Dynamic load sharing behavior of transverse-torsional coupled planetary gear train with multiple clearances

A new nonlinear transverse-torsional coupled model with backlash and bearing clearance was proposed for planetary gear set. Meanwhile, sun gear and planet's eccentricity errors, static transmission error, and time-varying meshing stiffness were taken into consideration. The differential governing equations of motion were solved by employing variable step-size Rung-Kutta numerical integration method. The behavior of dynamic load sharing characteristics affected by the system parameters including input rate, sun gear's supporting stiffness and eccentricity error, planet's eccentricity error, sun gear's bearing clearance, backlashes of sun-planet and planet-ring meshes were investigated qualitatively and systematically. Some theoretical results are summarized at last which extend the current understanding of the dynamic load sharing behavior of planet gear train, enrich the related literature and provide references for the design of planetary gear train.

Development of a simulation model for dynamic derailment analysis of high-speed trains

The running safety of high-speed trains has become a major concern of the current railway research with the rapid development of high-speed railways around the world.The basic safety requirement is to prevent the derailment.The root causes of the dynamic derailment of highspeed trains operating in severe environments are not easy to identify using the field tests or laboratory experiments.Numerical simulation using an advanced train–track interaction model is a highly efficient and low-cost approach to investigate the dynamic derailment behavior and mechanism of high-speed trains.This paper presents a three-dimensional dynamic model of a high-speed train coupled with a ballast track for dynamic derailment analysis.The model considers a train composed of multiple vehicles and the nonlinear inter-vehicle connections.The ballast track model consists of rails,fastenings,sleepers,ballasts,and roadbed,which are modeled by Euler beams,nonlinear spring-damper elements,equivalent ballast bodies,and continuous viscoelastic elements,in which the modal superposition method was used to reduce the order of the partial differential equations of Euler beams.The commonly used derailment safety assessment criteria around the world are embedded in the simulation model.The train–track model was then used to investigate the dynamic derailment responses of a high-speed train passing over a buckled track,in which the derailmentmechanism and train running posture during the dynamic derailment process were analyzed in detail.The effects of train and track modelling on dynamic derailment analysis were also discussed.The numerical results indicate that the train and track modelling options have a significant effect on the dynamic derailment analysis.The inter-vehicle impacts and the track flexibility and nonlinearity should be considered in the dynamic derailment simulations.

Model tests on XCC-piled embankment under dynamic train load of high-speed railways

Piled embankments,which offer many advantages,are increasingly popular in construction of high-speed railways in China.Although the performance of piled embankment under static loading is well-known,the behavior under the dynamic train load of a high-speed railway is not yet understood.In light of this,a heavily instrumented piled embankment model was set up,and a model test was carried out,in which a servo-hydraulic actuator outputting M-shaped waves was adopted to simulate the process of a running train.Earth pressure,settlement,strain in the geogrid and pile and excess pore water pressure were measured.The results show that the soil arching height under the dynamic train load of a high-speed railway is shorter than under static loading.The growth trend for accumulated settlement slowed down after long-term vibration although there was still a tendency for it to increase.Accumulated geogrid strain has an increasing tendency after long-term vibration.The closer the embankment edge,the greater the geogrid strain over the subsoil.Strains in the pile were smaller under dynamic train loads,and their distribution was different from that under static loading.At the same elevation,excess pore water pressure under the track slab was greater than that under the embankment shoulder.

Dynamic simulation and safety evaluation of high-speed trains meeting in open air

Dynamic responses of a carriage under excitation with the German high-speed low-interference track spectrum together with the air pressure pulse generated as high-speed trains passing each other are investigated with a multi-body dynamics method.The variations of degrees of freedom（DOFs：horizontal movement,roll angle,and yaw angle）,the lateral wheel-rail force,the derailment coefficient and the rate of wheel load reduction with time when two carriages meet in open air are obtained and compared with the results of a single train travelling at specifie speeds.Results show that the rate of wheel load reduction increases with the increase of train speed and meets some safety standard at a certain speed,but exceeding the value of the rate of wheel load reduction does not necessarily mean derailment.The evaluation standard of the rate of wheel load reduction is somewhat conservative and may be loosened.The pressure pulse has significan effects on the train DOFs,and the evaluations of these safety indexes are strongly suggested in practice.The pressure pulse has a limited effect on the derailment coefficien and the lateral wheel-rail force,and,thus,their further evaluations may be not necessary.

Dynamic performance of heavy-haul combined train applying emergency braking on straight line

A heavy-haul train-track coupled model is developed. Taking the emergency braking of the 2×104 t combined train as example, the train longitudinal impulse, the coupler dynamic behaviors and wheel-rail interactions of vehicles distributing in the different positions are analyzed. The results indicate that under the coupler compressing forces, the couplers of middle locomotives may tilt to the free swing limits, which induces the unidirectional tilt of their connected wagon couplers. Consequently, the coupler longitudinal forces produce the lateral components, and then affect the wheel-rail dynamic interaction. The performance of the middle locomotive and their neighboring freight wagons deteriorate significantly, becoming the most dangerous parts in the combined train. The wagons disconnecting with the locomotives can basically keep their couplers to stabilize in the centering positions, even though the maximum coupler longitudinal force acts on it. And its corresponding running safety also has little changes.

DYNAMIC MODEL AND SIMULATION OF A NOVEL ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC FULLY VARIABLE VALVE SYSTEM FOR FOUR-STROKE AUTOMOTIVE ENGINES

In modem four-stroke engine technology, variable valve timing and lift control offers potential benefits for making a high-performance engine. A novel electro-hydraulic fully variable valve train for four-stroke automotive engines is introduced. The construction of the nonlinear mathematic model of the valve train system and its dynamic analysis are also presented. Experimental and simulation results show that the novel electro-hydraulic valve train can achieve fully variable valve timing and lift control. Consequently the engine performance on different loads and speeds will be significantly increased. The technology also permits the elimination of the traditional throttle valve in the gasoline engines and increases engine design flexibility.

Coupler force reduction method for multiple-unit trains using a new hierarchical control system

During traction and braking of multiple-unit trains,substantial longitudinal dynamic forces might occur in couplers due to the non-optimal distribution of traction and braking forces generated by self-propelled carriages.These dynamic forces might create shocks affecting the reduction of endurance of the weakest train structural components primarily.Thus,the overall operational safety of the train is also lowered.The purpose of the paper is to develop a new control system to supervise the activities related to the longitudinal dynamics of each train carriage in a multiple-unit train to reduce the longitudinal coupler forces acting during train traction and braking.The hierarchical structure of the control system consists of two levels.The first master level of control works like standard cruise control.However,the reduction of longitudinal coupler forces is achieved by applying a second level of slave control systems with a control configuration of feedback compensation.

The influence of AAR coupler features on estimation of in-train forces

Inadequate management of large in-train forces transferred through coupler systems of a railway train leads to running and structural failures of vehicles.Understanding these phenomena and their mitigation requires accurate estimation of relative motions and in-train forces between vehicle bodies.Previous numerical studies have ignored inertia of coupling elements and the impacts between couplers.Thus,existing models underestimate the additional dynamic variations in in-train forces.Detailed multi-body dynamic models of two AAR(Association of American Railroads)coupler systems used in passenger and freight trains are developed,incorporating coupler inertia and various slacks.Due to the modeling and simulation com-plexities involved in a full train model,with such details of coupler system,actual longitudinal train dynamics is not studied.A system comprising only two coupling units,inter-connecting two consecutive vehicles,is modeled.Considered system has been fixed at one end and an excitation force is applied at the other end,to mimic a relative force transmission through combined coupler system.Simulation results obtained from this representative system show that,noticeable influence in in-train forces are expected due to the combined effect of inertia of couplers and intermittent impacts between couplers in the slack regime.Maximum amplitude of longitudinal reaction force,transferred from draft gear housing to vehicle body,is expected to be significantly higher than that predicted using existing models of coupler system.It is also observed that the couplers and knuckles are subjected to significant longitudinal and lateral contact forces,due to the intermittent impacts between couplers.Thus,accurate estimation of draft gear reaction force and impact forces between couplers are essential to design vehicle and coupler components,respectively.

A numerical method for the simulation of freight train emergency braking operations based on the UIC braked weight percentage

The present paper shows the development of a strategy for the calculation of the air brake forces of European freight trains. The model is built to upgrade the existing Politecnico di Torino longitudinal train dynamics(LTD) code LTDPoliTo, which was originally unable to account for air brake forces. The proposed model uses an empirical exponential function to calculate the air brake forces during the simulation, while the maximum normal force on the brake friction elements is calculated according to the indication of the vehicle braked weight percentage.Hence, the model does not require to simulate in detail the fluid dynamics in the brake pipe nor to precisely know the main parameters of the braking system mounted on each vehicle. The model parameters are tuned to minimize the difference between the braking distance computed by the LTDPoliTo code and the value prescribed by the UIC544-1 leaflet in emergency braking operations. Simulations are run for different configurations of freight train compositions including a variable number of Shimmns wagons trailed by an E402B locomotive at the head of the train, as suggested in a reference literature paper. The results of the proposed method are in good agreement with the target braking distances calculated according to the international rules.

Experimental study on dynamic load magnification factor for ballastless track-subgrade of high-speed railway

The magnitude of dynamic load produced by high-speed trains depends on many factors,of which train speed is the most critical one.However,it is quite difficult to determine the effect of train speed on dynamic load using the theoretical methods due to the complexity of the interaction between vehicle and track-subgrade.Thus large-scale model test has gradually become an important approach for studying dynamic responses of ballastless track-subgrade of high-speed railway.In this study,a full-scale model of ballastless track-subgrade was constructed in accordance with the design and construction standards for Shanghai-Nanjing intercity high-speed railway line firstly.Then,the dynamic strain of slab and the dynamic earth pressure of subgrade were measured by conducting single wheel axle excitation test.In addition,the relationship between the dynamic load magnification factor（DLF） and the train speed was obtained.Finally,the DLF of track-subgrade under different train speeds was proposed,similar to that given by German Railway Standard.

Alignment control for a long span urban rail-transit cable-stayed bridge considering dynamic train loads

In this paper, bridge alignment control with considering dynamic train loads was experimentally and theoretically investigated.Analytical process of bridge dynamics and the self-adaptive Kalman filter bridge alignment control method with considering the dynamic train loads were briefly introduced. The static measurement, the dynamic test, the field alignment measurement as well as the finite element analysis(FEA) of the second longest rail transit cable-stayed bridge in the world were carried out.Based on the results, the train dynamic load effect on the bridge alignment was obtained quantitatively. Subsequently, alignment control of the rail transit bridge with considering this effect using a self-adaptive Kalman filter method was analyzed. The results show that:(a) the dynamic train loads have effects on alignment control of the bridge and therefore cannot be neglected;(b) the self-adaptive Kalman filter method is applicable and reliable for alignment control of bridges during construction. The analytical method and whole process contribute to develop a related specification and further engineering applications.

Exploration of key traction-running equipment and its problems on heavy-haul trains and research on technology development

In recent years,heavy-haul train technology has seen a number of innovations worldwide,and train traction-running technology has also made great progress,resulting in a rich pool of experience and a range of promising applications.This paper summarizes the key technologies of traction running in heavy-haul combined trains,especially locomotive and rolling-stock technology,traction technology,braking technology,control technology,communication technology and safety technology.At the same time,based on an analysis of practical applications,this paper further explores the main problems and urgent needs of traction equipment on heavy-haul trains.With an eye to the future,the heavy-haul railway system will develop in the direction of informatization,automation and intelligence,in order to build a greener,more energy-saving,safer and more efficient railway.This paper therefore looks forward to the technical developments of heavy-haul combined trains,and provides a reference for the development of heavy-haul railways.

Coupler force and fatigue assessments with stochasticdraft gear frictions

Train dynamics and component fatigue assessments are important steps towards successful operations of long heavy haul trains.Longitudinal train dynamics(LTD)simulation is an effective and efficient approach in this regard.Draft gear friction has been known to have a strong stochastic feature.However,relevant train dynamics simulations have not been reported in open literature.This paper uses experimental data to extract the stochastic feature of draft gear friction.The stochastic feature is then introduced into LTD simulations.Coupler force and fatigue damage assessments were conducted by simulating a heavy haul train that has 244 vehicles and weighs nearly 30,000 tonnes.The results show that average in-train force variations due to stochastic friction were 55 and 40 kN for the traction and air brake cases respectively;maximum force variations were 207 and 98 kN for the traction and air brake cases respectively.Coupler fatigue calculations are even more sensitive to stochastic draft gear friction;the largest variations can be up to 700 times different due to the strong nonlinearity of fatigue calculation procedures.Stochastic friction is an unavoidable nature in friction draft gears.Simulations using stochastic draft gear friction can deliver results that are more robust and reliable.

Multitask Learning with Multiscale Residual Attention for Brain Tumor Segmentation and Classification

Automatic segmentation and classification of brain tumors are of great importance to clinical treatment.However,they are challenging due to the varied and small morphology of the tumors.In this paper,we propose a multitask multiscale residual attention network(MMRAN)to simultaneously solve the problem of accurately segmenting and classifying brain tumors.The proposed MMRAN is based on U-Net,and a parallel branch is added at the end of the encoder as the classification network.First,we propose a novel multiscale residual attention module(MRAM)that can aggregate contextual features and combine channel attention and spatial attention better and add it to the shared parameter layer of MMRAN.Second,we propose a method of dynamic weight training that can improve model performance while minimizing the need for multiple experiments to determine the optimal weights for each task.Finally,prior knowledge of brain tumors is added to the postprocessing of segmented images to further improve the segmentation accuracy.We evaluated MMRAN on a brain tumor data set containing meningioma,glioma,and pituitary tumors.In terms of segmentation performance,our method achieves Dice,Hausdorff distance(HD),mean intersection over union(MIoU),and mean pixel accuracy(MPA)values of 80.03%,6.649 mm,84.38%,and 89.41%,respectively.In terms of classification performance,our method achieves accuracy,recall,precision,and F1-score of 89.87%,90.44%,88.56%,and 89.49%,respectively.Compared with other networks,MMRAN performs better in segmentation and classification,which significantly aids medical professionals in brain tumor management.The code and data set are available at https://github.com/linkenfaqiu/MMRAN.