Computational Modelling of the Rail Vehicle Multibody System Including Flexible Bodies

Jan Dizo,Blanka Skocilasova,Miroslav Blatnicky

doi:10.26552/com.c.2015.3.31-36

Abstract

Tools for computer simulations are widely used in the field of a rail vehicle design. These means of virtual reality allow to perform static analyses of rail vehicle parts and dynamic analyses of a rail vehicle multibody system. For static analyses the finite element methods are most commonly used while the multibody system analyses are used for analyses of the rail vehicle dynamics. This paper deals with an implementation of flexible bodies into the rail vehicle multibody system. The implementation of flexible bodies into the rail vehicle multibody system extends the using of simulations, especially for an assessment of an influence of flexible bodies on running properties of the rail vehicle.

Highlights

In modern development process of rail vehicle computer aided simulations are employed
Production of a rail vehicle is composed of several phases
The reduction of the linear flexible degrees of freedom is the principal step for an efficient simulation of a flexible multibody system of a rail vehicle [9]

Summary

Introduction

In modern development process of rail vehicle computer aided simulations are employed. There is a design phase, a development and optimisation phase, production of a rail vehicle, verification and validation of a rail vehicle and, in the end, commissioning of a rail vehicle At this time computer software allows to perform complex simulations. For applications in the field of rail vehicle analysis where the deformation of the bodies cannot be neglected, the method of flexible multibody systems has to be applied. The reduction of the linear flexible degrees of freedom is the principal step for an efficient simulation of a flexible multibody system of a rail vehicle [9]. The need for more accurate models of a rail vehicle to describe the complex behaviour of flexible systems experiencing large motion while undergoing small elastic deformations motivated the development of many powerful analysis techniques. The most popular formulations use time-variant mass matrices to describe the inertia coupling between the rigid body motion and the elastic deformation [1]

Foundations of flexible multibody dynamics

Modelling of the multibody system of rail vehicle with flexible bodies

Approach for the reduction of rail vehicle parts

Reduction of the bogie frame

Conclusion