dynamic simulation and damage analyses. In a multi-body-system simulation package, the essentially demanding contact problem should be evaluated in about every millisecond. Hence, a rigorous treatment of the contact is highly time consuming. Simplifying assumptions are, therefore, made to accelerate the simulation process. This gives rise to a trade-off between accuracy and computational efficiency of the contact models in use. Historically, Hertz contact solution is used since it is of closed-form. However, some of its underlying assumptions may be violated quite often in wheel-rail contact. The assumption of constant relative curvature which leads to an elliptic contact patch is of this kind. Fast non-elliptic contact models are proposed by others to lift this assumption while avoiding the tedious numerical procedures. These models are accompanied by a simplified approach to treat tangential tractions arising from creepages and spin. In this thesis, in addition to a literature survey presented, three of these fast non-elliptic contact models are evaluated and compared to each other in terms of contact patch, pressure and traction distributions as well as the creep forces. Based on the conclusions drawn from this evaluation, a new method is proposed which results in more accurate contact patch and pressure distribution estimation while maintaining the same computational efficiency. The experience gained through this Licentiate work illuminates future research directions among which, improving tangential contact results and treating conformal contacts are given higher priority. / <p>QC 20130911</p>