MULTI-BODY SIMULATIONS OF RAILWAY WAGON DYNAMICS

Abstract

The main aim of the presented paper is to verify the dynamics of chosen railway wagon using multi-body methods. Thus, in tests a wagon prototype with rotational rail-car body was simulated, which is going to be used for TIR vehicles trailer bodies transporting. Implemented prototype is authored by the team from Department of Applied Mechanics and Computer Science from Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Military University of Technology. For this purpose CAD model, and subsequently numerical model, of mentioned wagon was developed. Using MSC Adams software initial boundary conditions, material parameters and contact characteristics were defined. In the previous authors’ paper [1], preliminary analyses of the loads acting on the railway platform were carried out, which verified chosen parameters and coefficients. The main aim of presently proposed 3D multi-body simulations of railway wagon is to investigate its motion with full load and to determine the operation limit safety. Thus, in the performed analyses the railway wagon was accelerated to the desired velocity and drove through the curved tracks with four different velocities. From the carried out simulations the wagon dynamic behaviour was investigated and obtained results including contact forces characteristics were compared from all analyses cases. Moreover, performed study shows that the MSC. Adams software is capable for analysing and simultaneously validating various complex engineering problems, such as the one investigated by the authors