On the Planning and Construction of Railway Curved Track

Author(s):  
Sono Bhardawaj ◽  
Rakesh Chandmal Sharma ◽  
Sunil Kumar Sharma ◽  
Neeraj Sharma

Increasing demand for railway vehicle speed has pushed the railway track designers to develop high-quality track. An important measure of track quality is the character of the transition curve track connecting different intersecting straight tracks. A good transition curve track must be able to negotiate the intermittent stresses and dynamic effects caused by changes in lateral acceleration at high speed. This paper presents the constructional methods for planning transition curves considering the dynamics of movement. These methods consider the non-compensated lateral acceleration, deviation in lateral acceleration and its higher time derivatives. This paper discusses the laying methods of circular, vertical and transition curves. Key aspects in laying a curved track e.g. widening of gauge on curves are discussed in this paper. This paper also suggests a transition curve which is effective not only from a dynamic point of view considering lateral acceleration and its higher time derivative but also consider the geometric conditions along with the required deflection angle.

2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 205-217
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Zboiński ◽  
Piotr Woźnica ◽  
Yaroslav Bolzhelarskyi

In the past, railway transition curves were not used. Instead of it, a simple connection of the straight track and circular arc was applied. Nowadays, such simplicity is not allowed due to the increasing vehicle operating velocities. It is mainly visible in the high-speed train lines, where long curves are used. The article aims to develop a new shape of railway transition curves for which passenger travel comfort will be as high as possible. Considerations in this paper concern the polynomials of 9th- and 11th-degrees, which were adopted to the mathematical model of the mentioned shape of curves. The study's authors applied a 2-axle rail vehicle model combined with mathematically understood optimisation methods. The advanced vehicle model can better assign the dynamical properties of railway transition curves to freight and passenger vehicles. The mentioned model was adopted to simulate rail vehicle movement in both cases of the shape of transition curves and the shape of circular arc (for comparison of the results). Passenger comfort, described by European Standard EN 12299, was used as the assessment criterion. The work showed that the method using the 2-axle railway vehicle model combined with mathematically understood optimisation works correctly, and the optimisation of the transition curve shape is possible. The current study showed that the 3rd-degree parabola (the shape of the curve traditionally used in railway engineering) is not always the optimum shape. In many cases (especially for the long curves), the optimum shape of curves is between the standard transition curves and the linear curvature of the 3rd-degree parabola. The new shapes of the railway transition curves obtained when the passenger comfort is taken into account result in new railway transition curves shapes. In the authors' opinion, the results presented in the current work are a novelty in optimisation and the properties assessment of railway transition curves.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Chen Wang ◽  
Shihui Luo ◽  
Ziqiang Xu ◽  
Chang Gao ◽  
Weihua Ma

In order to find out the reason for the bogie frame instability alarm in the high-speed railway vehicle, the influence of wheel tread profile of the unstable vehicle was investigated. By means of wheel-rail contact analysis and dynamics simulation, the effect of tread wear on the bogie frame lateral stability was studied. The result indicates that the concave wear of tread is gradually aggravated with the increase of operation mileage; meanwhile the wheel-rail equivalent conicity also increases. For the rail which has not been grinded for a long time, the wear of gauge corner and wide-worn zone is relatively severe; the matching equivalent conicity is 0.31-0.4 between the worn rail and the concave-worn-tread wheel set. The equivalent conicity between the grinded rail and the concave-worn tread is below 0.25; the equivalent conicities are always below 0.1 between the reprofiled wheel set and various rails. The result of the line test indicates that the lateral acceleration of bogie frame corresponding to the worn wheel-rail can reach 8.5m/s2, and the acceleration after the grinding is reduced below 4.5m/s2. By dynamics simulation, it turns out that the unreasonable wheel-rail matching relationship is the major cause of the bogie frame lateral alarm. With the tread-concave wear being aggravated, the equivalent conicity of wheel-rail matching constantly increases, which leads to the bogie frame lateral instability and then the frame instability alarm.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 4226
Author(s):  
Tanita Fossli Brustad ◽  
Rune Dalmo

Track geometry is a fundamental subject in railway construction. With the demand for increased capacity in terms of load and speed, the need for suitable transitions between consecutive track sections is highly relevant. Properly constructed transition curves lead to improved travel comfort, increased safety, and reduced wear. The well known clothoid curve is widely used as a transition curve; however, the linear curvature is not sufficiently smooth to meet the requirements for railways carrying high speed trains or heavy hauls. Blending spline curves are flexible spline constructions possessing favourable smoothness properties at the end points, which makes them considerable for use as transition curves. This paper demonstrates some selected blending splines applied as transition curves between two existing circular arc segments selected from the Ofotbanen railway. The main results in this paper are related to the smoothness at the end points and the behaviour of the curvature of the curves, where the new transition curves were shown to be smoother than the original clothoid. Another new result is the observation that the proposed method allows for the improvement of existing railways without forcing extensive changes to the original track. Some representative examples are included to highlight the flexibility of this first instance of blending splines as transition curves.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 1850132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Dai ◽  
Kok Keng Ang ◽  
Van Hai Luong ◽  
Minh Thi Tran ◽  
Dongqi Jiang

This paper presents a numerical study on the out-of-plane responses of a high-speed train running on a curved railway track segment using the moving element method. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed computation model presented herein are compared with available analytical results from the literature and a finite element solver based on a simplified moving load model. Thereafter, a half-railcar moving sprung-mass model and a double-rail track-foundation model are presented to investigate the behavior of a high-speed train traversing a curved track, particularly when the train speed is greater than the design speed of the curved track segment. The results show that the train speed and severity of track irregularity significantly affect the contact forces on the rails. This paper also presents a case of a railcar overturning when the train speed is greater than 2.5 times the design speed of a curved track segment.


2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 71-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Zboiński ◽  
Piotr Woźnica

This paper represents new results obtained by its authors while searching for the proper shape of polynomial railway transition curves (TCs). The search for the proper shape means the evaluation of the curve properties based on chosen dynamical quantities and generation of such shape with use of mathematically understood optimisation methods. The studies presented now and in the past always had got a character of the numerical tests. For needs of this work advanced vehicle model, dynamical track-vehicle and vehicle-passenger interactions, and optimisation methods were exploited. In this software complete rail vehicle model of 2-axle freight car, the track discrete model, and non-linear description od wheel-rail contact are used. That part of the software, being vehicle simulation software, is combined with library optimisation procedures into the final computer programme. The main difference between this and previous papers by the authors are the degrees of examinated polynomials. Previously they tested polynomial curves of odd degrees, now they focus on TCs of 6th, 8th and 10th degrees with and without curvature and superelevation ramp tangence in the TC’s terminal points. Possibility to take account of fundamental demands (corresponding values of curvature in terminal points) concerning TC should be preserved. Results of optimisation are compared both among themselves and with 3rd degree parabola. The aim of present article is to find the polynomial TCs’ optimum shapes which are determined by the possible polynomial configurations. Only one dynamical quantities being the results of simulation of railway vehicle advanced model is exploited in the determination of quality function (QF1). This is: minimum of integral of vehicle body lateral acceleration.


2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (190) ◽  
pp. 85-95
Author(s):  
Władysław Koc

The paper addresses the issue of determining the horizontal curvature of a railway track, noting that it is most often done indirectly – on the basis of measured sags from a chord stretched along the track. Further use of this method would not be justified if there were a direct method for determining the curvature. Therefore, the assumptions of the method for deter-mining the horizontal curvature from “Archives of Civil Engineering”, iss. 4/2020, are presented. This method is based on changes in the slope angles of the moving chord in the Cartesian coordinate system. Two important details are examined: the influence of the length of the chord on the obtained values of curvature and the possibility of determining the location of border points between particular geometrical elements. The analysed variants resulted from the type of transition curves used. It has been found that the length of the chord does not play a significant role in determining the curvature and does not limit the application of this method. At the same time, attention is drawn to the precision of determining the nature of the curvature and its compliance with the theoretical course on transition curves. The analysis shows that, in the moving chord method, it is possible to determine the location of the border points between the individual geometrical elements, but the required chord length must be adapted to the type of transition curve. Keywords: railway, horizontal curvature, moving chord, analysis methodology


2014 ◽  
Vol 638-640 ◽  
pp. 1195-1206
Author(s):  
Yang Teng Long Li ◽  
Min Yi Cen ◽  
Xuan Bai

According to the critical factor of railway track geometric irregular, the deformations of track can be controlled. The lateral deviation is the key to determine the railway track irregularity. Currently, in the static inspected methods, the combined method of geodetic surveys and track surveying trolleys (inspecting instruments for static geometry parameter of track) is widely used in high-speed railway. Depending on some tests, the model of track irregularity in track surveying trolleys can be reconstructed by another method. According to the special features of track of high-speed railway, it is necessary to study on the accurate and effective lateral deviation algorithm which is suitable for the precise track inspection of high-speed railway. Based on some existing methods of construction layout in highway, the primary contents of this paper are: (1) reduces those methods to three algorithms, such as the Longitudinal Deviation Algorithm with Composite Simpson rule (LDACS), the Distance Function Algorithm of Newton’s method (DFAN) and Normal Perpendicular to Tangent Algorithm of Newton’s method (NPTAN), and (2) completes the algorithm steps of DFAN and NPTAN on circular curve, and proves the results of two algorithms on circular curve same, and (3) proposes the three algorithms to calculate lateral deviation and mileage of any rail detection points for inspecting the static geometric state of track in high-speed railway. Depending on some simulation data, the experimental results are: (1) the calculations of DFAN, NPTAN and LDACS, in which the number of subintervals of equal greater than or equal to five, meet the accuracy of the precise track detection of high-speed railway, and (2) the difference mileage and lateral deviation between DFAN and NPTAN are less than 0.001 mm, and (3) the efficiency of those algorithms is very considerable and the efficiency of DFAN is basically the same with NPTAN and higher than LDACS, and (4) the longer the transition curve is, the lower the efficiency and accuracy of DFAN and NPTAN are. The bigger the radius is, the higher the accuracy of LDACS is. According to the measurement data of the Chengdu Dujiangyan Railway Line (Cheng Guan Line), the above mentioned results of (1) and (2) can be proved correctly.


2019 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
pp. 1555-1601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Zboinski ◽  
Milena Golofit-Stawinska

Abstract In this paper recent simulation results aimed at studying nonlinear phenomena that accompany motion of railway vehicle in transition curve at velocities around the vehicle critical velocity are presented by the authors. Such results concern six different objects representing railway vehicles. These are: three 2-axle railway bogies, two 2-axle railway cars, and 4-axle railway car. The paper attention is devoted to presenting as many different nonlinear behaviours of the studied objects as possible. This is done first of all to give an idea to the readers of great number of the nonlinear behaviour types that can appear for railway vehicles in transition curves at velocities lower and bigger than vehicle critical velocity. The differences arising from specificity of particular objects are highlighted while systematic variation of the system parameters in order to study influence of such variation on differences in the behaviour is less represented. The paper ends with the comprehensive comments by the authors to the results obtained.


Transport ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inesa Gailienė

Railway curves have influence on train speed on a curve and/or wheel/rail interface. Additional forces that have to be compensated appear in the curves. The purpose of superelevation is to compensate acceleration emerging in the curve thus assuring comfortable passenger transportation and equal wearing of both rails. However, it is very difficult to calculate superelevation when designing and maintaining a railway track, because the estimation of actual train speed on the curves is very complicated. As we know, railway lines can be divided into conventional, high speed and heavy haul ones. As these lines are absolutely different, requirements for the installation and maintenance of the track may also differ. Conventional rail lines are the object of research discussed in this article. The speed of freight and passenger trains is different on conventional rail lines, which is an essential factor in determining superelevation. On the ground of scientific researches, the article analyzes and evaluates the factors influencing wheel/rail interface on the curves. The paper also deals with railway line curves, superelevation and uncompensated lateral acceleration. The article presents the method used in Lithuania for calculating superelevation in the railway curves and analyzes calculation defects. For research purposes, analytical and statistical methods have been used. The obtained results have shown that actual superelevation in the researched curves does not match the calculated one. The calculations and obtained results of superelevation depend on how average train speed in the curves is estimated and used for calculations. As most of the results show that even small variations in the curve have a great influence on track/vehicle behaviour, it is necessary to find more precise methods for calculating superelevation, evaluating actual train speed and considering permissible uncompensated lateral acceleration in the curves.


2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (20) ◽  
pp. 4159-4175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaohui Zeng ◽  
Han Wu ◽  
Jiang Lai ◽  
Hongzhi Sheng

Aerodynamic loads may have effects on the hunting stability, and the factor of curved track makes it more complicated. Therefore, considering the steady aerodynamic loads generated by crosswind and airflow in the opposite advancing direction of train, the hunting stability of high-speed railway vehicle on a curved track is studied in this paper. The changes of gravitational restoring force and creep coefficients which are caused by aerodynamic loads are considered, and the change of equilibrium position due to aerodynamic loads, centrifugal force and the factor of curved track is also in consideration. A mathematical model of a high-speed railway vehicle during curve negotiation with aerodynamic loads is set up. A program based on the model is written and verified. Using this program, the linear critical speed considering the effects of aerodynamic loads is determined by the eigenvalue analysis. This paper investigates the critical speeds in three aerodynamic conditions. Considering the aerodynamic loads, the dependence of critical speed on curve radius and super-elevation is analyzed, and the impact of aerodynamic loads on instability mode is analyzed as well. In addition, this paper obtains the dominant factors affecting critical speed and the variation tendency of critical speed with primary longitudinal stiffness by orthogonal experiments. The results show that the critical speed decreases or increases while the wind is blowing to outer rail or inner rail respectively. The aerodynamic loads produce obvious effects on the instability mode. The variation tendency of critical speed dependence on curve radius in the conditions with aerodynamic loads keeps consistent with the case without aerodynamic loads. It is seen from the orthogonal experiments that, aerodynamic loads and curve radius are the dominant factors affecting linear critical speed of vehicle on a curved track, and the linear critical speed decreases with the increasing of primary longitudinal stiffness.


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