Simulation Automotive

Engineering
ITI®-SIM
Rail Vehicles
Application
09/2000
Powertrain Calculations for Rail Vehicles
A vast number of exacting demands must be met in order to dynamically design rail vehicle
drives:
• Dimensioning and selection of the drive components such as motor suspension,
torque support, transmission, shafts and connections, while observing dynamic loads;
• Consideration of non-linearities such as backlash in the transmission, non-linear stiff-
ness and hysteresis behavior in the clutch;
• System state changes due to friction from stick to slide in the wheel-to-rail contact;
• Tuning of the dynamic properties of all components in order to avoid disruptive phe-
nomena such as oscillations due to a descending characteristic friction curve in the
wheel-to-rail contact, and to avoid the associated noise and overloading;
• Consideration of all critical load cases such as starting, braking, synchronization er-
rors or short circuit (two- or three-pole) in the motor;
• Consideration of the coupling effects between electrical and mechanical parameters in
the motor, or
• Evaluating the efficiency of various control strategies in order to avoid critical oper-
ating states.
Due to the complex interaction mechanism of the individual drive components in the com-
plete power train, a reliable and efficient numerical analysis and evaluation of the resulting
dynamic behavior should be based on comprehensive system simulation methods.

ITI-SIM Model Structure

Interactive graphics are used in ITI-SIM to describe the drive structure as a plane (2-D)
model. This includes an asynchronous motor, flexible coupling, axle-mounted gearbox,
suspension of motor and gearbox, mass of bogie and car, spring system and characteristics
in the wheel-to-rail contact.
Due to the pre-defined model objects of ITI-SIM, the simulation model can be set up very • Evaluation of
quickly. Models of plane problems can be constructed easily by using the Plane Transfor-
mation objects. In this way, the elastic supports of motor and gearbox in the frame are
complex
modeled in addition to the torsion properties of the powertrain. drive systems
Frequency and voltage are fed into the asynchronous motor, which develops its motor
torque as a function of the motion states of the connected mechanical components. The
parameters assigned for the motor can be taken from nominal catalog values or from its
electrical parameters, if known, such as resistance and reactance values. • Avoidance
of critical
Performance Evaluation by Simulation operating
Once the simulation model has been created, important operating states can be investigated states
such as motor run-up, braking, motor short-circuit, synchronization errors on switching
power supplies or the change in friction ratios in the wheel-to-rail contact. As a result of the
dynamic simulation, internal loads (forces/moments) as well as motion parameters (dis-
placement/velocity/acceleration) of all drive components are available. These result quanti- • Damage
ties can be displayed immediately by clicking on the corresponding model object. analysis

• Models for
- motors,
- gears,
- couplings
- clutches ...

• Nonlinear,
unsteady
characteristics

• Selection and
dimensioning
of drive
components
Result curves for the forces in the motor suspension, at the tooth and speed.

By using ITI-SIM you can

• Comprehensively analyze complex electro-mechanical drive structures (mechatronics),
• Detect and evaluate real operating states, taking all relevant influences and non-
linearities into account,
• Calculate operating states such as run-up, run-down, braking, false synchronization,
short circuit, change in friction ratios, without any need for troublesome and nasty case
distinctions.

ITI GmbH Š Webergasse 1 C/2 Š 01067 Dresden Š Germany

Phone +49 (0)351 / 260 50 - 200 Š Fax +49 (0)351 / 260 50 - 155
E-Mail: info@iti.de Š Internet: http://www.iti.de