ADDIS ABABA INSTITUTION

OF TECHNOLOGY
DESIGN A SECONDARY
SUSPENSION FOR FREIGHT TRAIN
By
Bethel Lemma
Eyuel Mulugeta
 CONTENT OF THE PRESENTATION
• Introduction on the project and definition of key terms
• Design process
• Parameters of the existing and New freight train secondary suspension
• 3D model using AUTOCAD
• FEM and Applied Force
• Simulation using ANSYS
• Result and comparison
• conclusion
 DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS
 Freight train: also called goods (cargo) trains are train that are used to transport goods but
not passenger.
 Secondary suspension: In freight trains connects the body attached bolster of the car with
the material side frame of the bogie to resist the shock caused by the wheels on the bogie
frame and body also called bolster springs.
 Design a secondary suspension for freight: it is to design a secondary suspension in
considering of component need the freight train.
 DESIGN PROCESS
1. Step one: Find a resource and
Evaluate
 All measurements are taken from model
PW2 box wagons of Ethio-Djibouti rail
ways.
 Analysis results concludes that steel is
an optimal material for Helical coil
springs that was less deformed, less
stressed and is safer than other materials
on applied loads.
 For this project we used Microsoft
word, AUTOCAD and ANSYS.
 DESIGN PROCESS
1. Step one: Find and Evaluate the
resource
 Secondary Suspension spring arrangement
 Have 9 outer Spring and also inner spring on
one side of the train bogie.
 Below the bolster and then fixed to the side
frame.

2. Step two: Carefully study the problem

and make sure you have a clear
understanding of what needs to be done

 Taking an existing design of secondary

suspension of freight train and then manipulate
the parameters for better design so that, the
 DESIGN PROCESS
3. Step three: Imagine by asking WH question
 how can we increase the efficiency, should I change diameter, the material, …
4. Step Four : now start to sketch ideas
 Choose to change the diameter of the spring
 DESIGN PROCESS
Parameter Existing Material New Material

outer diameter(left & right) 135mm 140mm

inner diameter(left & right) 85mm 97mm

outer diameter(middle) 134mm 134mm

inner diameter(middle) 87mm 87mm

Height (left & right) 252mm 252mm

Height (middle) 220mm 252mm

Number of Turns(for all) 6 6

Applied load(for all) 3950N 3950N

Freight weight 95.2t 95.2t

 DESIGN PROCESS
Material selection

For both the existing and new design of the secondary suspension we took the default material type and its
property which is placed at the ANSYS software called Structural Steel.

On the table show below there is its material properties

 FINITE ELEMENT METHOD(FEM)
 The FEM approaches problem by splitting the body into a number of small element that are
connected together at node. This process is called Discretization and the collection of nodes and
element is called The Mesh.
 APPLIED FORCE
To calculate the applied force:
Given:
the train is at rest and the force is equal
distribution trough out the train system
Total mass= 94,800Kg
Gravity=
Solution:
Divide the total weight in four to make it
uniformly distributed to each side.
Each side have 9 spring
Direction of the force
 FATIGUE TOOLS
 The Result of the two design is generated by using the three fatigue tool:
 Life cycles
 Damage, and
 Safety factor.

 Life cycle: the material can with stand or can last a repeated impact of this minimum value.

 Damage: which means at what level of impact will the material will be damaged.

Safety Factor: tells us that it is safe to be implemented in real world

DAMGE ANSYS
LIFE CYCLE ANSYS
SAFTY FACTOR ANSYS
 CONCLUSION

COMPARSION Existing Design Value NEW Design Value

PARMETER(UNIT)
DAMGE(CYCLE) max(47815) max(7830.1)

LIFE CYCLE(CYCLE) min(20914) min(20914)

SAFTEY DESIGN FACTOR 0.40774 0.6682

 CONCLUSION
Hypothesis of the failure points:
the diameter is taken by human being
measuring in real time which can lead to
error.
the material we used is structure steel on
ANSYS which is different material we use
for the real freight secondary suspension.
THANK YOU
FOR YOUR TIME