A study of the effect of the transition curve in the coupling elements between the carbody and the bogie

Abstract

This work describes an analysis of the effect of the transition curves in the coupling elements between the carbody and the bogie, by means of recorded variables under commercial operation conditions of a railway vehicle. A set of field tests are developed and applied to the railway system as a basis to validate a numerical model. The dataset is obtained from a numerical model based on the multi-body systems theory using a transient method. The study focuses on the dynamic evaluation of the vehicle to determine the transversal dynamic effect generated by the circulation in the transition curve sections, especially in curves with short radius. The work includes a case study of a passenger railway, and it is used to identify aspects of the railway system that could be improved by the operators, such as inspection routines, rail track design and elements subjected to considerable loads.