Theory and practice for assessing structural integrity and dynamical integrity of high-speed trains

Purpose–The safety and reliability of high-speed trains rely on the structural integrity of their components and the dynamic performance of the entire vehicle system.This paper aims to define and substantiate the assessment of the structural integrity and dynamical integrity of high-speed trains in both theory and practice.The key principles and approacheswill be proposed,and their applications to high-speed trains in Chinawill be presented.Design/methodology/approach–First,the structural integrity and dynamical integrity of high-speed trains are defined,and their relationship is introduced.Then,the principles for assessing the structural integrity of structural and dynamical components are presented and practical examples of gearboxes and dampers are provided.Finally,the principles and approaches for assessing the dynamical integrity of highspeed trains are presented and a novel operational assessment method is further presented.Findings–Vehicle system dynamics is the core of the proposed framework that provides the loads and vibrations on train components and the dynamic performance of the entire vehicle system.For assessing the structural integrity of structural components,an open-loop analysis considering both normal and abnormal vehicle conditions is needed.For assessing the structural integrity of dynamical components,a closed-loop analysis involving the influence of wear and degradation on vehicle system dynamics is needed.The analysis of vehicle system dynamics should follow the principles of complete objects,conditions and indices.Numerical,experimental and operational approaches should be combined to achieve effective assessments.Originality/value–The practical applications demonstrate that assessing the structural integrity and dynamical integrity of high-speed trains can support better control of critical defects,better lifespan management of train components and better maintenance decision-making for high-speed trains.

Attack-Resilient Distributed Cooperative Control of Virtually Coupled High-Speed Trains via Topology Reconfiguration

Dear Editor,This letter addresses the resilient distributed cooperative control problem of a virtually coupled train convoy under stochastic disturbances and cyber attacks.The main purpose is to achieve distributed coordination of virtually coupled high-speed trains with the prescribed inter-train distance and same cruise velocity.

Disturbance observer-based fuzzy fault-tolerant control for high-speed trains with multiple disturbances

The fault-tolerant control problem is investigated for high-speed trains with actuator faults and multiple disturbances.Based on the novel train model resulting from the Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy theory, a sliding-mode fault-tolerant control strategy is proposed. The norm bounded disturbances which are composed of interactive forces among adjacent carriages and basis running resistances are rearranged by the fuzzy linearity technique. The modeled disturbances described as an exogenous system are compensated for by a disturbance observer. Moreover, a sliding mode surface is constructed, which can transform the stabilization problem of position and velocity into the stabilization problem of position errors and velocity errors, i.e., the tracking problem of position and velocity. Based on the parallel distributed compensation method and the disturbance observer, the fault-tolerant controller is solved. The Lyapunov theory is used to prove the stability of the closed-loop system. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed fault-tolerant control strategy are illustrated by simulation results.

Vibration-based bearing fault diagnosis of high-speed trains:A literature review

Due to the advantages of comfort and safety,high-speed trains are gradually becoming the mainstream public transport in China.Since the operating speed and mileage of high-speed trains have achieved rapid growth,it is more and more urgent to ensure their reliability and safety.As an important component in the bogies of highspeed trains,the health state of the bearing directly affects the operational safety of the trains.It is therefore necessary to diagnoze the faults of bearings in the bogies of high-speed trains as early as possible.In this paper,the bearing fault diagnostic methods for high-speed trains have been systematically summarized with their challenges and perspectives.First,it briefly introduces the structure of bearings in the bogies as well as the fault characteristic frequencies.Then,a brief review of the research on vibration-based signal processing methods and machine learning methods has been provided.Finally,the challenges and future developments of vibrationbased bearing fault diagnostic methods for high-speed trains have been analyzed.

Study on the operational safety of high-speed trains exposed to stochastic winds

The characteristic wind curve （CWC） was com- monly used in the previous work to evaluate the operational safety of the high-speed trains exposed to crosswinds. How- ever, the CWC only provide the dividing line between safety state and failure state of high-speed trains, which can not evaluate the risk of derailment of high-speed trains when ex- posed to natural winds. In the present paper, a more realistic approach taking into account the stochastic characteristics of natural winds is proposed, which can give a reasonable and effective assessment of the operational safety of high-speed trains under stochastic winds. In this approach, the longitudi- nal and lateral components of stochastic winds are simulated based on the Cooper theory and harmonic superposition. An algorithm is set up for calculating the unsteady aerody- namic forces （moments） of the high-speed trains exposed to stochastic winds. A multi-body dynamic model of the rail vehicle is established to compute the vehicle system dynamic response subjected to the unsteady aerodynamic forces （mo- ments） input. Then the statistical method is used to get the mean characteristic wind curve （MCWC） and spread range of the high-speed trains exposed to stochastic winds. It is found that the CWC provided by the previous analyticalmethod produces over-conservative limits. The methodol- ogy proposed in the present paper can provide more signif- icant reference for the safety operation of high-speed trains exposed to stochastic winds.

Control method of unfavorable speed interval for high-speed trains

In tests on dynamic performance of high-speed trains, it is found that there is an unfavorable speed interval for some vehicles, which would he harmful to the daily operation of the vehicle. By analyzing the relationship of vibration frequencies of the vehicle and its running speed, this paper finds that the unfavorable speed interval is caused by the vibration superposition of the natural frequency of the vehicle system with the frequency of external excitation. Taking some electric multiple units （EMUs） as examples, we proposed an approach to obtaining the unfavorable speed interval of vehicles. By analyzing the relation between vibration frequencies and the running speed of the vehicle, the natural frequencies of the vehicle system and the external excitations are distinguished. In the end, we suggest some measures to minimize the negative influences of the unfavorable speed interval, such as shifting frequency, reducing or eliminating external excitation.

Theoretical research and experimental validation of quasi-static load spectra on bogie frame structures of high-speed trains

One of the major problems in structural fatigue life analysis is establishing structural load spectra under actual operating conditions.This study conducts theoretical research and experimental validation of quasi-static load spectra on bogie frame structures of high-speed trains.The quasistatic load series that corresponds to quasi-static deformation modes are identified according to the structural form and bearing conditions of high-speed train bogie frames.Moreover,a force-measuring frame is designed and manufactured based on the quasi-static load series.The load decoupling model of the quasi-static load series is then established via calibration tests.Quasi-static load–time histories,together with online tests and decoupling analysis,are obtained for the intermediate range of the Beijing—Shanghai dedicated passenger line.The damage consistency calibration of the quasi-static discrete load spectra is performed according to a damage consistency criterion and a genetic algorithm.The calibrated damage that corresponds with the quasi-static discrete load spectra satisfies the safety requirements of bogie frames.

An improved algorithm for fluid-structure interaction of high-speed trains under crosswind

Based on the train-track coupling dynamics and high-speed train aerodynamics, this paper deals with an improved algorithm for fluid-structure interaction of high-speed trains. In the algorithm, the data communication between fluid solver and structure solver is avoided by inserting the program of train-track coupling dynamics into fluid dynamics program, and the relaxation factor concerning the load boundary of the fluid-structure interface is introduced to improve the fluctuation and convergence of aerodynamic forces. With this method, the fluid-structure dynamics of a highspeed train are simulated under the condition that the velocity of crosswind is 13.8 m/s and the train speed is 350 km/h. When the relaxation factor equals 0.5, the fluctuation of aerodynamic forces is lower and its convergence is faster than in other cases. The side force and lateral displacement of the head train are compared between off-line simulation and co-simulation. Simulation results show that the fluid-structure interaction has a significant influence on the aerodynam- ics and attitude of the head train under crosswind conditions. In addition, the security indexes of the head train worsen after the fluid-structure interaction calculation. Therefore, the fluid-structure interaction calculation is necessary for high-speed trains.

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.

Influence of pantograph fixing position on aerodynamic characteristics of high-speed trains

To study the influence of the pantograph fixing position on aerodynamic characteristics of high-speed trains, the aerodynamic models of high-speed trains with eight cars were established based on the theory of com- putational fluid dynamics, and eight cases with pantographs fixed on different positions and in different operational orientations were considered. The pantographs were fixed on the front or the rear end of the first middle car or fixed on the front or the rear end of the last middle car. The external flow fields of the high-speed trains were numeri- cally simulated using the software STAR-CCM＋. The results show that the pantograph fixing position has little effect on the aerodynamic drag force of the head car and has a large effect on the aerodynamic drag force of the tail car. The influences of the pantograph fixing position on the aerodynamic lift forces of the head car, tail car and pan- tographs are obvious. Among the eight cases, considering the total aerodynamic drag force of the train and the aerodynamic lift force of the lifted pantograph, when the pantographs are fixed on the rear end of the last middle car and the lifted pantograph is in the knuckle-upstream ori- entation, the aerodynamic performance of the high-speed train is the best.

An Investigation into the Effects of the Reynolds Number on High-Speed Trains Using a Low Temperature Wind Tunnel Test Facility

A series of tests have been conducted using a Cryogenic Wind Tunnel to study the effect of Reynolds number(Re)on the aerodynamic force and surface pressure experienced by a high speed train.The test Reynolds number has been varied from 1 million to 10 million,which is the highest Reynolds number a wind tunnel has ever achieved for a train test.According to our results,the drag coefficient of the leading car decreases with higher Reynolds number for yaw angles up to 30º.The drag force coefficient drops about 0.06 when Re is raised from 1 million to 10 million.The side force is caused by the high pressure at the windward side and the low pressure generated by the vortex at the lee side.Both pressure distributions are not appreciably affected by Reynolds number changes at yaw angles up to 30°.The lift force coefficient increases with higher Re,though the change is small.At a yaw angle of zero the down force coefficient is reduced by a scale factor of about 0.03 when the Reynolds number is raised over the considered range.At higher yaw angles the lift force coefficient is reduced about 0.1.Similar to the side force coefficient,the rolling moment coefficient does not change much with Re.The magnitude of the pitching moment coefficient increases with higher Re.This indicates that the load on the front bogie is higher at higher Reynolds numbers.The yawing moment coefficient increases with Re.This effect is more evident at higher yaw angles.The yawing moment coefficient increases by about 6%when Re is raised from 1 million to 10 million.The influence of Re on the rolling moment coefficient around the leeward rail is relatively smaller.It increases by about 2%over the considered range of Re.

Studyon Evaluation Methods for Lateral Stability of High-Speed Trains

Taking a high-speed train in China as an example,using computer simulation technology and comparing with the test data,the three current methods including linear stability analysis method,nonlinear stability analysis method and the field testing criterion are studied to evaluate stability of high-speed trains.A new stability evaluation method is proposed which can be used to evaluate lateral stability of high-speed vehicle based on the codes of UIC 515and UIC 518.From the viewpoint of taking the most unfavorable track conditions into account and improving the safety margin,the new method uses the root mean square of bogie lateral acceleration as a criterion to evaluate the lateral stability of high-speed trains.Numerical example shows that the proposed method not only considers the forced vibration caused by track irregularities in the actual practice,but also takes the instability self-excited vibration into account,so it can realize early warning of bogie slight unstable oscillation,meanwhile the method itself does not involve complex algorithms which has the possibility of engineering applications.

On aerodynamic noises radiated by the pantograph system of high-speed trains

Pantograph system of high-speed trains become significant source of aerodynamic noise when travelling speed exceeds 300 km/h. In this paper, a hybrid method of non-linear acoustic solver （NLAS） and Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings （FW-H） acoustic analogy is used to predict the aerodynamic noise of pantograph system in this speed range. When the simulation method is validated by a benchmark problem of flows around a cylinder of finite span, we calculate the near flow field and far acoustic field surrounding the pantograph system. And then, the frequency spectra and acoustic attenuation with distance are analyzed, showing that the pantograph system noise is a typical broadband one with most acoustic power restricted in the medium-high frequency range from 200 Hz to 5 kHz. The aerodynamic noise of pantograph systems radiates outwards in the form of spherical waves in the far field. Analysis of the overall sound pressure level （OASPL） at different speeds exhibits that the acoustic power grows approximately as the 4th power of train speed. The comparison of noise reduction effects for four types of pantograph covers demonstrates that only case 1 can lessen the total noise by about 3 dB as baffles on both sides can shield sound wave in the spanwise direction. The covers produce additional aerodynamic noise themselves in the other three cases and lead to the rise of OASPLs.

Aerodynamic design on high-speed trains

Compared with the traditional train,the operational speed of the high-speed train has largely improved,and thedynamicenvironmentofthetrainhaschangedfromoneof mechanical domination to one of aerodynamic domination.The aerodynamic problem has become the key technological challenge of high-speed trains and significantl affects the economy,environment,safety,and comfort.In this paper,the relationships among the aerodynamic design principle,aerodynamic performance indexes,and design variables are firs studied,and the research methods of train aerodynamics are proposed,including numerical simulation,a reducedscale test,and a full-scale test.Technological schemes of train aerodynamics involve the optimization design of the streamlined head and the smooth design of the body surface.Optimization design of the streamlined head includes conception design,project design,numerical simulation,and a reduced-scale test.Smooth design of the body surface is mainly used for the key parts,such as electric-current collecting system,wheel truck compartment,and windshield.The aerodynamic design method established in this paper has been successfully applied to various high-speed trains（CRH380A,CRH380 AM,CRH6,CRH2 G,and the Standard electric multiple unit（EMU）） that have met expected design objectives.The research results can provide an effective guideline for the aerodynamic design of high-speed trains.

Establishment of Dynamic Model for Axle Box Bearing of High-Speed Trains Under Variable Speed Conditions

In this study,a dynamic model for the bearing rotor system of a high-speed train under variable speed conditions is established.In contrast to previous studies,the contact stress is simplifed in the proposed model and the compensation balance excitation caused by the rotor mass eccentricity considered.The angle iteration method is used to overcome the challenge posed by the inability to determine the roller space position during bearing rotation.The simulation results show that the model accurately describes the dynamics of bearings under varying speed profles that contain acceleration,deceleration,and speed oscillation stages.The order ratio spectrum of the bearing vibration signal indicates that both the single and multiple frequencies in the simulation results are consistent with the theoretical results.Experiments on bearings with outer and inner ring faults under various operating conditions are performed to verify the developed model.

Position Control Optimization of Aerodynamic Brake Device for High-speed Trains

The aerodynamic braking is a clean and non-adhesion braking, and can be used to provide extra braking force during high-speed emergency braking. The research of aerodynamic braking has attracted more and more attentions in recent years. However, most researchers in this field focus on aerodynamic effects and seldom on issues of position control of the aerodynamic braking board. The purpose of this paper is to explore position control optimization of the braking board in an aerodynamic braking prototype. The mathematical models of the hydraulic drive unit in the aerodynamic braking system are analyzed in detail, and the simulation models are established. Three control functions--constant, linear, and quadratic--are explored. Two kinds of criteria, including the position steady-state error and the acceleration of the piston rod, are used to evaluate system performance. Simulation results show that the position steady state-error is reduced from around 12-2 mm by applying a linear instead of a constant function, while the acceleration is reduced from 25,71-3.70 m/s2 with a quadratic control function. Use of the quadratic control function is shown to improve system performance. Experimental results obtained by measuring the position response of the piston rod on a test-bench also suggest a reduced position error and smooth movement of the piston rod. This implies that the acceleration is smaller when using the quadratic function, thus verifying the effectiveness of control schemes to improve to system performance. This paper proposes an effective and easily implemented control scheme that improves the position response of hydraulic cylinders during position control.

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.

Numerical study on wake characteristics of high-speed trains

Intensive turbulence exists in the wakes of high speed trains, and the aerodynamic performance of the trailing car could deteriorate rapidly due to complicated features of the vortices in the wake zone. As a result, the safety and amenity of high speed trains would face a great challenge. This paper considers mainly the mechanism of vortex formation and evolution in the train flow field. A real CRH2 model is studied, with a leading car, a middle car and a trailing car included. Different running speeds and cross wind conditions are considered, and the approaches of un- steady Reynold-averaged Navier-Stokes （URANS） and de- tached eddy simulation （DES） are utilized, respectively. Re- suits reveal that DES has better capability of capturing small eddies compared to URANS. However, for large eddies, the effects of two approaches are almost the same. In conditions without cross winds, two large vortex streets stretch from the train nose and interact strongly with each other in the wake zone. With the reinforcement of the ground, a complicated wake vortex system generates and becomes strengthened as the running speed increases. However, the locations of flow separations on the train surface and the separation mechanism keep unchanged. In conditions with cross winds, three large vortices develop along the leeward side of the train, among which the weakest one has no obvious influence on the wake flow while the other two stretch to the tail of the train and combine with the helical vortices in the train wake. Thus, optimization of the aerodynamic performance of the trailing car should be aiming at reducing the intensity of the wake vortex system.

High-Speed Trains Automatic Operation with Protection Constraints: A Resilient Nonlinear Gain-based Feedback Control Approach

This paper addresses the control design for automatic train operation of high-speed trains with protection constraints.A new resilient nonlinear gain-based feedback control approach is proposed,which is capable of guaranteeing,under some proper non-restrictive initial conditions,the protection constraints control raised by the distance-to-go(moving authority)curve and automatic train protection in practice.A new hyperbolic tangent function-based model is presented to mimic the whole operation process of high-speed trains.The proposed feedback control methods are easily implementable and computationally inexpensive because the presence of only two feedback gains guarantee satisfactory tracking performance and closed-loop stability,no adaptations of unknown parameters,function approximation of unknown nonlinearities,and attenuation of external disturbances in the proposed control strategies.Finally,rigorous proofs and comparative simulation results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approaches.

Vibration and acoustic radiation of bogie area under random excitation in high-speed trains

Based on the experiments on a platform with real vehicle structure and finite element simulation, the vibration and interior acoustic radiation under random excitations of high-speed trains’ bogie area were studied. Firstly, combined with line tests, a vehicle body with a length of 7 m was used as the research object. By comparing the results of experiment and simulation, the accuracy of the finite element model was verified. Secondly, the power spectral density curves at typical measuring points in bogie area were obtained by processing and calculating the line test data, which was measured when the vehicle ran at high speeds, and the standard vibration spectrum of the bogie area was obtained by the extreme envelope method. Furthermore, the random vibration test and simulation prediction analysis of the real vehicle structure were carried out to further verify the accuracy of the noise and vibration prediction model. Finally, according to the vibration and acoustic radiation theory, the indirect boundary element method was adopted to predict the acoustic response of the real vehicle. The analysis shows that the simulated power spectral density curves of acceleration and sound pressure level are highly consistent with the experimental ones, and the error between the simulated prediction and the experimental result is within the allowable range of 3 dB.