Optimisation of damping characteristics and damper placement for enhanced wagon stability and ride comfort

Abstract

Locomotives are the backbone of railway transportation, and they are complex engineering marvels consisting of various sub systems designed to ensure comfortable and safe transportation. The dynamics of a locomotive plays an important role in ensuring its safe operation. The dynamics study mainly focuses on comfort and safety factors such as ride index, derailment quotient, which are crucial for assessing the dynamic performance of the vehicle. This project focuses on optimizing damping characteristics and damper placement in locomotives to improve their dynamic performance. Using advanced modelling and simulation techniques in VI Rail software. A locomotive model named ERRI wagon with two front and rear trucks each consisting of two axles, primary and secondary suspension was analysed in Adams/Vi Rail software to study the locomotive vibrations under various conditions, identifying critical modes and assessing the impact of damping on accelerations and forces. In this project dynamic analyses were done considering different combinations of primary and secondary suspension parameters. Multi objective optimization approach is used, this research aims to find the optimal combination of damping characteristics and damper locations, considering factors such as ride comfort, stability, and overall dynamic response. The outcomes are expected to provide practical insights for locomotive design, leading to improved safety and enhanced overall performance in rail transportation. The optimized damping system resulting from this research is anticipated to offer a well-balanced model of a locomotive. Keywords: Locomotives, Trucks, Dynamic analysis, Ride index, Derailment quotient, Dampers, Suspension, Optimization.