Multibody Dynamics Simulation and Bogie Structure Evaluation for Active-Bogie Steering Truck

Abstract

Railway truck is necessary to have excellent curving performance as well as high speed hunting stability, but generally they are contrary to each other. In order to realize the compatibility, many trucks with passive steering mechanism have been studied, and some of them are realized on service operation. In order to realize further improvement of bogie steering ability on sharp curve, active steering control can give effective performance, and is considered as the latest topic. As an example of the active steering bogie, the bogie with actuators between wheelsets and bogie frame is considered. The bogie mechanism realizes effective steering but requires many actuators results in complex mechanism. The truck treated here has simple but effective mechanism: Actuators are attached only between car body and truck frame. When railway trucks negotiate sharp curve running, the rolling radius difference between inside and outside wheels cannot be obtained sufficiently, and the attitude of the truck becomes so-called “insufficient steering condition”. Considering the phenomena, if the truck frame is steered by actuators toward “radial steering position of the truck”, the improvement of curving performance of the truck can be realized. This is the first concept of active-bogie-steering (ABS) truck. In this paper, detailed study and evaluation for ABS (Active-Bogie-Steering) bogie will be presented. Validity tests were carried out with the bogie on rolling test stand in NTSEL (National Traffic Safety and Environment Laboratory), which can simulate curve-running condition including transition curve. Bogie parameters and steering actuator characteristics are elaborately identified in order to compare the experimental results with multi-body dynamics simulation. According to the test results and numerical simulation, the effectiveness of the proposed bogie mechanism and control are proved.