Abstract
Optimization for vertical vibration performance of a rail-train coupling system is investigated in this paper with the introduction of inerters for both primary and secondary suspensions. A model of a typical Chinese passenger train that travels on a traditional rail with track, sleepers, and ballast is simulated. The goal is to improve the ride quality for the train and vibration attenuation for the rail system in response to track irregularities. Optimizations for only inertance and all suspension parameters are carried out by the particle swarm algorithm (PSO). Performance benefits for both the train and the rail system are demonstrated and suspension layouts with inerters connected in parallel and series are compared with the traditional one in both time domain and frequency domain.
Highlights
Vertical performance of a train when it travels on a track is an important index for the running quality, such as the riding comfort for a passenger train
Liu et al [3] dealt with multiobjective optimization for the suspension parameters of railcars and proposed an optimization strategy combining the collaborative optimization method and the metamodel method. e results show that the dynamic performance of railcars is improved remarkably with the robust collaborative optimization of the suspension parameters
In paper [4], using a combination of multibody dynamics and a genetic algorithm (GA), the curving performance of a transit rail vehicle model with 21 degrees of freedom was optimized, where the optimal design variables were searched for minimizing the noise or wear arising from misalignment of the wheelsets with the track
Summary
Vertical performance of a train when it travels on a track is an important index for the running quality, such as the riding comfort for a passenger train. In the study by [2], the suspension parameters of high-speed rail vehicles are obtained via the Taguchi robust optimization method leading to an obvious improvement in the vertical running stability of the vehicle under different running conditions. Jiang [21, 22] focused on the improvement of rail vehicle performance with inerters in both lateral and vertical suspension systems. Research studies have proven that either parameters optimization or inerters are of great benefits to the performance of rail vehicles, which will be a novel way to optimize the train problems. Is paper firstly considers a typical Chinese passenger train on active duty and uses PSO to optimize its first and second suspension parameters for better ride comfort and suspension displacements, while inerters are introduced in both suspensions.
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