Parametric Investigation of a Rail Damper Design Based on a Lab-Scaled Model

Alireza Jahan Tigh Kuchak,Dragan Marinkovic,Manfred Zehn

doi:10.1007/s42417-020-00209-2

Alireza Jahan Tigh Kuchak, Dragan Marinkovic + Show 1 more

https://doi.org/10.1007/s42417-020-00209-2

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Abstract

BackgroundTrack noise is one of the main issues in the development of railway networks. It is well known that rail dampers, as a cost-effective, passive means of vibration reduction, do reduce the noise; still, neither the mechanism behind their action nor the influential parameters are well understood.PurposeThe main purpose of this work is to investigate the efficiency and influential parameters of a rail damper design based on a lab-scaled model of the rail-damper system and an accurate FE model.MethodsBased on experimental and numerical modal analyses and the Modal Assurance Criteria (MAC) analysis, the FE model updating technique was applied to develop a highly accurate FE model of the rail-damper system for the investigated frequency range. In a further step, the developed FE model is used in a parametric analysis to assess various damper parameters with respect to the efficiency of damping rail vibrations and, therewith, radiated noise.ResultsThe investigation performed based on FE simulations demonstrates how different material and geometric parameters of the damper influence the mobility decay rate of rail vertical vibrations. The investigated parameters are the thickness of still and rubber layers, stiffness and damping loss factor of rubber layers, and pre-force in the bolts that press the layers together.ConclusionsIt is shown that the FE model updating technique was capable of producing a highly accurate FE model despite the challenging properties of the real structure and that a combination of the lab-scaled model and the FE model represents a cost-effective approach.

Highlights

Structural vibrations represent a rather important aspect in the lifetime of most load-carrying structures
Besides the four rubber layers, the upper layers that are assembled onto the platform include four steel layers
While the thickness of all rubber layers was assumed same and changed within the predefined range, only the thickness of the two bottom steel layers is investigated here. As those layers have different thicknesses in the model provided by the Schrey and Veit (S&V) company (15 mm and 8 mm), ‘added thickness’ (Δt) is selected as a parameter and applied to the steel layers

Summary

Introduction

Structural vibrations represent a rather important aspect in the lifetime of most load-carrying structures. Purpose The main purpose of this work is to investigate the efficiency and influential parameters of a rail damper design based on a lab-scaled model of the rail-damper system and an accurate FE model. Methods Based on experimental and numerical modal analyses and the Modal Assurance Criteria (MAC) analysis, the FE model updating technique was applied to develop a highly accurate FE model of the rail-damper system for the investigated frequency range. Conclusions It is shown that the FE model updating technique was capable of producing a highly accurate FE model despite the challenging properties of the real structure and that a combination of the lab-scaled model and the FE model represents a cost-effective approach

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