Failures Analysis And Countermeasures Research Of The No.13 Coupler

The coupler and draft gear is the most elementary and important component of the railroad vehicle, it connects vehicles of the train, makes vehicles keep a specified distance, delivers the pull and relaxes the impact during the running or shunting of the railroad vehicle.No.13 coupler is the main type coupler in the freight cars in our country, hardly all freight cars use the No.13 coupler except the freight cars running in the Daqin line where uses No.16/17 interlock coupler. The No.13 coupler (including the No.13A type coupler that is authorized to manufacture by Ministry of Railways in 2003) represents the present condition of freight cars couplers.Along with the development of increasing in velocity and load of railroad conveyance, No.13 top operation couplers as the main kind of coupler often occur failures, for example, automatic separation of couplers, separation resulted from crackle in couplers, coupler yokes and rupture in coupler knuckle etc. during the operation;this affects the normal transportation of railway and induces much expense. This not only increases the cost of transportation but also directly affects the safety of railway vehicles. This also affects the normal transportation order, restricts the further increasing in velocity and the capability of transportation to some extend.This paper builds model of the No. 13 coupler assembly with computer simulation software and progresses analysis, evaluation and fatigue life forecast on the basis of progressing overall and systemic analysis of all kinds of failures occurred during the operation of No. 13 coupler, then gives precautionary and improved measures. The finite element analysis of No.13 coupler based on assembly that considers the interactions between the components of the coupler by defining contact can better simulate the couplers in the actual operation and give the position of the bigger stress. This has important realistic significance to enhance stability of vehicles connect, prevent separation, ensure transportation order, economize cost and increase the capability of transportation.This will also provide some theoretic base for the designing, improving, overhauling and maintaining of the No. 13 coupler.