Fatigue Life Prediction for an S-Train Bogie

摘要

A method of fatigue life prediction for railway vehicles based on computer simulation is presented. Vehicle interaction forces are calculated from measured track irregularities with a multibody-system program. Knowing the forces, stresses in certain bogie cross sections are evaluated and, using a cumulative damage theory, the fatigue life is predicted. The procedures when using spectral analysis or covariance analysis are described. Some results are compared with measured data, and a fatigue life prediction for two critical cross sections of an S-train bogie is shown.