Calibration of Numerical Models of Railway Vehicles Based on Dynamic Tests

Abstract

The dynamic analysis of the vehicle-bridge system is a complex interaction problem which typically involves the development of advanced finite element (FE) models of the vehicles, track and bridge subsystems and their interfaces. The experimental calibration of the FE models of these subsystems is usually performed based on modal parameters, namely, the natural frequencies and mode shapes. This article describes the experimental calibration of 3D FE numerical models of railway vehicles, one for passenger and one for freight, based on modal parameters. The BBN vehicle is a tourist class vehicle that belongs to Alfa Pendular train and the vehicle Kbs is a freight railway wagon for transport of timber, both operating in the Portuguese railway network. The 3D FE numerical model of the vehicles consider the flexibility of the carbody/base floor and includes the suspensions and axles. The dynamic tests of the vehicles allowed the determination of the frequencies and modal configurations of several vibration modes involving rigid body and structural movements. The calibration was successfully performed through an iterative method based on a genetic algorithm, which demonstrated the stability of a significant number of numerical parameters estimates, and above all, a very good agreement between experimental and numerical modal parameters.