Stability Analysis of Railways with Radialelastic Wheelsets

SUMMARYThis paper presents vibration studies and stability analyses of a passenger coach model which is equipped with radial-and lateralelastic wheels. The elastic components between wheel rim and disc act as third suspension reducing the unsprung mass and isolating the passenger coach from the high frequency motion of the wheel rim. The vertical and lateral motion by such a design requires accordingly the analysis of the vertical and lateral dynamics. The excitation of the vertical vibrations by stochastic track irregularities results in acceleration amplitudes of the carbody which cause a brumming or droning noise. A parameter study of spring and damper coefficients of the system with radialelastic wheels leads to considerably reduced droning noise and lower force level between wheel and rail. Furthermore, the eigenmotion of a radial-and lateralelastic wheelset rolling on a track, the so-called hunting, is investigated. The variation of the spring and damper coefficients of the radial elasticity shows lower limits of the lateral parameters in order to guarantee the stability of the system.