Running Safety and Comfort Analysis of Railway Vehicles Moving on Curved Tracks

Using a heuristic linear creep model, this study derives the governing differential equations of motion for the railway vehicle traveling on curved tracks. The railway vehicle is modeled as a car system with 27 degrees-of-freedom (DOFs), taking into account the lateral and vertical displacements, roll and yaw angles of the wheelsets and truck frames, as well as the lateral displacement, roll and yaw angles of the car body. The effects of railway vehicle speeds on the derailment quotients and offload factors related to running safety are evaluated by both the linear and nonlinear creep models for various radii of curved tracks. Using the Sperling and modified Sperling index formulas, the effects of railway vehicle speeds on lateral riding quality and comfort are illustrated for the two models with various radii of curved tracks. Furthermore, the effects of railway vehicle speeds on the lateral Sperling comfort index of the 27-DOF car model are presented and compared for various suspension parameters. Finally, the acceptable region for riding quality and comfort are drawn.