Strength Simulation of a Railway Bogie Frame Based on EN-13749

Strength Simulation of a Railway Bogie Frame Based on EN-13749

In this study, the strength simulation of a bogie frame for a Taiwan railway vehicle is explored using the three-dimensional elastic-plastic finite element model. The static and fatigue loading conditions for the strength analyses of the bogie frame follows the specifications of the EN-13749 European standard. The effects of different load conditions on the static stress distributions and different train speeds on the fatigue life of the bogie frame are investigated. The simulation results indicate that the maximum von-Mises stress takes place at the interface of side frame and primary spring seat under random loads caused by track irregularities. The increase in train speed significantly reduces the fatigue life of the bogie frame. The estimated fatigue life of the proposed bogie frame for the train speeds of 60, 80, 100, 130 km/hr are 1.05×1010, 7.03×109, 4.75×109 and 1.28×109 cycles, respectively. The results obtained from the fatigue analysis show that the proposed bogie frame can satisfy the required specifications of EN-13749.