The mechatronic track guiding concept for the DLR "Next Generation Train"

Kurzfassung

The different rail vehicle research activities performed by various DLR institutes are coordinated and presented commonly within the DLR internal research project “Next Generation Train“ (NGT). The concept of the NGT consists of a high speed double-decker trainset with continuous floors on both levels. Running gears with independent rotating wheels are one of the main features. Each wheel is powered separately to achieve good acceleration behaviour. The traction motors of the independent rotating wheels are also used as actuator for the track guiding of the wheel pairs and a radial steering in curves. Additionally, independently rotating wheels (IRW) with motors at each wheel offers the fundamental advantages of a higher freedom at the general vehicle layout (low floor, arrangement as single wheel pairs with a long axle distance or in a bogie). The challenges for the development of a mechatronic track guidance system are to find a robust sensor to detect the current lateral position of the wheels relative to the track, which can be placed at a real running gear, a robust control algorithm, which is able to adjust itself to alternating operation conditions and a powerful actuator to realise the commands of the control system. The running gear is developed with the MBS-Software SIMPACK. Additionally, a test bed is set up using the existing DLR 1:5 scaled roller rig to investigate the sensor concept, to validate the simulation models and test different control algorithms. Finally the system must comply with the safety requirements of the standards and must overmatch conventional concepts in respect to the life cycle costs. Therefore, this ambitious concept of a passenger running gear has a realisation horizon of approximately ten years. The authors expect that further developments in the field of power electronics will enable motors and converters for each wheel with a power range up to 250 kW for acceptable costs in the next years.