Numeric Simulation On Passing Gauge And Dynamic Performance Of Heavy Duty Freight Car

As the heavy industry developing rapidly in China, the need for special freight cars, such as D38 or D45, is rapidly increasing as well in order to meet the requirements of transporting very heavy and long goods such as the equipments for waterpower or electric-power stations, chemistry equipments etc. However, because these special freight cars are very long when they are working, so the offset of the car body, when it is running at curve, is a very serious issue, and it is possible to damage the transporting safety sometimes. In order to keep off such problem, the ability for the heavy and long freight cars passing through the curve or tunnel, e.g. passing gauge ability, must be seriously considered during its design process.Due to too expensive for its physical prototype, so, in this paper, the numerical simulation based on the virtual prototype technology has been employed. In this way, the relative moving relationship or running offset could be check carefully and it has been proved that is very economical method.As one part of national 863 project "Virtual Prototype Technology of Railway Vehicles", two computer-simulating codes have been used: I-deas and ADAMS. First create the assemble prototype of D45 based on I-deas, then transfer it into ADAMS/View to do multi-rigid-body kinematical analysis. In order to create the simulation model conveniently, a user interface has been defined. In this interface, many design variables has been taken as easily modified parameters. In order to decrease the running offset, a optimum result has been obtained while taking the distance between two joints as a design variable. Finally, some dynamics analysis for one long flat wagon is carried out to check its safety based on the ADAMS/Rail.