Optimising the location of wagon gravity centre to improve the curving performance. Issue 5 (4th May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Duo; Tang, Yinying; Sun, Zhongyang; Peng, Qiyuan
• Is Part Of: Vehicle system dynamics. Volume 60:Issue 5(2022)
• Page Start: 1627
• Page End: 1641
• Publication Date: 2022-05-04
• Subjects: Railway freight transportation -- wagon gravity centre -- curving performance -- dynamics simulation -- Pareto-optimal solution; Motor vehicles -- Dynamics -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 629.231
• DOI: 10.1080/00423114.2020.1865546
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0042-3114

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The location of wagon gravity centre (WGC) has a significant effect on the wheel-rail contact force. For the sake of improving the curving performance of a freight wagon, it is necessary to optimise the location of WGC by shifting the position of cargo or adopting the balance weight. This paper proposes a data analysis methodology that demonstrates the safe distribution scope of WGC based on the results of dynamics simulations. A general model of the loaded wagon is built using the multibody dynamics software VI-Rail. The simulation conditions are designed to achieve the analog of vehicle running circumstances in reality. The simulation results under various conditions provide us full evidence to demarcate the safe locations of WGC and derive the Pareto-optimal solutions. The methodology presented in the paper can be applied to an arbitrary case of railway freight transportation to promote the vehicle running safety.