Numerical Dynamic Simulation of a Train Set Running on Ballasted Track after Derailment

Abstract

The dynamic motion of a train set will be affected by the change in running resistance as the wheels run over sleepers or ballast. It is therefore important to determine the motion of vehicles in such situations both experimentally and theoretically. A 1 to 10 scale model vehicle was used to perform running tests during which the vehicle was made to collide against model iron sleepers. Further running tests were carried out involving a real single bogie falling onto ballast or a concrete sleeper. These experiments were used as a basis to develop a numerical simulation program, capable of calculating the dynamic motion of a train after its derailment, and computed dynamic behavior of 5 cars after their derailment.

Train post-derailment behaviours and containment methods: a review

“…Derailment kinetic energy is proportional to the square of the derailment speed, so even a small increase in derailment speed can have a huge impact on the post-derailment lateral and longitudinal motion of the vehicle. Reducing the derailment speed has a very positive effect on decreasing the post-derailment distance and severity of the derailment accident, as verified by both numerical simulation [10,11] and test [12,13]. However, different derailment speeds can cause the railway component to play different roles in post-derailment behaviour, as revealed by a fullscale derailment test [13].…”

“…The cause of the derailment can be one of the reasons for explaining this phenomenon. A report [10] found that some types of derailments, such as track buckle, defective switches, collision, and overspeed, may escalate quickly, while other types of derailments, including broken wheels, wheel climb, bogie defects, etc., escalate slowly. It is evident that the cause of a derailment can be a significant factor that influences the behaviour of rolling stock after the incident.…”

<b>Recent Trends in Research into Numerical Simulation Techniques for Railway System Dynamics</b>

“…While experiments have been conducted using scale models to reproduce vehicle derailment, it is difficult to reproduce these events identically. As such numerical simulations have been conducted in parallel with experiments [9]. Detailed research has thus been carried out into the derailment behavior of vehicles in a major earthquake utilizing numerical simulation.…”

A Method of Predicting Critical Derailment Speed and Analysis of Derailment Process

“…Under low-speed conditions, the quasi-static model generally is used to study the train-derailment process [2][3][4][5]. Tests can be conducted through the derailer, and the simulation method is used to analyze the running attitude of the train during derailment [6,7]. The theoretical system of the lateral motion stability of vehicles at low speed is relatively perfect, but there are still many unsolved problems of high-speed derailment.…”