Numerical-Based Dynamic Frequency Response Analysis of Rigid Rail Vehicle Model

Abstract

The rail car body is a very complex structure and the study of its natural frequencies is quite essential as they are affecting the vibration, ride comfort of the vehicle and the dynamic behaviour of the rail car body. Study of eigenvalue analysis gives information related to system stability and its natural frequency. Moreover, the external perturbation observed due to the track irregularities have an adverse effect on the dynamic responses of railway vehicle, hence its detailed analysis is very important. In this article a full car body model comprising a car body, 2 FIAT bogies, and 4 wheelsets has been developed in SIMPACK. In the first half of this paper, the eigenvalue analysis has been done to figure out the natural frequencies at which different mode pairs are observed. In the latter section of this paper, by taking track irregularities into consideration, the frequency response analysis has been carried out, on the basis of simulation result under different operating speed. Results shows that the vehicle operating speed and accelerometer position on the car floor surface has significance influence on dominant frequency band.