An optimization algorithm for locomotive secondary spring load adjustment based on artificial immune

In order to control the locomotive wheel(axle) load distribution, a shimming process to adjust the locomotive secondary spring loads was heretofore developed. An immune dominance clonal selection multi-objective algorithm based on the artificial immune system was presented to further improve the performance of the optimization algorithm for locomotive secondary spring load adjustment, especially to solve the lack of control on the output shim quantity. The algorithm was designed into a two-level optimization structure according to the preferences of the problem, and the priori knowledge of the problem was used as the immune dominance. Experiments on various types of locomotives show that owing to the novel algorithm, the shim quantity is cut down by 30% 60% and the calculation time is about 90% less while the secondary spring load distribution is controlled on the same level as before. The application of this optimization algorithm can significantly improve the availability and efficiency of the secondary spring adjustment process.

Method for secondary spring load equalization of railway vehicles with two-stage spring suspension: Modeling and optimal regulation

To ensure running safety,the secondary spring loads of railway vehicles must be well equalized.Due to the coupling interactive effects of these hyper static suspended structures,the equalization adjustment through shimming procedure is quite complex.Therefore,an effective and reliable method in application is developed in this paper.Firstly,the best regulation of spring load is solved based on a mechanical model of the secondary suspension system,providing a target for actual adjustment.To reveal the relationship between secondary spring load distribution and shim quantity sequence,a forecasting model is constructed and then modified experimentally with consideration of car body’s elastic deformation.Further,a gradient-based algorithm with a momentum operation is proposed for the load optimization.Effectiveness of the whole method has been verified on a test rig.It is experimentally confirmed that this research provides an important basis for achieving an optimal regulation of spring load distribution for multiple types of railway vehicles.

Secondary Hardening, Austenite Grain Coarsening and Surface Decarburization Phenomenon in Nb-Bearing Spring Steel

The secondary hardening, the austenite grain coarsening and the surface decarburization phenomenon of Nb-bearing spring steel were investigated, and the effects of niobium on tempered microstructure was studied using scanning electron microscope. The results show that the micro-addition of niobium increases the tempering resistance and produces secondary hardening. The effect of niobium on the size and distribution of cementite particles is one of the primary reasons to increase the hardness after tempering. The grain-coarsening temperature of the spring steel is raised 150 ~C due to Nb-addition. Furthermore, both the secondary hardening and the austenite grain coarsening phenomenon congruously demonstrate niobium begins observably dissolving above 1 100 ℃ in the spring steel. Be- sides, niobium microalloying is an effective and economy means to decrease the decarburization sensitivity of the spring steels.