Research on the city tram collision simulation

Abstract:

In this paper a simulation strategy based on the coupling finite element analyse and multi-body dynamics has been proposed for the collision analyse between a city tram and an oblique obstacle. This simulation strategy is suitable for railway vehicles in terms of collision simulation、crashworthy design and structural optimisation. According to the simulation results the impact angle has been identified as the most determinate factor during the collision between a city tram and an oblique obstacle. With the increased impact angle, the derailment risk of the collided city tram rise significantly. In order to avoid the derailment the maximum impact angle should be reduced to 25°. Besides that, the derailment risk of the collided city tram is also affected by the friction coefficient between wheel and rail. The reduced friction coefficient due to bad weather decreases the wheel-rail forces against the lateral motion of wheel sets. As a result, the collided city tram is more likely to derail.