Fast Method to Evaluate Payload Effect on In-Train Forces of Freight Trains

Introduction: This paper introduces a fast method to evaluate the effect of payload distribution on in-train forces. Methods: The method is based on Strong Orthogonal Arrays (SOA) and the excellent space-filling properties of Latin Hypercube Design (LHD): SOA-based-LHD is proved to be very efficient in spanning the range of in-train forces for different types of trains (also considering distributed power/braking) and trains operations. Results: The distribution of the percentage of braked mass is used to consider the effect of payload distribution on in-train forces. Because of its computational efficiency, the method proposed here can be satisfactorily employed to perform an optimization analysis of train composition.