Dynamic simulation and safety evaluation of high-speed trains meeting in open air

Abstract

Dynamic responses of a carriage under excitation with the German high-speed low-interference track spectrum together with the air pressure pulse generated as high-speed trains passing each other are investigated with a multi-body dynamics method. The variations of degrees of freedom (DOFs: horizontal movement, roll angle, and yaw angle), the lateral wheel-rail force, the derailment coefficient, and the rate of wheel load reduction with time when two carriages meet in open air are obtained and compared with the results of a single train travelling at specified speeds. Results show that the rate of wheel load reduction increases with the increase of train speed and meets some safety standard at a certain speed, but exceeding the value of the rate of wheel load reduction does not necessarily mean derailment. The evaluation standard of the rate of wheel load reduction is somewhat conservative and may be loosened. The pressure pulse has significant effects on the train DOFs, and the evaluations of these safety indexes are strongly suggested in practice. The pressure pulse has a limited effect on the derailment coefficient and the lateral wheel-rail force, and, thus, their further evaluations may be not necessary. The dynamic behaviors of the train’s degrees of freedom (horizontal movement, roll angle and yaw angle), the lateral wheel-rail force, the derailment coefficient, and the rate of wheel load reduction when two high-speed trains meet in open air are investigated with a multi-body dynamics method. The pressure pulse has a limited effect on the derailment coefficient and the lateral wheel-rail force, but it has significant effects on the train’s degrees of freedom, for which evaluations are strongly suggested in practice.