Non-linear dynamics and stability of rolling bearing–axle coupling system of a railway freight wagon with the change of axle rotating speed
ISSN: 0264-4401
Article publication date: 6 February 2023
Issue publication date: 14 February 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the non-linear characteristics and stability of the rolling bearing–axle coupling system under the excitation of the axle/wheel speed of railway freight cars, so as to put forward a rationale for judging the vibration law and running stability of railway freight wagon.
Design/methodology/approach
Considering the effects of eccentric force of the railway wagon axle, the non-linear resistance of the wagon and non-linear support forces of axle box rolling bearings, a centralized mass model of rolling bearing-axle coupling system of railway freight wagon is presented on the basis of the theory of rotor dynamics and non-linear dynamics. Then the Runge-Kutta method is adopted to solve the non-linear response of the proposed system, and numerical simulation including bifurcation diagrams, axis trajectory curves, phase plane plots, Poincaré sections and amplitude spectras are analysed when the axle rotating speed is changed. Meantime, the relation curve between Floquet multiplier and axle rotating speed, which affects the stability of coupling system, is plotted by numerical method based on the Floquet theory and method.
Findings
The simulation results of the dynamic model reveal the abundant dynamic behaviour of the coupling system when the axle rotating speed changes, including single period, quasi period, multi-period and chaotic motion, as well as the evolution law from multi-period motion to chaotic motion. And especially, the bearing–axle coupling system is in stable state with a single period motion when the axle rotating speed changes from 410 rpm to 510 rpm, in which the running speed of railway freight wagon is changed from 62 km/h to 80 km/h, the vibration displacement of the coupling system in X direction is between 1.2 mm and 1.8 mm, and the vibration displacement of the coupling system in Y direction is between 1.0 mm and 1.45 mm. Meanwhile, the influence law of axle rotating speed on the stability is obtained by comparing the bifurcation diagram and Floquet multiplier graph of the coupling system.
Originality/value
The numerical simulation data obtained in this study can provide a theoretical evidence for designing the running speed of railway freight wagon, utilizing or controlling the non-linear dynamic behaviours of the proposed coupling system, and ensuring the stability of railway freight wagons.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Sichuan Science and Technology Program (No. 2020YFH0080), the National Science Foundation of China (51475439) and the Science and technology innovation project of Shenhua Railway Freight Car Transportation Co., Ltd (SHGF-13-77). The authors thank them for their financial support. The authors would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments.
Citation
Juping, Y., Wang, J. and Yongxiang, Z. (2023), "Non-linear dynamics and stability of rolling bearing–axle coupling system of a railway freight wagon with the change of axle rotating speed", Engineering Computations, Vol. 40 No. 1, pp. 229-245. https://doi.org/10.1108/EC-02-2022-0077
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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