Search Results (9)

High-speed passenger carriages with a long and light carriage body are sensitive to vertical vibration because the bending mode eigenfrequency falls within the most sensible frequency interval for the human being. Anti-bending bars (ABBs) are a passive means to raise the eigenfrequency of the bending mode of the carriage body beyond the sensitive limit, ameliorating ride comfort. ABBs are two bars fixed via vertical supports under the carriage chassis on the longitudinal beams. ABBs resist the bending of the carriage body and can, therefore, increase the bending eigenfrequency beyond the sensitive limit, as necessary. In this paper, a new model for the ABBs, which takes into account the longitudinal stiffness of the ABBs, the three-direction stiffness of the fastening between the ABBs and the vertical supports and the vertical vibration modes of the ABBs via the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory and modal analysis, is incorporated in the 10 degrees of freedom model of a passenger carriage; this is to study the effect of the ABBs upon the running behaviour and ride comfort according to the specific regulations in the field. First, the frequency response functions (FRFs) of the passenger carriage with an ABB system are calculated and analysed, and then, the root mean square (r.m.s.) acceleration and the comfort index are evaluated in the carriage body centre in the context of a parametric study. The longitudinal stiffness of the fastening is critical to ensure the effectiveness of the ABB system. However, the effect of decreasing in the longitudinal stiffness of the fastening can be compensated by adopting longer ABBs. Full article

Ride comfort is an important requirement that passenger rail vehicles must meet. Carbody–anti-bending system is a relatively new passive method to enhance the ride comfort in passenger rail vehicles with long and light carbody. The resonance frequency of the first bending mode (FBM) of such vehicle is within the most sensitive frequency range that affects ride comfort. Anti-bending bars consist of two bars that are mounted under the longitudinal beams of the carbody chassis using vertical supports. When the carbody bends, the anti-bending bars develop moments in the neutral axis of the carbody opposing the bending of the carbody. In this way, the carbody structure becomes stiffer and the resonance frequency of the FBM can be increased beyond the upper limit of the discomfort range of frequency, improving the ride comfort. The theoretical principle of this method has been demonstrated employing a passenger rail vehicle model that includes the carbody as a free–free Euler–Bernoulli beam and the anti-bending bars as longitudinal springs jointed to the vertical supports. Also, the method feasibility has been verified in the past using an experimental scale demonstrator system. In this paper, a new model of the carbody–anti-bending bar system is proposed by including three-directional elastic elements (vertical and longitudinal direction and rotation in the vertical–longitudinal plane) to model the fastening of the anti-bending bars to the supports and the vertical motion of the anti-bending bars modelled as free–free Euler–Bernoulli beams connected to the elastic elements of the fastening. In the longitudinal direction, the anti-bending bars work as springs connected to the longitudinal elastic elements of the fastening. The modal analysis method is applied to point out the basic properties of the frequency response functions (FRFs) of the carbody–anti-bending bars system, considering the bounce and FBMs of both the carbody and the anti-bending bars. A parametric study of the FRF of the carbody shows that the vertical stiffness of the fastening should be sufficiently high enough to eliminate the influence of the modes of the anti-bending bars upon the carbody response and to reduce the anti-bending bars vibration in the frequency range of interest. Longitudinal stiffness of the elastic elements of the fastening is critical to increase the bending resonance frequency of the carbody out of the sensitive range. Longer anti-bending bars can improve the capability of the anti-bending bars to increase the bending resonance without the risk of interference effects caused by the bounce and bending modes of the anti-bending bars. Full article

In this paper, the vertical vibration behaviour of an experimental scale demonstrator of a railway vehicle carbody fitted with an anti-bending bar system of innovative design is studied to highlight its ability to raise the bending natural frequency of the railway vehicle carbody and to reduce the intensity of the vibration. The anti-bending bar system has been previously proposed by the second author as a new passive method to improve comfort in passenger coaches with long carbodies that have a natural bending frequency located in the range of maximum sensitivity of human beings to vertical vibration. The experimental scale demonstrator consists of an aluminium plate supported on four rubber supports. The aluminium beam reproduces to a scale of 1:10 the length of a passenger coach carbody, and its thickness is set so that the first bending frequency of the plate is close to the usual value of real carbodies. The anti-bending bar system consists of two steel bars arranged longitudinally in the middle of the aluminium plate, near its side edges. Each anti-bending bar is fixed at the ends to the aluminium plate by joints consisting of a clamping arm welded to a fixing flange. The two anti-bending bars oppose the bending movement of the aluminium plate, thus increasing its bending stiffness. This results in increasing the bending natural frequency of the aluminium plate and reduction its vibration. Testing the effectiveness of the anti-bending bar system consists of experimentally determining the frequency response of the aluminium plate acceleration without/with the anti-bending bar system by the impact hammer method. The experimental results show the first bending natural frequency increases from 9.01 Hz to 13.4 Hz and the acceleration amplitude decreases by more than 50% when the anti-bending bar system is used. To confirm these results, a theoretical model of the experimental scale demonstrator based on the finite element method was developed. The results obtained with this model are in line with those obtained experimentally. Full article

To explore and compare the failure modes, deformation behaviors, and load-bearing capacities of single-edge notched (SEN) beams strengthened with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) and steel bars, static and dynamic three-point bending tests on both types of concrete beams have been carried out in this study. During the static tests, the electro-hydraulic servo machine served as a loading device to apply pressure to CFRP beams and reinforced concrete (RC) beams. During the impact experiments, different impact velocities were imparted by adjusting the drop hammer’s height. Thus, information regarding crack propagation, energy absorption, and deformation was obtained. The results from the static tests showed that the RC beams predominantly experienced shear failure. In contrast, the CFRP beams primarily exhibited bending–shear failure, attributed to the relatively weaker bond strength between the bars and the concrete. Impact tests were conducted at three different velocities in this study. As the impact velocity increased, both types of concrete beams transitioned from bending failure to bending–shear failure. At the lowest velocity, the difference in energy absorption between beams reinforced with different materials was insignificant during the bending process. However, at the highest velocity, CFRP beams absorbed less energy than RC beams. The study of structures’ impact failure modes and their mechanical characteristics offers valuable references for the anti-collision design and protection of structures. Full article

In welded maraging steels, mechanical properties, particularly ductility and toughness, are often compromised in the heat-affected zone (HAZ). This study focuses on 300-grade maraging steel bars, solution annealed at 1123 K for 1.5 h (5.4 ks) and welded using gas tungsten arc welding, followed by a post-weld heat treatment at 753 K for 13.33 h (48 ks). In situ observations during three-point bending tests on HAZ samples featuring coarsened prior austenite grain sizes were conducted to examine damage behavior and the crack path near the crack tip. The main crack initiated at the peak applied load during the bending test and, upon further loading, exhibited significant deflection and extension accompanied by numerous microcracks and localized crack branching. Distinctive damage features, such as transgranular cracking across block regions, intense intergranular cracking along packet boundaries with a pronounced shear component, and crowding of microcracks ahead of the crack tip, were observed in the HAZ sample during the in situ test. The interaction between the main crack tip and microcracks and its influence on the local crack propagation driving force was discussed using fracture mechanics. Experimental results, including tensile fracture surface observations and in situ images, along with analysis of the stress anti-shielding effect by microcracks, suggest that the HAZ sample exhibits embrittlement fracture behavior with lower ductility and toughness compared to the base metal sample. Full article

A new layered heterostructure composite material system (TC4 as front layer and 2024Al alloy as back layer) was developed and analyzed for its design and performance in terms of an enhanced absorption capability and anti-penetration behavior. The Florence model for energy absorption was modified, so that it can be utilized for the layered heterostructure composite material system with more efficacy. Numerical simulation through Ls-Dyna validated the analytical model findings regarding the energy absorption of the system and both were in good agreement. Results showed that two ductile materials with diverse properties, the hardness gradient and varied layer thickness joined together, specifically behaved like a unified structure and exhibited elastic collision after slight bending, which is possibly due to the decreased yield strength of the front layer and increased yield strength of the second layer. To validate the analytical and numerical findings, the samples of the layered heterostructure composite material system were subjected to a SHPB (Split Hopkinson pressure bar) compression test. The deformation behavior was analyzed in the context of the strain energy density and stain rate sensitivity parameter at different strain rates. The encouraging results proposed that two ductile materials with a hardness gradient can be used as an alternate structure instead of a brittle–ductile combination in a layered structure. Full article

The purpose of this paper is to present applications and design elements of scale models of the carbody of railway vehicles integrated in experimental laboratory systems to verify the effectiveness of the methods to reduce vertical bending vibration of the carbody. In the first part of the paper, some applications of such experimental systems are presented, which include different scale models of the railway vehicle carbody. In the second part of the paper, the structure and dimensioning elements of a new demonstrative experimental system, specially designed by the authors of the present paper for testing the functionality of an original method of reducing the vertical bending vibrations of the carbody of railway vehicles, are presented. This method is based on an innovative approach that involves the use of a passive system consisting of two bars rigidly mounted on the longitudinal beams of the carbody underframe, having the role of opposing the bending of the carbody. The main element of the demonstrative experimental system is the scale model of the vehicle carbody, reduced to a beam, on which the two bars, called anti-bending bars, are mounted. For the dimensioning of the experimental model of the carbody and the anti-bending bars, original methodologies are developed in which several conditions are involved. In the case of the dimensioning of the experimental model of the carbody, the conditions refer to the convenient adoption of the scaling factor of the dimensions of the real carbody from the perspective of the practical realization of the experimental model of the carbody, ensuring the buckling stability of the demonstrative experimental system, achieving natural frequency of the vertical bending of the real carbody and avoiding the interference of the bounce vibration with the vertical bending vibration of the demonstrative experimental model of the carbody. The dimensions of the anti-bending bars are established from the condition that the vertical bending frequency of the experimental model of the carbody is outside the range of sensitivity of the human body to vertical vibration. Additionally, the natural frequency of the vertical bending vibration of the anti-bending bars must be chosen to avoid interference with the vertical bending vibration of the experimental model of the carbody. The effectiveness of the anti-bending bars in reducing the vertical bending vibration of the experimental model of the carbody is investigated with the help of numerical simulation results developed based on an original theoretical model of the experimental model of the carbody with anti-bending bars. Full article

The evolution law of internal force and deformation of an anti-slide pile affects the slope stability and prevention design in a significant way. Based on the similarity theory, a test system for the bearing characteristics of a cantilever anti-slide pile was constructed, and the physical model test for the bearing characteristics of a cantilever anti-slide pile under trapezoidal thrust load was carried out. The distribution laws of internal force and deformation of a cantilever anti-slide pile were revealed, and the optimized calculation method for internal force of a cantilever anti-slide pile was proposed by taking the elastoplastic characteristics of steel bars and concrete into consideration. Furthermore, a numerical model was employed to conduct a parametric analysis of a cantilever anti-slide pile. The results show that the whole process of stress and deformation of a cantilever anti-slide pile can be classified as the uncracked stage, the cracks emerging and developing stage, and the steel bars yielding–failing stage. In the uncracked stage, the bending moment of the cantilever anti-slide pile calculated by the traditional method is smaller than that calculated by the optimized calculation method established in this paper. The traditional calculation method is no longer applicable in the stage of cracks emerging and developing. The lateral displacement and bending moment of the cantilever anti-slide pile are negatively and positively correlated with the strength of the pile material, respectively, and the influence of the deterioration of steel bars’ strength on the ultimate bearing performance of the anti-slide pile is more obvious than that of the deterioration of concrete strength. The bearing capacity of the anti-slide pile could not be significantly improved by increasing the length of the anchored section when the strength of the rock stratum embedded in anchored section was large enough. As the thrust load behind the pile increased, the difference of the bearing performances of the cantilever anti-slide pile under the uniform load and trapezoidal load increased gradually. The research results can provide guidance for the evaluation of the service performance of the cantilever anti-slide pile and the slope stability. Full article

Stress concentration at the corner bends of an anti-roll bar that is designed for an intercity passenger bus is reduced by optimising the shape of the critical regions. In order to do this, parameters which constitute the geometry of the stress concentrated regions are determined. The effect of these parameters on stress concentration is evaluated by using Design of Experiments (DoE) approach. Possible design options and their corresponding mass and maximum equivalent stress values are obtained by using finite element analysis. The results are assessed by means of response surfaces generated by FEA software. Transition form that gives optimum stress concentration is determined. Full article